Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you suddenly stuck in the middle of nowhere?

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you suddenly stuck in the middle of nowhere? In a place where you can't turn back and get back? Like you really did something terrible? Did things you ought not to do?...And ended up really regretting those times and wished you haven't done those things? Because what you just did is the biggest mistake ever happen in your life. It was really very hard to imagine that things started falling, like you think you can't get up and make a new way of life out of your past. I'm beginning to understand that the most important thing in life depends on how you live with it. Because before, I never knew it was. But what else would you like to do? When all you got is this mess you're bringing along with your life. OR... i don't know if it was a mess, actually. I wish to believe, it is part of God's plan, lest I'm just making my whole life miserable. I wish to believe God has done this to teach me lessons to learn, then, maybe it's for the better of all and not just for me. Then, at least, I'm not just giving up my miserable life, rather, I'll live it with contentment in the heart. Understand this, that every bad thing happened becomes a blessing. And everything just happens for a reason.... 

The hell it was.

31 Steps in Strategic Life Planning

YOU are the only one who can succeed for you.  This is your responsibility. No one can do this for you. No one can make you happy. No one human can meet all your needs.  Your peace, joy, and financial stability are your responsibility.  Give yourself permission to use your imagination (you know, the one that’s been packed away since you were a child), and use that ability to imagine, along with your ability to think, reason, and create, to find and fulfill the perfect plan for your life.  The following steps will help you find that perfect plan.  And when you find it, you’ll find all five points of true prosperity.  Onward!

Strategic life plan step #1:  Consider what you’ve accomplished this past year.  Give yourself credit for the strides you made and for the good you contributed to the lives of others.

Strategic Life Plan Step #2: Consider the “game changing” moments of the past year.  What happened that influenced your life?  What good has or can come out of those experiences? And don’t say, “nothing,” because good can always eventually come out of adversity and pain. Think, reach, and you’ll find it.

Strategic Life Plan Step #3: Following yesterday’s exercise, take some time to consider the “game changing” moments of your life–good and bad. What good has or can come of them? Example, are you (or could you be) stronger, more resourceful, more resilient, more patient, etc., than you would have been without having those experiences? Do not let any pain go to waste. Be sure to do this exercise because it’s an integral part of your 2012 Strategic Life Plan.

Strategic Life Plan Step #4: What are you good at?  Remember that some talents are more subtle than others.  For example, are you a good listener?  Are you compassionate?  Are you someone who can plow through red tape to get a complicated mess straightened out?  Name at least 3 things that you are good at.

Strategic Life Plan Step #5: What’s holding you back?  Regrets from the past?  What you’ve done?  What you failed to do or could have done differently?  IT’S OVER. Progress is impeded greatly by holding onto the past.  You absolutely must let it go.  Mentally exchange feelings of regret for peace and move forward.

Strategic Life Plan Step #6: What really bothers you?  Whatever issue really grieves you, is an issue that you are supposed to do something about.  “Doing” may involve educating, motivating, or inspiring others to do something.  What core issue(s) do you want to impact?

Strategic Life Plan Step #7:  What negative words or words have been spoken to you or about you?  Intentionally declare positive statements over yourself.  For example, someone in my previous life used to call me a “scatterbrain.”  I have countered the criticism by saying, “my non-linear thinking enables me to find creative solutions to problems.”

Strategic Life Plan Step #8:  What skills, talents, or abilities are you lacking in?  Rather than spending time shoring up these weaknesses, invest time only in improving those areas that may be holding you back from excelling in the area of your strengths.  Identify any weaknesses that need to be strengthened and accept the reality of the others with a smile.

Strategic Life Plan Step #9:  Consider all the various jobs you are aware of.  What work is the most interesting to you and why?  Be honest with yourself as you imagine yourself doing that work.  Would you enjoy the power that comes with that position?  The interactions with others?  The ability to express your creativity?  The rewarding feeling of knowing you’re helping someone else?  Be specific about what appeals to you.

