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	<title>A Boundless World &#187; Inspiration</title>
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		<title>Upgrade Your Reality</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:46:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from Upgrade Reality has recently launched his first e-book, which suspiciously carries the name of his blog. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  Before I get into what the book has to offer let me first start off by saying how proud I am of Diggy. Having known Diggy for nearly two years now, it has been amazing to see the progress he&#8217;s made creating a name for himself in the online world. Having both started out around the same time he&#8217;s certainly kept me motivated to be at my best.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;ll be the first to admit, when I first stumbled upon Diggy&#8217;s <a href="http://www.upgradereality.com"><span style="font-size: medium;">blog</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">, I mistaken wrote him off as being just an average blogger. Over time however, I slowly grew to know him for the amazing person he is.  Now, Diggy  is not only a person I have tremendous respect for, but also someone I know I can talk to if I&#8217;m ever feeling stuck.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having been into the whole &#8220;personal development&#8221; scene for close to three years now, I&#8217;ve read  dozens of books on personal growth. Some of the books I read changed my life forever, while others were simply a waste of my time. Unfortunately many fell into the latter category. </span><a href="http://www.upgradereality.net/"><span style="font-size: medium;">Upgrade Reality</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> is one of those books that created quite a shift for me simply for the inspiration alone.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being completely honest, I had already been exposed to much of the content in Upgrade Reality. That being said, I was still able to take away a ton from it, because of the story behind the words. I have no doubt that regardless of where you are in life you will be able to take away at least a handful of gems from the book.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">From the moment you begin reading, you can tell how passionate Diggy is about wanting to change the world. And that feeling inspires you to do the same. There&#8217;s something about the energy behind his words that pumps you up and makes you want to be the best you can be. Sure, his grammar may not be the greatest in the world,  and there may be one to many cliches, but the message can be felt where it counts.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">What I like about the book is that Diggy shares what&#8217;s truth for him. He doesn&#8217;t pretend like he knows everything or has all the answers. Instead he guides you in discovering your path for yourself. Diggy makes clear up front that in order to be successful in any area of your life you have to put in the work, something many personal development related books don&#8217;t always emphasize.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I especially like how he shares his personal struggles and how he overcame them. So often we forget that life isn&#8217;t always going to go our way. Yet we always have the choice on how we choose to react.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I could honestly go on for ages about the topics he&#8217;s covered in the book but you may as well go check it out for yourself. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you&#8217;re looking for a nice kick in your rear end to step up your game, </span><a href="http://www.upgradereality.net/"><span style="font-size: medium;">Upgrade Reality</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> just might be exactly what you need. So pick up a copy today.</span></span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/">Upgrade Your Reality</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/its-on-a-race-to-1000-subscribers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: It&#8217;s On: A Race To 1,000 Subscribers'>It&#8217;s On: A Race To 1,000 Subscribers</a> <small>If you&#8217;ve been following my twitter feed, you may have noticed...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Links Challenge'>7 Links Challenge</a> <small>As with my good friend Diggy from Upgrade Reality, I...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/interview-with-alex-of-unleash-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Interview with Alex of Unleash Reality'>Interview with Alex of Unleash Reality</a> <small>While I do my best to provide unique content from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/its-on-a-race-to-1000-subscribers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: It&#8217;s On: A Race To 1,000 Subscribers'>It&#8217;s On: A Race To 1,000 Subscribers</a> <small>If you&#8217;ve been following my twitter feed, you may have noticed...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Links Challenge'>7 Links Challenge</a> <small>As with my good friend Diggy from Upgrade Reality, I...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/interview-with-alex-of-unleash-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Interview with Alex of Unleash Reality'>Interview with Alex of Unleash Reality</a> <small>While I do my best to provide unique content from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from Upgrade Reality has recently launched his first e-book, which suspiciously carries the name of his blog. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  Before I get into what the book has to offer let me first start off by saying how proud I am of Diggy. Having known Diggy for nearly two years now, it has been amazing to see the progress he&#8217;s made creating a name for himself in the online world. Having both started out around the same time he&#8217;s certainly kept me motivated to be at my best.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;ll be the first to admit, when I first stumbled upon Diggy&#8217;s <a href="http://www.upgradereality.com"><span style="font-size: medium;">blog</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">, I mistaken wrote him off as being just an average blogger. Over time however, I slowly grew to know him for the amazing person he is.  Now, Diggy  is not only a person I have tremendous respect for, but also someone I know I can talk to if I&#8217;m ever feeling stuck.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having been into the whole &#8220;personal development&#8221; scene for close to three years now, I&#8217;ve read  dozens of books on personal growth. Some of the books I read changed my life forever, while others were simply a waste of my time. Unfortunately many fell into the latter category. </span><a href="http://www.upgradereality.net/"><span style="font-size: medium;">Upgrade Reality</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> is one of those books that created quite a shift for me simply for the inspiration alone.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being completely honest, I had already been exposed to much of the content in Upgrade Reality. That being said, I was still able to take away a ton from it, because of the story behind the words. I have no doubt that regardless of where you are in life you will be able to take away at least a handful of gems from the book.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">From the moment you begin reading, you can tell how passionate Diggy is about wanting to change the world. And that feeling inspires you to do the same. There&#8217;s something about the energy behind his words that pumps you up and makes you want to be the best you can be. Sure, his grammar may not be the greatest in the world,  and there may be one to many cliches, but the message can be felt where it counts.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">What I like about the book is that Diggy shares what&#8217;s truth for him. He doesn&#8217;t pretend like he knows everything or has all the answers. Instead he guides you in discovering your path for yourself. Diggy makes clear up front that in order to be successful in any area of your life you have to put in the work, something many personal development related books don&#8217;t always emphasize.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I especially like how he shares his personal struggles and how he overcame them. So often we forget that life isn&#8217;t always going to go our way. Yet we always have the choice on how we choose to react.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I could honestly go on for ages about the topics he&#8217;s covered in the book but you may as well go check it out for yourself. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you&#8217;re looking for a nice kick in your rear end to step up your game, </span><a href="http://www.upgradereality.net/"><span style="font-size: medium;">Upgrade Reality</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> just might be exactly what you need. So pick up a copy today.</span></span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/">Upgrade Your Reality</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/its-on-a-race-to-1000-subscribers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: It&#8217;s On: A Race To 1,000 Subscribers'>It&#8217;s On: A Race To 1,000 Subscribers</a> <small>If you&#8217;ve been following my twitter feed, you may have noticed...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Links Challenge'>7 Links Challenge</a> <small>As with my good friend Diggy from Upgrade Reality, I...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/interview-with-alex-of-unleash-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Interview with Alex of Unleash Reality'>Interview with Alex of Unleash Reality</a> <small>While I do my best to provide unique content from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
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		<title>7 Links Challenge</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:18:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As with my good friend Diggy from<a href="http://www.upgradereality.com"> Upgrade Reality</a>, I too was recently challenged by </span><a href="http://www.dragosroua.com/the-7-links-challenge/" target="blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dragos Roua</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> to complete the seven links </span><span style="font-size: medium;">challenge. I normally don&#8217;t partake in such things, but I thought the questions were especially relevant, especially for those who are new to my blog. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Without further a due:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 1. Your First Post</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">h.. looking back at my first post brings back memories. My  first post <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/10-simple-ways-to-stay-fit/"> </a><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/10-simple-ways-to-stay-fit/">Ten Simple Ways To Stay Fit</a> was published on October 11th 2008. I honestly can&#8217;t believe that so much time has gone by. It&#8217;s really amazing to see the progress I&#8217;ve made as I would have never imagined I would be where I am at today.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 2. A Post You Enjoyed Writing The Most</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">My favorite post written here at A Boundless World has to be <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-our-current-education-system-is-failing/">Why Our Current Education System is Failing.</a> To this day I still remember how inspired I was when I sat down to write it and how it was like my hands had a mind of its own. The inspiration was apparently felt as it was also my most popular post to date. Though wrote <a href="http://www.pluginid.com/small-movements-matter/">Small Movements Matter </a>on PluginID it remains my favorite creative work by far. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 3. A Post Which Has Great Discussion</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The post that generated the most discussion, just so happens to be one of my favorite posts ever as well. Within hours of posting it, <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-our-current-education-system-is-failing/">Why Our Current Education System is failing </a>was re-tweeted several dozen times, and this was long before my blog was well known. The post garnered nearly 100 comments many of which were equivalent to the size of medium length essay. It was quickly obvious many people shared strong opinions of the subject, and the debate lasted for quite a while. While not everyone agreed it got a great conversation going and I can say it was one post I was particularly proud of. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 4. A Post That You Wish You’d Written</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I can&#8217;t think of a single post off the top of my head (there&#8217;s so many great out there), but one of my all times favorites was written by Glen Allsop.  His <a href="http://www.viperchill.com/21-lessons-21-years/">21 one Lessons I Learned After 21 Years Alive</a>, really resonated with me. Obviously I would only be qualifed to write 18 lessons but it would be a fun write up to say the least. But when it comes to posts I wish I&#8217;d wrote, my only regrets are when I think an idea is not good enough only to see something similar pop up a few days later. I need to follow my gut a bit more <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 5 .A Post With A Title You’re Proud Of</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a bit of weird question, as I don&#8217;t think titles mean much aside from attracting eyes, but my favorite title is <a href="http://www.pluginid.com/small-movements-matter/">Small Movements Matter</a>. It may not be catchy like a 101 ways to live a better life list post, but it does contain a powerful meaning in a mere 3 words. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 6. A Post That You Wish More People Had Read</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The simple answer would be to say all of them&#8230; but that would be cheating <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  The post I wrote that I wish more people would have read would have to be: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/how-to-forgive-anybody/">How To Forgive Anyone</a>&#8230; While it wasn&#8217;t my best post I think the message is something more people need to be reminded of. It&#8217;s so easy to carry grudges throughout your life but that only prevents you from experiencing bliss. I would have also liked for more people to have read my poem: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/is-that-all-you-have-to-give/">Is that all you have to give</a>? A short but powerful message. