Manage Your Mind for Fun and Profit

Although, you are busy that's no excuse for reading inspirational and motivating literature. 

Carve out the time to read even if it's only twenty minutes a day. I guarantee you'll enjoy it so much that you will find even more time to do so.  

The old adage, you are what you read, still rings true. When your reading materials are success-oriented and optimistic, your achievement level will be high. 

Stop Reading Pessimistic Materials 
If your reading materials are pessimistic or depicts people as victims of circumstance, your achievement level will be low. 

Conversely, achievement oriented literature will help you to think in terms of goals and success. It can be most supportive of you in your pursuit of inner strength and self-reliance.  

Keep the book you never get to read either in your car, in your briefcase, or in your purse. If you are waiting in a long line some where, or if you are caught waiting for a tardy child, it will become an opportunity to read.

And, finally, think about a book that you absolutely loved when you were in college and reread it. Great literature is every bit as great the second time around.

Find Time to Exercise Daily
For the body consider this. Nearly six out of ten people experience no daily exercise. However, like any other activity, it takes both choice and commitment. 

Walking, jogging, biking, or working out regularly on a home exercise machine such as a stationary bike can have a positive impact on your physical and emotional health, but you have to choose to do it and commit to doing it. 

Do it even if you think you don't have time for it. It's good for the mind, good for the soul, and it doesn't have to cost you a cent. 

Also consider walking with a friend. It's a perfect way to do two things at once: exercise and create an opportunity for good conversation. 

In addition to a regular exercise routine, get extra exercise by walking up a flight of stairs rather than using an elevator.

Keep Exercising Simple 
Back to the simple home exercise machine. It works fine. Forget the fancy looking exercise machines you see advertised on television and forget joining the local health club. You don't need either before you start exercising. 

In reality, the foundation of any good exercise program needs to be no more complicated than taking a walk or a jog for free and adding a few other activities such as sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping on an exercise bike if you just want to work on certain parts of the body and to give yourself some variety. 

This is all that is required for you to have a positive effect on your health.

To get the maximum enjoyment from life, you need to pursue the care and feeding of both your mind and your body. Think about health as a broad goal for both your mind and your body.

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10 Activities All Mentally Healthy Single Parent Do

As a  single parent, enjoying mental health means 

having a sense of  well-being, being able to function in everyday life and feeling confident to rise to a challenge when necessary. 

Just like your physical health, there are actions you can take to increase your mental health. 

Boost your well-being and stay mentally healthy by following these 10 Tips: 

1. Connect with others 

Develop and maintain strong relationships with people around you who will support and enrich your life. The quality of our personal relationships has a great effect on your well-being. Eliminate those who are a drag on you and saps your energy.

Putting time and effort into building strong relationships can bring great rewards.

2. Take time to enjoy 

Set aside time for activities, hobbies and projects you enjoy. Let yourself be spontaneous and creative when the urge takes you. Do a crossword puzzle; take a walk in your local park; read a book; draw pictures with your kids; play with your pets - do whatever you like.

3. Participate and share interests 

Join a club or group of people who share your interests. Being part of a group of people with a common interest provides a sense of belonging and is good for your mental health. Join a sports club; a band; a dance class; a theater group; or a book club.

4. Contribute to your community 

Volunteer your time for a cause or issue that you care about and get your children involved. Help out a neighbor, work in a community garden, or do something nice for a trend. 

There are many great ways to contribute that can help you feel good about yourself and your place in the world. An effort to improve the lives of others is sure to improve your life too.

5. Take care of yourself 

Be active and eat well - these help maintain a healthy body. Physical and mental health are closely linked; it's easier to feel good about life if your body feels good. 

You don't have to go to the gym to exercise - gardening, vacuuming, and dancing all count. Combine physical activity with a balanced diet to nourish your body and mind and keep you feeling good, inside and out.

6. Challenge yourself 

Learn a new skill or take on a challenge to meet a goal. You could take on something different at work; commit to a fitness goal or learn to cook a new recipe. 

Learning improves your mental fitness, while striving to meet your own goals builds skills and confidence and gives you a sense of progress and achievement.