Strategic Life Plan Step #10:  Now that you’ve considered the enjoyable aspects of the jobs that interest you, consider the downside.  Realistically, what would the typical day look like?  Consider the stress, hours required, commute, and any other potential factors.  Would this career be worth it?  If not, do the same with the next hypothetical job.  If you aren’t aware of the downside, try to find blogs from people doing that work for a glimpse into their lives.

Strategic Life Plan Step #11:  Take a brutally honest look at your attitude. Do you eagerly anticipate good things happening?  Are you cautiously optimistic?  Or do you, dread what bad thing might happen next?  When one thing after the next doesn’t go as we’d hoped, it’s easy to lower your expectations.  If this is the case with you, intentionally raise your hopes.  You’re still breathing, so you’re still in the game.  YOU are your “game changer!”

Strategic Life Plan Step #12:  How do you help others? Is it through listening? Acts of service? Companionship? Encouragement? Advice? What good do you almost without thinking?

Strategic Life Plan Step #13:  What are you passionate about?

Strategic Life Plan Step #14:  What do you know for sure?

Strategic Life Plan Step #15:  If you could help people, what would that look like? How would you do it?

Strategic Life Plan Step #16:  Read and evaluate every response you’ve given over the past 15 days, and see if you can come up with your personal mission statement. For years mine was to help people and organizations that help kids and families.  But for 2012, I’ve broadened it to helping others create their own success. Once you have your mission statement, do and say only things that line up with your person mission.  If an activity doesn’t line up, don’t do it!

Strategic Life Plan Step #17:  Your personal mission statement is like the destination programmed into a navigational machine. Get in your head and heart that you WILL fulfill your mission.  Live it by doing and saying only things that line up with your person mission.  If an activity doesn’t line up, don’t do it!

Strategic Life Plan Step #18:  Consider every area of your life–your work, volunteering, community involvement, relationships, etc.  If you’re involved in anything that does not line up with your personal mission, discontinue it.  If you’re committed to it, make plans to transition out in a responsible way.

Strategic Life Plan Step #19:  Can you see yourself living your personal mission statement?  You must be able to visualize it before you’ll take steps to make it a reality in your life.  For example, I had to see myself as a business owner to develop the courage to leave my job to become a business owner.  Even if you have no idea what your life will really look like, let your imagination run free with possibilities.

Strategic Life Plan Step #20:  Find people who are doing something that appears to fulfill your mission (search the internet if you have to). Could you do that work or a variation of that?  Could you do something in support of that work?  What would that look like.  Strip the limitations off your thinking and give yourself permission to daydream.

Strategic Life Plan Step #21:  At this stage in the life planning process, many people get discouraged because they can see no possible way for their emerging dream to become reality.  Be careful not to jump to the conclusion of impossibility.  This is where belief in yourself and faith in God come in.  There IS a plan for your life.  It’s your job to find it and do the work necessary to fulfill it.  When you do what you can and give God permission to step in, He will do what you cannot.

Strategic Life Plan Step #22:  Name at least three ACTIONS that you can take to begin to move in the direction of your life mission.  Do not consider limitations at this time–for example, don’t say things like, “I just don’t have time.  I don’t know how to start.  I need someone to point me in the right direction.”  Ask God to show you the 3 actions. If you’re not a believer, imagine that some wise mentor is giving you advice about living out your personal mission statement.  What would that person say?

Strategic Life Plan Step #23:  OK NOW is the time to list all the limitations you believe hold you back from taking the first steps toward fulfillment of your personal mission.  Here are some that used to hold me back: I don’t belong.  I’m not invited or welcomed.  I’ll be interfering.  I’m not qualified.  I don’t have the right education.  Some I’ve heard from others are, I’m ugly.  I’m too big.  I’m not smart enough.  I don’t have enough money.  It’ll never work.  We’re going to deal with each of your perceived limitations in the following days.

Strategic Life Plan Step #24:  Now, let’s take those limitations apart.  Imagine that you’re going over each of your perceived limitations with a trusted mentor.  What would your mentor say about each one?  Is the limitation real or imagined?  Remember that the last time you considered the limitation it may have been real, but is now no longer a relevant factor.

