But do you know what happens each time you get angry? Firstly, the first spark of anger activates our amygala, the part of our brain that’s involved with the experiencing of emotions — before you’re even aware of the anger itself. This begins a chain reaction in our brain which leads to our adrenal glands secreting stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.

• Cortisol is released in response to stress and low blood-glucose concentration. It functions to increase blood sugar, to suppress the immune system, and to aid in the metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.^[1]
• Adrenaline increases blood flow to muscles, output of the heart, pupil dilation, and blood sugar.^[2]
• Noradrenaline increases arousal and alertness, and focuses attention; it also increases restlessness and anxiety. In our body, it increases heart rate and blood pressure, triggers the release of glucose from energy stores, increases blood flow to skeletal muscle, and reduces blood flow to the gastrointestinal system.^[3]

In a real life dangerous situation like if we’re faced with a robber, the activation of these hormones is a good thing, because all our body’s senses and functions are now channeled to deal with the physical danger. We react quickly, we are more alert, and our heart beats faster — which will help us act fast and deal with the danger.

But when stress hormones keep getting released despite no real danger, this creates a chain of negative effects on our body.

In our brain:

1. Elevated cortisol causes a loss of neurons in our prefrontal cortex. This keeps you from making good decisions for the future.
2. Elevated cortisol kills neurons in the hippocampus and disrupts creation of new ones. This weakens short-term memory and prevents you from forming new memories properly (which is also why you may not remember what you say in an argument).
3. Too much cortisol decreases serotonin — the homone that makes you happy. This makes you feel anger and pain more easily, as well as increase aggressive behavior and lead to depression.

In our body:

1. Our Cardiovascular System:
   1. Our heart rate ↑
   2. Blood pressure ↑
   3. Blood glucose ↑ (prolonged high blood glucose can cause damage to your nerves, blood vessels, and organs)
   4. When these symptoms become chronic, our blood vessels become clogged and damage. This can lead to a stroke and heart attack.
2. Our Immune System:
   1. Thyroid function ↓
   2. Number of natural killer cell ↓
   3. Number of virus-infected cell ↑
   4. Incidence of cancer ↑
3. Our Digestive System
   1. Blood flow ↓
   2. Metabolism ↓
   3. Dry mouth ↑
4. Our other body parts:
   1. Eye sight ↓
   2. Migraine ↑
   3. Headache ↑
   4. Bone density ↓

Here’s a full infographic of the process:

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by nicabm))

So what do you do? Stop getting angry, or at the very least, reduce your intensity of anger in each conflict. Here are some simple tips:

1. Talk things calmly. Maybe your family member made you angry. Has anger helped you solve the issue? Probably not. So how about speaking in a calm way and using a different approach to tackle this? Maybe your loved ones will be more receptive when you speak calmly and nicely to them. Many of us are really seeking for love, understanding, and respect when we communicate, and shouting and being angry denies the other person of this basic understanding, which escalates an angry exchange. Read: What To Do When You Live with Angry People: 7 Gentle Tips
2. Find ways to address the issues frustrating you without anger. When you feel angry, it’s usually because your frustration has compounded to a point of explosion, and it’s too late to reel back the emotions. Plan before you get angry, not after you get angry. Make a list of things frustrating you. Address each problem and act on it before it blows up vs. dealing with it only when it happens.
3. Be the bigger person. Many times our anger comes from people not meeting our expectations. We think the person is not kind enough, not sensitive enough, not considerate enough. What are your expectations, and are they really important? Can you be the bigger person and let them go? After all, when you feel angry at others, you are the one who suffers, with the anger burning in your heart. Forgiving, not subjecting people to sky-high expectations, and learning to embrace flaws will make you a much happier person, which creates harmony for everyone. Sometimes, the difficult people are the ones who need love the most. If you have Be a Better Me in 30 Days, check out Day 25: Forgive Someone.
4. Cut off toxic relationships. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Spend time with happy, conscious people. If you are regularly frustrated with a friend, such as by his/her insensitivity or close-mindedness, then talk to him/her less often and spend your time with those who make you happy. If you don’t have such friends, maybe it’s time to make new friends. Read: Why I Parted Ways With My Best Friend of 10 Years
5. Spend more time in nature. Nature has a healing effect on our soul and body as proven in scientific studies. In a study by Japanese researchers, it was found that walking or staying in a forest (a practice known as forest bathing) decreased hostility and depression significantly while increasing liveliness among participants.^[4] If you don’t live near nature, play videos of nature to mimic being in nature. Check out: 10 Meditation Tracks to Bring You Back to Nature
6. Divert your energy to constructive things. Frustration can come when you’ve pent up energy that’s not put into good use. Perhaps your workplace isn’t letting you utilize your skills fully. Perhaps your home environment has a lot of constraints that prevent you from resting/working. Take the time to address these environmental issues. In your spare time, read enriching sites, listen to audio books, and listen to educational podcasts. Channel your energy into your goals rather than frustrating things.

