Monday, February 13, 2017

Creativity Isn't A Talent. You Can Actually Gain It By Doing These 3 Things Daily

Do you aspire to live a creative life but are not sure where to begin?

It’s a common problem. We look at famous actors, authors and musicians and think: how lucky they are to be creative, passionate – and hugely successful!

Just remember though that many of these successful, creative people were just like you once. They had dreams. They had goals. But they also struggled with confidence issues and creative blocks.

If you’re willing to commit to reaching your creative pinnacle, then read on.

1. Combine ideas to lift you out of a rut

Being creative does not mean you have to reinvent the wheel (although that would be an impressive start!). Often, the secret is to take two existing ideas and combine them to create something new.

As an example, think of the traditional alarm clock. Clearly, someone a long time ago came up with the idea of fusing together a clock and a bell. An incredibly simple idea, but one that has stood the test of time (pun intended!).

Now, over to you… what ideas can you combine to create something useful and unique?

2. Throw away self-censorship to unleash your creativity

To be truly creative, you’ll need to strip away years of self-censorship that culture and society have taught you.

You’ve probably heard people say that they used to be creative when they were young. This was a time when their minds were most likely free from career, relationship and financial worries. Life was fun, dynamic and full of opportunities to be creative. Unfortunately, for most of us, years of working in a dreary 9-5 environment has crushed our dreams – and drowned our inspirations. Creativity has been exchanged for conformity. (Not good!)

You must break free from self-censorship to restore your authentic, creative self. Dig deep below your conditioned mind, and discover your powerful, creative subconscious mind. If you can tap into this mind, creative ideas are guaranteed to begin flowing again.

3. Be ready to capture your best ideas

Once you have opened the gates to creativity, you’ll be shocked at how many ideas you have every single day. There’s one problem with this: if you don’t capture the ideas instantly – you’ll be likely to lose them.

The secret here is to write down or sketch any promising ideas that come into your mind. You must do this immediately, otherwise they may evaporate from your mind and be lost forever. (You’ve probably experienced this many times before.)

If you don’t already have a way of capturing ideas, then find a method that will allow you to do so. Highly-creative people frequently carry notepads, cameras and portable audio recording equipment so that they can catch their ideas the moment they have them. At the very least, make a habit of noting down your ideas and thoughts into your phone or tablet.

“Creativity takes courage.” -Henri Matisse

If you’re lacking in confidence, then you’ll be unlikely to believe that you have the creativity and talent to succeed in life. However, as we’ve seen above, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Be bold, be bright, and let your creative juices flow. And most importantly – start creating!

As soon as you have a good idea, why not find ways to implement it straightaway? By doing this, you’ll defeat the “dream-killer” known as procrastination. You’ll also find yourself with unexpected momentum in life. And this will create a cycle for you: ideas will come… you’ll apply them… more ideas will come. Try it and see for yourself.

Creativity is not just for child prodigies and musical geniuses. It’s also for you. Take the tips above, let them free your mind  – and unleash the best ideas of your life.

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Two Useful Apps To Turn Your Writing From Good To Great

It doesn’t matter if you’re new at writing or a seasoned pro, one thing is true: Writing isn’t always easy. But with practice, it can be.

Here are two excellent apps to keep your skills sharp, and help you deliver more quality writing.

Grammarly

If you like to triple-check your work before publishing, Grammarly is your go-to app for that. It’s by far one of the best online editing tools. It finds and corrects errors in grammar, style, and punctuation. It also includes a contextual spell-checker and plagiarism detection.

Grammarly is a free browser extension that works across many web platforms. Use it in Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, or WordPress. It works in the background to suggest improvements you can make to your writing in real time.

This is a plug-in for Chrome users, but you can use it with MS Office. Import documents of any size and edit them with ease.

Hemingway Editor

If your aim is to keep your writing clear and concise, this simple but powerful text editor will get you there. Available on any browser, you can paste your text directly into the web editor. Problem areas are immediately highlighted and color-coded for each error type.

The app evaluates your writing and identifies opportunities to improve it. Complex words and sentences, adverbs, and passive voice are common problems, all of which can stand in the way of clear writing.

It also measures readability using an algorithm. A grade above 10 will show that your writing is too complicated. The Hemingway Editor’s goal is to help you make it “bold and clear.”

