10 Ways to Be the Best Version of Yourself

By Susan Leigh

How important are you? Do you feature on your own list of priorities? If you're a parent you no doubt regard your children as your number one priority. If you work as a manager or business owner with staff or targets to consider you'll justifiably treat work as vital. It's important to look after your staff and customers, earn a living and be in a stimulating environment that sustains you.

Family and friends are important too. They're often the reason we work so hard; to provide them with a comfortable home and lifestyle, good schooling and fun times together.

The big question is, where do you fit into all of this? If you went to a restaurant or consulted a specialist and saw that they were stressed, irritable and overworked you'd probably wonder why they'd agreed to take your booking. The same applies if you're being pulled in all directions and not feeling able to cope. Irritability, frustration and resentment can start to surface. No one benefits.

Achieving some balance in life, where you recognise your limits and boundaries, allows you to be the best version of yourself. Then everyone, including you, has a better experience and quality of life.

Here are 10 ways to be the best version of yourself:

- Practise positive self talk. Start to notice those automatic 'I'm so stupid' responses that can so easily surface when you're stressed. Yes, something you did may have been a mistake, but that doesn't mean you're stupid. We often talk to ourselves more harshly than we ever would to anyone else. Learn to be kinder to yourself and recognise your early warning signs of stress.

- Schedule time for things you know you do well. It's especially important in the midst of tough or difficult times to remind yourself of your skills, talents and abilities. Allow time for the things you enjoy and are good at. Sport, DIY, playing an instrument, volunteering can be ways to bring a positive mindset into your life.

- 'Broadcast' what you've done. Household chores, chauffeuring duties, the errands that go unnoticed are often taken for granted. There's no need to be heavy-handed, but occasionally remind others that you've stocked the cupboards with food, the clean laundry and towels don't get replenished by magic. Solicit appreciation for those efforts that support the smooth running of their lives.

- Smile and accept compliments and praise. Don't shrug them off in an 'it's nothing' way. Acknowledge, say 'thank you' and let them know that good manners and appreciation are important to you.

- Pace yourself. Being the best version of yourself means being able to manage stress. Learn to recognise what you can and can't do each day. There's no merit in being invincible or feeling that you've failed if you don't manage to do everything. It's okay to tackle big jobs in stages.

- Let others help. If you're working long hours or have many demands on your time why not engage help with cleaning, gardening, ironing or with business tasks like PR, accounts and social media. The time freed up can be used elsewhere and is often money well spent. Delegate tasks to staff and encourage them to blossom and become more enthusiastic about their work. Let your children help. Even if their efforts are clumsy it's good to encourage them to become more independent.

- 'No' can be the most positive word in your vocabulary when used well. 'Yes' can become a negative habit if you automatically take on too much by way of work, social engagements or family responsibilities. We may be eager to please others, appear efficient and successful. But saying 'no' in an appropriate way allows you to use your time well, focus on your priorities and become the best version of yourself.

- Nurture your relationships. Our partners, families, colleagues, friends cannot be expected to be psychic but will often be understanding and supportive if told what's going on and asked for help. Let them in and they may even come up with great ideas and suggestions.

- Have regular breaks. It may seem counter-intuitive to stop work for a time, but regular breaks allow you to better manage stress and return to work with a fresh perspective and new insights. Being the best version of yourself means looking after yourself and pausing from time to time. Have a healthy snack, plenty of water and switch off for an hour or so before bed.

- Accept invitations and offers that take you out of your comfort zone. Scare yourself a little every day, even if it's simply by choosing a different lunch, speaking to someone new, accepting a challenge. Allow your confidence and self belief to grow by expanding your horizons. Keep a journal and log those mini-successes to sustain you during difficult times.

Becoming the best version of yourself means shaking off old, unhelpful patterns that may have once worked well for you. And interestingly, once we become receptive to positive changes other factors often work to motivate and sustain us.

Susan Leigh, counsellor, hypnotherapist, relationship counsellor, writer & media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.

She's author of 3 books, 'Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact', '101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday' and 'Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain', all on Amazon & with easy to read sections, tips and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.

To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles visit http://www.lifestyletherapy.net

Relationships: Why Do Some People Lose Interest When Another Person Treats Them Well?

By Oliver JR Cooper

If someone had the desire to be in a relationship, they might think about what they can do to find the right person. This could then be a time when they will join at least one dating app and/or they might start going out a few times a week.

Now, this is not to say that they will end up going to a bar; what they could do is find other ways to socialise with others. For example, they could go to classes at a gym or they could decide to learn a certain style of dancing.

A Different Experience

Then again, they could be someone who is already fairly sociable, so they won't need to make any big changes in their life. Through going out so much and meeting different people, it might not be long until they find a suitable partner.

This may also mean that they won't feel the need to join a dating app. Perhaps they have taken this approach in the past and it hasn't gone well, or maybe they just prefer to meet people in the real world.