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 7. Your Most Visited Post Ever</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I realize this may be overkill but my most visited post ever was Why Our Current Education System is Failing. It really hit a nerve with some!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope that these seven questions give you a better insight of not only who I am but what this blog is about as well. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/">7 Links Challenge</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-power-of-intentions/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Power of Intentions'>The Power of Intentions</a> <small>I must admit, this is a rather spontaneous post which...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/30-day-trial-experience-the-best-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 30 Day Trial: Experience The Best You'>30 Day Trial: Experience The Best You</a> <small>Note: I wrote this post in the early hours of...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Upgrade Your Reality'>Upgrade Your Reality</a> <small>I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-power-of-intentions/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Power of Intentions'>The Power of Intentions</a> <small>I must admit, this is a rather spontaneous post which...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/30-day-trial-experience-the-best-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 30 Day Trial: Experience The Best You'>30 Day Trial: Experience The Best You</a> <small>Note: I wrote this post in the early hours of...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Upgrade Your Reality'>Upgrade Your Reality</a> <small>I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As with my good friend Diggy from<a href="http://www.upgradereality.com"> Upgrade Reality</a>, I too was recently challenged by </span><a href="http://www.dragosroua.com/the-7-links-challenge/" target="blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dragos Roua</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> to complete the seven links </span><span style="font-size: medium;">challenge. I normally don&#8217;t partake in such things, but I thought the questions were especially relevant, especially for those who are new to my blog. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Without further a due:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 1. Your First Post</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">h.. looking back at my first post brings back memories. My  first post <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/10-simple-ways-to-stay-fit/"> </a><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/10-simple-ways-to-stay-fit/">Ten Simple Ways To Stay Fit</a> was published on October 11th 2008. I honestly can&#8217;t believe that so much time has gone by. It&#8217;s really amazing to see the progress I&#8217;ve made as I would have never imagined I would be where I am at today.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 2. A Post You Enjoyed Writing The Most</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">My favorite post written here at A Boundless World has to be <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-our-current-education-system-is-failing/">Why Our Current Education System is Failing.</a> To this day I still remember how inspired I was when I sat down to write it and how it was like my hands had a mind of its own. The inspiration was apparently felt as it was also my most popular post to date. Though wrote <a href="http://www.pluginid.com/small-movements-matter/">Small Movements Matter </a>on PluginID it remains my favorite creative work by far. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 3. A Post Which Has Great Discussion</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The post that generated the most discussion, just so happens to be one of my favorite posts ever as well. Within hours of posting it, <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-our-current-education-system-is-failing/">Why Our Current Education System is failing </a>was re-tweeted several dozen times, and this was long before my blog was well known. The post garnered nearly 100 comments many of which were equivalent to the size of medium length essay. It was quickly obvious many people shared strong opinions of the subject, and the debate lasted for quite a while. While not everyone agreed it got a great conversation going and I can say it was one post I was particularly proud of. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 4. A Post That You Wish You’d Written</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I can&#8217;t think of a single post off the top of my head (there&#8217;s so many great out there), but one of my all times favorites was written by Glen Allsop.  His <a href="http://www.viperchill.com/21-lessons-21-years/">21 one Lessons I Learned After 21 Years Alive</a>, really resonated with me. Obviously I would only be qualifed to write 18 lessons but it would be a fun write up to say the least. But when it comes to posts I wish I&#8217;d wrote, my only regrets are when I think an idea is not good enough only to see something similar pop up a few days later. I need to follow my gut a bit more <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 5 .A Post With A Title You’re Proud Of</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a bit of weird question, as I don&#8217;t think titles mean much aside from attracting eyes, but my favorite title is <a href="http://www.pluginid.com/small-movements-matter/">Small Movements Matter</a>. It may not be catchy like a 101 ways to live a better life list post, but it does contain a powerful meaning in a mere 3 words. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 6. A Post That You Wish More People Had Read</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The simple answer would be to say all of them&#8230; but that would be cheating <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  The post I wrote that I wish more people would have read would have to be: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/how-to-forgive-anybody/">How To Forgive Anyone</a>&#8230; While it wasn&#8217;t my best post I think the message is something more people need to be reminded of. It&#8217;s so easy to carry grudges throughout your life but that only prevents you from experiencing bliss. I would have also liked for more people to have read my poem: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/is-that-all-you-have-to-give/">Is that all you have to give</a>? A short but powerful message. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> 7. Your Most Visited Post Ever</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I realize this may be overkill but my most visited post ever was Why Our Current Education System is Failing. It really hit a nerve with some!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope that these seven questions give you a better insight of not only who I am but what this blog is about as well. <img src='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-links-challenge/">7 Links Challenge</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-power-of-intentions/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Power of Intentions'>The Power of Intentions</a> <small>I must admit, this is a rather spontaneous post which...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/30-day-trial-experience-the-best-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 30 Day Trial: Experience The Best You'>30 Day Trial: Experience The Best You</a> <small>Note: I wrote this post in the early hours of...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Upgrade Your Reality'>Upgrade Your Reality</a> <small>I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
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		<title>5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:28:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">At the time of this writing, I&#8217;m sitting 10,000 feet in the sky heading home from a week long trip to California. I hadn&#8217;t planned to write an article on the plane but I&#8217;ve been so impressed with Southwest airlines I couldn&#8217;t resist.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you live in the United States, chances are you&#8217;ve heard of, if not have flown Southwest airlines. They are known throughout the US as a reliable and fairly cheap airline provider, a perfect fit for a college student like myself. Rest assured even if you&#8217;ve yet to hear of them, or live outside the US, you&#8217;ll still be able to take away a few key points from this post.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Having flown hundreds of times on dozens of airlines, I&#8217;ve come to understand which airline companies &#8220;get it&#8221; and which don&#8217;t, and unfortunately in the US it&#8217;s frequently  the latter. Today I will be sharing  what makes Southwest airlines the best US airline in my opinion and what you can learn from them to make your own business flourish.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Cultivate Happiness:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the reasons I try to fly Southwest as much as possible, is because I find the people working there to be amazingly happy. I can tell that most employees  don&#8217;t just work at Southwest, they  actually <strong>WANT</strong> to work there. For an airline this is fairly rare. I can&#8217;t tell you how many times I see employees of other airlines not give a damn whether or not their customers are happy. With Southwest I always feel like my satisfaction is their number one priority.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Zappos, the popular shoe company, has been getting a lot of press lately because they do a great job with their customer service department and it obviously  boosts their sales.  How does Southwest cultivate happiness?  Right now the entire plane is being lead by the stewardess in a dance to celebrate the 4th of July.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whether you work for yourself or with others it&#8217;s important to just do work but actually love the work. Make happiness a priority. At Southwest they know how to cultivate happiness and they have a very happy customer as a result.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Know Your Customer:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the things I like about how Southwest runs is that they know their customer. They know that many people are just looking to get from point A to point B at a relatively low price point. If you&#8217;re looking to be coddled throughout your entire flight with fancy feet rests and outrageously expensive 5 course meals Southwest is <strong>not </strong>your airline.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Southwest could easily attempt to cater to the higher end customers of the flying world but in the process they would alienate those who enjoy their cheap fairs and simple flight routes.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-size: medium;">There&#8217;s an old saying I&#8217;ve sure you&#8217;ve heard that says if you try to please everyone you&#8217;ll please no one. Great advice but do you listen?</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you blog for example, it&#8217;s important that you know your audience and don&#8217;t waste  time trying to please those who have no business buying your product or service. Reminding yourself that you control who you sell to is very important. It&#8217;s OK to push your limits every now and again to explore who will buy what, but remember to stick to your fan base because that is where the action is at.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s OK to let people walk. It&#8217;s OK if what you offer doesn&#8217;t suite everyone because quite frankly it shouldn&#8217;t. Focus on  your following and watch the results roll in. Know your customer like you know yourself, it works.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Cut Back The Non Essentials: </span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As I just mentioned, because Southwest knows their customers they are able to cut back on the &#8220;norms&#8221; of  other airlines. For example Southwest doesn&#8217;t serve expensive microwaved meals. Instead they say &#8221; you can do without.&#8221; Sure not having a meal on a 4 hour flight may be inconvenient at times,  but that problem can be easily solved by bringing your own food onto the plane while keeping cash in your pocket.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Southwest also doesn&#8217;t do business class, which allows for them to keep their rates low while pleasing those who would never even consider flying first class. If you&#8217;re  looking for a full body massage and pull out bed, Southwest makes it clear you better look elsewhere.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Because they don&#8217;t have to charge you for food  or over the top comfort they are able to keep their rates low and please their specific customer: Those who want to fly for cheap.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you all fluff? Could you simplify to get the point across easier? Often times we load our businesses up with unnecessary components that only slow our mission down. Try cutting back to only what&#8217;s necessary and see where that takes you.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Be Unique:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;ve already covered most of the ways Southwest is &#8220;unique&#8221; in my previous points, no meals on board, no  first class etc. Yet I cannot stress how important it is to rise above your competition. For example, Southwest has a policy of not being on other travels sites, allowing you to only buy tickets  on Southwest.com. </span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe it&#8217;s just me, but I&#8217;m very impressed with that idea because it says &#8221; this is where I&#8217;m at, come and get me.&#8221; When flying Southwest you don&#8217;t have to search the entire internet for hours to find the best deal because you know exactly where it&#8217;s at.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">How is your service or product unique? Are you going above and beyond the competition  or are you producing average quality work? Look for small ways in which you can improve your business. Little steps add up.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Keep It Simple Stupid:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The main reason I enjoy flying Southwest is because you know exactly what you&#8217;re going to get with them. There&#8217;s no random baggage fees or constantly changing rules. Occasionally  they have to make changes to stay up with the industry, but generally speaking they are fairly predictable when it comes to their service which I&#8217;ve come to enjoy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I see far too many businesses changing their game plan when it&#8217;s really not needed. Keeping your overhead and business model simple allows for you to dominate your competition without pissing a bunch of people off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t try to overcomplicate things when the easier way works best. Don&#8217;t fill your business with shit that doesn&#8217;t add to the core. Simplicity always wins.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">What companies do you have a tremendous respect for? What actions are you taking to ensure that your tribe shares that same respect? Please share in the comments below.</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/">5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-lessons-ive-learned-from-my-first-semester-in-college/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned From My First Semester In College'>7 Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned From My First Semester In College</a> <small>Having just about wrapped up my first semester at college,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-powerful-lessons-i-learned-from-a-facebook-fast/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 Powerful Lessons I Learned From A Facebook Fast'>5 Powerful Lessons I Learned From A Facebook Fast</a> <small>Some time ago I decided to go cold turkey and...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