Beyond these tips, if you are constantly angry, understand the source of your anger. Why are you angry? What are you angry about? And why do these things anger you? Anger doesn’t have to be the reaction even when a situation is frustrating, and when we are constantly angry, it reflects latent anger in us that should be looked into. Read my series on how to let go of anger for life: How to Let Go of Anger (series)

Be sure to check out: The Science of Happiness [Infographic]

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Funders and Founders))

Breaking it down,

• Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of Southern California Film School 3 times. He eventually attended another school, only to drop out and become a director. He returned school to earn his BA 35 years later.^[1]
• Productivity guru Tim Ferris was rejected by publishers 25 times for his book The 4-Hour Workweek. It went on to become a New York Times’ Best Seller, as has his next two books The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Chef.^[2]
• Founder of Pandora, Tim Westergren, was rejected by over 300 VCs when pitching for funding. The company spent 2.5 years broke. To compensate for the lack of funds, Westergren worked for free and convinced others to do the same.^[3]
• Richard Branson launched 400 companies before founding one that is out of this world (Virgin Galactic). As with any successful entrepreneur, he has failed in many businesses from Virgin Cola to Virgin Brides to Virgin Cars to Virgin Clothing to Virgin Cosmetics.^[4][5] Bet you didn’t know that Branson launched a cosmetics company before, did you? He even started a condoms company in 1987 (which he sold a year later) that has become big in the UK!
• Colonel Sanders was rejected 1,009 times when trying to sell his fried chicken recipe.^[6] As we all know, KFC is a world-renowned franchise today and likely inspired the launch of other fried chicken companies. I share more of Colonel’s story here (see point #7).
• Sylvester Stallone was rejected 1,500 times when he tried selling his script and himself for what would be the film Rocky. Stallone suffers from partial paralysis in his face which made it difficult for him to get casted in an industry that’s all about looks. Today, Rocky is one of the most successful film series of all time, grossing more than US $1 billion.^[7][8]
• James Dyson, founder of the Dyson, created 5,126 times failed prototypes of his vacuum cleaner before succeeding. Today, Dyson sells machines in over 70 countries and employs more than 7,000 people worldwide.^[9]
• And you probably know this one: Thomas Edison created 10,000 failed prototypes of his electric bulb before succeeding. As he famously said,
  

  “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

It is easy to ignore the hard work and failures that winners experienced in their success as they may seem uncool or unsexy.

But failure is part and parcel of success. Failure is where we learn about ourselves and ways that don’t work. Failure is where we become more intelligent and gain more experience and understand the gaps in our skills. Failure is where we move closer to success.

Meaning… to succeed fast,

1. Learn to fail. Fast. Take action. Try different things. Bad ideas, good ideas; it don’t matter. Just put yourself out THERE.
2. Then, learn from these failures. Be curious. Understand what worked and what didn’t work.
3. Fix the issues that didn’t work and revise your strategy.
4. Then, try again.

The more you fail, the more experienced you are. The more experienced you are, the smarter you become. The smarter you become, the higher your chances of success. And in a matter of time, you will reach your desired goal.

