Enriching Life With Friendships

Friendships contribute to well-being. People who more than just occasionally keep themselves in the company of good friends are happier, less stressed, and live longer. Studies also show that friendships lower the risk of dementia and heart disease.

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While it is great to have hundreds of friends, quality is still better than quantity. Good friendships are those that provide the intimacy, which allows free expression without fear of being judged. Close-knit relationships also provide a sense of security with the support and validation loved ones give.

With a busy lives, adults find it harder to nurture friendships. Priorities shift to career or the family that there seems hardly enough time to re-connect with old friends or build budding friendships. It is also possible that people have changed with age, and compatibilities with old friends are not as they were.

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But because of the role of social interaction in leading a happy life, some effort must be done to maintain quality relationships. In the age of social media, it is not as difficult to reach out to an old friend. The workplace, classes, and community events are great opportunities to meet new people, some of whom might end up being friends for life.

Motivational speaker and life coach Marc Accetta has inspired countless people to achieve their personal goals. For more self-help articles, subscribe to this blog.

Emotional Acknowledgment And Acceptance: Why It’s Ok Not To Be Ok

Steven Hayes, David Barlow, and other psychological greats discovered that emotional avoidance is one of the leading causes of most psychological problems. It sounds surprising for some, because it is commonly believed that avoiding negative emotions is reasonable. People are taught to shoo away “negative vibes,” and forget about unhappy events. For many, avoiding negative emotions brings them relief—but it is just a temporary fix.

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Avoiding negative emotions can bring short term peace of mind, but it can eventually lead to long term pain. Unresolved issues will pile up as time goes by, and eventually, the person will have to confront them when they rise to the surface. It is just like prolonging agony.

The more people avoid the negative, the weaker they become, and the more their coping mechanisms and skills turn rusty. It can also cause hyper-vigilance about the possibility of the negative feelings arising. This fear can be a different negative experience for the person. Emotional avoidance is also linked to being in denial about the truth, which is not healthy. Denying realities is never going to contribute to problem resolution.

So how should people deal with negative emotions? Acceptance is key. Accepting negative feelings is not a bad thing, and it is better than avoiding it. People have no control over their feelings, but have total control over their actions. Just after the emotion is acknowledged can people pursue actions and behaviors that are in sync and aligned with their personal values and goals.

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Negative emotions can hurt but won’t kill. It’s okay not to be okay, but staying or lingering in the dark is already a different story.

Marc Accetta is a life coach known for his unique style of facilitating talks and seminars. Read similar articles by visiting this blog.

Reset: The Importance Of Taking Time Off From Work

Gone are the days when people look forward to having relaxing, week-long vacations. The working class masses of today are scared of taking office leaves because they’re scared of the amount of work they will be dealing with when they return from their trip. 

While there are companies that force their employees to finish tasks even during the most important holidays, there are organizations that encourage their workers to take a few days off. Here’s why the workaholic needs some time off from all the stressful paperwork. 

It improves one’s physical health.

The stress that workers feel while in the office can greatly affect their health. Disconnecting from the world of work through a relaxing getaway will reduce their risk of having heart diseases or worse, heart attacks. 

It helps rekindle or build relationships.

Because people only have work and deadlines on their minds, they miss out on the important things. They replace meeting family members and friends with pursuing the advancement of their career. While productivity through working is important for one’s personal growth, people must also spend time with those who matter the most. After all, relationships are more important than receiving a fat pay check. 

It establishes work-life balance.

People who take time off find themselves outside the workforce. Their identities are much more established, and they are a whole person even without their respective careers. Moreover, those who take regular vacations are more focused workers. Getting time off makes a person more creative and productive in the workplace. 

Marc Accetta is a life coach and motivational speaker who has inspired many individuals into being the best versions of themselves. Visit this page to know more about his professional work.

Do It Right: Three Ways To Give Real And Sincere Self-Affirmations

Psychologists and life coaches encourage their clients to practice daily self-affirmations. Similar to the little engine that could, these short but sweet messages to one’s self aim to inspire action and generate good-will. Yet, there are still a number of people who find the exercise embarrassing; leading many to not experience the full benefits of loving and real self-affirmations. Thankfully, there are three simple ways to improve this. 

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Keep it real: The main reason why self-affirmations don’t work is because it feels fake. People should not say to themselves what they would not say to their friends or family. Often it is difficult to encourage one’s self, particularly if there is low self-esteem or self-love. A way to counter this is to talk to the self as if one would a cherished friend. This change of mindset is enough to deliver messages that are genuine and believable. 

Keep it coming: Self-affirmations are actions that need to be done every day. This is how the mind shifts its attitudes towards them. The first few days are embarrassing and strange but eventually it will not be so. The mind will accept these affirmations and after the initial wave of disbelief will be more accepting of what the messages say. 

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Keep moving: An important aspect of self-affirmation is the positivity it should generate. People should feel encouraged by what they say. As such, it is necessary to keep the messages changing to suit the needs of the self. If a particular message is no longer inspiring, then the individual should shift to one that gives a new, positive feeling. 

Another good recommendation is to seek the assistance of a life coach to better hone the skill of self-affirming. 