There are many apps available to help improve writing, but these are two designed to make the process easier.

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You'll Surely Be Happier In The Future By Making This Decision Now

We ask you a simple question: Are you happy? Do you plan to be, or rather, do you think you’ll be a happy person 10 years from now? If your answer to the first question is no, then the answer to the second question is also likely to be a big, fat nope…  Why? Because putting off happiness for later sometimes makes it disappear…

To be happier in the future, decide to be happier today

Seth Godin said, “The best way to be happy 5-10 years from now is to do something today you will be happy you did.” And that is so true – we all sacrifice our happiness today in a bid to be happier later. We make sacrifices – spend more time at our office to earn more money, thinking that the money will make us joyful later. But what if by then we lose our health? Or worse, our loved ones?

The future is always uncertain

We can plan for the future in terms of money, but we cannot plan our happiness or health levels of the future. One way to make sure that we are happy in the future too is to do something today that makes us happy and leaves us with no regrets later. A person who is happy is one who has no regrets of not having done this or that. He/She does not regret not having spent enough time with his/her loved ones. He/She does not regret not trying something he/she really wanted to do; he/she is the one who has lived life to the fullest…[1]

So go ahead and do something that makes you happy today. Start an exercise routine, go back to school, and learn to play the guitar or just paint your nails. Think of happiness as a bank – you have to invest a little something every day to reap the benefits later! The happiness you gift yourself on an everyday basis will make for a happier you tomorrow…

Reference

[1] Forbes: Die With No Regrets

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5 Things You Could Do To Make You Instantly Likeable!

HSP, Highly Sensitive Person

As they say, you can never have a second first impression and most of us feel nervous when trying hard to make people like us. We deem ourselves to be rather funny and witty when interacting with those closest to us, who know us well, and make us feel comfortable in their company. But what happens when we meet new people? Oftentimes, we find it difficult to come up with the perfect joke that will make everyone laugh and perceive us as adorable.

We are unsure as to whether the things we say are truly amusing or whether our attempts at humor will leave people staring at us in awkward silence. Those feelings of self-doubt are going to be things of the past if you start practicing these five solid pieces of advice that will make people fall in love with you and make you appear more likable instantly:

1. Make your body language more expressive

One of the characteristics of charismatic people is their expressive body language. In moderation, of course. Other people won’t be drawn to you if you just stand still like a tree, making your jokes seem so plain and dull. If you accompany the way you talk with expressive movements and gestures, people will take it as a sign of your playfulness and confidence. Consequently, what you are saying will feel more natural and people will want to hear more of it.

2. Boost other people’s ego

No one can stay immune when you are complimenting them, even if you say it in the form of a criticism. People like their virtues and qualities to be noticed, and boosting their ego will definitely make them like you. Even if you say to someone, “I didn’t imagine that this dress could look so good on someone!” – they’ll take it as a compliment. Yes, you criticized their sense of fashion, but at the same time, you were saying how attractive they are.

3. Make jokes about something that won’t make people feel insecure

It is a normal thing to feel uncomfortable when someone is making fun of you. But if someone makes a joke about something that is beyond your control, either because it’s temporary or it’s not common to your personality, that’s another story. You won’t see it as a criticism and will find it hilarious.

So, if some of your friends did something that is a long way from who they really are, such as doing something silly while being intoxicated, and they are not known as someone who drinks like a fish, they won’t get mad if you joke at their expense. They’ll join in and laugh with you because it’s not mean-spirited. It’s lighthearted fun that everyone can take part in.

4. Laugh at yourself

It’s always the best way to gain affection by making fun of yourself. People are always ready to jump in and greet such jokes with a smile of approval. Why is that so? Because it tells them you are not an insecure person, that you are perfectly aware of your flaws, and  that you accept them as a part of your personality, thus you are not afraid to show them to the world.

You don’t have to go out of your way to make a fool out of yourself, people will take the hint. When you say, “I could have been a model if I wanted to.” People will get that you are joking about the way you look without directly saying, “I am fat” or “I am ugly”, which would be the signs of your insecurity.

5. Don’t hurt anyone with your jokes

If people feel insecure about a certain aspect of their physical appearance or their personality, making jokes about that will result in hurting their feelings and they’ll probably stay away from you for a long time, maybe even for the rest of their lives.