Tuning In

One of the benefits of meeting people in the real world is that they will be able to get a sense of what they are really like. When it comes to online dating, anything can be written on a profile, pictures can be edited and anything can be said over a screen.

In the real world, it is not going to be possible for this to take place. So, if they are in tune with themselves, they will be able to get a sense of what another person is like when they meet them in person.

A Number of Traps

Still, even if someone does take this route, they can still end up being deceived. If, for example, they were to get too caught up in how they feel, this would make it harder for them to be present and to see if another person is actually right for them.

In the real world, people can still put on an act and wear things that can have a big effect on others. What this emphasises is how important it is for someone to operate as a whole human being, as opposed to one part of them taking over.

The One

When they have found another person who they think is right for them, they may take the time to get to know them. Alternatively, it might not take place at such a slow pace, meaning a lot could happen in a relatively short period of time.

Even so, they might describe this person as: respectful, attentive and kind, amongst other things. If, on the other hand, this person wasn't like this, they might feel uncomfortable and cut their ties.

Another Scenario

It could be said that this will be the sensible approach to take; after all, if they didn't do anything about it in the beginning, it would be a lot harder for them to walk away as time goes by. Through being around this kind of behaviour, they might end up becoming comfortable with it.

However, there are going to be others who end up feeling uncomfortable when another person treats them well. As a result of this, they will do what they can to end the relationship - that's if they even get to this point.

Conflict

Due to this, someone like this may have the tendency to end up with people who treat them badly. But while this could be what generally takes place, it doesn't mean that they will be happy with this.

When this happens, they might think about what it would be like to be in a healthy relationship, for instance. But, if they do end up with another person who is different, they won't be able to embrace them.

The Reasons

It is then likely to be rare for someone like this to get close to another person who treats them well. And, when this does happen, they could come up with all kinds of reasons as to why they are not a good match for them.

Yet, no matter what they say; the fact is that a big part of them only feels comfortable around people who treat them like dirt. The alternative would be to say that this person is just unlucky, but this is not the truth.

A Closer Look

If they were to get in touch with what is taking place at a deeper level, they may find that they feel completely worthless. This will cause them to believe that they don't deserve to be with someone who treats them well.

And, if they are worthless and another person likes them, it will show that this person must have something wrong with them, too. If this wasn't the case, there would be no reason for them to like them.

Way Back

What this can show is that they were abused and/or neglected during their childhood years, which would have caused them to believe that they were flawed and less-than human. This would have permeated their whole being.

The years would then have passed and this would have caused them to disconnect from what took place. While this would have been a way for them to feel better, the downside is that this will stop them from being able to see why they are experiencing life in this way as an adult.

Awareness

Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with who they are, and this is why it is vital that they reach out for the right support. This is something that can be provided by the assistance of a therapist or a healer.

Teacher, Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand seven hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice.

To find out more go to - http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/

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Living Off The Grid

By Jake Buckland

Living off the grid

Off-grid alternative power is becoming more of a reality today than ever before. From solar-powered rooftops to wind-driven generators, more and more people are supplying their homes and cottages with off-grid alternative power. A partial explanation for this trend is a result of natural disasters causing widespread power outages.

Major Power Outage

Off-grid alternative power is more important now than ever before! If you think it can't happen, think again. On Aug 14, 2003, a downed tree hit overloaded power lines causing 55 million people in the United States and Canada to go without power for approximately three days. Hurricane Irma caused more than 7.6 million people to lose power. Having backup power is becoming more a necessity now than ever before.

No Single Answer

Unfortunately, there is no single perfect solution for alternative emergency power generation. There are advantages and disadvantages to many of the different methods of alternative power. For example, on cloudy days solar panels would inefficient, and on calm days wind power wouldn't work. That said, we have devised a common off-grid setup that can help you towards building your own backup power generation.

Common Off-Grid Setup

You can use a pair of 120 W solar panels in conjunction with a natural gas-powered generator. The solar panels and generator complement each other. During times of dark cloudy weather, you can use the generator to keep your bank of batteries charged and use an inverter to provide power to your home. If the inverter fails, then you can use the generator to produce the required 120/240 V directly to your loads. The batteries would be wired to provide a 24-V system with a capacity of 440 amp hours (Ah). Please note, even if you use a gas generator, you may still need a battery bank. Also note, there are disadvantages to using batteries. For one, they are expensive (as are solar panels), heavy and full of corrosive material. In addition, please contact a certified electrician and gas technician to help you with your setup.

Off-Grid Power and Emergency Communication

If a disaster or emergency forces you into the wilderness you can use smaller solar panels (producing 10 W) with a battery, charge controller and 5 W radio transceiver. This setup can give you enough power to transmit a signal with a ham radio while in the bush.