Read:

• How To Start When You Have Nothing
• The 21-Day Incubation Period
• The Power of Little Changes

(Click image for larger version)

Here are the different stages of this journey:

1. “This is the best idea ever!!” — When you just come up with a new goal
2. “This will be fun” — Getting started…
3. “This is harder than I thought” — Taking the first few steps
4. “This is going to be a lot of work” — Getting into the thick of things…
5. “This sucks I have no idea what I’m doing” — When you realize that this is harder than you thought
6. “#%@}!!!!!!!!!!!” — When you’ve invested way too much time and energy into this, but things aren’t turning out the way you want
7. “Ok but it still sucks” — When you see some results, but there’s still much to be done
8. “Quick, let’s call it a day and say we learned something” — When you feel like giving up
9. “Hmm…”
10. “Hey!”
11. “Wow” — #9 to #11: The Creation Process™
12. “This is one of the things I am most proud of” — Reaching the finishing line!

Having completed several book projects before, I can relate to this.

The contrast between Stages #1 and #5 is normal as many people severely underestimate the work needed for a goal. It’s only when we start working on it that we realize it’s not as easy as it seems.

Stage #6 is what I call development hell. This is when you are deep in the goal and experiencing all the difficulties and challenges. You have to really push through to get past this stage. This is also when you decide if you really want this enough to continue.

There are mentions of “Belief/Persistence” and “Family+Humour,” which are important factors to get you through this journey. Having the belief and persistence to tackle the obstacles. Having the support of loved ones and being able to laugh when the going gets tough.

As you can see, most people start off optimistic about their goals, but experience self-doubt or even think about giving up when they face one hurdle after another. I have gone through this before, especially in book writing.

If you’re working on a goal (such as an app, a book, or a business) and facing a roadblock, know that you’re not alone. Here are my tips to push through:

1. Understand that the effort to create anything great is often 100-1000X of what people think. The difficulty you’re facing is not specific to you but something everyone faces. The people who can get past the dark swamp are those who reach the other end.
2. Create a plan to address the obstacles. What’s blocking you now? How can you address it? Can you get help? Can you join a peer group or consult someone?
3. Break your goal down into milestones. Then, break each milestone into little steps. Focus on just one step at a time.
4. Get support. Is there anyone you can consult or connect with? If not, can you get emotional support, say from family and friends?
5. Take a few steps back. Things can seem disastrous when we are working on a goal, but that’s because we’re looking too closely and lacking a big picture. Go back to the drawing board. Ask yourself, Why am I working on this? Why is this important to me?
6. Don’t forget self-care. This goes out of the window when we’re working on a goal, but you need to rest and care for yourself to get anywhere far.

If something doesn’t seem to be working, review and change your approach. Be okay to change your goal if it’s not working for you; there’s nothing wrong with that.

Hang in there, we’re all in this together!

Read:

• 6 Tips To Get Through Development Hell
• How To Overcome Writer’s Block [Podcast]
• The Power of Little Changes

Note: I didn’t create this infographic and couldn’t find the source, so if you know the original creator, let me know.

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Business Insider))

My favorite ones are saying no (#11), helping others (#9), stretching and moving around (#5), and being grateful (#16).

Just saying no has helped me regain hundreds of hours that I’ve been able to devote to my Q2 activities.

Helping others energizes me — even when I’m very busy, I try to find a time pocket to do a kind deed for someone, including giving a simple email reply with advice — and that perks me up after that.

Stretching is super important — given that my work is all digital, I take frequent breaks and walk around as much as I can during my non-work hours.

And gratitude allows me to constantly remember how lucky I am to have what I have and appreciate the good things in life. 

What do you do at the start of your workday? :) Any tips above that you can incorporate in your own workday? Check out my resources on creating your best routine:

• Is Your Routine Empowering You?
• Do You Have a Morning Ritual?
• Live a Better Life in 30 Days, Day 9: Evaluate Your Routines

(Click image for larger version (Image by Dog House Diaries))

Life isn’t meant to be a straight road, but a journey of ups and downs. And if you ask me, that’s what makes it exciting. :) By having the downs, they help us appreciate the ups. By going through the downs, they help us learn more about ourselves, cope with challenges, and fight to achieve our dreams.

