The Power of Positive Affirmations

This topic has been covered by motivational speakers and has become popular throughout the years. I believe we are currently in a spiritual revolution where increasingly more people are practicing meditation and relaxation. In other words, Eastern medicine is becoming more popular through mainstream media, as we see more of it on television. However, people still don’t know what is meant by the phrase “positive affirmations”. Here’s a quick definition:

“An affirmation is really anything you say or think. A lot of what we normally say and think is quite negative and doesn’t create good experiences for us. We have to retrain our thinking and speaking into positive patterns if we want to change our lives.”- Louise Hay

It brings you a new beginning and changes your thought patterns, opening up opportunities you never knew existed before. However, that’s not all, as you’ll learn below.

It Beats Depression

The power of positive thinking has been known to beat depressive thoughts. Depression has many causes, however, thoughts of low self-esteem, not being worthy, or even good enough, definitely plays a role. By saying positive affirmations you can change your thought process.

There was research done at the University of Arizona that determined affirmations can be useful as a supplemental form of treatment for many depressed and/or anxious patients. What’s even more exciting is that for some patients, affirmations were the most influential part of their recovery process.

Some of the best ones used to beat depression are the following—

• I am strong
• Life wants the best for me
• I love myself and who I am
• I love myself unconditionally

To make the most of these statements, you must repeat them whenever a negative thought enters your mind.

It Enlightens People Around You

Positive affirmations help motivate people around you. Being around positive people will transform you and your energy. Many times we are depressed or negative because we fight our own thought process. Being around people with positive energy can change your thought process quickly.

Keep positive people in your life and try to spend as much time with them because it will transform your overall energy quickly.

It Transforms Businesses

Motivational speakers l,ike Anthony Robbins and Deepak Chopra, have made millions writing about positivity. It’s important to note they have done a great job and have transformed people’s lives. There are stories of people who couldn’t run a successful business and then transformed their company within a short period after changing their mentality. In other words, there is enormous money in positive affirmations and businesses know this.

Online developers are also making enormous money by selling positive affirmation apps for the smartphone. It helps that nearly 75% of the world’s population has a mobile phone capable of downloading applications. It’s an amazing market and things don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

It Strengthens Relationships

Through positive affirmation, it’s easier to transform your relationships with others. The power of positive thinking can flourish new relationships, old ones, and those which have tension between them. Perhaps it’s because positivity changes the way people think, eliminating old habits and building new, more mutually beneficial ones.

Final Thoughts

The power of positive thinking and incorporating positive affirmations in your life can change the way you view situations. It’s amazing how fast this practice is growing and much of it is because of mainstream media. We have motivational shows, as well as talk shows and even TV series that feature meditation. If you have not started to incorporate positive affirmations in your life that’s your choice; however, look into them to see how transforming and powerful they are.

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These Are The Digital Trends You Need In 2017

As 2016 is coming to an end, entrepreneurs are already planning their moves for 2017. For site owners and bloggers, this means planning your marketing. As the last years saw dramatic changes in SEO due to Google’s updates, having a plan for the next year is crucial if you want to outperform your competition. You need to be ready to adjust your strategies along the way, but having a strategy in the first place is a must. In order to plan, you have to know the latest trends for 2017, so here they are.

The return of technical SEO

If you don’t know what is technical SEO, don’t despair—most people don’t know what it is. Technical SEO refers to monitoring and improving your site’s indexation, the sitemap and continuously monitoring and updating your links. One can use this type of SEO to improve the site’s ranking and help the search engine crawlers find your site easier.

Social media becomes the primary ad channel

As Facebook and Instagram opened the way in placing one ad on two different channels, paying attention to social media for your campaigns will be very important in 2017. Youtube and Linkedin are two other channels that can be used to advertise your products or ideas, so don’t skip them.

Video marketing will definitely gain more importance than image marketing, but document sharing is what you want to try for marketing, as 2017 will be the year of online sharing, especially because you can target specific groups.

Enhance the experience with virtual realty

Content was king in the past years and it will remain king, but experience will also grow in importance. Simply providing the content for your audience is not enough; you have to change how you reach your audience. Of course, virtual realty (VR) is a main candidate, as it allows the user to immerse and interact with the content in a never-before-seen way. A successful campaign in 2017 is going to be one that mixes brand awareness, great content and smart delivery (which may include VR).

