Four Unique Salts That Can Actually Improve Your Health

September 28, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Modern society’s overreliance on processed foods has negated many of the health benefits of minerals. This is also the case with sodium, or salt. While the ubiquitous table salts we consume don’t contain sufficient minerals, natural and unprocessed salts do. Of course, these salts also have the added benefit of making many dishes tastier.

Natural salts contain what are known as trace minerals; minerals that are essential to health but are not commonly consumed. There is a total of 93 trace minerals, and natural salts contain a heavy dose of them.

Here, we take a look at four salt varieties that are healthy and taste really good. Additionally, we’ll discuss some of the myriad health benefits and uses of natural salts.

Four Unique Salts That Can Actually Improve Your Health

Salt #1: Black Indian Salt

“Black salt,” or Kala Namak as it is known in areas throughout India, is frequently used as a spice in Indian and Ayurveda cooking. Interestingly, black salt isn’t black at all. The colors of this delicious ingredient range from a dark-pink hue to a dark violet.

Black salt contains a number of health benefits, but it perhaps most well-known for its detoxification properties. Kala Namak is also terrific for the skin, and is believed to help stimulate hair growth. Some people also state that black salt helps with gastritis.

Black salt has a pungent and distinct aroma, and it said to be a great additive to soups and salads.

Salt #2: Hawaiian Red Volcanic Salt

Hawaiian red volcanic salt contains 80 of the 93 available trace minerals, making it one of the most nutrient-dense natural salts on this list. Hawaiians adamantly believe that this natural salt contains potent healing and detoxification properties, and for years has been used in ceremonial rituals such as purification practices.

While the name may seem hyperbolic, the salt contains a high red volcanic clay concentration. Called alaea by Hawaiian natives, this natural salt is distinctly pink in color.

In terms of dietary uses, Hawaiian red volcanic salt has been used as a natural preservative for many years, particularly in Hawaii. The mesmerizing color and bold flavor has made it a preferred salt for many chefs around the globe. Its use is also incredibly varied; people use it with all kinds of dishes, and even as a topping for ice cream and other desserts.

Salt #3: Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt

In addition to being another nutrient-dense natural salt, Himalayan pink crystal salt is a history lesson in itself. The product is extracted from antiquated sea bed deposits that are nearly 250 million years old. The salt contains 84 trace minerals and exhibits a wonderful rose color.

Compared to other salts on this list, Himalayan salt is quite mellow in flavor. As such, it is a very flexible culinary ingredient. The salt is used for cooking, curing and searing. In terms of food combinations, its light flavor makes it ideal for a topping on any number of foods.

Himalayan salt, as mentioned, is a powerful detoxifier. It’s often used for salt baths, as it is believed to stimulate circulation and relax muscles. Plus, according to this study, it can actually lower blood pressure. Pretty awesome(and ironic), right?

#4: Natural Gray Sea Salt

Last, but certainly not least, is natural gray sea salt. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the most nutrient-dense salt on the planet, containing 92 of 93 trace minerals. This salt is unique in many ways, including how it almost perfectly retains its original elemental structure (i.e., all trace elements).

Natural gray salt helps stimulate alkalinity, improve digestion, and strengthen the immune system. Texturally, natural gray sea salt is granular and fine. Taste-wise, the salt retains a bit of a “marine-life” flavor, which makes it a good seasoning for bolder dishes, such as lean cuts of beef, cheese, and lamb.

Final Thoughts on These Unique Salts

Unprocessed, mineral rich salts – such as those described above – contain a number of other health benefits not mentioned prior. Here are a few of those said benefits:

– Regulates blood pressure and helps maintain a regular heartbeat.

– Is a strong natural antihistamine; thus, is effective at clearing congestion in the lungs and nasal pathways.

– It is effective at eliminating congestion in the sinuses, as well as eliminating mucus and phlegm.

– Helps regulate blood sugar levels.

– Assists with removal of excess acidity from cells.

– Due to heavy trace mineral concentrations, natural salt ignites the body’s main energy source, adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

– Assists with nerve cell communication, including in the brain.

– Helps maintain strong bones, which may help prevent bone conditions, such as osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

14 Proven Ways to Make Your Child Successful in Life

September 28, 2016 by Sarah Barkley

As a parent, you likely want what is best for your child now and in the future. You want them to be happy and healthy, and you want to teach them how to be successful as they get older. Most parents realize that this goal is more complex than it sounds, but you can learn how to make your child successful in life.