If you happen to be in a pit right now (like the guy in the picture), I hope you hang in there and push through. There is a better path ahead; you just have to figure out what it is and make it happen. Perhaps it’s not something that’ll happen right away or in a few months — as with any worthwhile pursuit — but as long as you stay positive and address the blockades one at a time, it will be a matter of time before you’re back up and steering smoothly to your end goal.

Chin up — let’s continue to support each other in journey ahead! :)

(Click image for larger version)

I thought these 5 questions serve as a great self-reminder to always share the most positive and inspiring comments with others. While it’s not possible to adhere to these 5 criteria all the time (especially if we’ve never given second thought to our words before), constantly asking ourselves these 5 questions will make it second nature over time.

Here are examples of how to apply each criteria in our daily life:

1. Is it true? Make only comments that are true — true to what you feel, true to your beliefs, and true to what you know about the world. When everyone communicates in truth, it allows us to forge connections in openness and trust.
2. Is it helpful? Always give the most helpful comments, especially when someone is asking for your opinion/advice. That’s because the person may heed what you say, and giving someone badly thought-out or random advice would lead the person on a wild goose chase, in turn wasting their time. “Helpful” here includes helping the person feel better, helping them gain clarity, helping them take action, and/or helping them reach a decision.
3. Is it inspiring? There are 2 ways to trigger people into action — first by force (fear), second by power (love). The first is done through manipulation, coercion, negative triggers, and/or punishment. The second is done by inspiring people to their true potential and power. The inspirational way is the most powerful way as that’s when you help others discover their true power from within. Being “inspiring” doesn’t have to come from making big statements or promises — it can be just simply speaking from your heart and speaking with the intent to uplift others.
4. Is it necessary? What is necessary is subjective. For me, necessary means something that I feel the person must hear, that will add value to the person’s life, and that will further the conversation. (It doesn’t include gossip, overt focus on formalities (rather than the connection), or tactless remarks.) When you focus on the necessary, conversations become more meaningful; people also appreciate what you have to say because they know there’s a reason behind everything you say.
5. Is it kind? As we live in a digital age where everyone is quick to make knee-jerk reactions and criticize vs. appreciate, being kind is more important than ever. With every comment you make, online or off, strive to be kind. Don’t speak with the intent to hurt or wound; but rather, speak with the intent to connect and love.

So before you speak the next time… remember, think! :) As it may be a handful applying all 5 values at one go, I recommend applying them one day at a time. Apply each of the 5 values for the first 5 days of the week, then apply all 5 together on the 6th day. On the 7th day, review how you’ve done. The next week, rinse and repeat.

When all else fails, just remember — be kind. That usually takes care of the rest. :)

Read:

• How To Give Constructive Criticism: 6 Helpful Tips
• How to Make Small Talk in 5 Easy Ways (Examples Included)
• 10 Rules of a Great Conversationalist
• How To Stop Being Sarcastic

As most of you know, smoking is dangerous and a key cause of death everywhere in the world. It is actually is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States — ranking higher than obesity, substance abuse, infectious disease, firearms, and traffic accidents.^[1] A study by BMC Medicine asserts that in Australia, up to two-thirds of deaths in smokers are due to their smoking.^[2] Every 6 seconds, one person dies from a tobacco-related disease — that’s 10 people every minute.^[3]

Unfortunately, smoking is addictive — the nicotine inhaled via the cigarette smoke goes to the brain and leads to the release of the chemical dopamine in the brain, creating a sense of relaxation and calm. When the brain changes to adjust to the nicotine intake, the smoker experiences withdrawal symptoms when there’s insufficient amounts of it. Addiction to the nicotine in tobacco can happen very quickly, after only smoking for a short time or smoking a few cigarettes.^[4]

Because of the highly addictive nature of cigarettes, it’s difficult for smokers to quit. Many have tried time and again over the years, only to fail repeatedly.