Dense content over long articles

As everyone’s attention becomes more and more limited, content is going to follow and become denser. Long and well structured content was favored until now. In 2017, short and dense content is going to be favored. This comes as an adaptation to the fact most readers only browse the internet in short sessions and want to read short and high value content.

Accelerated mobile pages is expected to grow

Google initiated a project meant to make the web more mobile friendly. Their project is called Accelerated Mobile Pages, and features a set of standards for web pages, meant to transform the user experience when browsing from a mobile device. For site owners and bloggers this means you have to stay up to date with the new standards and ensure you have a mobile version of your site. Having a mobile version will also ensure better visibility in Google searches as the crawlers are now going to favor sites which have a mobile version and even rank them based on it.

Personal branding remains a secret weapon

Personal branding done right can bring you a lot of benefits, yet few people and companies know how to effectively use this technique. For 2017, aim to master personal branding, as it has the power to transform your online presence. Just look at all the Youtube bloggers who are using personal branding to earn a living, even if they don’t sell any products or services.

Personal branding is a powerful way to make sure your online marketing campaigns are successful because a strong brand ensures high engagement rates, which brings traffic to your site.

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The One Thing You Should Spend Your Money On

Want to Improve Your Quality of Sleep? Avoid These 8 Things Before Bed

Do you wake up feeling rested and ready to tackle the day, or groggy and desperate for a cup of coffee to help you pry your eyes open? The truth is that most of us aren’t getting the right amount of sleep each night, and one survey found that 58% of workers feel they don’t sleep enough, and only 16% are getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night.^[1]

Chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to everything from obesity to cardiovascular disease, but even a low level of sleep deprivation can impact cognitive function and will almost certainly affect your performance at work, and eventually maybe even your career.^[2]

So what can you do to ensure that your nights of rest are actually restful?

Most of us know better than to consume caffeine or sugar late at night, but there are likely plenty of other things you do regularly that are messing with your quality of sleep. With this in mind, here are eight things you should try to avoid at all costs before bedtime.

1. Smoking or drinking alcohol

Obviously you’re aware that smoking and drinking alcohol aren’t the healthiest of habits to begin with, but smoking or drinking right before going to bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep, and also cause you to wake up more frequently throughout the night.

Nicotine is a stimulant, so smoking just before bed will leave you feeling wired, and while alcohol may initially cause you to feel drowsy, it also disrupts your restorative rapid eye movement (REM) sleep,^[3] leaving you feeling groggy and unable to concentrate throughout the day.

2. Heavy meals

In general, it’s best to avoid eating too close to your bedtime, as a full stomach will make it harder to fall asleep. Lying down right after you’ve eaten can also cause heartburn and indigestion, which obviously doesn’t contribute to a good night’s sleep.

If your schedule makes it impossible to eat at least three hours before your bedtime, try to eat your heavier meals for lunch and then eat lighter meals that are easier to digest at the end of the day, such as salads, or fruit and yogurt.

3. Technology in bed

Research shows^[4] that the blue and white light given off by the screens of our favorite devices prevents the brain from releasing melatonin, which is the hormone that tells your body when it’s time to sleep.

With this in mind, it’s best to avoid reading on your smartphone or laptop before going to sleep, and if you usually watch TV or binge on Netflix in the evening, try to give yourself at least one hour of screen-free time before you climb into bed each night.

4. Hot baths

Hot baths can certainly be relaxing, but taking one too close to your bedtime can also prevent you from falling asleep. This is because your body temperature naturally drops a bit in preparation for sleep, so when you take a hot bath, your body needs more time to cool down before you feel sleepy.

If you like taking hot baths right before bed, you can avoid this problem by taking a cold rinse off right after your bath to bring your core temperature down again.

5. Strenuous exercise

Exercising during the day can lead to more restful nights, but if you’re working out too close to your bedtime you might actually be sabotaging your sleep. Just like hot baths, strenuous exercise causes your core body temperature to rise. It also leads to increased brain activity and releases adrenaline, which is not ideal when you’re trying to sleep.