Strategic Life Plan Step #25:  If you’ve done the steps preceding this one, you should be able to dismiss false limitations, being left with only those which truly do prevent you from fulfilling your personal mission.  So, let’s take a look at one of the most common road blocks, financial lack.  SPECIFICALLY, what would you do to fulfill your mission if money were not a factor?

Strategic Life Plan Step #26:  Answer yesterday’s question with whatever your limitations are in place of the word, “money.” Don’t dismiss this.  Use your imagination.  It may be rusty, but there was a time as a child when you could easily imagine something outrageous.  Too many of us were shot down by others and shut down our imaginations.  Reach deep.  Find that ability within yourself, and imagine what you would do without the limitations you listed in step #23.

Strategic Life Plan Step #27:  Don’t allow anyone or anything to steal your ability to imagine good things.  Imagining bad things is effortless, like water flowing downhill.  So we must intentionally counter this negative imagining, which is worry and fear, with what I call, Positive Imaginings, which is the action of child-like imagining of good things in your future.

Strategic Life Plan Step #28:  While doing your Positive Imagining of your desired end result, go back to the three actions you named in Step #22 and assign a timeline to accomplishing those three actions.  If those actions are complicated, break them down into smaller steps and assign a reasonable timeline to each step. Remember the old (TRUE) adage:  what gets written gets done.

Strategic Life Plan Step #29:  Spend time every day doing your Positive Imagining.  Be careful who you share this with, if anyone.  Even well meaning people can discourage a goal that they don’t understand or are unable to imagine as reality.

Strategic Life Plan Step #30:  When the first steps toward your imagined reality as complete, set three more steps that must be taken to move forward.  Keep doing this as many times as it takes to get to your desired goal–all the while continuing your Positive Imaginings. And do not allow others in your life, who are not pursuing success, discourage you.  Have the courage to take the steps necessary to fulfill your purpose and have everything that comes along with it.

Strategic Life Plan Step #31:  Keep these steps and all your answers so that you can review them next December.  This strategic life plan should be done every year so that new information and developments can be incorporated into it.  If you’ve completed all these steps, congratulate yourself.  You are well on your way to your new reality.  If you have not, print this off of my blog, which will be posted tomorrow, and work the steps.  It’s never too late to take the first steps to positive life change.

Awesome Tips to Creating Momentum in Your Life

Creating momentum in your life takes increasing the things that move you forward and decreasing those that hold you back. Sounds like a snap, but I know, just like you do, that living a life that we desire is not always easy to achieve. We have habits and repeat cycles to overcome. But by creating momentum, we can move past those and move toward the life we want.

Momentum, by its nature, requires a lot of upfront push to get the ball rolling. Here are ten tips to jumpstart the momentum in your life:

Create your picture of success and make it a reality. It’s true – if you can’t see your vision of success, you’ll never get there. So what does success look like for you day to day? How do you want to spend your time? How do you want to define success for yourself this year. Write your vision down and post it somewhere you will see it everyday.

Know what you love and do what you love. You know what they say, either fix the problem or quite complaining about it. If you hate your job, get a new one. Go to school and learn a new profession. Start that business you’ve always dreamed of. Pick up that crazy hobby you’ve been thinking about. Sound too scary? Facing too many roadblocks (time, money, naysayers)? Why not tackle one of them. Explore your options, and then take action. There is no time like the present!

Pick a BHAG. What is that big, hairy, audacious goal you want to achieve this year that will help you step into your vision of success? Write it down along with the one thing you can do today to make it happen. Here is an example of the power of a written goal: A study was conducted among a graduating class at Harvard to see how many had concrete goals around how much money they wanted to make. Only 3% had written their goals down. Ten years later, that 3% were making more than the other 97% combined! Now that is power!

Eliminate your energy drains and recharge yourself. Energy drains are those things that drag you down. Things that recharge your energy can be anything that inspires you and puts you in a good mood, like a room in your house, a place to relax, an activity, or a person. Spend more time doing the things that give you energy and stick a post-it next to each drain with an idea for getting rid of it.

