7 Habits of Highly Creative People

March 8, 2015 by Power of Positivity

When we talk about creativity, we often think of it as an innate quality: you’re either creative, or you’re not. Those of us who don’t feel creative may lament our deficiency and look longingly at people who naturally seem to have creative spirits. The truth is that creativity is not just a natural talent; it can be cultivated just like any other skill.

Some people may find it easier to be creative than others, but that doesn’t mean that not everyone can be creative. In fact, with a little effort and the right habits, you might impress yourself by how creative you can be. If you practice these creative habits in your life, you’re likely to come up with more new ideas and seeing interesting connections around you. As you learn to tap into your creativity, there are different habits you can use to expand your creative nature. Even if you’ve never felt particularly creative before, you can become a highly creative person, and unleash your full creative potential.

7 Habits of Highly Creative People

1. They focus attention on what is valuable to them (paid or not).

Creativity is hardly worth the effort if you’re bored with what you’re doing. If you want to be creative, it’s essential that you’re working towards pursuits that you find rewarding and meaningful. Of course, everyone needs to earn a living. It’s not always possible to do what you love 100% of the time. But if you don’t find your everyday activity rewarding, pause for a moment to think about what is meaningful to you. You can aspire to do what you love and what you find fulfilling, and take steps to make those activities a larger part of your life.

Doing something meaningful gives you the energy and motivation that fuels creativity, and in turn, will help you find more meaning in life.

2. They follow their intuition

Some of the most creative and successful people in the world got to where they are today by saying “Yes” when everyone else was telling them “No.” There are times when you need to trust your intuition, even if the outside world is full of doubts. When you’re creative, your ideas may be different from the norm. That doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Do your research and listen to others’ advice, but don’t be afraid to trust your intuition and commit to a creative decision.

3. Creative people take time to play in the imagination sandbox.

Daydreaming doesn’t have to be unproductive. In fact, the freedom of daydreaming can help you to unlock new ideas and may work to encourage creative thought processes. So when you have some downtime, don’t be afraid to daydream about whatever comes to mind. You may just think up your next great idea.

4. They know how to trigger their creativity.

Think about the last time you felt really creative. What were you doing? Were there any triggers or elements of your environment that made you feel particularly creative? Often, you can recreate these triggers to increase your creativity. Many people, for example, feel their most creative when they’re traveling. If that’s the case, try scheduling yourself a regular train or bus trip, even if it’s only a couple of towns over. If exercise brings out your creative juices, fit in a workout before you plan to work on something creative. Whatever gets your mind moving, figure out a way to fit it into your schedule to build up your creativity.

5. They follow inspirational sources.

Learning from others is a great way to boost your creativity. When you see or learn about someone who has been successful in your field, it can help to motivate you and give you a burst of creativity. Try talking to a mentor, reading a book written by (or about) a personal hero, or visiting your favorite inspirational website. The more inspiration you find and the more you learn, the more creative you’re likely to be.

6. They make the most of the challenges

Too often, we let an obstacle set us back and put an end to our creative energy. However, challenges can actually provide the best opportunities to come up with creative solutions and achieve personal growth.

When you are faced with an obstacle, instead of giving up, put your creativity to the test and come up with a way to defeat it. You may find that when you’re overcoming a challenge, you’re at your best.

7. They embrace new ideas and try new things.

New experiences are some of the absolute best fuel for creativity. They expose you to new activities, new feelings, and new ideas. They also help you to expand your knowledge and skills. In addition, you’ll learn to overcome fear, which can be one of the biggest obstacles to creativity. Try to fit in at least one new experience each week. It can be something big, like a new hobby, or something small, like talking to someone you’ve never met or trying out a new restaurant.

Are you unleashing your full creative potential? Share the things you do to unlock your creativity in the discussion below!

11 Ways to Protect Yourself from Emotional Manipulation

March 8, 2015 by Power of Positivity

All emotions, whether good or bad, serve a purpose in our journeys – but be aware of those who want to use the mighty power of emotional manipulation against you.

If you identify as an empath, this will especially apply to you, as this group of people is most vulnerable to picking up negative energy from others. Next time you feel emotional manipulation consult these tips for protecting your own energy field.