If you’re not a morning person, try to do your workout at least three hours before you go to sleep, and when this isn’t possible, try a less strenuous form of exercise, such as swimming or yoga.

6. Work related activities

Checking your email or taking work calls right before you go to sleep not only exposes you to the melatonin-suppressing light of your phone’s screen, but also prevents you from ever really relaxing.

One study even found that people who used their smartphones for work purposes at night were less productive and had difficulty focusing the next day.^[5] With this in mind, it’s important to set some clear boundaries and make a conscious effort to unplug and relax once you finish work for the day.

7. Intense conversations

Arguments tend to elevate cortisol and other stress hormones, which is really the last thing you want just before bed. While it’s not always possible to avoid arguments and stressful conversations entirely, try to hash things out earlier on in the day rather than leaving frustrations to simmer until bedtime.

If you know you have an important decision to make, or need to talk something through with a friend or partner, it’s better to agree on a time to discuss the issue the following day when you’ll be free to reflect and process things.

8. Not following a routine

Humans are creatures of habit, and if you’re constantly going to bed at a different time, it will be difficult for your brain to slow down and fall asleep. With this in mind, try to develop your own little nighttime ritual that starts about an hour before you plan to go to sleep and helps you relax and wind down.

This could include anything from laying out your clothes for the next day, to stretching and meditating, to reading or journaling, which has been shown^[6] to relieve stress and anxiety, and even lower symptoms of depression.

Featured photo credit: Hernan Sanchez via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]	^	Sleep survey by Careerbuilder: http://ift.tt/2ai4no5
[2]	^	Why Are Good Sleeping Habits Important For A Great Career?: http://ift.tt/2itPMGz
[3]	^	How Alcohol Affects Sleep Quality: http://ift.tt/11W6Fho
[4]	^	Light From Electronics Disturbs Sleep: http://ift.tt/2itLO0Q
[5]	^	Smartphones at Night: http://ift.tt/1l5LYq8
[6]	^	Evening Routine: http://ift.tt/1MhwE66

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9 Holiday Tips Which Can Make Your Holiday Season Great

Holiday season has just started and for the next few weeks or so, the world will be traveling, partying, enjoying and having a lot of fun together. Maybe you are already eating tapas in Barcelona or admiring the Eiffel Tower in Paris, no matter; there are always chances to save on holidays.

If you want to make your holiday season a memorable one, here are some really great tips for you:

1. Get good undergarments

Believe it or not, you will need them because holidays require a lot of walking and sightseeing. Finding good quality, anti-bacterial undergarments are going to help in activities that require physical effort.

Make sure they are re-usable and appropriate for the weather condition.

2. Take medicine with you

You should pack a small first aid kit containing pain medications, cough syrups and other general medicines. You may need them and might not be able to find them outside your country.

It is always better to carry a small bag with all required medicines on hand (and remember to get the appropriate immunizations from your doctor prior to traveling).

3. Search for coupons

Coupons for international trips are a great way to save money. Lots of online sites offer discounts on air, hotel and other holiday attractions for your desired destination.

Apart from the coupons, you can also use your credit card miles and points to make purchases on your international destinations.

4. Buy a cheap calling card and keep it handy

Keeping a cheap calling card can save your life as you may be stuck in places where you may badly need them. Buy a cheap card and keep it on hand when traveling. You never know when you might need it.

5.Load your tablet with videos and songs

One thing which will definitely save you from boredom while on a long trip is to having your favourite videos and songs on your tablet or smartphone.

Make sure you upload them prior to your trip.

6.Arrange cheap catering

It is tough to do your own cooking while on holiday, especially if you are with a group. To make it more interesting, arrange catering deals. You can also enjoy local cuisines at relatively cheaper prices. If you are with your company, corporate catering deals are inexpensive as they offer group discounts. So, if you can use your office contacts, you can easily find a corporate catering supplier who can provide you good deals with free delivery.

7.Go for luxury

It is always great to enjoy the luxury and comfort on the trips. Though it may be a bit more expensive, depending on what it is, can be worth it.