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Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-lessons-ive-learned-from-my-first-semester-in-college/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned From My First Semester In College'>7 Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned From My First Semester In College</a> <small>Having just about wrapped up my first semester at college,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-powerful-lessons-i-learned-from-a-facebook-fast/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 Powerful Lessons I Learned From A Facebook Fast'>5 Powerful Lessons I Learned From A Facebook Fast</a> <small>Some time ago I decided to go cold turkey and...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">At the time of this writing, I&#8217;m sitting 10,000 feet in the sky heading home from a week long trip to California. I hadn&#8217;t planned to write an article on the plane but I&#8217;ve been so impressed with Southwest airlines I couldn&#8217;t resist.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you live in the United States, chances are you&#8217;ve heard of, if not have flown Southwest airlines. They are known throughout the US as a reliable and fairly cheap airline provider, a perfect fit for a college student like myself. Rest assured even if you&#8217;ve yet to hear of them, or live outside the US, you&#8217;ll still be able to take away a few key points from this post.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Having flown hundreds of times on dozens of airlines, I&#8217;ve come to understand which airline companies &#8220;get it&#8221; and which don&#8217;t, and unfortunately in the US it&#8217;s frequently  the latter. Today I will be sharing  what makes Southwest airlines the best US airline in my opinion and what you can learn from them to make your own business flourish.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Cultivate Happiness:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the reasons I try to fly Southwest as much as possible, is because I find the people working there to be amazingly happy. I can tell that most employees  don&#8217;t just work at Southwest, they  actually <strong>WANT</strong> to work there. For an airline this is fairly rare. I can&#8217;t tell you how many times I see employees of other airlines not give a damn whether or not their customers are happy. With Southwest I always feel like my satisfaction is their number one priority.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Zappos, the popular shoe company, has been getting a lot of press lately because they do a great job with their customer service department and it obviously  boosts their sales.  How does Southwest cultivate happiness?  Right now the entire plane is being lead by the stewardess in a dance to celebrate the 4th of July.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whether you work for yourself or with others it&#8217;s important to just do work but actually love the work. Make happiness a priority. At Southwest they know how to cultivate happiness and they have a very happy customer as a result.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Know Your Customer:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the things I like about how Southwest runs is that they know their customer. They know that many people are just looking to get from point A to point B at a relatively low price point. If you&#8217;re looking to be coddled throughout your entire flight with fancy feet rests and outrageously expensive 5 course meals Southwest is <strong>not </strong>your airline.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Southwest could easily attempt to cater to the higher end customers of the flying world but in the process they would alienate those who enjoy their cheap fairs and simple flight routes.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-size: medium;">There&#8217;s an old saying I&#8217;ve sure you&#8217;ve heard that says if you try to please everyone you&#8217;ll please no one. Great advice but do you listen?</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you blog for example, it&#8217;s important that you know your audience and don&#8217;t waste  time trying to please those who have no business buying your product or service. Reminding yourself that you control who you sell to is very important. It&#8217;s OK to push your limits every now and again to explore who will buy what, but remember to stick to your fan base because that is where the action is at.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s OK to let people walk. It&#8217;s OK if what you offer doesn&#8217;t suite everyone because quite frankly it shouldn&#8217;t. Focus on  your following and watch the results roll in. Know your customer like you know yourself, it works.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Cut Back The Non Essentials: </span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As I just mentioned, because Southwest knows their customers they are able to cut back on the &#8220;norms&#8221; of  other airlines. For example Southwest doesn&#8217;t serve expensive microwaved meals. Instead they say &#8221; you can do without.&#8221; Sure not having a meal on a 4 hour flight may be inconvenient at times,  but that problem can be easily solved by bringing your own food onto the plane while keeping cash in your pocket.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Southwest also doesn&#8217;t do business class, which allows for them to keep their rates low while pleasing those who would never even consider flying first class. If you&#8217;re  looking for a full body massage and pull out bed, Southwest makes it clear you better look elsewhere.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Because they don&#8217;t have to charge you for food  or over the top comfort they are able to keep their rates low and please their specific customer: Those who want to fly for cheap.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you all fluff? Could you simplify to get the point across easier? Often times we load our businesses up with unnecessary components that only slow our mission down. Try cutting back to only what&#8217;s necessary and see where that takes you.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Be Unique:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;ve already covered most of the ways Southwest is &#8220;unique&#8221; in my previous points, no meals on board, no  first class etc. Yet I cannot stress how important it is to rise above your competition. For example, Southwest has a policy of not being on other travels sites, allowing you to only buy tickets  on Southwest.com. </span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe it&#8217;s just me, but I&#8217;m very impressed with that idea because it says &#8221; this is where I&#8217;m at, come and get me.&#8221; When flying Southwest you don&#8217;t have to search the entire internet for hours to find the best deal because you know exactly where it&#8217;s at.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">How is your service or product unique? Are you going above and beyond the competition  or are you producing average quality work? Look for small ways in which you can improve your business. Little steps add up.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Keep It Simple Stupid:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The main reason I enjoy flying Southwest is because you know exactly what you&#8217;re going to get with them. There&#8217;s no random baggage fees or constantly changing rules. Occasionally  they have to make changes to stay up with the industry, but generally speaking they are fairly predictable when it comes to their service which I&#8217;ve come to enjoy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I see far too many businesses changing their game plan when it&#8217;s really not needed. Keeping your overhead and business model simple allows for you to dominate your competition without pissing a bunch of people off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t try to overcomplicate things when the easier way works best. Don&#8217;t fill your business with shit that doesn&#8217;t add to the core. Simplicity always wins.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">What companies do you have a tremendous respect for? What actions are you taking to ensure that your tribe shares that same respect? Please share in the comments below.</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/">5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/7-lessons-ive-learned-from-my-first-semester-in-college/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned From My First Semester In College'>7 Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned From My First Semester In College</a> <small>Having just about wrapped up my first semester at college,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-powerful-lessons-i-learned-from-a-facebook-fast/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 Powerful Lessons I Learned From A Facebook Fast'>5 Powerful Lessons I Learned From A Facebook Fast</a> <small>Some time ago I decided to go cold turkey and...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Turning The Page</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/turning-the-page/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/turning-the-page/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:59:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you mourn over the pages of the past? Do you get caught up in the what has been? Do you remain stuck on a page  you desperately want to turn? If so, I certainly know how you feel.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being stuck sucks. I get it. But sometimes we are required to turn the page. That&#8217;s life. Instead of resisting change we must learn to embrace it. I say learn because pages don&#8217;t turn themselves, you can and must teach yourself to read on.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The past year or so I&#8217;ve been glued to the same old pages of what was, and as a result this last year involved a lot of personal pain for me. I could lie and say it didn&#8217;t phase me, but quite honestly it has. I still had many great moments and wonderful experiences during this time, but having my eyes glued on yesteryear did take its toll. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The problem with living from your history book is that it&#8217;s just that: <strong>history</strong>. And we all know how easy it is to change the past.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>You can&#8217;t rewrite what has already happened, but tomorrow is always a blank slate.</strong> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve heard that before, but how many of  you really accept that responsibility? Do you realize the power you posses? Do you use the magical life pen to create the life you want?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">When you stay stuck on the pages of the past you lose your ability to create an even richer story than before. So stop blocking it&#8217;s as simple as that. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The truth is, we all know that our relationships and  desires change, yet we so often cling to them as if they are permanent. Change is  difficult to accept because we resist rather than choose to flow. Yet living in a world of denial only prolongs the misery you so badly want to rid.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><em>&#8220;I miss my girlfriend/boyfriend so much&#8221; &#8212;&gt;blocks your ability to create new relationships.<br />
&#8220;I want to eat junk food so bad&#8221; &#8212;-&gt; keeps you from eating foods that give you energy.&#8221;<br />
&#8220;I miss my old home&#8221; &#8212;-&gt; keeps you from enjoying your new surroundings.<br />
&#8220;I wish I was younger.&#8221; &#8212;&gt; Says you can&#8217;t be full of energy now.<br />