7 Red Flags That Reveal Emotional Manipulation

Emotional manipulation happens when someone seeks to gain power or control by employing certain tactics. Usually, it involves gaslighting, passive aggression, and emotional abuse such as name-calling. A 2013 study found that emotional abuse can cause just as much harm as physical abuse, leading to depression and poor self-image. Unfortunately, emotional abuse occurs often in relationships, with 47% of women and almost 47% of men experiencing it at some point.

Whether you’re in the workplace or on a date, look out for these warning signs of an emotional manipulator.

1. Intellectual Bullying Reveals Emotional Manipulation

Some emotional manipulators will attempt to gain power over you through intellectual bullying. Basically, this just means they bombard you with facts and knowledge to confuse or overwhelm you. When you’re in a vulnerable state, it makes you much easier to control. Many narcissists use this tactic, and may even quiz you about certain topics. They’re trying to gauge how much you know to see how you measure up against them.

2. Emotional Invalidation

Emotional manipulation can also take the form of invalidation, where the person tries to downplay your feelings or experiences. For instance, if you’re explaining how you fell at work and they immediately shift the focus on themselves, they’re trying to manipulate you. It might seem innocent at first, but their intentions will become clear eventually.

People who compare your issues with theirs want to garner sympathy but can’t seem to show it. It’s best to steer clear of people who invalidate your problems, especially if they claim to care about your wellbeing. If they did, they would show it through their actions.

3. Gaslighting and Playing the Victim

If a person gaslights you, it’s a clear sign they’re engaging in emotional manipulation. Gaslighting involves making the victim question their own sanity by twisting stories or creating false narratives. Of course, they want you to feel crazy in order to maintain control. They don’t want to take accountability for any problems in the relationship, blaming you for anything that goes wrong.

If you bring up a concern, they will immediately downplay your feelings or even deny their wrongdoing. They want you to feel responsible for any mistakes to lower your self-esteem even further. You know in your gut when something feels off in a relationship, so please don’t fall for this manipulation technique.

4. Shaming Can Be a Sign of Emotional Manipulation

Emotional manipulators want you to feel inferior, guilty and shameful so they have power over your emotions. When they know they can get a rise out of you, it becomes an addiction. They will always crave more because they enjoy seeing you upset.

Like any energy vampire, they thrive off negative emotional reactions and people with compassion. Emotional manipulators usually target empathetic victims since they tend to see the positives in others. That way, they’re blindsided when the manipulation begins since they never saw it coming.

The manipulator may shame you by saying you’re ungrateful for everything they’ve done for you. They want you to feel obligated to them in some way, but in reality, you only owe yourself the freedom to leave this toxic relationship.

5. Lying

While a white lie here and there doesn’t always point to emotional manipulation, it’s a red flag when it happens repeatedly. The person may lie to hide something they feel ashamed about, such as cheating. Or if they’re a compulsive liar, they’ve learned to make up stories out of habit, either to embellish or deny facts. Either way, lying about important things in relationships can create a rift between people over time.

Trust forms the foundation in a healthy relationship, and once the lies accumulate, it begins to crack. Sure, you can repair things after one or two lies, but at some point, the trust disappears completely. Just remember, if someone truly loves and cares about you, they’ll tell you the truth no matter how much it hurts. They’d rather come clean than walk around with a heart full of secrets.

6. Using Ultimatums

Another common form of emotional manipulation involves giving someone ultimatums. The manipulator does this to find your weaknesses so they can get what they want. For instance, your partner might say they will break up with you if you go out for girl’s night. Not only does this point to a controlling partner, it also shows they have deep-seated insecurities. Or, perhaps they might ask for financial help, saying that “If you love me, you’ll do this for me.”

Of course, someone who uses ultimatums doesn’t have your best interests at heart.

7. Giving Silent Treatment

A common passive aggressive behavior, the silent treatment is used to gain control in a relationship. This form of emotional manipulation may occur after an argument or disagreement, especially if the person felt unheard. They want to shift all the attention onto themselves and gain sympathy by refusing to communicate with you.

The manipulator figures that, after a while, you will come crawling back to them and apologize for your behavior. They want you to feel responsible, even if the argument was their fault. Eventually, you might feel worried about them and decide to break the silence. This is what they had planned all along, of course, so that you’d forget about the underlying issues and admit your mistake.

If you’re in a relationship with someone who employs the silent treatment often, let them know it bothers you. Relationships are a two-way street and require active communication from both people.