For many smokers, the more plausible goal is to stop smoking by the day, with some by the hour. The good news is that the positive effects of not smoking starts as soon as within 20 minutes of putting down the cigarette. Here is a timeline of some of the immediate and long-term changes when you put down the cigarette:

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Wade Meredith))

My husband used to be a heavy smoker in his 20s, smoking 12-15 cigarettes a day for six years. He quit smoking two years ago (in 2013), and some of the benefits he has experienced are (starting from most immediate):

1. Food tasting better (his senses were previously numbed from smoking);
2. Air smelling better, cleaner, and crisper;
3. No smoker’s breath;
4. Throat no longer feeling dry and sore;
5. Saving $120 USD/month (previously spent on cigarettes) which can then be put to better use;
6. Without any training, shaving one full minute off his 2.4 km fitness run in the army, and getting a silver award for the fitness test for the first time in 10 years;
7. More hair growth;
8. Becoming more productive and sociable as he no longer needs to pause what he’s doing to get his cigarette fix;
9. Improved self-control and focus as he has learned to overcome chemical/psychological urges of smoking.

While the quitting process wasn’t easy — he experienced acute coughing and wheezing for three weeks as his lungs purged out the toxins built up from the years of smoking — the results have made it worthwhile. Of course, knowing that he is now healthier and has dramatically improved his chances of living to an older age is probably the biggest reward of it all. We can’t prevent death nor know when it’s gonna hit us, but the least we can do is manage the factors within our control and leave the rest to the universe.

Whether you’ve been smoking for a few months, a few years or many years, know that it is in your power to quit. Here are some resources to help you:

• smokefree.gov — A website that provides free information and assistance to help you quit smoking and stay tobacco-free.
• Tips From Former Smokers — This CDC campaign Web site lets you view the ads, learn more about the people featured and their health conditions, and access quit-smoking resources.
• Harms of Smoking and Benefits of Quitting — A fact sheet from the National Cancer Institute that summarizes the harmful effects of smoking and short- and long-term benefits of quitting.
• The Easy Way To Stop Smoking (by Allen Carr) — Allen Carr, the writer, used to smoke 100 cigarettes a day until he quit and wrote this book to help others quit smoking. It has since become one of the biggest selling self-help titles with 13 million copies sold worldwide and is the #1 bestseller in Smoking Recovery.
• What Happens When You Quit Smoking — Healthline has another quit smoking timeline which goes into further details.

In the process of quitting smoking, it is important to (1) have a strong WHY to quit, (2) understand your triggers for smoking and decouple them from the negative habit itself, and (3) have a clear plan to stay off. I dive into habit triggers here: How a Relapse Begins: The Key To Removing Bad Habits.

Also, come up with some replacement activities to replace smoking. For example, perhaps you took up smoking when you were in college, as a way to relieve stress. So smoking becomes your go-to activity whenever you feel stressed or uncomfortable. If so, come up with some simple things to do to relieve stress, such as watching your favorite show, going for a walk, lying on the bed, or listening to some rock music.

Don’t overwhelm yourself in the process of trying to quit; rather, work on it in manageable chunks. Work on not smoking for the next 24 hours, and by the end of the 24 hours, work on not smoking for the next 24 hours. Work on it on a day-to-day basis, and soon you may find your desire to not smoke outweighs any interest to smoke.

Whatever it is, know that you’re not alone in this journey. There are many people out there working on quitting smoking, and everyone is working through it one step at a time. Focus on loving yourself, fulfilling your inner-most needs, and honoring yourself. Get a support group; join online communities (such as Facebook groups) on quitting smoking. You have it in you; believe in yourself and never give up. In time to come, you’ll find the days of smoking long behind you.

(Image)

While exercising was part of their action plan, a huge part came from eating a cleaner diet — cutting down unhealthy food like chocolates and fried food, doing more home cooking, and choosing good carbs over bead carbs.

Today’s infographic gives you a lowdown on good carbs vs. bad carbs and the carbs you should eat more of:

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Online Nutrition Degrees))

While many people tend to advocate the elimination of carbs, carbohydrates are not the enemy here — it’s the bad carbohydrates like sugary cereals, sodas, candy/desserts, cookies, cakes, instant products, and basically most of the processed food you find in a provision shop and along inner supermarket aisles. These bad carbs are digested very quickly by your body, are converted to fat, and also create high blood glucose spikes — which subsequently leaves you tired (think sugar crash). Long-term consumption of bad carbs can increase the risk of heart diseases.