Decide what item on your holiday list is worth paying more for. If you love food, maybe shill some extra cash for a fancy meal. You can also look into luxurious-looking places, like some B&Bs, in popular destination sites that are a fraction of the cost. B&Bs are a great alternative to enjoying luxury at an affordable cost.

 8. Keep earplugs with you

If you are planning to see the busy downtowns in big cities, you are sure to be greeted by the noise and hustle and bustle of the town.

You can find too many tourists at crowded places, so it is advisable to keep your earplugs on you to make sure you can avoid the noise, should it become too noisy.

9. Make photocopies of your passport and other important documents

Don’t forget to take photocopies of your passport and any other important document you’re planning to take with you. Make sure you keep them on hand, as you do not want to risk losing them.

Traveling can be a lot of fun. With these simple and easy-to-follow tips, you should have a trouble-free holiday!

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Top 5 MP3 Music Downloader Apps

Music arguably is the world’s only authentic international language, one that everybody easily understands and loves. To me, it is healing and part of the soul of the universe. This probably is the reason everyone appreciates technology which endeavors to bring music closer to us. The last decade alone has seen the entry of thousands of download applications and right now, good music is only a few clicks away. With a great music downloader, you are good to go. Here are some of the leading MP3 music downloading applications.

1. Google Play Music

This free music downloader from Google is now available for PC and standard users to download or listen to up to 50,000 songs at no cost. Aside from the free library, the app also offers a premium all-access subscription that Google bundles with its YouTube Red. Music lovers who opt for this premium version can stream, on demand, any music title in the Google Play Music catalog. This app also allows users to create a list of custom radio stations, or download and store tracks for listening offline.

With more than 35 million songs available for purchase or streaming, Google Play Music is the best music downloader available.

2. Napster

Napster is a music downloader application owned by the Seattle-based online music subscription service, Rhapsody. Riding on the back of the failures, challenges, and lessons learned from its preceding version, this app now offers about 30 million tracks that users can listen to from a myriad of devices with a lot more finesse compared to other applications.

Napster allows users to download an unlimited number of songs, create countless playlists which can be accessed both online and offline. The app also has a global listener network where you can learn about new songs from people who share your taste in music.

3. SuperCloud Song MP3 Downloader

Do you often get the urge to download songs and listen on the go? If your answer is yes then this downloader may be perfect. SuperCloud Song MP3 Downloader allows you to download tracks onto your Android compatible device. It has a simple user interface that only requires you to key in the track title, album name or the artist to search.

Aside from downloading tracks, this app, which easily is the best free music downloader, also allows you to stream thousands of songs available in its expansive library.

4. Simple MP3 Downloader

This application is a leading source of recent tracks because all of its songs are free under a public copyright license, creative commons. This licensing allows free distribution of content that is otherwise copyrighted. Simple MP3 Downloader categorizes songs by artists and albums. It allows users to download and play music as well as create media libraries for the downloaded material.

The app has a large database and a built-in media player which plays all the songs you download. There is a completion feature that eases the process of searching because it suggests titles and artists based on the first words you key into the search bar.

5. Music Player Elite

The Music Player Elite has a vast database of MP3 material that you can readily download. Its music library allows you to mark and play your favorite songs anytime, load songs into your device, create a library, and configure tracks in various compatible audio formats. The app supports more than ten file formats including MP3, MP4, AAC, M4A, and MKV.

Of all these free music downloaders highlighted here, Music Player Elite stands out for its advanced features. The app has a playlist editor where you can create, load, edit, and save tracks and playlists in three formats including M3U and PLS.

The app also allows you to search and filter songs using wide criteria such as song details, location, and folder. This is advanced considering that most apps only offer searches by artist and album. Moreover, the applications’ inbuilt media player has a reverb preset that acoustically stimulates different listening environments.

Many new music downloader apps will arise to challenge those highlighted here for the top position which is great because it furthers the technology for music lovers who want to download fresh music onto their Android devices. Until then, these five remain in firm contention for the prize of  ‘Best Music Downloader‘.

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iPhone and Smartphone Via Stocks snap

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Into the Wild: 5 Outdoor Activities to Shake Up Your Sedentary Lifestyle

Being a working family man is great, but it is also challenging.