11 Ways to Protect Yourself from Emotional Manipulation

1. Don’t fall into their trap.

People who take pleasure in toying with others’ emotions will use any sort of tactics, such as confusion, blame, and interrogation, in order to really get under your skin. If you have to deal with these types of people often, like in your workplace, just ignore them or surprise them by saying something nice instead of meeting them with a combative attitude. Emotional manipulators thrive off getting a rise out of you, so make sure you don’t give them what they want – after several failed attempts, they may begin to leave you alone.

2. Start writing down what they say during conversations.

While this might seem a little overboard, emotional manipulators have a habit of making you look like the bad guy, and twisting their words to fit any agenda. You might actually start to believe sometimes that you have done something wrong when in reality, you have fallen victim to their terrible scheme. To make sure you can actually show them what they said in prior conversations, jot down any details you think they might conveniently change later in order to justify their behavior. They may also try to convince you they never said a certain thing, but you can actually prove they did with the notes you take.

Get smart about protecting yourself from their wrath, and they may soon get discouraged from using you as their emotional toy.

3. Steer clear whenever possible.

Of course, avoiding emotional manipulators and instigators will totally eliminate your chances of getting taken advantage of by them. To do this, try your best to read people’s energy when you first meet them. If you don’t get a good vibe from them, simply trust your gut and make a pact to steer clear of them when you can. Working in the same place as an emotional manipulator can be a bit trickier, but just aim to limit your interactions with the person as much as possible. You will save yourself a lot of energy and sanity by doing so.

4. Call them out on their behavior.

These people have probably bossed around others for so long and have never been confronted for it. Stand up for yourself and let them know that they make you feel uncomfortable and taken advantage of. Even if they deny their behavior or try to turn it back around on you, at least you can rest easy knowing you actually defended yourself and stood up for the truth. Maybe they will begin to change their tune if you struck a nerve with them; after all, once they scare everyone away, they will have no one to manipulate anymore, anyway.

5. Avoid emotional attachment with them

Easier said than done, especially if they don’t show their true colors immediately. Pay attention to the first sign of them completely steamrolling your emotions, slowly back away from the relationship, and make sure to let them know your boundaries. Emotional manipulators constantly scan the horizon for their next victim, but it’s much easier to break away if you haven’t invested too much in the relationship, to begin with. If you must talk to them, maintain a cordial, civil relationship, but don’t let it go any further than that if you value your emotional well-being.

6. Meditate often.

In order to keep your vibration high, you need to silence the mind, breathe deeply, and get in touch with the higher realms to adequately handle yourself on Earth. It will help you deal with emotional manipulators much better because you will have inner peace no matter how much chaos unfolds around you. Loving-kindness meditation, specifically, will allow you to cultivate compassion for this person and maybe open your eyes to what they have been through in their life. Meet hostility with love and understanding, and you just might witness them to transform into a new person after a while.

7. Inspire them.

It’s important to “be the change”, and in this instance, it will inadvertently protect you because they won’t emit such negative vibes after they’re inspired by your own non-manipulative, positive actions. Bring up the benefits of meditation, taking responsibility for their own life, following their true passions, volunteering, eating a clean diet, and exercising. Use all the knowledge you have gained about becoming your best self in order to help them become their best selves, too.

8. Tell them “you’re right.”

As hard as this might be for the ego, your soul will give you a round of applause and possibly a standing ovation, too. Emotional manipulators feed on drama, so agreeing with them will leave them speechless and quickly put out the flames of their delusions. Just for the sake of keeping your peace of mind, simply let them win the argument. You know deep down that their behavior and accusations were wrong, but they will have to deal with that karma later anyway.

9. Let go of harmful relationships.

If you notice this type of behavior in your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse, you should leave that relationship behind in favor of your own well-being. You can’t force a person to change, no matter how many times you have brought up their volatile behavior. You deserve someone who will nurture and balance your emotions, not someone who wants to use you for their own personal enjoyment.

10. Develop a strong mentality.

Don’t ever let their insults or outbursts get inside your head; laugh at them or just entertain their thoughts without agreeing with them. If you know what kind of person you are and have a strong sense of self-worth, nothing they say will ever bring you down.

11. Give yourself positive self-talk throughout the day.

An emotional manipulator can completely tarnish your otherwise peppy mood, so make sure you restore yourself with uplifting affirmations and messages during the day. They thrive on seeing your mood go down the drain, so when they see you unaffected by their brash remarks, they won’t have a reason to torment you any longer.