&#8220;Insert own past page here.&#8221; &#8211;&gt; Can&#8217;t be happy now.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><em>A</em>re you stuck?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">To be clear, I&#8217;ve lived on these pages for much of my life. But when you remind yourself that you control the <strong>pace of your story</strong>, only then  can you take the actions needed to progress. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s easy to reread a page that we&#8217;ve already lived. It&#8217;s easy to get upset about what could have been. It&#8217;s easy to cling to the memories of the past. Yet in the long run doing so is, to put it bluntly, is unintelligent. The longer you mourn over the past, the longer you block abundance from manifesting in your life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Reading on begins with a choice. A choice to want more. A choice to make the most of today. No matter what you&#8217;re current situation is, making one choice is well within your reach.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As soon as you decide to move on with the story that is you, the legacy shall continue. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You know when it&#8217;s time to turn the page. You know when it&#8217;s finally time to move on. Question is will you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Take a breath, turn the page, your story awaits.</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/turning-the-page/">Turning The Page</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Upgrade Your Reality'>Upgrade Your Reality</a> <small>I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/finding-your-way-home/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Finding Your Way Home'>Finding Your Way Home</a> <small>The world, although exciting and full of abundance, can at...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/exploring-freedom/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Exploring Freedom'>Exploring Freedom</a> <small>It&#8217;s been a good 5 months now since I left...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/turning-the-page/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Upgrade Your Reality'>Upgrade Your Reality</a> <small>I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/finding-your-way-home/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Finding Your Way Home'>Finding Your Way Home</a> <small>The world, although exciting and full of abundance, can at...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/exploring-freedom/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Exploring Freedom'>Exploring Freedom</a> <small>It&#8217;s been a good 5 months now since I left...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you mourn over the pages of the past? Do you get caught up in the what has been? Do you remain stuck on a page  you desperately want to turn? If so, I certainly know how you feel.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being stuck sucks. I get it. But sometimes we are required to turn the page. That&#8217;s life. Instead of resisting change we must learn to embrace it. I say learn because pages don&#8217;t turn themselves, you can and must teach yourself to read on.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The past year or so I&#8217;ve been glued to the same old pages of what was, and as a result this last year involved a lot of personal pain for me. I could lie and say it didn&#8217;t phase me, but quite honestly it has. I still had many great moments and wonderful experiences during this time, but having my eyes glued on yesteryear did take its toll. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The problem with living from your history book is that it&#8217;s just that: <strong>history</strong>. And we all know how easy it is to change the past.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>You can&#8217;t rewrite what has already happened, but tomorrow is always a blank slate.</strong> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve heard that before, but how many of  you really accept that responsibility? Do you realize the power you posses? Do you use the magical life pen to create the life you want?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">When you stay stuck on the pages of the past you lose your ability to create an even richer story than before. So stop blocking it&#8217;s as simple as that. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The truth is, we all know that our relationships and  desires change, yet we so often cling to them as if they are permanent. Change is  difficult to accept because we resist rather than choose to flow. Yet living in a world of denial only prolongs the misery you so badly want to rid.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><em>&#8220;I miss my girlfriend/boyfriend so much&#8221; &#8212;&gt;blocks your ability to create new relationships.<br />
&#8220;I want to eat junk food so bad&#8221; &#8212;-&gt; keeps you from eating foods that give you energy.&#8221;<br />
&#8220;I miss my old home&#8221; &#8212;-&gt; keeps you from enjoying your new surroundings.<br />
&#8220;I wish I was younger.&#8221; &#8212;&gt; Says you can&#8217;t be full of energy now.<br />
&#8220;Insert own past page here.&#8221; &#8211;&gt; Can&#8217;t be happy now.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><em>A</em>re you stuck?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">To be clear, I&#8217;ve lived on these pages for much of my life. But when you remind yourself that you control the <strong>pace of your story</strong>, only then  can you take the actions needed to progress. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s easy to reread a page that we&#8217;ve already lived. It&#8217;s easy to get upset about what could have been. It&#8217;s easy to cling to the memories of the past. Yet in the long run doing so is, to put it bluntly, is unintelligent. The longer you mourn over the past, the longer you block abundance from manifesting in your life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Reading on begins with a choice. A choice to want more. A choice to make the most of today. No matter what you&#8217;re current situation is, making one choice is well within your reach.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As soon as you decide to move on with the story that is you, the legacy shall continue. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You know when it&#8217;s time to turn the page. You know when it&#8217;s finally time to move on. Question is will you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Take a breath, turn the page, your story awaits.</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/turning-the-page/">Turning The Page</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/upgrade-your-reality/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Upgrade Your Reality'>Upgrade Your Reality</a> <small>I&#8217;m very happy to announce that my  friend Diggy from...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/finding-your-way-home/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Finding Your Way Home'>Finding Your Way Home</a> <small>The world, although exciting and full of abundance, can at...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/exploring-freedom/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Exploring Freedom'>Exploring Freedom</a> <small>It&#8217;s been a good 5 months now since I left...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>I Don&#8217;t Want To Hear It</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/i-dont-want-to-hear-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/i-dont-want-to-hear-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:25:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don&#8217;t want to hear why you can&#8217;t do it.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about your latest setback.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about what you&#8217;re lacking.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear why you&#8217;re not good enough.<br />
<em> I don&#8217;t want want to hear i</em>t.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don&#8217;t want to hear about how you&#8217;re waiting for the perfect day.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about how you need more time.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about how fear is holding you back.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about one day.<br />
<em> I don&#8217;t want to hear it.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">[A conversation with myself.]</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sound familiar? When will you have enough? Who&#8217;s the captain of your ship?</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/i-dont-want-to-hear-it/">I Don&#8217;t Want To Hear It</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/one-month-update-tag-lines-and-goals/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: One Month Update Tag Lines And Goals'>One Month Update Tag Lines And Goals</a> <small>It&#8217;s been about a month since I&#8217;ve been &#8220;back&#8221; here...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shieldless Living'>Shieldless Living</a> <small>We live in a world packed to the brim with...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-3/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 3'>Expressing The Real You Part 3</a> <small>This is part 3 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/i-dont-want-to-hear-it/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/one-month-update-tag-lines-and-goals/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: One Month Update Tag Lines And Goals'>One Month Update Tag Lines And Goals</a> <small>It&#8217;s been about a month since I&#8217;ve been &#8220;back&#8221; here...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shieldless Living'>Shieldless Living</a> <small>We live in a world packed to the brim with...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-3/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 3'>Expressing The Real You Part 3</a> <small>This is part 3 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don&#8217;t want to hear why you can&#8217;t do it.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about your latest setback.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about what you&#8217;re lacking.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear why you&#8217;re not good enough.<br />
<em> I don&#8217;t want want to hear i</em>t.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don&#8217;t want to hear about how you&#8217;re waiting for the perfect day.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about how you need more time.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about how fear is holding you back.<br />
I don&#8217;t want to hear about one day.<br />
<em> I don&#8217;t want to hear it.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">[A conversation with myself.]</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sound familiar? When will you have enough? Who&#8217;s the captain of your ship?</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/i-dont-want-to-hear-it/">I Don&#8217;t Want To Hear It</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/one-month-update-tag-lines-and-goals/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: One Month Update Tag Lines And Goals'>One Month Update Tag Lines And Goals</a> <small>It&#8217;s been about a month since I&#8217;ve been &#8220;back&#8221; here...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shieldless Living'>Shieldless Living</a> <small>We live in a world packed to the brim with...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-3/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 3'>Expressing The Real You Part 3</a> <small>This is part 3 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Shieldless Living</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:58:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">We live in a world packed to the brim with shields. Everywhere we go, every step we take, we carry them, hoisting them high into the air, as if a shield will prevent us from getting hurt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">We&#8217;ve grown to believe that by hiding beyond our imaginary cushion of safety, we remain protected from harms way. But lugging around our alleged net of security <strong><span style="font-size: medium;">carries a price</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">, a price that many of us cannot afford.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of creating deep connections, we hold back because we fear the  pain of being hurt. Instead of taking risks, we play it safe and settle, because no one enjoys sporting a bruise. Instead of going all out towards our hearts calling, we cling to the safety of our impenetrable shield that guarantees us nothing short of a boring  life. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;ll be the first to admit, hiding behind a shield  brings comfort. It protects you from falling on your ass, but in return you don&#8217;t live, </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">you simply exist</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Perhaps you&#8217;ve told yourself any of the following:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><em><span style="font-size: medium;">&#8221; I&#8217;m not interesting so I better keep my mouth shut.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; I&#8217;m not attractive enough.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; If I love again, I&#8217;ll just end up getting hurt.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; I&#8217;ve been lied to too much, I can&#8217;t trust ever again.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; I don&#8217;t have enough value to offer.&#8221;</span></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Familiar?  If so you&#8217;re living in a shelter of denial. The truth is, we all live behind excuses from time to time, but at any moment you can choose to drop them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Boasting a shield puts your dreams on hold.  <strong>Shields </strong></span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">and aspirations don&#8217;t mesh.</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;"> But when you make the decision to tear down your self made barriers,  all excuses suddenly disappear. You then begin to live.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">OK </span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">to be afraid. It&#8217;s </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">OK</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;"> to come up short. But you don&#8217;t need to hide. When you embrace uncertainty and <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-beauty-of-suffering/">suffering </a>you accept all that life has to offer. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re denying yourself the richness of unexpected bliss. Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re rejecting relationships that could potentially enrich your being. Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re giving your gift of now away. Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re wasting the precious gift of you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Shieldless living isn&#8217;t for everyone, but those who drop their shields and go into battle full force.. well those are the people that truly make a difference.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You&#8217;re free to drop your shields whenever you please and take a whiff of what it&#8217;s really like to live. <strong>Shieldless living is a choice. </strong></span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/">Shieldless Living</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-fresh-start-illusion/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Fresh Start Illusion'>The Fresh Start Illusion</a> <small>Do you ever find yourself wishing for a fresh start?...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-fresh-start-illusion/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Fresh Start Illusion'>The Fresh Start Illusion</a> <small>Do you ever find yourself wishing for a fresh start?...</small></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">We live in a world packed to the brim with shields. Everywhere we go, every step we take, we carry them, hoisting them high into the air, as if a shield will prevent us from getting hurt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">We&#8217;ve grown to believe that by hiding beyond our imaginary cushion of safety, we remain protected from harms way. But lugging around our alleged net of security <strong><span style="font-size: medium;">carries a price</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">, a price that many of us cannot afford.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of creating deep connections, we hold back because we fear the  pain of being hurt. Instead of taking risks, we play it safe and settle, because no one enjoys sporting a bruise. Instead of going all out towards our hearts calling, we cling to the safety of our impenetrable shield that guarantees us nothing short of a boring  life. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I&#8217;ll be the first to admit, hiding behind a shield  brings comfort. It protects you from falling on your ass, but in return you don&#8217;t live, </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">you simply exist</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Perhaps you&#8217;ve told yourself any of the following:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><em><span style="font-size: medium;">&#8221; I&#8217;m not interesting so I better keep my mouth shut.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; I&#8217;m not attractive enough.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; If I love again, I&#8217;ll just end up getting hurt.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; I&#8217;ve been lied to too much, I can&#8217;t trust ever again.&#8221;<br />
