The Inner Path: Get Out Of Your Own Way!

Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility.
~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton

 
Do you ever catch yourself going on and on about all the blunders others around you make.....how your friend is always late to work, your neighbor drinks too much, your cousin is too easy on his kids, your micro-managing boss..... but if someone hands you a criticism, you once again react with surprise, anger, and indignation.  Part of taking responsibility for our own lives involves figuring out where and how we get in our own way of making progress toward our goals. Seeing ourselves objectively, free of emotion and prejudices, however, is something most of us find extremely difficult...."Me? I certainly don’t do that!"  I know you want to concentrate and capitalize on your strengths, and don't get me wrong, I'm all for that, but I think many people refuse to be objective with themselves most of the time. But it does help once in awhile to take a good look at exactly what you're doing to move yourself forward, and what you might be doing to hold yourself back, in other words....you could be in your own way.  Here are three common ways I think you can get in your own way... slowing our progress toward your goals and what to do to get out of your way.

Personal Finance: Getting Organized For Tax Season

Being Prepared and organized typically removes any anxiety and definitely will help you avoid that last minute rush on April 15 and if you begin taking action now, you can limit the sting when the deadlines start approaching. Here are few tips to consider.

Wage Statements - Employers need to get tax statements to their employees by January 31...1099s if you paid independent contractors for services in excess of $600 and W-2s for other employees. Many statements can be found on-line, so you might want to check and then print them for your records, otherwise, check the mail.  Remember, even if you don't, for some reason, receive your income statement, you still need to report that income when you file your tax return.  So get busy, especially if you have moved and changed addresses, because the

Nutritionwise: Understanding Nutrition Dense FoodsTo Lose Weight

Another new year, another weight loss goal.  Just as every other new year, taming the bulge still remains high on the list of goals to achieve.  This isn't surprising since  recent studies show that more than 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese.   Besides setting reasonable goals and staying focused, which are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program,  the problem lies with trying to follow the requirements of certain fad diets and the foods that go along with them. But one thing you can do that is different this year is to focus on good nutrient dense foods...real foods for the human body. 

Nutrition the Human Diet Requires:

• Calories/Energy:  This acts as our energy source–carbohydrates, protein, and fats.  Food provides us with energy, which is measured in calories and is meant to be used.  Any energy not immediately used is stored as fat.

Personal Development: Body Image: Being Positive and Proud

 “Everybody is unique. Compare not yourself with anybody else lest you spoil

 God’s curriculum.” -- Baal Shem Tov

Many people, when they think about body image, think about the way they actually look. But it really isn't at all about how you look. Body image is actually your subjective view, feelings and thoughts about the way you look.  It's that mental picture you shape in your mind when you either look at yourself in the mirror or by noting the reactions you get from others, and is generally formed based on emotion and feelings, not facts.  How you feel about every inch of your body, inside and out, plays a role in your body image.
 
Who or what shaped your body image...... the people around you (family and friends) and your culture (neighborhood, church, school, social hangouts), all starting from when you were very young. Include in there the messages about body image from television, magazines, films, and other media and you could really conjure up subjective pictures about yourself that are not you at all.  Look around — the bodies in the real world are much more diverse and unique, as they should be,  than those we see in the media. And other things such as puberty, menopause, sickness, disabled and even stress can influence body image.

Meatless Monday: March To A Different Drumstick

Meatless Monday is a way for you to improve your health and help the environment.  Medical experts, along with the American Dietetic Association ADA, American Heart Association (AHA), and other scientists and organizations are very accepting of a vegetarian type diet as healthy and complete, as long as some requirements are met. Take a look at the benefits of going vegetarian, even for a day-a-week, could have on your health....start the journey of marching to a different drumstick.

Personal Development: How to Treat Compliments and Criticisms

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain
in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” ~ Winston Churchill

Everyone has had it happen. You ask for feedback, you say you want feedback, but when you actually get some constructive feedback you become defensive. Taking constructive criticism well is a difficult but vital skill to learn.  But equally important is the ability to not let compliments consume you, either. Because, compliments and criticism are just reflections of each other.  In order to properly handle criticism, you also need to properly handle compliments. If someone excessively flatters you for a minor success, you need to internalize it the same way you would internalize a scathing insult.

The person that is easily flattered is also easily criticized. ~ Scott H. Young

Personal Finance: Get Ready For Tax Season

The Internal Revenue Service announced today it plans to open the 2013 filing season and begin processing individual income tax returns for the 2012 tax year on Jan. 30.  The announcement means that the vast majority of tax filers, more than 120 million households, should be able to start filing tax returns starting then. The remaining households, those who file more complex tax returns, will be able to start filing in late February or into March because of the need for more extensive form and processing systems changes. This group includes:

• people claiming residential energy credits
• depreciation of property 
• general business credits.

If you are thinking of filing a paper tax return before Jan 30...don't.  The IRS will not process paper tax returns before the Jan. 30 opening date.... there is no advantage to filing on paper before the opening date.  And, the best option is to file electronically and receive your tax refunds with direct deposit....it's much faster than snail mail.

The Inner Path: The Spiritual Bliss of Silence

Very often, we're surrounded with noise all day long and we keep moving from one task to the other without taking a break to think, to reflect or to undertake a detailed examination of our own feelings. But all these things really do require silence.  And, even in our busy lives, we just cannot underestimate the importance of silence in our daily lives.  

Here are some ways silence can benefit our lives.

• Silence gives your mind space for introspection

• Silence helps you to build awareness about your innermost thoughts

• Silence brings clarity to thought

• The clarity of silence gives you time to make wise choices

• Wise choices will ultimately lead to a beautiful life

Nutritionwise: Go Meatless on Mondays for a Healthier 2013

For a New Year’s goal you can stick with, join the Meatless Monday movement! Check out this week's featured recipes.

10 Good Reasons To Go Meatless on Mondays: 

1. It’s easy to start the week with more fruits and veggies on your plate. 
2. Swapping meat for produce, beans and whole grains can help you manage your weight, prevent chronic disease, and boost your intake of key nutrients like fiber and vitamin C. 
3. Going meatless on Monday can help you reduce your environmental impact by saving resources like fresh water, land and fossil fuel.  
4. Meatless, produce-focused, and environmentally sustainable meals are also some of this year’s hottest culinary and wellness trends, so you’ll be able to stick to your resolution while enjoying the best of 2013.