Final Thoughts on Recognizing and Protecting Yourself From Emotional Manipulation

Unfortunately, emotional manipulation occurs quite often in schools, workplaces, and relationships. Many of us have probably manipulated people without even realizing it as well, because no one is perfect. However, when someone intentionally deceives others with the goal of getting something from them, it becomes a form of abuse. In daily life, it’s important to shield yourself from negative people and walk away from anyone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart.

Emotional manipulators usually reveal themselves much like narcissists do, by lying, gaslighting, invalidating your feelings, or shaming you. Don’t fall for these tactics, as they can only derive power by steamrolling over others.

9 Ways to Reconnect With Your Higher Self

March 7, 2015 by Power of Positivity

What if I told you that your higher self lies beyond the barriers of this physical world, but you can still access this high vibrational being while on Earth? It might seem a little farfetched because we have been taught that the only reality that exists is right before our eyes. However, once you open your mind to other possibilities, you will likely encounter your higher self on your journey to the ultimate truth.

In the beginning, getting in touch with the truest version of yourself can be a bit challenging, but these tips can make the process easier.

9 Ways to Reconnect With Your Higher Self:

1. Meditate, meditate, and don’t forget to meditate.

There’s a reason why this is first on the list: meditation allows you to silence your thoughts and reach new spiritual heights through your breath and stillness. It lifts the veil between this world and other worlds, and consequently reveals the self you have been searching for throughout your life.

Meditation allows you to travel via your mind to other dimensions and reawaken your relationship with your most authentic self. You can start with just ten minutes a day to ease into it, and gradually build yourself up to longer meditation sessions when you feel ready.

2. Allow love to motivate all your actions and words.

Many people operate on the vibration of fear, so in turn, we see war, starvation, crime, struggle, arguing, and all sorts of other disasters on both large and small scales. However, if we all tuned into our divine nature and realized that only love will save us, this entire world would function much differently. If you really want to embody your highest self, tell yourself subtle reminders throughout your day such as “I am love” or “I love everyone” or “Is this the most loving choice I can make for myself?”

Try to let love drive all your words, thoughts, and actions, and you will definitely feel a shift in your energy in a short amount of time.

3. Only listen to your own heart when making decisions.

This might seem presumptuous, but at the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else. If you don’t feel happy in your current job, seek a new one on your own terms. If you hate the city you live in, move somewhere that aligns more with your interests and lifestyle, even if your family and friends don’t agree with your choice.

To honor your highest self, you need to follow your own heart so you can become the extraordinary being you were meant to be.

4. Abandon the victim mentality.

Anyone who reaches a higher state of existence in this life knows that they can’t blame anything outsides themselves for their circumstances. If you really want to thrive, you need to give up the habit of casting blame on people, places, and events for your troubles. We have all been victims from time to time because it just seems easier to put the blame on others rather than taking responsibility for our own lives. But, the only way to initiate change is to accept that you are a co-creator of your own reality. You hold the key, so only you can unlock the door to a more meaningful life.

5. Eat more wholesome foods.

Believe it or not, what you put in your body directly affects your vibration. The right foods, such as raw fruits and veggies, offer nourishment for our minds and bodies and allow us to perform at our most optimal levels. If you want to feel lighter and more vibrant, try incorporating more fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables into your diet. Meat, dairy, and processed foods take a long time to digest, therefore robbing our bodies of vital energy. Fruits and veggies digest quickly, however, and give our bodies the fuel they need to function properly.

6. Ask your Higher Self to speak to you.

Even if the communication is only one-way in the beginning, just request the guidance and wisdom of your higher self throughout your day. You might start seeing strange synchronicities through songs on the radio, repeating numbers on the clock, vivid dreams that seem very real, or even meeting people that you feel you have known forever. Your Higher Self wants to contact you after a long hiatus, but just apply patience and remember that he or she will speak to you when you’re truly ready. Answers will come when you least expect them.

7. Avoid labeling your emotions, and just observe them without judgment.

By perpetually fighting emotions and viewing them as “bad,” you will only invite them to come back with even more vengeance next time around. Look at your emotions as teachers; they all have important lessons to convey to you, but you have to keep your ears and mind open to retain the messages. Our true selves don’t know the struggle, so getting into the “flow” of life will bring you closer to your most natural state.