The answer? Choose the good carbs which are the complex carbs. These include green vegetables, fresh fruits, sweet potatoes and yams, carrots and other root vegetables, mushrooms, and whole grains (read more healthy living tips in 45 Tips To Live a Healthier Life).

It doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate the “bad” carbs altogether — it’s okay to eat a candy bar once in a long while — but I recommend introducing more complex carbs and make them a mainstay in your diet. I always opt for wholegrain over refined grains, fruits over cookies/candies, and vegetables/salads over fries — to the point where it has become a habit. There are times when this isn’t possible (for example, some restaurants don’t serve brown rice, or some days I just want to eat ice cream), but the most important thing is to have an overall healthy diet that gives you the nutrients you need. Oh and of course, remember to exercise regularly too! :)

(By the way, I find it strange that Snickers’ Bars and M&Ms are rated as the “better” snacks in the infographic. I guess it’s on a relativity scale and they’d be better than popcorn or pretzels. I’d personally go for a banana or apple as a snack. These fruits have fiber, help with digestion, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals!)

Here’s a helpful list of glycemic index for 100+ foods from Harvard Health Publications. Remember, the lower the index, the longer it takes to digest, the more it helps stimulate your metabolism: Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods

Read more healthy living tips in 45 Tips To Live a Healthier Life.

Related posts:

• 10 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight (and How to Fix Them)
• 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Funders and Founders))

This infographic highlights the leaders behind today’s modern society (think the founders of Whatsapp, Pinterest, Apple, Microsoft, IKEA, instant noodles, GAP,and AirBNB) and how they embarked on their paths. If you notice, their trigger points came when they were faced with a problem — some of which are daily trivialities like Caresse Crosby (inventor of bra)’s inability to fit her bust into a corset and others more somber, like when Samuel Morse (telegraph inventor) found his wife dead because her letter reached him too late. :/

Some of the stories that struck me:

• AirBNB. Those of us who travel frequently would know AirBNB — pretty much the largest vacation rental site in the world with over half a million listings worldwide. Turns out that its founders, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, got their AHA for AirBNB when they earned cash from turning their living room into a bed and breakfast, because both of them couldn’t afford rent for their loft. They realized the potential for alternative lodging and subsequently started AirBNB.
• IKEA. IKEA was my favorite playground when Ken and I were busy hunting down the perfect furniture for our new home. Ingvar Kamprad, the 88-year-old IKEA founder, stumbled upon the idea of selling flat-pack furniture when an employee (not Kamprad as mentioned in the infographic) had to take the legs off a table to squeeze it into a customer’s car. Kamprad resigned from IKEA in 2013 and was replaced by his youngest son, but continues to be a part of the IKEA family.
• WhatsApp. One has to admit that Whatsapp is the prevalent form of mobile communication today, from being the common tool to organize social outings to being the platform for catching up between close friends. Founder Jan Koum was inspired to create Whatsapp in 2009, having lived on welfare when young and been through days when his mom and him couldn’t afford to call his dad in Ukraine. Read his rags-to-riches story here. Koum is now worth $6.8 billion thanks to his company.
• Instant Noodles. In a world where we’re constantly busy, instant noodles have become our go-to food. Momofuku Ando, inventor of instant noodles and founder of Nissin Foods, got the idea of instant noodles in 1948, when Japan was plagued by post-war poverty:

  In “The Story of the Invention of Instant Ramen,” an autobiography published in 2002, Mr. Ando told of walking through the rubble-strewn streets of Osaka.“I happened to pass this area and saw a line 20, 30 meters long in front of a dimly lit stall from which clouds of steam were steadily rising,” he wrote. “People dressed in shabby clothes shivered in the cold while waiting for their turn. The person who was with me said they were lined up for a bowl of ramen.”

  “I realized that people were willing to wait patiently just for a bowl of ramen,” he said.

  (Source: Momofuku Ando, 96, Dies; Invented Instant Ramen from The New York Times.)

  Fast forward 10 years. After turning bankrupt from a previous venture gone wrong, Ando then started experimented with ways to create instant noodle from this earlier AHA. The rest is history.

  Inspirational story aside though, instant noodles have been repeatedly proven to be unhealthy and can lead to serious long-term health risks, so best cut down or remove it from your diet if possible.