Trying to balance the time between jobs and loved ones can be exhausting, both mentally and physically, and a lot of us are not strangers to this. With time passing by, people usually have certain routines and habits engraved deep into their brains, and more often than not, those habits are bad. The workdays are the same: work-eat-sleep, while weekends and free time fall victim to your laziness and sedentary lifestyle, dragging away any chance of excitement, joy, and thrills of life. In the long run, living like this reduces the quality of your life and causes unhappiness, and further down the road, disease.

So what can you do? I believe that the best possible solution is going into the wild and connecting with nature. It will refresh and challenge you, and science has proven that spending time in a natural environment is vital to our well-being. Below, I have prepared a list of outdoor activities that are perfect options for someone like you. Some are more, some are less physically demanding, and it’s up to you to choose. One thing is for sure – none of them will leave you disappointed.

1. White water rafting

If you are the type who prefers dynamic, fast and crazy sports, then there is hardly a better option than white water rafting. For those lucky enough to live close to mountainous areas, it should not be difficult to find a rafting club, and there is no valid excuse not to try it. It will give you the opportunity to de-stress in a unique way.

The quick waters and fast sections of the rafting tour will require focus and take a lot of energy to cross; the more calm parts will enable you to enjoy the surrounding views and unwind.

One of the advantages of this sport is that it is a group activity, meaning that you can do it with your friends or your family. This can be a wonderful bonding experience, and will increase your satisfaction in life much more.

2. Bow hunting

Some would say that this is the “manliest” thing to do out there, but it is not the reason why I chose this activity. Hunting is one of the primal human means of survival, but it has been made obsolete by modern society. When you go to the wilderness searching for prey, you connect to something deeper within you that has been neglected for generations, and it is a life-changing feeling. There are a few reasons why I recommend bow hunting over using rifles.

First, it requires some strength to wield a bow, and when you combine that with all the hiking, it will make your hunt a brutal workout. Second, it is fairer to the animals. Bow hunting requires a lot of skill, and the reach of the arrows is shorter than guns, so you will have to step your game up to be able to hunt something. Lastly, it is more fun, so get the best compound bow for yourself, step outside, and discover your ancestral nature.

3. Kayaking

Kayaking is ideal for all those people who like relaxing and spending their spare time alone, or anyone looking for solitude. If you are one of those individuals, and you have never done this, it is time to give it a shot. The good news is that basic kayaking skills can be learned within a day, and from then on, you are good to go.

Of course first, you need to acquire all the necessary equipment. The convenient thing about this sport is that you don’t need to travel far just to reach a river or stream (this a good option of course), but you can also do it in channels running through your town or city. When it comes to physicality, the upper body will do all the work, and you will see significant increases in strength and cardiovascular endurance. What’s not to love here?

4. Camping

Need some time away from society? Try camping. Is there anything better than escaping into the woods for a day or two? The answer to this question depends on what kind of person you are, but I am sure that it is hard not to enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. Ultimately, camping is about relaxing, completely unwinding, and forgetting the fast pace of your everyday life. It doesn’t require any physical fitness, and you don’t have to be an exercise enthusiast to do it, but in the end, your muscles will get worked, and you will benefit from it.

Most of all, this kind of activity offers great chances for socializing with others, whether it be your family or friends. It is also the perfect opportunity to prepare and eat some great food. Spending the evening by the campfire is a unique, unmatched, chill-out experience, and it will prepare you for the good night’s sleep that only nature can offer.

5. Rock climbing

Without a doubt, this is one of the most difficult activities on this list. It requires a pretty high level of physical fitness since it fires up pretty much every muscle in your body. On the mental side, there can be other challenges; talk to some professionals and try out the sport with their guidance. This is an excellent mood and health-improving, as well as a unique, mind-toughening sport, that will make you meet some of your demons, and hopefully, overcome them.

What do you choose?

All in all, each of these activities differs greatly, and it is up to you to try them out and see which one is optimal for yourself. Let this article be an inspiration for all those who want to change their life for the better. And don’t stop here; research more, and maybe you will find something else to do. Just make sure that it helps you keep fit and happy, because there’s nothing in life more valuable than that.

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