&#8221; I don&#8217;t have enough value to offer.&#8221;</span></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Familiar?  If so you&#8217;re living in a shelter of denial. The truth is, we all live behind excuses from time to time, but at any moment you can choose to drop them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Boasting a shield puts your dreams on hold.  <strong>Shields </strong></span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">and aspirations don&#8217;t mesh.</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;"> But when you make the decision to tear down your self made barriers,  all excuses suddenly disappear. You then begin to live.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">OK </span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">to be afraid. It&#8217;s </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">OK</span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;"> to come up short. But you don&#8217;t need to hide. When you embrace uncertainty and <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-beauty-of-suffering/">suffering </a>you accept all that life has to offer. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re denying yourself the richness of unexpected bliss. Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re rejecting relationships that could potentially enrich your being. Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re giving your gift of now away. Every moment you hide, you&#8217;re wasting the precious gift of you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Shieldless living isn&#8217;t for everyone, but those who drop their shields and go into battle full force.. well those are the people that truly make a difference.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You&#8217;re free to drop your shields whenever you please and take a whiff of what it&#8217;s really like to live. <strong>Shieldless living is a choice. </strong></span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/shieldless-living/">Shieldless Living</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-fresh-start-illusion/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Fresh Start Illusion'>The Fresh Start Illusion</a> <small>Do you ever find yourself wishing for a fresh start?...</small></li>
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		<title>On The Verge of Something Big</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/verge-of-something-big/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:54:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ever <strong>reckon</strong> today is the day?<br />
Ever <strong>believe</strong> you can take on the world?<br />
Ever <strong>feel </strong>scared shitless?<br />
Ever <strong>experience</strong> that state of flow?<br />
Ever <strong>fall </strong>and struggle to rise again?<br />
Ever <strong>see </strong>confidence when you look in the mirror?<br />
Ever <strong>conclude</strong> you&#8217;re lost?<br />
Ever <strong>catch</strong> yourself dreaming while you&#8217;re awake?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"> Ever <strong>make</strong> a mistake you could have easily prevented?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Ever</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> <strong>smile</strong> at your beauty?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"> Ever <strong>open</strong> the gifts you&#8217;ve received?<br />
Ever <strong>knock </strong>out fear?<br />
Ever <strong>sing</strong> for the sake of singing?<br />
Ever <strong>know</strong> you&#8217;re destined for great things?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Perhaps you&#8217;re on the verge of something <strong>big.</strong></span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/verge-of-something-big/">On The Verge of Something Big</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/is-that-all-you-have-to-give/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Is That All You Have To Give?'>Is That All You Have To Give?</a> <small>Is that all you have to give? Spread your wings...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-4/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 4'>Expressing The Real You Part 4</a> <small>This is part 4th and final part of the Expressing...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/finding-the-beauty-in-life/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Finding The Beauty In Life'>Finding The Beauty In Life</a> <small>My transition to college has been nothing short of sensational....</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-beauty-of-suffering/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Beauty of Suffering'>The Beauty of Suffering</a> <small>You hear a lot about happiness these days. You have...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/verge-of-something-big/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/is-that-all-you-have-to-give/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Is That All You Have To Give?'>Is That All You Have To Give?</a> <small>Is that all you have to give? Spread your wings...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-4/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 4'>Expressing The Real You Part 4</a> <small>This is part 4th and final part of the Expressing...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/finding-the-beauty-in-life/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Finding The Beauty In Life'>Finding The Beauty In Life</a> <small>My transition to college has been nothing short of sensational....</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-beauty-of-suffering/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Beauty of Suffering'>The Beauty of Suffering</a> <small>You hear a lot about happiness these days. You have...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ever <strong>reckon</strong> today is the day?<br />
Ever <strong>believe</strong> you can take on the world?<br />
Ever <strong>feel </strong>scared shitless?<br />
Ever <strong>experience</strong> that state of flow?<br />
Ever <strong>fall </strong>and struggle to rise again?<br />
Ever <strong>see </strong>confidence when you look in the mirror?<br />
Ever <strong>conclude</strong> you&#8217;re lost?<br />
Ever <strong>catch</strong> yourself dreaming while you&#8217;re awake?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"> Ever <strong>make</strong> a mistake you could have easily prevented?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Ever</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> <strong>smile</strong> at your beauty?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"> Ever <strong>open</strong> the gifts you&#8217;ve received?<br />
Ever <strong>knock </strong>out fear?<br />
Ever <strong>sing</strong> for the sake of singing?<br />
Ever <strong>know</strong> you&#8217;re destined for great things?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Perhaps you&#8217;re on the verge of something <strong>big.</strong></span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/verge-of-something-big/">On The Verge of Something Big</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/is-that-all-you-have-to-give/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Is That All You Have To Give?'>Is That All You Have To Give?</a> <small>Is that all you have to give? Spread your wings...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-4/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 4'>Expressing The Real You Part 4</a> <small>This is part 4th and final part of the Expressing...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/finding-the-beauty-in-life/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Finding The Beauty In Life'>Finding The Beauty In Life</a> <small>My transition to college has been nothing short of sensational....</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-beauty-of-suffering/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Beauty of Suffering'>The Beauty of Suffering</a> <small>You hear a lot about happiness these days. You have...</small></li>
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		<title>Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/party-crashing-101-how-to-crash-a-pity-party/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:27:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a confession.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">For the last month or so I&#8217;ve been throwing a hugggeee party. No, not one of those excessively extravagant college parties filled with ridiculous amounts of alcohol, but rather a party with one guest, myself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This party, being perfectly honest, has well, left me miserable. Like many of you, I of course, never intend to host a party, but sometimes things just pile up. Ah&#8230; the power of pity parties.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe you find yourself fed up with working a job you dislike. Or perhaps you just broke up with the person who you thought was your soul mate. Maybe you&#8217;re not living up to your own personal expectations. The truth is, with influential guests such as &#8220;negativity&#8221; and &#8220;I feel sorry for myself&#8221; making regular appearances, it’s often easy to be lured into the infamous party we all is know is never good. Do you remember when you threw your last pity party?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Although, I consider myself a very optimistic person, I too have my moments of self doubt. For the past month or so, I&#8217;ve struggled with the changing status of relationships that have helped mold me into the person I am today. I&#8217;ve wrestled with my new identity as an adult, and I’ve spent a great amount of time in the rewarding yet certainly draining reflection process.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">New surroundings, new freedoms, and new relationships can be a bit overwhelming. Especially when it&#8217;s so easy to cling to the foundations of the past. Having recently thrown a “nice” sympathy bash for myself, I know what it’s like to feel like nothings going right. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re all alone. I say this not to be dramatic but only to show I&#8217;m human. And although we sometimes enjoy wallowing in our own self pity, fighting the doubts within ourselves is never easy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The majority of us spend far to much time throwing pity parties for ourselves rather than seeing the beauty in life. Pity parties? Here&#8217;s how to crash them.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Raise Your Party Standards</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Why would you ever waste your time attending a party where you don’t feel needed or loved? Realize that when you throw yourself a pity party you’re blocking abundance. Believe and know that you deserve better and that is what will be given in return. I realize this isn’t always easy, but as with all things, practice helps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don’t throw a single moment away at a party that isn’t helping you grow. Don’t be deluded into thinking negativity and self doubt are your friends. They aren’t. They’re simply parasites hoping to extract all the energy they possibly can. The longer you hang around them the weaker you become. Drinking from the punch bowl spiked with sadness is never any fun.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As you raise your party standards you will soon notice that you don’t have time to wallow in your own self pity. Raising your standards doesn’t mean there won’t be times of sadness or self doubt, but it will enable you to move past inevitable road blocks with as little friction as possible. The venue of a pity party is in your mind, therefore in an instant the party can be crashed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The more time you spend consciously looking to see the beauty in life the less time you will spend looking for ways to stay miserable. Raise your party standards and your self doubts will soon grow weak.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<strong>Check Your Emotions At The Door</strong></span> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Regardless of where you are, negativity and self doubt are going to show up. Negativity? Kick his ass out. “Woe is me”? You&#8217;re above that. Don&#8217;t become intoxicated by shots pessimism, flush them out by remembering that you are loved. As I’ve said before, this isn’t always easy, but do your best to express your courage within.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Checking your emotions at the door doesn’t mean to shove them in the coat closet and forget about them. Doing so will only leave you freezing on the walk home. You must accept your emotions whether they be good or bad. Your emotions only contain as much power as you lend.