7. Deal with stress 

Be aware of what triggers your stress and how you react. You may be able to avoid some of the triggers and learn to prepare for or manage others. Stress is a part of life and affects people in different ways. 

It only becomes a problem when it makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed. A balanced lifestyle can help you manage stress better. If you have trouble winding down, you may find that relaxation breathing or meditation can help.

8. Rest and refresh 

Get adequate sleep. Go to bed at a regular time each day and practice good habits to get better sleep. Sleep restores both your mind and body. However, feelings of fatigue can still set in if you feel constantly rushed and overwhelmed when you are awake. 

Allow yourself some unfocused time each day to refresh. For example, let your mind wander or just daydream for a while. It's OK to add "do nothing" to your to do list.  

9. Notice the here and now 

Take a moment to notice each of your senses each day. Simply be in the moment - feel the sun and wind on your face and notice the air you are breathing. It's easy to be caught up thinking about the past or planning for the future instead of experiencing the present. 

Practicing mindfulness, by focusing your attention on being in the moment, is a good way to do this. Making a conscious effort to be aware of your inner and outer world is important for your mental health.

10. Ask for help 

This can be as simple as speaking to your doctor or your friend about where to find a counselor or community mental health service. The perfect, worry-free life does not exist. Everyone's life journey has bumps and the people around you can help. If you don't get the help you need first off, keep asking until you do.

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Humans Don't Have Instincts. Humans Have Intuition: Here are 4 Ways to Use Your Intuition for Personal Gain

Instinct is defined as an unalterable behavior pattern that is universal for a species -- that is, every member of the species can be expected to do it.  

Intuition is defined as a kind of immediate knowledge or awareness not based upon some logical process -- a form of insight that brings together appropriate relationships between the elements of a problem or situation.

The key distinction to be made here is that by definition instinct can only be applied to animals while intuition can only be applied to human beings.

Intuition allows you to discover unseen realities and hidden truths. It alerts you to problems and warns you of risks and dangers you might not otherwise detect. It is that sixth sense -- that faculty of the mind that operates independently of reason and logic. 

 It is a way of sensing something that produces instantaneous comprehension and can occur spontaneously.

Certain qualities make you more sensitive to intuitive experiences like relaxation, patience, and self-control. 

Do not confuse intuition with hope, emotion, or intellect. Rather, it is developed through trial and error. Moreover, it cannot be explained. You know when you have it.

Awakening intuition is about learning to trust yourself. You need to let your intuition guide you and then be willing to follow that guidance directly and fearlessly.

Intuition can be developed to produce genius in individuals thought to be mediocre or even of inferior intelligence. Here then are four tips for developing your intuition:

1. Learn to tune into intuitive experiences and to recognize their quality. 
Intuitive impulses are a form of sensed perception and are distinguished by a vague sense of being certain or almost certain.
2. Be aware of soft facts as well as hard facts. 
 Soft facts are less formal or obvious such as impressions, feelings, inclinations, and vibrations. Hard facts are logical, objective, and overt. Soft facts are hunches, intuitive, and invisible. Hard facts are obvious, conscious, and tangible. In most situations both soft and hard facts will reveal themselves.
3. Intuition is commonly experienced within the context of choice.
When a choice need to be made, intuition will signal stop or go. This faculty is developed by comparison and contrast. By comparing your subjective experience with the eventual correctness or incorrectness of your choice, you can eventually sense the expression which will match up.
4. Be true to your intuition.
Extraneous factors will often intrude, such as social pressures, wish fulfillment, greed, impatience and so on which can alter the basis for your decision.

A word of caution. Do not rely solely upon your intuition. Study the situation. Use the other side of your brain and do your research. After you have done your research, then let your intuition guide you to your final choice. Intuition is something to be used in conjunction with your logical, rational abilities.

Now you know that the next time you hear a commentator, analyst, broadcaster, etc. associate the term instinct with human beings, it is charitable to say that you are listening to someone who is just being imprecise in their thinking. But, really it's just stupid to say this.

Now its your turn. Do you trust your intuition? If so what experiences have you had?

Leave your comments below.