Trying to win points by hurting other people, even if everybody else is laughing, isn’t the right way to make people like you. Imagine how you would feel if it was the other way around. Not funny anymore, right? Just be careful not to mess with other people’s feelings and you are on the right track.

Featured photo credit: https://pixabay.com/ via pixabay.com

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5 Habits That The Smartest People In The World Have In Common

A lot of people seem to believe that successful people spend a majority of their time working overtime and frequently have sleepless nights. It would be a very big mistake to equate success with that of a person who has a workaholic mindset. It may be surprising to you, but many of the world’s smartest people take their weekends to relax and spend time with their family, themselves, and their goals. Have you ever wondered what some of the world’s smartest people did to help them achieve their goals? Check out these 5 habits to see if you have something in common with them.

1. Adopt a hobby that they can practice every day

Successful people know that there is a lot more to life than working, sleeping, and eating. Even they have to be able to relax and enjoy some downtime every now and again. That’s why the world’s smartest people engage in one or more activities that they love. When you’re able to pick up a hobby that you can practice every day it may actually help you become more successful. For example, playing a musical instrument improves motor and analytical skills as well as creativity. Having hobbies can be very beneficial to your work life to help you further your success.

2. Summarize what they read and what they learn through writing

When it comes to reading, summarizing is extremely helpful and smart. It helps you look for and find the main points and important details in each paragraph that you read. When it comes to being an effective learner, it’s all about being able to identify and understand those main points and details. If you’re unsure how to summarize effectively, try writing 2-3 bullet point statements that communicate what the author says.

3. Share what they learn with others

It’s very important to keep yourself in the mindset that you can always learn something new every day. It’s equally as important to share that knowledge with others. You take in new information and retain it through the books you read and web searches all the time. You have the ability to share that with those around you, and that is extremely meaningful.

4. Come up with 10 ideas every day

It may sound like a pretty exhausting thing to do at first. You’re probably already thinking to yourself, “Won’t I run out of ideas?” I can see where you’re coming from, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to transform and improve your life. For one, it improves creativity and your problem-solving abilities. Two, it helps to prepare you to respond to almost any situation. And three, it gives your brain that daily mental practice it needs which will increase your psychological energy.

5. Follow their questions instead of simply raising them

When you ask questions, you don’t always get an answer that you find completely satisfying. When trying to engage in an informative discussion, you want to interact with each other’s ideas- not just speak at one another. When you ask follow-up questions, it lets the other person know they were heard, they’re able to clarify what’s been said, and it invites others involved to chime in as well. Add your opinions, feelings, and comments. Give explanations and reasons so that anyone listening can reply, and you can change or add more subjects to the initial conversation.

We are always looking for ways to improve our success in every aspect of our lives. You can start by working these habits into your daily routine that some of the smartest people in the world have adapted into theirs.

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Why You Should Do What You Love And Believe In No Matter How Old You Are

Are you dreading the thought of waking up tomorrow and heading to work? Maybe lately you haven’t felt motivated by your job or even the slightest bit interested in what you’re doing. You probably stare at the clock all day, counting the hours until you’re free again. You’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the ranks of hundreds of thousands of people who aren’t doing what they love.

The good news is, it’s never too late. No matter how old you are or what you’ve been doing all these years; you can still follow through with your dreams. You should spend this life doing what you love and believing in what you’re doing.

“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” -Farrah Gray

Read that quote. Now, read it again. Why are you at your current job? Is it just for the money? When you relegate yourself to a job you don’t feel passionate about, you’re giving up on your dreams. While you are miserable day in and day out, you’re helping somebody else realize their dreams. Is that the life you want to live?

“Never work for money, work for passion” shows up on a list of the lessons people learn too late in life.[1] Listen to this advice. Don’t let life pass you by.

“A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one’s own path, not chasing after the dreams of others.” – Chin-Ning Chu

Remember when you were younger and you used to dream about everything you were going to do in life? Write that dream down and create a vision for achieving it. You see, once you visualize yourself doing something, you’ve made it an attainable reality. So, it’s more likely to come true. Identifying your dream is the first step to achieving it.