What this infographic tells us is that contrary to popular belief, some of most amazing inventions and successful ventures today were borne out of a simple idea, a simple idea created to solve a simple problem. Which means that while we may sometimes get overwhelmed by the little problems in our daily lives, how about a mindset shift where we recognize these problems are in fact assets waiting for us to harvest them?

Meaning, the next time you face a frustrating problem…

1. Think about the lesson(s) you get to learn from it.
2. Be grateful for this learning opportunity, as you would not have gotten it if not for this problem.
3. Brainstorm permanent solutions for this problem.
4. If you’re facing this problem, chances are at least ten thousands of people out there are facing it too. And if you’ve found a way to solve it, why not share the solution with others, add value to others’ lives, and possibly receive value in return for it too? Think about how you can spread this solution to the world. For example: Create an information product sharing your lessons? Create a product or a software that carries the solution? Offer a service that addresses this issue?

Which stories in this infographic inspired you? What can you take away for yourself?

We pee every day and poop almost daily, so they may seem like mindless activities not worth examining. However, did you know that your poop and pee can provide useful insights to your health? Here’s a useful infographic to understand more about your poop and pee:

(Click image for larger version)

I want to draw your attention to the more serious parts:

• Ideal poop should… (from: About.com)
  • Be medium brown, the color of plain cardboard
  • Leave the body easily with no straining or discomfort and is the consistency of toothpaste
  • Be approximately four to eight inches long (that’s about 10 cm to 20 cm)
  • Be sausage-like in shape. Refer to the Bristol Stool Chart below.
  • Enter the water smoothly without sticking to the toilet bowl
  • Have little gas or odor
• Bristol Stool Chart
  • The Bristol Stool Chart is a medical aid used by some doctors to track GI (gastro-intestinal) health among patients:
    
    

    Bristol Stool Chart (Image)

    Generally Types 3 and 4, especially 4, are considered ideal. Types 1 and 2 represent constipation, Types 5 and 6 are making their way to become diarrhea, while Type 7 means you’re having diarrhea (argh)! Use this as an aid to assess the condition of your bowel movements.

• Passing pellet-like or hard poop?
  • With Types 1 and 2, you are lacking dietary fiber. Introduce more fruits and vegetables and water into your diet. Increasing fiber intake without sufficient water intake will still cause constipation. And that doesn’t mean eating two bananas and drinking one more glass of water and declaring yourself done — you need to make this a permanent lifestyle shift, unless you enjoy being constipated, which none of us do!
• If your poop is dark red or black, not black specks but entirely black stool, there’s a case for concern. While these colors may be diet-related (black stools can come from consuming certain medications, supplements or black licorice while red stools can come from eating beetroot, tomatoes, cranberries and food with red colorants), they can also be a sign of bleeding in your gastro-intestinal (GI): lower GI like the small and large intestines if your stool is dark red, and upper GI like the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum if your stool is black as it suggests blood that has been mixed with digestive juices and has been in your body for a while. Bleeding may be an indication of serious conditions like esophageal varices, peptic ulcer, diverticular disease, or even colon cancer, so it’s best to get testing done and verify that it’s not anything serious.
• If you sometimes see specks of blood after wiping (from a bowel movement), it may mean an anal fissure or piles/hemorrhoids. Anal fissures and piles aren’t a case of concern, but they certainly aren’t comfortable. Again, include foods with more fiber like fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods; drink plenty of water; have regular exercise (to keep your body healthy); and use a soft brand toilet paper or if you use wipes, avoid those with fragrances or alcohol. Read more on WebMD: Anal Fissure | Hemorrhoids
• If your poop is sticky and takes many wipes to clean off, it may be due to a high-fat diet and/or lactose/gluten intolerance. Consider reducing the fat content of your diet and/or eliminating foods with lactose/gluten from your diet. Read: Foods to Avoid if Your Stool is Sticky.
• Dark pee is often a sign of lack of fluid intake, so drink more water.

Generally the problem for most of us is a lack of fiber and fluid intake. While there are fiber supplements out there in the market, I recommend natural solutions, i.e. eating the real thing, anytime any day. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake isn’t hard — it’s about making a commitment.