Marc Accetta has helped hundreds of people improve their confidence and self-esteem through effective self-affirmation practices. Learn more by following this Twitter account.

Manifest Love In Your Life Using The Law Of Attraction

Life coaching attempts to address all aspects of one’s life, including love. For many people, the attainment of success and wealth pales in comparison to the utter joy of finding a life partner. When Rhonda Byrne released "The Secret", many people – from Oprah to Deepak Chopra - began talking about the law of attraction and how all successful people (both in wealth and love) use this to manifest joy in their life. 

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The law of attraction is used for anything, including love; but many people say that this is perhaps the hardest thing for them to attract. Somehow, the concept of attracting wealth and money is not as difficult as finding love. There are many stories available online about how the law of attraction does not seem to work in their quest for love. 

A few points must be stressed here. In terms of love, the concept of a "vacuum" does not work. In The Secret, readers are told that the Universe hates empty spaces. It conspires to fill areas where there is a lack. This works extremely well with money, but not with love. When people become desperate or have fear associated with love (e.g. I need to find a love partner because I am afraid of being alone or, I can’t leave him or her because--what will happen to me then? etc.), the vibrations they release are that of loss. Love cannot thrive in this environment. People inevitably push love away because their thoughts are one of loss. They may find a temporary partner or two, but true love will never exist with this mindset. 

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Manifesting love through the law of attraction is based on gratitude and fulfilment. People often say "I will love myself when I get love" but this is a misconception. Many life coaches stress the importance of self-love first before any love can be received. It is the concept of simple math, how can one give when one doesn’t have? 

Marc Accetta has more life-changing tips and strategies. Learn more about them by liking this Facebook page.

Smart Goal Setting: How To Make And Keep Mid-Year Resolutions

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At the beginning of the year, many people make resolutions to improve themselves and their lives. They pledge to stop eating junk, to start working harder at their jobs, and other laudable goals. Most of the time, however, resolutions are forgotten by February.

Mid-year resolutions are a way for people to recommit to their goals, revise them, or to make new ones altogether. But just like New Year's resolutions, mid-year resolutions take time, commitment, and hard work to see through.

One way to help ensure that one follows through on one's goals is to make sure they're S.M.A.R.T. 

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym used by business authors to guide the creation of business goals. While the S.M.A.R.T. philosophy is used both in business management, it is often modified to apply to personal development as well.

For mid-year goals to be achievable, they need to be:

Specific. Specific resolutions, such as “I will try to lose weight by reducing my daily food intake by 300 calories” stand a better chance of being accomplished than vague ones like, “I will try to lose weight.” When setting goals, the questions “who,” “what,” “how,” and “why” must be answered.

Measurable. The results of the goal must be quantifiable in some way so individuals can measure their progress over time and take action when necessary. For example, a goal to spend every Sunday with family is measurable, while a goal to spend more time with family is not.

Attainable. Goals must be realistic. While a goal might be challenging, it should not be impossible to achieve. For example, a goal to get promoted within two years is more attainable than a goal to get promoted within two months.

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Relevant. S.M.A.R.T. goal setting is for aspirations that matter, not trivial ones. While a goal to complete a video game in a day is specific, measurable, and attainable, it's not relevant. It serves no greater purpose and does not improve an individual as a person or as a professional.

Time-bound. Goals must have, if not a deadline, a time frame. A target date adds a sense of urgency and helps an individual focus on achieving a goal.

A professional life or career coach can help people make and keep resolutions, whether they're made at the beginning or the middle of the year.

For more discussions on resolutions, like this Marc Accetta Facebook page.

It’s in Your Head: Keys to Having a Success-driven Mindset

According to the popular adage, “As a man thinketh, so is he.” If success starts from the mind, how come only a few can say they’ve made it? The wonderful human mind can be a room full of negativity or a room that inspires more ideas. Read on for the keys that might inspire success.

 

Think like a winner

Don’t go into a battle if you’re only going to lose. Some people pursue something while expecting that it will be a failure. Though it’s not always healthy to have high expectations all the time, it’s not at all bad to think of clinching success even when the odds show otherwise. Achieving goals require hard work and the right opportunities. When a person acts like he or she is already victorious, going through the motions will be worth it even if it doesn’t yield much result yet. 

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Learn to drown out negative voices

Everyone has to deal with that nagging voice in their head that is overly fearful, doubtful, and lazy. What most people have forgotten is that there’s another voice that tells the exact opposite. Successful people know when to drown the negative voices in their head. On the other hand, hearing the hopeful voices is not just refreshing but also pushes an individual to go further. 

Refresh the mind

When the mind is overloaded with problems, insights, passions, work, and other cares, sometimes it’s just helpful to let go of all these things and just focus on having a clear mind. Refreshing the mind may require a person to leave life and be alone for a while. However, after a much needed “me time”, a person can approach life with new thoughts and creative ideas that might contribute to success.

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Marc Accetta is a life coach who uses unique means to capture his audiences’ attention and help them overcome personal hardships and professional struggles. Mr. Accetta, backed with talent and personal experiences, has inspired many people of all ages and from all walks of life with charismatic edutainment that is truly motivating. Learn more about self and career improvement through this blog.