According to recently conducted surveys for kids, many aspects of your child’s life can affect their success, including education, social skills, and fostering their hobbies. It all involves teaching good habits because repeated behavior determines their success. Your child’s environment also plays a role in their chance of success in life.

Learning how to make your child successful in life can help them live a fulfilled, happy, and productive life. As a parent, this is the ultimate goal, and there are proven ways to do it. You can help your child to ensure they are well-equipped for challenges and adulthood.

No matter how old your child is, you can make beneficial changes. As you learn how to make your child successful in life, you will both benefit as you watch your child blossom. Implement some of these proven tips on how to help kids succeed in life, and you’ll quickly see the difference.

How to Make Your Child Successful in Life

Are you a parent trying to set your child up for success? Try these behaviors in the home to raise successful kids.

1. Give Your Kids Responsibilities At Home

Teaching your children about responsibility is one of the best ways to make them successful. When you teach them to be responsible, they realize that they must work to be part of life.

Chores are a great way to give age-appropriate responsibilities around the house. Giving your child chores helps teach them responsibility, encourages hard work, and helps them understand the importance of contributing to the greater good. Some ideas for chores kids can do include:

taking out the garbage
mowing the lawn
doing the dishes
walking the dog
folding laundry

2. Teach Your Kids Social Skills

Social skills are essential for success, so teaching them to your child early on can help. Social competence can help children cooperate with their peers, help others, understand feelings, and resolve problems. Plus, children with social skills are more likely to have a college degree or full-time job by the time they are 25.

Those with inadequate social skills have a higher risk of being arrested, binge drinking, and applying for public housing. If you help your child develop necessary social skills, they will have a much better chance at a healthy future.

3. Demonstrate High Educational Expectations

While you shouldn’t set impossible educational expectations, you should set high ones. Studies show a positive link between your child’s long-term academics and a parent’s expectations. When it comes to education, you can’t slack off and let your child fall behind.

Your long-term goals for your child tend to predict your child’s math and reading abilities. Think link stems from children’s desire to live up to their parents’ expectations. They can follow their life path, but your academic guidance will help lead them in the right direction.

It is also important to note that your educational level can impact your children. Children born to teen moms are less likely to finish high school or seek higher education. Additionally, a parent’s education level when their child is eight years old can predict their success later in life, too.

4. Reward Your Child’s Achievements

Rewarding your child’s achievements can make them want to continue doing well. Kids love to know when someone is proud of them, so sometimes praise is the only reward they need. Research shows that growth mindsets thrive on praise for hard work and effort.

When they achieve something, consider rewarding them in other ways, too. Ensure the reward is something they will enjoy and want to do again. Some reward ideas include:

a new book
family game night
movie and snack of their choice
baking their favorite dessert
extra screen time
late bedtime
any activity of their choice

5. Teach Your Kids To Develop Good Relationships

When your child knows how to develop good relationships, they are more likely to be successful. Strong relationships promote emotional and mental growth, psychological wellbeing, and academic performance. Children that don’t have good relationships are more likely to face legal trouble, perform poorly academically, and struggle with psychiatric problems.

6. Teach Your Kids To Accept Failures

If you teach your kids to accept failure and praise their efforts, they will develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset means that they view failure as a chance to learn and grow rather than the end of their opportunity. When they think this way, they won’t be afraid to try because they’ll know that failure is okay.

While you might want to shield your child from failure, it isn’t beneficial to do so. Protecting them teaches your child that they shouldn’t ever face loss, and they won’t work as hard to reach their goals. Plus, they might not handle it well when they inevitably fail at something.

7. Encourage Your Kids to Love Math

Studies show that teaching your children to love math is a sure way to help them find success in life. Early math skills such as numbers knowledge, number order, and other math concepts predict future academic reading. Not only does it signify future math achievement, but it also leads to high reading levels.

8. Appreciate Your Child’s Effort

By appreciating your child’s effort, you will show them that success doesn’t only come from the final result. Praise their hard work and effort, and they won’t be afraid to try multiple times to accomplish their goals. Appreciating their actions helps them see that failure is a chance for growth and learning.

When your child worked hard at their soccer game but didn’t win, praise how hard they ran. If they did win the game, you should still praise their effort. By doing so, you teach them that their hard work is more important than the result.