8. Spend as much time outdoors as possible.

When you sit with Mother Earth and become friends with the trees, birds, sun, and the earth itself, you will start to remember that you and all other life are weaved into the same web. Allow yourself to get lost in nature for the afternoon; run through the forest, splash in the streams, and just forget about all your responsibilities for a while.

We actually used to live among the trees not too long ago, but we have been removed from our natural environment and lost our close bond with nature. For this reason, spending lots of time outdoors can rekindle your ties with the Earth and bring about remembrance to your true origins.

9. Watch mind-opening documentaries or YouTube channels.

Most of what you see on mainstream TV is highly misconstrued or fabricated to keep people distracted from the real truth. If you want to increase your vibration, seek out alternative methods of gaining information, such as thought-provoking documentaries. By keeping an open mind, you will increase your understanding of yourself and the world around you, and begin to align your life with the intentions that your Highest Self set for you long before you incarnated on Earth.

20 Things People Don’t Do In a Healthy Relationship

March 7, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Many people know what it takes to maintain balanced, happy relationships in life: love, trust, compassion, compromise, laughter, a deep connection, and respect, to name a few. However, many of us don’t recognize unhealthy relationships, even if we are in one.

To cultivate supportive, healthy relationships in life, make sure to avoid the following things that often sabotage them:

20 Things People Don’t Do In a Healthy Relationship

1. Get too serious, too quickly.

It can be tempting to contemplate the future with your partner, but to get there, you must build on the present moment. You have to immerse yourself in the now with that person if you want to make the journey into the future with them. Take things day by day instead, and just enjoy the person’s company without feeling the need to live too far in the future.

2. Use the relationship to fill a void.

Many look to others to distract them from inner problems or heal their pain. While other people can make you feel happy, you should never rely solely on them to alleviate emptiness or loneliness. Become so happy with yourself and your life that a relationship only adds to your happiness, not serves as your only source for it.

3. Never expect challenges or problems to arise.

Some conflicts will inevitably occur in any close relationship. A disagreement here and there does not automatically mean that you and the other person should go your separate ways; rather, it just gives you both opportunities to grow closer and learn from one another.

4. Let the fear of getting hurt overwhelm them.

We all have been hurt somehow, but love will always prevail in the end. If you really feel a connection with someone, see where it leads rather than cutting them off due to past pain. When you hold back, you halt any progression the relationship might make; healthy relationships require openness and vulnerability in order to last in the long run.

5. Withholding the truth.

When asked about the most important quality a person can possess, most people quickly say “trust.” If two people don’t have that, the foundation of the relationship will quickly crumble once the truth finally comes to the surface. Healthy relationships require two people committed to sharing their darkest secrets and most authentic self no matter what.

6. Expressing fake feelings.

Telling a person you just don’t feel the same way can cause discomfort, especially if the other person really likes you. Don’t ever feel wrong for letting them down – being honest with them, no matter how they react, will allow them to move on without getting too heavily invested in the relationship in the first place.

7. Repressing their best self.

If you don’t show other people your authentic nature, they will never get the opportunity to know the real you. By letting your inner light shine through, you will just feel more alive and can better gauge the connection between you and the other person.

8. Waiting for another person to approve who you are.

No one needs the approval to be themselves – we can all express ourselves fully without having to check with someone else for validation. Healthy relationships should consist of two whole, confident people who have worked on creating their best selves and can offer this to someone else without reservation.

9. Holding grudges.

Even people who love you might unintentionally hurt you – to keep a healthy relationship, it requires forgiveness and understanding. Even if the incident means parting ways, letting go of the hurt is the only way to restore inner peace.

10. Living in the past.

Focusing on the wrongdoings and mistakes that people in your past made will only make you feel negative about your current relationship. Let go and leave those relationships where they belong – fixating on prior pain will only cause more to appear…what you resist persists.

11. Expecting their lover always to carry their weight.

People sometimes go through deep struggles that you may not know about. Understand that your partner can still love you, but just be unable to carry the burden of your problems on top of theirs at the moment.

12. Defining people solely by their flaws.

People in healthy relationships lift each other up, not cut each other down. Everyone has imperfections, but they don’t make up the totality of someone’s character. Choose to see the beauty in others, and you will see more of that in yourself.