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Checking your emotions doesn’t require that you give power to them. Emotions are just that, emotions. Sour feelings only turn disastrous when you let them guide you. When you become aware of your emotions you keep yourself in the drivers seat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The last few weeks have been a very emotional time for me for a variety of reasons. Yet instead of rejecting the feelings I’ve felt, I’ve done my best at accepting them for what they are. While this process is often difficult it accelerates the period of self doubt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don’t expect to be perfect. Your emotions will sometimes get the best of you. Remember this is part of the process. When you first begin driving you don’t expect to be amazing, the same should go for when you’re learning to deal with your emotions. Many of us are never taught the proper way to deal with our emotions and instead lock them away until the pressure builds and creates a gigantic blast of negative smog.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Start today by checking your emotions at the door.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Decide You Want To Leave</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you find yourself stuck throwing yourself a pity party realize you are 100 percent responsible for continuing to stay. Where did the pity party originate?  Was it your family? Your friends? Of course not. You, and only you can decide whether to throw a pity party. If you throw one, and the guests (many of them rude) arrive, you have no to look to but yourself.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">While feeling miserable is easy, crashing a party requires effort.  To overcome the low points in your life you must make the decision to fully commit to rise above. Deciding to leave your pity party is a necessity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">When you throw yourself a pity party you’re often under the illusion that it will make things better, but in reality it only perpetuates the real problem. All bandages, no matter how strong, break.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the years, I’ve thrown many pity parties, in which self doubt often stared as the DJ. However it wasn’t until I realized I had the power to crash my own party that I became more aware of the affect my thinking had on my life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Pity parties don’t attract change, they simply fortify the demons that you’re afraid of. When you focus on what you don’t have you block the sun which leaves you no light to see that in which you do. Why wait until you’re  drunk off misery before leaving a party in which you had no intention of going to? The earlier you decide to leave the better.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Better Parties Await</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s safe to say you’ve been a host of a few pity parties throughout your life, maybe you’re throwing one right now, or perhaps you may  even consider yourself a party regular. Regardless of your current situation, there&#8217;s always room to improve.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You can throw yourself as many pity parties as you want but it’s never going to make your life any better. Eventually, (usually after lots of needless suffering) you will realize that contentment, and that happiness, all are only a few thoughts away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of throwing a pity party for yourself, take a moment and to make an honest assessment of your current situation. Is it really that bad? Often times we sabotage ourselves in hopes of gaining sympathy from our family and friends. Yet when we do this we simply block abundance from coming into our lives. One moment of clarity can save an endless amount of misery.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you&#8217;re sad be sad. If you&#8217;re upset be upset. But don&#8217;t waste your time throwing a party when it&#8217;s not truly needed.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Pity party&#8217;s are no fun. Crashing them however, now that&#8217;s a different story. Throw yourself the party you know you deserve. Better parties await. </span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/party-crashing-101-how-to-crash-a-pity-party/">Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/exploring-freedom/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Exploring Freedom'>Exploring Freedom</a> <small>It&#8217;s been a good 5 months now since I left...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/legacy/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Legacy'>Legacy</a> <small>It&#8217;s nearly midnight, and I can&#8217;t seem to sleep. I...</small></li>
</ol></p><div style="display:block"><small><em>by Bud <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/party-crashing-101-how-to-crash-a-pity-party/#comments">Leave A Comment</a><br />&copy;2010 <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a>. All Rights Reserved.</em></small></div>


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/expressing-the-real-you-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Expressing The Real You Part 2'>Expressing The Real You Part 2</a> <small>This is Part 2 of the Expressing The Real You...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/exploring-freedom/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Exploring Freedom'>Exploring Freedom</a> <small>It&#8217;s been a good 5 months now since I left...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/legacy/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Legacy'>Legacy</a> <small>It&#8217;s nearly midnight, and I can&#8217;t seem to sleep. I...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a confession.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">For the last month or so I&#8217;ve been throwing a hugggeee party. No, not one of those excessively extravagant college parties filled with ridiculous amounts of alcohol, but rather a party with one guest, myself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This party, being perfectly honest, has well, left me miserable. Like many of you, I of course, never intend to host a party, but sometimes things just pile up. Ah&#8230; the power of pity parties.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe you find yourself fed up with working a job you dislike. Or perhaps you just broke up with the person who you thought was your soul mate. Maybe you&#8217;re not living up to your own personal expectations. The truth is, with influential guests such as &#8220;negativity&#8221; and &#8220;I feel sorry for myself&#8221; making regular appearances, it’s often easy to be lured into the infamous party we all is know is never good. Do you remember when you threw your last pity party?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Although, I consider myself a very optimistic person, I too have my moments of self doubt. For the past month or so, I&#8217;ve struggled with the changing status of relationships that have helped mold me into the person I am today. I&#8217;ve wrestled with my new identity as an adult, and I’ve spent a great amount of time in the rewarding yet certainly draining reflection process.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">New surroundings, new freedoms, and new relationships can be a bit overwhelming. Especially when it&#8217;s so easy to cling to the foundations of the past. Having recently thrown a “nice” sympathy bash for myself, I know what it’s like to feel like nothings going right. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re all alone. I say this not to be dramatic but only to show I&#8217;m human. And although we sometimes enjoy wallowing in our own self pity, fighting the doubts within ourselves is never easy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The majority of us spend far to much time throwing pity parties for ourselves rather than seeing the beauty in life. Pity parties? Here&#8217;s how to crash them.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Raise Your Party Standards</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Why would you ever waste your time attending a party where you don’t feel needed or loved? Realize that when you throw yourself a pity party you’re blocking abundance. Believe and know that you deserve better and that is what will be given in return. I realize this isn’t always easy, but as with all things, practice helps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don’t throw a single moment away at a party that isn’t helping you grow. Don’t be deluded into thinking negativity and self doubt are your friends. They aren’t. They’re simply parasites hoping to extract all the energy they possibly can. The longer you hang around them the weaker you become. Drinking from the punch bowl spiked with sadness is never any fun.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As you raise your party standards you will soon notice that you don’t have time to wallow in your own self pity. Raising your standards doesn’t mean there won’t be times of sadness or self doubt, but it will enable you to move past inevitable road blocks with as little friction as possible. The venue of a pity party is in your mind, therefore in an instant the party can be crashed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The more time you spend consciously looking to see the beauty in life the less time you will spend looking for ways to stay miserable. Raise your party standards and your self doubts will soon grow weak.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<strong>Check Your Emotions At The Door</strong></span> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Regardless of where you are, negativity and self doubt are going to show up. Negativity? Kick his ass out. “Woe is me”? You&#8217;re above that. Don&#8217;t become intoxicated by shots pessimism, flush them out by remembering that you are loved. As I’ve said before, this isn’t always easy, but do your best to express your courage within.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Checking your emotions at the door doesn’t mean to shove them in the coat closet and forget about them. Doing so will only leave you freezing on the walk home. You must accept your emotions whether they be good or bad. Your emotions only contain as much power as you lend.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Checking your emotions doesn’t require that you give power to them. Emotions are just that, emotions. Sour feelings only turn disastrous when you let them guide you. When you become aware of your emotions you keep yourself in the drivers seat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The last few weeks have been a very emotional time for me for a variety of reasons. Yet instead of rejecting the feelings I’ve felt, I’ve done my best at accepting them for what they are. While this process is often difficult it accelerates the period of self doubt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don’t expect to be perfect. Your emotions will sometimes get the best of you. Remember this is part of the process. When you first begin driving you don’t expect to be amazing, the same should go for when you’re learning to deal with your emotions. Many of us are never taught the proper way to deal with our emotions and instead lock them away until the pressure builds and creates a gigantic blast of negative smog.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Start today by checking your emotions at the door.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Decide You Want To Leave</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you find yourself stuck throwing yourself a pity party realize you are 100 percent responsible for continuing to stay. Where did the pity party originate?  Was it your family? Your friends? Of course not. You, and only you can decide whether to throw a pity party. If you throw one, and the guests (many of them rude) arrive, you have no to look to but yourself.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">While feeling miserable is easy, crashing a party requires effort.  To overcome the low points in your life you must make the decision to fully commit to rise above. Deciding to leave your pity party is a necessity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">When you throw yourself a pity party you’re often under the illusion that it will make things better, but in reality it only perpetuates the real problem. All bandages, no matter how strong, break.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the years, I’ve thrown many pity parties, in which self doubt often stared as the DJ. However it wasn’t until I realized I had the power to crash my own party that I became more aware of the affect my thinking had on my life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Pity parties don’t attract change, they simply fortify the demons that you’re afraid of. When you focus on what you don’t have you block the sun which leaves you no light to see that in which you do. Why wait until you’re  drunk off misery before leaving a party in which you had no intention of going to? The earlier you decide to leave the better.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Better Parties Await</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s safe to say you’ve been a host of a few pity parties throughout your life, maybe you’re throwing one right now, or perhaps you may  even consider yourself a party regular. Regardless of your current situation, there&#8217;s always room to improve.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You can throw yourself as many pity parties as you want but it’s never going to make your life any better. Eventually, (usually after lots of needless suffering) you will realize that contentment, and that happiness, all are only a few thoughts away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of throwing a pity party for yourself, take a moment and to make an honest assessment of your current situation. Is it really that bad? Often times we sabotage ourselves in hopes of gaining sympathy from our family and friends. Yet when we do this we simply block abundance from coming into our lives. One moment of clarity can save an endless amount of misery.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you&#8217;re sad be sad. If you&#8217;re upset be upset. But don&#8217;t waste your time throwing a party when it&#8217;s not truly needed.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Pity party&#8217;s are no fun. Crashing them however, now that&#8217;s a different story. Throw yourself the party you know you deserve. Better parties await. </span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/party-crashing-101-how-to-crash-a-pity-party/">Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party</a></p>


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<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Only Competition: You'>Your Only Competition: You</a> <small>Far too often we get caught up in the endless...</small></li>