9. Teach Your Kids To Be Healthy

Teaching your child how to be emotionally and physically healthy will help them throughout their entire life. Help them learn how to plan and make healthy meals, and teach them about healthy snacks. Additionally, teach them about regular physical activity and all of the benefits it has on your body.

For emotional health, teach them about positive thinking and showing themselves love and respect always. Getting enough sleep is also an important health factor that affects both emotional and physical health.

10. Send Your Kids to High-Education Level Schools

Whenever possible, send your child to schools with a high educational level. Ensuring they have the best chance at learning and furthering their skills is the best way to help them reach success. Plus, high-education level schools tend to have other children with the same mindset, further encouraging your child.

11. Teach Your Kids to Be Gritty

When you teach your children to be gritty, it means encouraging perseverance, helping your child keep pushing toward their goals despite setbacks or obstacles. You can cultivate grit by encouraging your child to practice and find purpose in things they are passionate about. It also involves introducing your child to activities or topics they can continually learn about for years.

12. Allow Your Kids to Make Decisions

If you want to raise a successful child, then you can’t make all of their decisions for them. When they can make their own decisions, it allows them to explore their passions and interests.

One way to allow them to make their own decision is by listening without offering advice. Then, let them face natural consequences, when necessary, without stepping in to fix it.

If you make all of your child’s decisions, it will leave them feeling discouraged and stifled. The long-term effects of making their decisions for them involve them becoming a codependent adult. A codependent adult tends to seek a partner that holds power and control in the relationship.

13. Be Aware Of Your Child’s Environment

Your child’s environment plays a huge role in their chance at success. Children that live in a neighborhood with good schools, career opportunities, and peers that value education affect their success levels.

Plus, studies show that children who received sensitive caregiving in their early years of life were more successful than others. Sensitive caregiving means that the child’s needs were promptly and appropriately addressed.

14. Be A Good Example To Your Kids

Kids tend to copy what their parents do, so setting a good example is essential. Start by managing your emotions to show children how to regulate theirs. Research shows that when a parent handles their feelings appropriately, children are more likely to follow suit.

Model good work ethic and achievement, too. Show them that hard work is necessary and that even when things don’t go as planned, you don’t give up. Let your children see you learning from your mistakes and showing the importance of not giving up.

Additionally, show children that when they face conflict, they should resolve it calmly. Model support, compromise, and positivity during the hard times. Doing so will help your child improve their social skills, self-esteem, and emotional security.

Final Thoughts on How to Make Your Child Successful in Life

As a parent, one of your biggest goals is likely to raise happy, healthy, and successful children. By giving your child the tools for success, everything else will fall into place. Learning how to make your child successful in life will change your child’s life for the better. As help prepare your child for success, they will receive mental and physical benefits. Implement some of the tips discussed here, and see which ones help your child thrive.

10 Reasons to Be With The Stubborn One

September 28, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Stubborn: 1: (a) unreasonably or perversely unyielding; (b) suggestive or typical or a strong stubborn nature; 2: performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent matter; 3: difficult to handle, manage, or treat. – Merriam-Webster Dictionary

As the Merriam-Webster definition of stubborn conveys, the word often has a negative connotation in modern culture. The truth is that stubbornness is not always a bad thing; a stubborn person can be just as well-meaning and polite as someone less so. Taken a step further, someone who is stubborn can, and often does, have a lasting and positive influence on our life.

When is it “good to be stubborn”? For one: when choosing a potential mate. To be clear, an entrenched line exists between stubbornness and obstinacy. When one refuses to compromise in a relationship; always makes demands; doesn’t display empathy, and so on, that is not stubbornness – that is borderline abuse.

Here are 10 reasons to be with the stubborn one:

1. They have a good sense of direction

Stubborn people are generally not adrift when it comes to life. A stubborn person generally knows what they want, and will go for it. Even if they should fail, their innate “stick-to-itiveness” allows them to get back in the saddle easier than most. The same concept applies for relationships; the stubborn among have a propensity for seeing things through regardless of any relationship obstacles!

2. They continually try to make us better

This one requires a two-part explanation: (1) stubborn people are often insightful when it comes to understanding their partner’s traits; (2) they will attempt to nudge us along the path leading to the fulfillment of our potential. Slacking off? Good luck with that. Not taking care of yourself? You may want to try a little personal upkeep. Well, either that, or you’re just going to hear about it for the remainder of your life.