Off-grid power is just one aspect of emergency preparedness that will need your attention. The other is storing    emergency food kits for you and your loved ones. Traditionally, people have stored their emergency kits inside their home at the cottage and in their vehicles.

Practical Emergency Kits was founded on the principal of providing families with    emergency kits and practical knowledge that's grounded in scientific research. We believe knowledge is the best way to conquering fear.

Excel Tuition Online: Why EVERYONE Should Get Excel Training

By Harris Elahi

Microsoft Excel is a key business tool that has been developed over the years and has many amazing capabilities. It has so many capabilities that it is simply not possible to list them all in one article. However, a few important pointers are mentioned below.

i) Industry standard software. So how actually useful is Excel? OK, well let's say that you work in finance you will know that most finance professionals spend a lot of hours on Excel. They need to use Excel in order to formulate reports, charts, simulations etc. Now, lets take those working in sales, they will need to report totals, averages, margins, basic calculations, charts and will also maybe need to create dashboards. In addition engineers need to use calculations, projected figures etc.

ii) Productivity is boosted. Excel can boost productivity many times over in a business if you know how to create a decent spreadsheet, you will then be a key asset to the business as you will have very useful skills. Excel is pretty user friendly to learn and yes although some of the formulas are complex the logic is mostly quite straightforward. Productivity is increased if one knows and uses things like keyboard shortcuts, features such as copy/paste and if for example you drag formulas across columns and rows they will re-adjust themselves to their new cell reference. Large amounts of data can be sorted in Excel by filtering, sorting, doing calculations etc. You can also add ticks, crosses, data bars, thermal scales and even smiley faces.

iii) Increase in quality of work. Using Excel you can improve the quality of work produced in that you can create beautiful dashboards, reports, interfaces, charts and nicely formatted data.

iv) Lot's of applications. If businesses didn't have spreadsheets it would be a pretty sad state of affairs! Without spreadsheets lots of processes would require certain and more than likely expensive software however, with Excel you can pretty much do everything required.

v) One can collaborate. Excel has many capabilities nowadays and these can really help you get on with your business no matter where your staff are based. MS Office is a global set of tools and using Excel we can share spreadsheets, get team members to add data, make changes to existing cells, modify formulas, add charts etc. You can for example track the changes and add comments to the data cells as needed.

vi) You will be respected in the office. Once people realise how amazing you are at Excel they will ask you to help them with their own work and the boss will quickly realise!

Start learning Excel in an easy, guided and stress free manner today. You owe it to yourself to supercharge your career so you can earn what you deserve. Click below and start with us today!

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Microsoft Excel Training Online - Enrol in a Basic Excel Course Today Without Being Overwhelmed

By Harris Elahi

Have you ever tried improving your Excel skills and ended being totally overwhelmed and giving up? Or perhaps you feel that you are short on time and that you just don't have the hours to devote to learning it? Well you are not alone, many people are in the same situation.

The reason why many people give up on learning Excel are normally due to the following reasons:

i) They have tried improving their Excel skills before however they ended up finding the material to be so overwhelming and confusing that they just gave up.

ii) They assume that they lack the time necessary to devote to learning. Basically they had falsely assumed that they would need to devote many hours to their learning. Not true!

Excel is a massively used software with Microsoft claiming that there are over 1.2 billion users, with at least half of these using Excel. That is a lot of people! So essentially people face a choice, should they learn Excel to become attractive for employers and get ahead of others or just give up on it hoping that somewhere along the line they will figure something out?

The trick is to study as much as you need to without getting confused due to all the material that is available and thinking (falsely) that you need to devote loads of time in order to make inroads.

The best advise would be as follows:

i) You should have some kind of structure. By following the right structure and sequence your skills will increase (the skills that you actually need) in the fraction of time that it would take you if you didn't follow some kind of structure.

ii) Do not focus on everything. There are literally hundreds of functions, formulas and options, Excel is a pretty overwhelming software. Obviously depending on what you need many things would be totally unnecessary for you to focus on. However there are a handful of things that are crucial and the challenge is knowing what is the difference between "unnecessary" and "crucial".

iii) Avoid YouTube and onsite training. You tube is great for things such as music videos or cat videos however not for learning Excel. YouTube lacks structure, quality and more over you could end up wasting many hours and still not get anywhere. Onsite training can be good in a few instances however you would need to make time for it and it is super expensive!

iv) Well structured, focused online Excel courses are the best option. You will learn the right things, you will not waste valuable time and you won't give up due to overwhelm.

The Basic Excel course brought to you by codewizz.net covers 12+ introductory orientation video lessons. The course is intended to give you the basics regarding Microsoft 2016. Clear and guided explanations are provided, together with the encouragement of auto learning techniques. The full course also contains subtitles

For just $41 - $49.20 including VAT you will have lifetime access, which will include regular updates, answers to your questions as well as access to the members area. Please do join our tribe and benefit for years to come. The first 2 lessons are FREE

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