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		<title>WHY Excellence Is Critical? Like Easy Origami, The Answer Is Two Fold.</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-excellence-is-critical-like-easy-origami-the-answer-is-two-fold/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-excellence-is-critical-like-easy-origami-the-answer-is-two-fold/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Editors note: This is a guest post from Jonny at <a href="http://www.thelifething.com">The Life Thing</a>. Enjoy!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello readers, I have a confession to make.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been meaning to write this long overdue post for my good blogging friend Bud for a very unreasonable amount of time now. In fact, when I started thinking about writing it I was actually on the other side of the world, which will give you a painful indication of just how long it has taken me to get my act together. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I had been putting off writing the post again and again due to the fact that everything I came up with just didn&#8217;t seem good enough. I was getting desperate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Then I Was Saved By Spiderman </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Spiderman.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1863" title="Spiderman" src="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Spiderman-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>My guest post was looking in a bad way, that was until I came across this photo from a recent hockey tour weekend and inspirations struck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">British Hockey tour weekends, like the one pictured above, tend to include one field, around 40 hockey teams, enough alcohol to kill a small herd of elephants and ironically very little hockey playing. This and costumes &#8211; don’t ask me why, it is just an English thing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now this particular team, in an incredible, possibly sober feat of prior planning had the genius and the commitment to go all out in the costume department and I think the results speak for themselves. If you have never seen a hockey pitch full of spidermen drunkenly attempting to put a small white ball into the back of an only slightly larger target then you, my friend, are missing out. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Even though they were, no doubt, slightly under the influence at the time, this here group of sporting heroes have fallen upon a core component to success:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">“If you are going to do something, then do it properly or don’t bother.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>WHY Excellence Is Critical? Like Easy Origami, The Answer Is Two Fold.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>1. The demand for excellence has increased.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">With the introduction internet the world has become smaller and the access to excellence much more obtainable. This means a half arsed effort on your part is just not going to cut it anymore. To stand out in this new world arena you have to make an impact more then ever before to let your voice be heard. Excellence needs to be instilled in your very life so that whatever you do, you strive to do it to the very best of your ability or just don’t bother. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The world today has no place for half arsed efforts. It requires excellence.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>2. Your personal happiness rides on it.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">With whatever you do, how does it make you feel when you do something well and then conversely whats the feeling when you do something poorly? Whether it is a client project, a personal project or simple tidying the house and organizing your computer you should have pride in everything you do. Take the time to do a job well and instill this excellence in your life. If you are anything like me you have so many projects and ideas being worked on that it can be hard to find the time to excel. Therefore simplify, focus on the important things.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It is better to do 3 things exceptional well then 15 things very poorly</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>So Class, To Conclude</strong> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Spider Boys made an impact at the weekend and will be remembered for quite some time because they took the time to go the extra mile &#8211; and also because of the sheer amount of alcohol they managed to collectively drink.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to succeed, and more importantly, if you want to be happy, then make sure that everything you do, create and start is done to the very best of your ability. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You will not regret it, but you might if you don’t.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Jonny writes for  <a href="http://thelifething.com/">love</a> of Helping People, Inspiring People and Katie Holmes. He honed his unique writing style through his refusal to read for fear the words would attack him and borrowed his life philosophies from the local stray terrier but plans to give aspects of them back.</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-excellence-is-critical-like-easy-origami-the-answer-is-two-fold/">WHY Excellence Is Critical? Like Easy Origami, The Answer Is Two Fold.</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/interview-with-ivan-of-ivancampuzano-com/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com'>Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com</a> <small>Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you an...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-dark-side-of-positive-thinking/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Dark Side of Positive Thinking'>The Dark Side of Positive Thinking</a> <small>The other day I came across a post on positive thinking...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/how-to-create-a-healthy-and-productive-routine/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Create a Healthy and Productive Routine'>How to Create a Healthy and Productive Routine</a> <small>Editors Note: This is a guest post by my good...</small></li>
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Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/interview-with-ivan-of-ivancampuzano-com/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com'>Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com</a> <small>Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you an...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-dark-side-of-positive-thinking/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Dark Side of Positive Thinking'>The Dark Side of Positive Thinking</a> <small>The other day I came across a post on positive thinking...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/how-to-create-a-healthy-and-productive-routine/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Create a Healthy and Productive Routine'>How to Create a Healthy and Productive Routine</a> <small>Editors Note: This is a guest post by my good...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Editors note: This is a guest post from Jonny at <a href="http://www.thelifething.com">The Life Thing</a>. Enjoy!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello readers, I have a confession to make.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been meaning to write this long overdue post for my good blogging friend Bud for a very unreasonable amount of time now. In fact, when I started thinking about writing it I was actually on the other side of the world, which will give you a painful indication of just how long it has taken me to get my act together. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I had been putting off writing the post again and again due to the fact that everything I came up with just didn&#8217;t seem good enough. I was getting desperate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Then I Was Saved By Spiderman </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Spiderman.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1863" title="Spiderman" src="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Spiderman-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>My guest post was looking in a bad way, that was until I came across this photo from a recent hockey tour weekend and inspirations struck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">British Hockey tour weekends, like the one pictured above, tend to include one field, around 40 hockey teams, enough alcohol to kill a small herd of elephants and ironically very little hockey playing. This and costumes &#8211; don’t ask me why, it is just an English thing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now this particular team, in an incredible, possibly sober feat of prior planning had the genius and the commitment to go all out in the costume department and I think the results speak for themselves. If you have never seen a hockey pitch full of spidermen drunkenly attempting to put a small white ball into the back of an only slightly larger target then you, my friend, are missing out. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Even though they were, no doubt, slightly under the influence at the time, this here group of sporting heroes have fallen upon a core component to success:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">“If you are going to do something, then do it properly or don’t bother.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>WHY Excellence Is Critical? Like Easy Origami, The Answer Is Two Fold.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>1. The demand for excellence has increased.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">With the introduction internet the world has become smaller and the access to excellence much more obtainable. This means a half arsed effort on your part is just not going to cut it anymore. To stand out in this new world arena you have to make an impact more then ever before to let your voice be heard. Excellence needs to be instilled in your very life so that whatever you do, you strive to do it to the very best of your ability or just don’t bother. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The world today has no place for half arsed efforts. It requires excellence.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>2. Your personal happiness rides on it.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">With whatever you do, how does it make you feel when you do something well and then conversely whats the feeling when you do something poorly? Whether it is a client project, a personal project or simple tidying the house and organizing your computer you should have pride in everything you do. Take the time to do a job well and instill this excellence in your life. If you are anything like me you have so many projects and ideas being worked on that it can be hard to find the time to excel. Therefore simplify, focus on the important things.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It is better to do 3 things exceptional well then 15 things very poorly</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>So Class, To Conclude</strong> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Spider Boys made an impact at the weekend and will be remembered for quite some time because they took the time to go the extra mile &#8211; and also because of the sheer amount of alcohol they managed to collectively drink.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to succeed, and more importantly, if you want to be happy, then make sure that everything you do, create and start is done to the very best of your ability. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">You will not regret it, but you might if you don’t.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Jonny writes for  <a href="http://thelifething.com/">love</a> of Helping People, Inspiring People and Katie Holmes. He honed his unique writing style through his refusal to read for fear the words would attack him and borrowed his life philosophies from the local stray terrier but plans to give aspects of them back.</span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/why-excellence-is-critical-like-easy-origami-the-answer-is-two-fold/">WHY Excellence Is Critical? Like Easy Origami, The Answer Is Two Fold.</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/interview-with-ivan-of-ivancampuzano-com/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com'>Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com</a> <small>Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you an...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/the-dark-side-of-positive-thinking/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Dark Side of Positive Thinking'>The Dark Side of Positive Thinking</a> <small>The other day I came across a post on positive thinking...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/how-to-create-a-healthy-and-productive-routine/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Create a Healthy and Productive Routine'>How to Create a Healthy and Productive Routine</a> <small>Editors Note: This is a guest post by my good...</small></li>
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		<title>Your Only Competition: You</title>
		<link>http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:18:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bud</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation]]></category>

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<div id="attachment_1836" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 600px">