Now that you have your dream envisioned, be more specific. What exactly is your goal and what are the steps you need to take to reach that goal? Being constantly conscious of these things means that they won’t escape you again. Your dreams and goals are always there, motivating you to work harder. “Chase your vision and dream. Success will start following you.”[2]

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there’s love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” – Ella Fitzgerald

Now that we’ve talked about remembering your dreams and reconnecting with your passion, never follow this advice: “Find your passion.” This is the worst advice ever. Your passion is always there, haunting you, reminding you that you still haven’t achieved your life’s purpose. If you have to look for your passion, it’s probably not something you’re passionate about at all.

Wondering about what you love in life is tantamount to saying that you spend all day, every day thinking about things that don’t interest you. Highly unlikely. According to writer Mark Manson, “You already found your passion. You’re just ignoring it.”[3]

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”  – George Addair

The truth is, you might be ignoring your passion because you’re afraid to go after it. It’s one thing to spend your life working for other people and getting by day to day. On the outside, you look relatively successful. But, if you actively pursue your lifelong passion and you don’t achieve your dreams – well, that would mean you’re unsuccessful. And nobody wants that, we’re all afraid of it.

Don’t worry. There are some things you can do to boost your productivity and ensure your success. First of all, plan your day around the moments that you are most productive. Do you accomplish more during quiet mornings? Then wake up early and get to work. Don’t procrastinate. Work around your natural rhythm and learn to prioritize. Work through your list of priorities one by one to stay focused. Get in the groove of working through your daily priorities and planning tomorrow’s schedule today. Before you realize it, you’ll be well on your way to success![4]

Featured photo credit: La La Land via mintmovi3.deviantart.com

Reference

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If You Want To Be More Creative, Learn Something That You Aren't Comfortable To Learn

You stand in front of the canvas. You’ve worked for weeks on this painting, and now it’s like you don’t even know it. Even worse, you don’t even care about it. You’re in a creative rut, and you don’t know how to get out.

Anyone creative already knows that any craft needs a certain amount of discipline. You can only be called an Artist if you create art, for example. A writer must write. And so on. But this necessity can often lead to creative juices lacking, and this is a good time to shake it up by trying something new.

Making ‘good art‘ can often be a struggle. Even the most dedicated find taking the time a challenge sometimes—we all have off days. Trying out other creative outlets takes the pressure off of your main creative processes. If you’re a writer who’s stuck, for example, try painting for a month. If you’re a photographer, try learning Japanese, or playing piano.

Whatever it is will shake up your usual routine, will fire up your brain in new and exciting ways, remind you of the playful side of your creativity you felt when you first started your main focus now. It might even lead to your viewing the world in a different way. This practice is called ‘creative cross training‘. The idea being building your ‘muscles’ in other areas will seep into your current practice and help to improve it.

So try it! Thirty days of exploring a new skill will gift your creative life the boost it needs, adding some colour to your craft and making sure you never (heaven forbid!) become boring.

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One Simple Sign To Tell If Someone Is Intelligent

Many times we need to figure out if someone is smart enough, to be on the team or to hang out with. How do we know is someone is intelligent without even checking academic records, social, and career achievements, or having to look for the lines on their forehead?

They keep asking questions.

But you ask when you don’t know, so how can someone who questions too much be intelligent?

Because they ask, and they learn. The Chinese proverb  of wisdom states it clearly: ‘He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes, he who does not question, stays a fool forever.’

Intelligence is, without question, all about questions. Nobody will know it all. No matter how educated they are, nobody comes close to ever knowing it all. Even if you learn everything from top to bottom, tomorrow changes what you know today. We are all flawed, stumbling through life, with unrealistic expectations. So we need to keep questioning to stay afloat.

Intelligent people question everything, after getting answers, they question more. If you use words they can’t understand, they request clarification. They ask you to explain to the as if they just turned five when they do not understand what you are saying. If you say anything intriguing they make a note of it.

Be humble. Ask questions to reflect genuine intelligence.  

So the next question is, ‘Do intelligent people make mistakes?’

The simplest way of judging intelligence is when someone accepts mistakes. Intelligent people accept mistakes, they welcome them, they know these are life lessons.

Intelligent people know that mistakes are part of life. Nobody is perfect and we are all free to err. Learning comes from struggling and making a flow of mistakes. Mistakes are agents of education. Mistakes are never any fun but are totally unavoidable. People who evaluate and learn from mistakes, self-reflect, and are aware that mistakes are a process of personal investment.

Any further questions?

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