13. Giving with expectations of receiving.

If you can only give to someone else when they promise something in return, you will always attract self-seeking types of people. Give just because you can, and you will inevitably gain more. The universe will always offer the same energy that you give out.

14. Taking relationships for granted.

People need validation that they matter, even if they have a lot of confidence in themselves. Show or tell people you care. Otherwise, they won’t feel like they make any sort of impact on your life or contribute at all to your happiness.

15. Leaving during tough times.

True relationships can weather any type of storm, and don’t just stick around for the happy times. People in healthy relationships also want to help one another through trying times because they genuinely care.

16. Trying to change the other person.

If you don’t like the other person as they are, you probably should find another partner who aligns more with your own values and personality. Healthy relationships thrive when both people absolutely love one another and can thoroughly enjoy each other’s company.

17. A need to talk (without listening).

Healthy relationships require some talking and a whole lot of listening. Sometimes, the best gift you can give is silence. When you open your heart and ears to listen, you allow a space for the other person to talk openly and really be understood.

18. Staying with someone just because it feels comfortable.

If someone doesn’t encourage you to grow and create yourself by trying new things, it might be time to leave them behind. Relationships should help you reach new heights, not hold you back.

19. Feeling jealous when the other person succeeds.

You should feel happy when other people reach a new goal or accomplish an exciting feat – jealousy leads to self-hatred and will only impede your own growth. People in healthy relationships want to see the other person thrive and support their dreams.

20. Say “yes” all the time just to avoid conflict.

If you only say what the other person wants to hear, you will soon fall out of sync with your intuitive needs. Honor yourself always, even if that means disagreeing with someone. They will probably respect you more for speaking up, and you can usually find a way to compromise with the other person.

5 Gut Instincts You Should Never Ignore

March 7, 2015 by Power of Positivity

When people say they’re gut instincts, they really mean that their intuition is guiding them in making a decision.

We all have this innate ability to listen to that inner voice telling us not to go through with something, or that the person asking us for help might have ulterior motives, or that our childhood dream could actually become a fulfilling career choice in our adult life.

We can essentially decode this often indescribable gut feeling we get in certain situations, because that pang in your stomach, a sudden bout of fatigue, or strong urge to help the person next to you can reveal more than you think.

Here are five instincts you don’t want to ignore:

1. “I don’t feel good.”

If something in your body doesn’t feel right, you should listen to this feeling before it gets any worse. A lot of people ignore subtle signs from their bodies and end up dealing with a much larger problem than they originally planned for. Your body instinctively knows when something is off balance, and those initial warning signs warrant your acknowledgment and further investigating to find out what your intuition is trying to tell you. Don’t ever hesitate to go to your wellness advocate if your inner voice starts to scream at you to take action – the human body communicates to us surprisingly often through the power of intuition.

On another note, pay attention to how you feel every time you interact with someone. Do you feel drained, anxious, or depressed? These feelings have come to the surface for a reason – by listening to yourself intuitively, you can determine which people in your life suck your energy dry, and who actually makes you feel alive.

Your intuition speaks to you in many ways, so never ignore any “off” feelings you get, no matter how subtle.

2. “This situation seems dangerous.”

Have you ever seen the Final Destination movies, where one person out of a group of friends gets intense visions before something bad happens? These movies, whether intentionally or not, portray the uncanny role that intuition can play in perilous situations.

For instance, maybe on your weekly trip to the grocery store, someone meets your gaze and you instantly get an uneasy feeling about them. Let’s say they start to follow you discreetly around the store, and then you watch them go outside without buying anything. However, they don’t leave; instead, they wait outside the store, and you intuitively feel that by going to your car, you will put yourself in a potentially life-threatening situation. While this person may not have directly endangered you, your intuition commands you to not leave the store without telling the manager or calling the police first.

The fight-or-flight response in humans was designed to warn us of immediate danger, and move us to act on that feeling. While our gut instincts can have flaws, you should listen to them regardless – they might just save your life.

3. “I should help that person.”

Gut instincts don’t always indicate something negative. Since we all originate from the same source, we have direct ties to each other and can sense when someone needs help. We have the powerful ability to read other people’s energy by evaluating their facial expressions, body language, or just how we feel around that person. Have you ever noticed how everyone scrambles to offer whatever help they can after a natural or man-made disaster?