Some useful links about poop:

• The Scoop on Poop
• Black Stool – What causes Black Stool?
• What You See in the Toilet Can Give You Valuable Insights into Your Health
• Bristol Stool Chart Analysis

Remember, take care of your body — it is the only place you have to live in.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of United States

Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) was the 16th president in the United States, where he served from 1861 until he was tragically assassinated in April 1865. (It’s the same man profiled in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, though the vampire hunter aspect was obviously fictitious.)

Lincoln is widely lauded as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents, always emerging top in public opinion polls alongside George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt. He led the United States through its Civil War, which was the country’s “bloodiest war and greatest moral, constitutional and political crisis,” and issued the Emancipation Proclamation which started the end of slavery in U.S. He is regarded as the man who set America on the path of nationalism, republicanism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy, with his Gettysburg Address of 1863 being an iconic representation of those values.

Lincoln’s Struggles

Yet, not many know of Lincoln’s struggles before he was elected president:

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Ninja Infographic))

* According to Wikipedia, Lincoln was not officially engaged to his partner before her passing. Hence, the caption under “26” should be “His lover died” and not “His fiance died.”

It should also be noted that Lincoln faced struggles not just as an entrepreneur, a lover, a politician, and a human — he also struggled as a father too. Of his four children, only his first child Robert lived to adulthood; the other three faced premature deaths. His second child Edward was born in 1846 but died six years later (said to be tuberculosis); his third child Willie was born in 1850 but died 12 years later of a fever; his fourth child Thomas was born in 1853 but died of heart failure at the age of 18.

The death of one child is devastating enough, much less three of your children (Lincoln’s second child died inside the White House), and it was said that Lincoln suffered from clinical depression.

Read more about Abraham Lincoln here: Wikipedia: Abraham Lincoln and The Accomplishments of President Abraham Lincoln.

Life can be tough, but remember that you aren’t alone in your struggles. We are all in this together, working through our obstacles one step at a time. If you feel like giving up, don’t, because you have it in you to do whatever you want. Keep your goals in sight (having your vision board helps) and let your vision drive you forward.

To quote Abraham Lincoln:

What matters most is not how many times you fail, but that you never stop trying.

Here are my guides to help you through your journey:

• How To Deal With Uncertainty
• How To Start When You Have Nothing
• How to Choose Your Battles and Fight for What Matters

While it’s okay to use such words when the situation calls for it, someone who uses self-limiting lingo like these on a regular basis subconsciously tunnels him/herself into a life of limitations, powerlessness, and self-doubt. On the other hand, someone who uses empowering language like “I can”, “I am”, and “This will be mine” attracts abundance, achievement, and success, simply because such language sets him/her in the right mindset to succeed.

Today’s infographic shares the relationship between your language and success:

(Click image for larger version (Infographic by Ninja Infographic))

While not scientific, this graphic does help us see the impact that positive and negative our language has on our life.

I can definitely recognize past situations when I used “I can’t,” “I don’t know how,” and “I wish I could,” and ended up feeling anguish, victimized, and miserable even though I had put my best foot forward in those situations.

On the other hand, I’ve worked through problems with the mindset of “I can,” “I am,” and “I will” (not inside the infographic) and achieved great results, even though I didn’t have the solutions at the start. Because I believed that I could, I found a way to work through the problems by hook or by crook.

Which category do you belong to? Do you use negative or self-doubting lingo in your daily language? How can you start using empowering language like “I can,” “I am,” “I will,” “This will be mine,” and “I will get it done?” Replace your negative lingo with empowering lingo from now on.

As you work on your language, remember that language can be an effect of one’s self-confidence, rather than a cause. Build your self-belief and self-confidence from within at the same time. Read:

• How to Create Real Change In Life: Address Root Cause vs. Effects
• How To Be The Most Confident Person In The World
• Are You Self-Sabotaging? (Understanding Self-Sabotaging Behavior and Breaking It)
• 7 Limiting Beliefs Keeping You from Living Your Best Life
• How Your Language Affects Your Success (My BFM 89.9 Interview)