PURPOSE IN LIFE — ASPIRE. MOTIVATE. SUCCEED!

What I’ve Learned from Elmo

May 30, 2012 By AMSDaily 3 Comments

Kevin Clash, Co-Executive producer of “Elmo’s World,” the Director, Puppet Captain and Performer of Elmo wrote the following lessons he learned from Elmo.

“The joy I have witnessed when a child meets Elmo for the first time is incredibly overwhelming to me. I often feel like a fly on the wall witnessing pure happiness when Elmo’s fans, young and old, greet their furry red Sesame Street friend in person.

Nothing is sweeter to me than watching a child, with just a diaper on, coming up to Elmo for a hug. I remember one little girl who actually pulled Elmo off my hand and walked away with him, holding Elmo like a baby. I can still see this child, sitting on her mother’s lap, rocking Elmo to sleep. It was such a funny moment.

One day, a young man contacted me about his upcoming tenth wedding anniversary. He wanted Elmo to sign his Best of Elmo video as a gift to his wife. He explained that every time he or his wife had a bad day they would come home, put on the Best of Elmo video, and it would change their mood instantly.

What I have learned from performing Elmo is that loving and laughter are a gift, and they should be shared every day.”

And of course, Elmo LOVES you!

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Ten Qualities of A Successful Individual

May 10, 2012 By AMSDaily 9 Comments

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.– by Dale Carnegie

Photo of Shem-shem Pablo

By Soni

Success is the output of an individual’s effort, hard work, dedication, sincerity, and experience put in for years together to achieve the desired goals.

Success is not easily attained; it is to be acquired by putting in the efforts of the years.

A success mantra: “Jack of all trades, master of SOME.” will possibly sum it up.

To be a successful person you have to be a jack of all trades and a master of some. An individual with who is multi-talented has the quality to recognize the opportunity and grab it at that moment.

Below are some of the qualities, in my opinion of what successful people have:

1. He must have some education required at a level within his desired field. He must have a great passion towards reading and ability to have an open mind.

2. He must have some confidence to face the situation: Even and Odd.

3. He must have a personality that mesmerizes anyone at any time.

4. He must have professionalism to a level where one must have thorough knowledge of the field where he is working.

5. He must have integrity towards work and work culture.

6. She must have knowledge of language which also plays an important role in success; Linguistic people have less interaction barriers.

7. She must be able to adapt to change easily.

8. She must be technologically savvy or at the very least inclined towards Information Technology and the use of social media as success tools.

9. She must be a positive person with an optimistic approach.

10. She should be an adorable person and a simple human being.

Filed Under: Daily Inspiration, PURPOSE IN LIFE Tagged With: happiness, list of successful individuals, motivation, personal development blogger, photography, quotes on success, Ten Qualities of A Successful Individual, TKSoni article, what is success?

How to Keep your Energy Levels Balanced throughout your Busy Day

May 3, 2012 By AMSDaily 12 Comments

Photo of Shem-shem Pablo

By Liz Scala

Lately I’ve been struggling with my own sleep and energy levels; as I am sure many of us have at one point or another during our careers. As a nurse, I have worked swing shifts, night shifts, and have been unable to create a sleep-wake cycle. I am certain many people have had trouble falling and staying asleep. I’m not sure why my sleep is disrupted right now as I really haven’t changed anything in my life. I also am not saying my sleep is terrible; I am just aware it could be better.

The reason I’ve become aware of this broken sleep is I feel more lethargic and less energetic during the day. This could also be related to the fact that I have a lot of upcoming events or have a lot on my mind. But whatever the reason, I am certain my restless sleep is causing my decreased energy levels.

This brings me to the topic I wanted to discuss: energy levels. We have more control over our energy than we think. People, in general, feel they are powerless over their energy increases and decreases throughout their day; falling victim to things like shift schedules, overtime, and staffing numbers. Fortunately, this is not the case. You DO have control over your energy.

I want to share with you several ways you can keep energy levels balanced throughout your busy work day:

Get more rest. Instead of going to bed at 1 am, and getting only 4.5 hours of sleep, because you stayed up late surfing the web or logged on to Facebook; turn off the technology and settle in earlier. Create a set scheduled bed time, as much as you are able to, and keep it. Get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Make a space that is conducive to sleep which means turning off distractions, keeping the room dark, cooling the temperature, reserving the bed for sleep, and unwinding beforehand.

Exercise. A surefire way to increase your energy levels is to actually do things that spend your energy. I know this sounds counterintuitive. Most times people protest, “I have no energy to work out; after work I just want to go home to veg out and sleep.” I promise you, once you get into a workout routine you will have more energy. As your heartbeat increases with exercise, more blood surges through the brain, more oxygen is absorbed by your cells, and you feel more mentally alert and energetic. Better-conditioned muscles make daily tasks easier. As you become stronger through exercise; so does your immune system.

Drink more water. This seems to be my answer for everything; but it works! Water accounts for approximately 60% of your body weight. Your organs require water in order to function properly. You will flush out the toxins that slow you down. By staying hydrated you will avoid feeling sluggish, tired, and irritable.

Stay away from “energy boosters.” Things such as coffee, caffeine, sugar, “energy” drinks, etc are all ways to send your energy levels crashing. Why? You take them in for a quick burst of energy, but then since they are not natural your body “crashes” down off of them causing you to need more to sustain those energy levels you enjoyed. Excess sugar causes fluctuations in blood sugar, which can result in plummeting energy levels. Although coffee initially raises stress hormones and gives a rush of energy, consuming several cups of coffee per day can promote burnout. Avoid unnatural ways to boost energy.

Take some time each day just for you. Create a daily ritual where you take 20 to 30 minutes for yourself just relaxing and doing nothing (no watching TV or surfing the net). Read a book, listen to music, meditate, have a cup of tea, try a new yoga pose, or sit outside just being quiet. Do something that is just for you. Schedule it in as you do anything else. Make your “me” time priority.

Go outside. Nature is a great energizer. Breathe in the fresh air. Get your dose of natural vitamin D from the sun. Tire yourself out with the outdoors. Run around with children, play a sport, or tackle some yard work. The more you are outside experiencing the elements; the better rest you will get and ultimately the better energy you will have.

Breathe. Energy, in Chinese Medicine, is called qi (pronounced chi). One important way we make qi is by breathing deeply. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing is a simple way you can improve energy levels.

Editor’s Note: Liz Scala writes about Health and Wellness monthly for AMSDaily. You can visit her newly designed blog at Living Sublime Wellness to read more on these topics. Subscribe to her website to get your free daily meditation audio and a journal gift!