	<a href="http://granthindsley.wordpress.com/page/3/"><img class="size-full wp-image-1836" title="dsc3572-dad-adobe-1998-color" src="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dsc3572-dad-adobe-1998-color.jpg" alt="© Grant Hindsley 2009" width="600" height="377" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">© Grant Hindsley 2009</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Far too often we get caught up in the endless cycle of competition. If we&#8217;re not ahead , many times we become stale and depressed.  Our obsession with comparing ourselves to others, has left us feeling dejected and alone.  If someone else succeeds, we secretly wish it was us rather than them. I know I&#8217;ve felt this way plenty of times. But why?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Comparing yourself to others is a worthless cause. While competition can provide for some solid <a href="http://upgradereality.com/diggy-upgrade-reality-1000-reader-challenge">motivation</a> every now and then, the truth is your only competition is </span><em><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>you.</strong></span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-style: normal; "><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s taken me a while to realize this, and in some regards I&#8217;m still learning, but you must focus on only the things you can control. O</span><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ver the past few years I&#8217;ve worked on  taming my  ego and have seen tremendous results as in the process. Instead of wasting my time comparing myself to others , I&#8217;ve learned to focus on only what I can change, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">me</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. That&#8217;s not to say I don&#8217;t keep up with other personal development blogs or care whats going on in the world. But rather I&#8217;ve simply dropped my obsession with knowing what others are doing. To provide value you must focus on creating not comparing. </span></span></em></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Set High Standards</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to succeed in anything, it is essential that  you  set high standards for yourself. These standards must be defined by <strong>you</strong>, not your family, not your friends but you. Only you know what you&#8217;re capable of. Be brave and be bold. Failure is your friend.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Having high expectations for yourself conditions you to succeed. Does that mean you will always come out on top? Of course not. But having high standards at leasts positions you so you have a chance. For much of my life, my standards for myself were fairly low. I was content with being just OK. Over the years however I realized that deep down I wasn&#8217;t OK with just existing. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to contribute in massive ways. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t let excuses keep you from living. You&#8217;re bigger than excuses anyway. When you come up short accept the reality and work hard to improve.While it&#8217;s perfectly OK to be ordinary realize that you have the power to change your current reality. If you&#8217;re not happy with where you are, you can make the choice to grow. If you&#8217;re happy with where you are consider yourself lucky and embrace it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Kill Self Sabotage</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.pluginid.com/self-sabotage/">Self sabotage</a> is a notorious dream killer. It limits our mind and keeps us grounded when all our soul wants to do is fly. Do what you must to kill self sabotage. Become aware of your thinking. Is it mostly positive? Or is your mind cluttered with dismissive chatter? When you become aware of your thoughts you gain control.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I know when I was growing up self sabotage was my number one adversary. Day in and day out we would have epic battles, many of which I lost. After many inner battles however I discovered my self sabotage was as powerful as I made it. Stop giving your dark side authority.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">While you may find it difficult at first, you have the the ability to control your thoughts. Stand up to self sabotage, it&#8217;s not as tough as it seems.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Embrace Competition</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t be afraid of competition but rather embrace it. This doesn&#8217;t mean to compare yourself to others but rather use others success as motivation. If you feel you can do a better job at something, go for it. Of course you won&#8217;t always succeed. Just remember failure is future success in disguise. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t beat yourself up if you come up short. Taking a step, even if you fumble, is worth more than having never moved at all. When I see other personal development bloggers succeed I get <a href="http://www.davidturnbull.com/">excited</a>, because I know I can do the same. While I admit I have an occasional serving of jealousy, this is usually when I&#8217;m stunned by self sabotage and not in the right state of mind.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whatever it is you want to do, you have the resources to do so. In the age of technology there is absolutely no excuse as to why you can&#8217;t succeed. Use others for motivation but never waste a moment comparing yourself to someone else. The only thing you can completely control is you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Permission To Take Control</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I used to think that in order to be successful I had to be like everyone else. But as we all know that won&#8217;t get you anywhere. While it&#8217;s perfectly acceptable to model someone, it is essential for you to be authentic and true.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Give yourself permission to take control. Realize that you are 100 percent responsible for your current reality.</span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Stop wasting your precious time worrying about whats going on around you and instead put all your energy and focus towards creating a better you. Create instead of complaining. Build instead of destroy. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dare to experiment. Dare to explore. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Your only competition is you. </span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/">Your Only Competition: You</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/benefits-of-a-mastermind/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Benefits of a Mastermind'>Benefits of a Mastermind</a> <small>I&#8217;ve been meaning to write this post for quite some...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest'>5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest</a> <small>At the time of this writing, I&#8217;m sitting 10,000 feet...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/party-crashing-101-how-to-crash-a-pity-party/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party'>Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party</a> <small>I have a confession. For the last month or so...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/6-things-to-do-when-your-motivation-tank-hits-empty/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 6 Things To Do When Your Motivation Tank Hits Empty'>6 Things To Do When Your Motivation Tank Hits Empty</a> <small>Motivation. Sometimes you have it, and sometimes you don&#8217;t. Inspiration...</small></li>
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Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/benefits-of-a-mastermind/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Benefits of a Mastermind'>Benefits of a Mastermind</a> <small>I&#8217;ve been meaning to write this post for quite some...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest'>5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest</a> <small>At the time of this writing, I&#8217;m sitting 10,000 feet...</small></li>
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<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Far too often we get caught up in the endless cycle of competition. If we&#8217;re not ahead , many times we become stale and depressed.  Our obsession with comparing ourselves to others, has left us feeling dejected and alone.  If someone else succeeds, we secretly wish it was us rather than them. I know I&#8217;ve felt this way plenty of times. But why?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Comparing yourself to others is a worthless cause. While competition can provide for some solid <a href="http://upgradereality.com/diggy-upgrade-reality-1000-reader-challenge">motivation</a> every now and then, the truth is your only competition is </span><em><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>you.</strong></span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="font-style: normal; "><span style="font-size: medium;">It&#8217;s taken me a while to realize this, and in some regards I&#8217;m still learning, but you must focus on only the things you can control. O</span><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ver the past few years I&#8217;ve worked on  taming my  ego and have seen tremendous results as in the process. Instead of wasting my time comparing myself to others , I&#8217;ve learned to focus on only what I can change, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">me</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. That&#8217;s not to say I don&#8217;t keep up with other personal development blogs or care whats going on in the world. But rather I&#8217;ve simply dropped my obsession with knowing what others are doing. To provide value you must focus on creating not comparing. </span></span></em></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Set High Standards</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to succeed in anything, it is essential that  you  set high standards for yourself. These standards must be defined by <strong>you</strong>, not your family, not your friends but you. Only you know what you&#8217;re capable of. Be brave and be bold. Failure is your friend.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Having high expectations for yourself conditions you to succeed. Does that mean you will always come out on top? Of course not. But having high standards at leasts positions you so you have a chance. For much of my life, my standards for myself were fairly low. I was content with being just OK. Over the years however I realized that deep down I wasn&#8217;t OK with just existing. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to contribute in massive ways. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t let excuses keep you from living. You&#8217;re bigger than excuses anyway. When you come up short accept the reality and work hard to improve.While it&#8217;s perfectly OK to be ordinary realize that you have the power to change your current reality. If you&#8217;re not happy with where you are, you can make the choice to grow. If you&#8217;re happy with where you are consider yourself lucky and embrace it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Kill Self Sabotage</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.pluginid.com/self-sabotage/">Self sabotage</a> is a notorious dream killer. It limits our mind and keeps us grounded when all our soul wants to do is fly. Do what you must to kill self sabotage. Become aware of your thinking. Is it mostly positive? Or is your mind cluttered with dismissive chatter? When you become aware of your thoughts you gain control.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I know when I was growing up self sabotage was my number one adversary. Day in and day out we would have epic battles, many of which I lost. After many inner battles however I discovered my self sabotage was as powerful as I made it. Stop giving your dark side authority.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">While you may find it difficult at first, you have the the ability to control your thoughts. Stand up to self sabotage, it&#8217;s not as tough as it seems.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Embrace Competition</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t be afraid of competition but rather embrace it. This doesn&#8217;t mean to compare yourself to others but rather use others success as motivation. If you feel you can do a better job at something, go for it. Of course you won&#8217;t always succeed. Just remember failure is future success in disguise. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don&#8217;t beat yourself up if you come up short. Taking a step, even if you fumble, is worth more than having never moved at all. When I see other personal development bloggers succeed I get <a href="http://www.davidturnbull.com/">excited</a>, because I know I can do the same. While I admit I have an occasional serving of jealousy, this is usually when I&#8217;m stunned by self sabotage and not in the right state of mind.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whatever it is you want to do, you have the resources to do so. In the age of technology there is absolutely no excuse as to why you can&#8217;t succeed. Use others for motivation but never waste a moment comparing yourself to someone else. The only thing you can completely control is you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Permission To Take Control</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I used to think that in order to be successful I had to be like everyone else. But as we all know that won&#8217;t get you anywhere. While it&#8217;s perfectly acceptable to model someone, it is essential for you to be authentic and true.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Give yourself permission to take control. Realize that you are 100 percent responsible for your current reality.</span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Stop wasting your precious time worrying about whats going on around you and instead put all your energy and focus towards creating a better you. Create instead of complaining. Build instead of destroy. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dare to experiment. Dare to explore. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Your only competition is you. </span></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com">A Boundless World</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.aboundlessworld.com/your-only-competition-you/">Your Only Competition: You</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/benefits-of-a-mastermind/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Benefits of a Mastermind'>Benefits of a Mastermind</a> <small>I&#8217;ve been meaning to write this post for quite some...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/5-business-southwest/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest'>5 Business Lessons I Learned From Flying Southwest</a> <small>At the time of this writing, I&#8217;m sitting 10,000 feet...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/party-crashing-101-how-to-crash-a-pity-party/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party'>Party Crashing 101: How To Crash A Pity Party</a> <small>I have a confession. For the last month or so...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.aboundlessworld.com/6-things-to-do-when-your-motivation-tank-hits-empty/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 6 Things To Do When Your Motivation Tank Hits Empty'>6 Things To Do When Your Motivation Tank Hits Empty</a> <small>Motivation. Sometimes you have it, and sometimes you don&#8217;t. Inspiration...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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