This strong desire to assist our fellow humans comes prewired in our evolution as a species; after all, when humans lived off the land, they depended on one another for survival. Some of them gathered wood for shelter and fire, while others wanted to help find food for themselves and others. They helped one another not just out of necessity, but because of a deep understanding that humans need to feel cared for and protected.

Offer help even if the person in question doesn’t ask for it – nonverbal cues can offer much more insight than words in these types of situations.

4. “This comes naturally to me.”

Overthinking can often cause problems that didn’t even exist in the first place, especially in regard to your natural talents. Maybe you have spent weeks practicing your lines for a play, and have all the hand motions, inflections in your tone, and the whole thing down pat. Then, when you get on stage for your final practice, you suddenly forget everything you worked so hard practicing. Or, maybe you have become the star player on your baseball team, but your mind runs on overdrive and puts you under pressure, making you miss every ball pitched to you at home base.

People with extraordinary talents commonly choke when it’s time for them to perform, and all of it stems from letting their minds run haywire. They pay too much attention to their thoughts, rather than letting their instincts take over. If something comes naturally to you, distract your mind with something other than the task at hand, such as a song or memory that makes you happy, and allow your instincts to take over instead.

5. “This just feels right.”

Whether it applies to changing careers, picking your next boyfriend or girlfriend, or deciding where to live, your intuition actually plays a bigger role than rational thinking in these decisions. When you make these life-altering choices, it mostly boils down to how you feel about them. Think about it: we all just want to feel good, so we add and subtract things from our life to align with that feeling.

If your career earns you $100,000 a year but makes you miserable, would you stick with it rather than take your dream job that pays $40,000? Your gut instincts would probably tell you to do what makes you happy and take the lower-paying job rather than keep one that makes you feel dead inside.

When something feels right, a lightbulb goes off inside you and it doesn’t really require much cognitive ability – it comes easily to you.

Listen to your gut instincts next time you make an important decision – it will help you choose the right path.

Want to Start Meditation But Not Sure How? Here Are 6 Tips to Get Started

March 5, 2015 by Greater Good

We’ve all heard about the benefits of meditation–lower stress levels, more focus, increased self-awareness, better sleep. But actually doing it–and doing it right–can be a challenge.

Or so we think.

It turns out meditation isn’t as hard as many of us make it out to be.

Follow these 6 simple techniques to make meditation a regular part of your routine — no experience necessary!

1 – Start small.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by attempting to sit in stillness for an hour a day. It’s not easy and five minutes is enough to start feeling the benefits. Begin with a challenging but achievable practice schedule and increase the duration as your comfort level grows.

2 – Use a meditation guide.

You don’t have to go it alone! There’s no shame in starting with a guided meditation soundtrack or video to ease yourself into the practice. YouTube videos and smartphone apps are great resources for this. Once finding stillness becomes more natural for you, you can graduate to self-guided meditation.

3 – Be forgiving.

No matter what happens during your practice, don’t stress about it. You may feel nervous about clearing time in your schedule, anxious when your thoughts wander, or frustrated if you feel like you just can’t relax. Feel these emotions as they come up, and then gently let them go without judgment. As your practice grows, it will get easier and easier to return to the present moment. Take things one day at a time, one breath at a time.

4 – Experiment.

As a beginner, feel free to experiment with various styles and seated positions in your meditation practice. Try sitting cross-legged, on your knees, on a pillow, or on a chair. Place your hands at the center of your chest, palms-down on your knees, or folded at your waist. You could even consider lying down. Everyone has their own style, so explore until you find a posture that is relaxing yet energizing for you.

5 – Prepare your space.

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is failing to create peaceful practicing conditions. If you’re nervous that your phone might ring, the kids might burst in, or your teapot might boil over, keeping your mind at rest will be a struggle. Light incense or some good quality candles to signify the start of your practice. Create an altar of soothing images or memorabilia to focus on and keep a warm, fuzzy blanket within reach.

6 – Create a meditation routine.

Being consistent with how you practice will not only make it easier to embrace stillness, but it will also help you develop a strong habit. Pick a time of day to consistently devote to meditation — every day! — and designate a quiet space you know will always be available. Make meditation a habit rather than a choice and before you know it, your day will seem incomplete without it.

(Still not sure how to begin? Set yourself up for meditation success with this incense and tea light comfort set.)

Written by Grace H.

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