Remove your fears. The greatest source of procrastination is often a deep-seeded fear – fear of success, change, failure, ridicule, the unknown. Take a daily step to remove your fears by asking yourself every day, “What would I do today, if I were not afraid?”

Take control of your finances. Do you feel like you are on a treadmill, working more to pay for ever increasing bills? It seems like the more we work, the more we spend to do the things we don’t have time to do while we are working (housekeeper, take-out food, dry cleaner, etc.). Spend a little less here and a little less there and stop hemorrhaging money. Make sure what you purchase is in line with your values. Run a QuickBooks report to see exactly what you are spending your money on. What if you decreased every category (except maybe your mortgage and other loan payments) by 10%? Use your money to fuel your dreams instead of feeding the treadmill.

Create a braintrust. Identify a handful of people in your life who can help you move your life forward. Consider pulling from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, experience and opinions. Sometimes those who are most critical provide the best insights. Call on them together or individually to help you move past any roadblocks and keep the momentum going.

Find the time. One of the biggest challenges to having the life we want is finding the time to do all we want to do. Track how you spend your time for a week. At the end, tally up the time spent on each thing – such as sleeping, eating, shopping, checking email, etc. Look at each category. What things can you do to cut time in each area? Be creative and find the time to do what you love to do, instead of what you have to do.

Let things evolve. When the flywheel of momentum starts to turn, pay attention to clues, connections, and opportunities that are presented to you. Allow your future to unfold and change in ways you might not have been able to imagine when you started dreaming.

Commit to your dreams. Creating momentum starts with commitment. Commit to doing one of the ideas above that will move you closer to your dreams.

We all know that life is short. So, shouldn’t we all live the best life we possibly can?
Absolutely! Because remember – how we spend our days, is how we spend our lives.

Life Is About Evolution

If you truly want to be a person of influence you first have to embrace evolution. Wisdom will always let you know that fighting change is definitely a losing battle so it is imperative that you move towards being a more evolved enlightened human being. One of the great principle of life is stated this way; "Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change." 

If you truly want to transition or transform from someone who moves through life unconsciously to a person who becomes the wealthy individual who's completely aware of and completely at ease with all things around him or her then you must embrace change. It doesn't matter at all where you are from or what you've done in the past, you're never trapped in any circumstance, relationship, cycle, or situation unless you say and/or believe you are. It's always better to take each and everyday and treat it just as it is; a new day with new opportunities to do what's right. 

If you're at a point in your life where you realize you're going in the wrong direction which means you're producing the wrong results then simply in most cases do the opposite of what you're doing right now. Trust me this will make a world of difference and you'll almost see small and/or big result quickly. I know this is easier said then done but when you add courage and persistent practice to your constant thought pattern that's saying "it's time to make the necessary changes" then I'm absolutely sure you'll make great progress in living a more happy and fulfilled life.

Winning Strategies Guaranteed to Improve Your Coaching Skills

Are you sure you're doing everything you can to be the best
coach possible? Absolutely sure?

I've been a coach and I've had a lot of coaches. You know
what I've found? Some coaches put all the pieces together
and some just don't invest time developing the coaching
skills that make a difference.

I can't turn you into a coaching superstar overnight but I
can get you started with these six powerful communication
skills. I'll break them into two groups: Verbal and
Non-verbal.

Three verbal communication skills you must master:

1) Consistency

Don't send your players mixed messages by telling your team
something today and then two days from now completely
contradicting yourself. Your players must be able to trust
the words that come out of your mouth.

Also, keep your tone consistent with what your words are
intending to get across. I had a coach once who, when one of
us messed up, would say, "That was great" in a dripping wet
sarcastic tone. Talk about sending us a negative message and
beating team morale into the ground!

2) Honesty

Be honest with your team and always in a positive way. Your
team knows when mistakes are made so don't try to ignore
them. If you try to gloss over them, you'll lose your team's
respect. Just be sure to correct mistakes in a positive way
that helps a player see what was done correctly but also
feel good about fixing the mistake.

When pointing out a mistake, first say what was good, then
say "and if you follow through properly, you'll get the
proper spin on the ball", rather than "but if you follow
through properly, you'll get the proper spin on the ball".

3) Be Concise

Don't speak to your team unclearly. Think through what you
want to get across ahead of time and deliver your thoughts
in a clear, concise manner. Come right out and say it. Don't
go off on tangents and bore your players with unnecessary
talk. Get to the point and then get the troops moving.

Three non-verbal communication skills you must master:

4) Facial Expressions

Be aware of how closely your team pays attention to what
your face is "saying". Don't be a phony by trying to hide
what you really feel with a fake smile or a serious blank
stare.

Realize, also, that just a simple smile can do wonders for a
struggling player or a player unsure of what they're doing.
Show them that you're behind them, glad to be with them and
there to help.

Don't overdo this, though. Your players will pick up on
that. Be genuine in your coaching efforts.

5) Body Language

If you're standing on the sideline in a way that shows you
are happy to be there and confident, how will your players
respond as opposed to you scowling around all hunched over
and looking angry? Remember to present body language that
represents enthusiasm, class and character.

Body language can also be used in the form of physical
contact such as a pat, a handshake or an arm around the
shoulder. Stay ethical, of course, but physical contact can
show your players the many emotions you feel about them -
happiness, concern, affection, approval, etc.

6) Listen

This one's huge! You need to pay attention to your players.
You've got to focus on really seeing and hearing your
players' verbal and non-verbal signals.

If your players keep hearing you say, "What was that?" or
"Did you say something?", you're in trouble and you need to
work on your listening skills big time.

Start practicing this coaching skill and watch how much more
you instantly start to learn about your team. You'll see a
player is upset over something even though he's trying hard
to hide it. You'll see how each player reacts to not only
you but to one another.

Master these six coaching strategies and watch your coaching
skills skyrocket. Your players must know you care way before
they'll care about what you have to say. Remember this
because too many coaches don't.

Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

Fishing Tips - Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

Beyond a doubt the best fly fishing rod material is good bamboo properly selected, cured, split, glued, and correctly proportioned. It possesses strength combined with lightness, resiliency, pliancy, power and balance in greater degree than either steel or solid woods.

Formerly anglers and rod makers could draw fine distinctions between male and female Calcutta and Tonkin " canes," but under present conditions good Calcutta is very rare and the word " Calcutta " is be¬coming merely a trade term. Good bamboo of all kinds is more difficult to obtain and a good piece of Tonkin is better than an indifferent one of Calcutta. Male Calcutta, however, is supposed to be superior to either the female or Tonkin. The cheapest split cane is known as steel vine or African cane. It is light colored and makes up into good, inexpensive bamboo fly fishing rods.

Six Strip and 8 Strip Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

We assume that you know that bamboo is split and then glued together in order to utilize the hard outer enamel and reduce the diameter of the pieces. Some rods are made of bamboo split into six sections (hex¬agonal) and some in eight (octagonal) but the six strip construction is more often used. Some makers claim that the eight strip, being more nearly a true cylinder, possesses better action but this seems to be more theoretical than practical, while the tiny tips of an eight strip rod are likely to be " soft" due to the comparative amount of glue necessary to hold the pieces together. Eight strip rods cost more than the six strip and if the angler wants a round bamboo fly fishing rod they are preferable to the six strip planed down as planing certainly must injure a rod. As a general rule a well-made six strip rod leaves little to be desired.

Special Feature Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

A novelty in bamboo fly fishing rod making is what is known as the " double built " rods which are made of two layers of split and glued bamboo, one within the other. They are heavier and strong, and it is claimed, hold their shape better, than ordinary rods and are popular for sea and salmon fishing but unnecessary, I believe, in single hand fly rods. An English innovation is the steel center rod which consists of a fine piece of well-tempered steel running as a core through sections of regular split bamboo. The makers claim this construction gives a rod of superior casting power with only of an ounce added weight. Friends who possess rods of this kind are enthusiastic admirers of this construction for heavy fishing.

An American maker supplies a rod of " twisted bam¬boo " which he claims equalizes the strain and pro¬duces better action. I have never tried a rod of this type so am unable to pass on its merits, but Perry Frazer, in his " Amateur Rodmaking," speaks well of it.