3. They are keenly attuned to their emotions

The stubborn often possess high emotional intelligence; they understand their thought processes and emotional elements, and are always tuned into them. This trait is also tied somewhat to logical capabilities, as the stubborn tend to provide rationale to why they think and feel certain ways. They’ll indeed become emotional, but they’ll almost always provide an explanation when prompted for one.

4. They bring novelty to the relationship

Okay, here’s a quick experiment: close your eyes and imagine a relationship where a person agrees with everything you say…it sounds ideal, right? But where is the challenge in that? The intellectual rigor? A “Yes Man” or a “Yes Woman” will certainly not provide any of the aforementioned benefits.

5. They are tremendously resilient

We touched on this a bit already, but perhaps more elaboration is in order. Stubbornness isn’t generally an innate characteristic; it is usually the result of environmental factors. More specifically, the stubborn often have had to overcome hardships in getting what they want (see number one!). As a result, he or she has learned to cultivate and strengthen their soul in anticipation of any adversity. Subsequently, the stubborn often have remarkable resilience – a great personal attribute of someone in any relationship!

6. They always “keep things real”

We’ve established by now that the stubborn are strong individuals. This strength also manifests into how they convey their thoughts and emotions. They won’t (ever) succumb to someone else out of hesitance, fear or timidity; as such, they’ll tell you precisely what they feel or think at any given time. This is a refreshing change from the “shielding” of emotions that often accompanies dating and, to a lesser extent, relationships.

7. They are deeply caring

Are there stubborn people who are also detached from most everyone? Sure there are, but they are in the minority. Remember, people are stubborn because they embody strongly-felt emotions. This characteristic causes them to feel emotions – sadness, anger, and love – more deeply than many others.

8. They incite passion

Number 7 segues quite nicely into another important emotion in relationships: passion. Relationships are shallow minus moments of passion; however, this is rarely the case for those in a relationship with a stubborn person. Why? Because the displays of deeply-felt emotions will translate into times of passion – for the relationship, and for the things that you both mutually value. (And, yes, this applies to bedroom activities as well!)

9. They exude confidence

This one really is a no-brainer. Traits of stubbornness have a strong correlation with confidence, and confidence is a potent attraction mechanism. Given that the stubborn have confidence in the things they say and do, it is natural that his or her confident characteristics will often surface in other ways too. This is fun…and it also leads us to the next item on our list…

10. They keep things interesting(!)

With a stubborn person as a partner, there is no shortage of things interesting. Will you fight and argue? Yeah. Will you clash over things? Certainly. Will you ever be bored and complacent? No, and no.

11 Things Men Do When They’re Truly In Love

September 28, 2016 by Power of Positivity

We men are not great at expressing our emotions in words. We are more comfortable with deeds and actions than trying to express complex emotional states we are already uncomfortable examining. We are raised to be strong and unshakable bastions of safety that our friends, family, and lovers can retreat to when they are in pain or danger. Being vulnerable and open to love is difficult for us, but not impossible. It is fairly obvious when we have opened the castle gates of our hearts and let someone in. Here are some signs that you live in that heart castle.

NOTE: We cover the behaviors of a woman truly in love separately if you want to know the signs.

11 Acts of A Man’s True Love

1. He Loves and Respects You For Who You Are.

In a culture of superficial beauty and disposable relationships, when a man truly loves you, he loves all of you, not just your beauty. He loves you for who you are. He loves your flaws as well as your virtues. He respects your decisions and choices in life.

2. He Is Your Biggest Cheerleader.

When a man loves you, it isn’t enough for him to be successful on his own; he also wants you to be successful in whatever you choose to do. He is your biggest fan and most vocal cheerleader. He believes in you and what you can accomplish. He lets everyone know how awesome you are.

3. He Protects You.

A man places himself between danger and that which he loves. He shields you not just from physical harm, but also emotional traumas. Always vigilant and always on guard, he is ready at a moment’s notice to place himself in harm’s way. He does not raise his hands against those he loves. It would never cross his mind.

4. He Steps Up.

When times are tough or there is a tough decision to make, a man steps up and takes action. He does not shift the responsibility to others. He takes responsibility. He makes any sacrifice necessary. His personal comforts and safety are secondary considerations. When things go wrong, he takes the blame and the responsibility for making things right again.

5. He Values Your Opinion.

When a man loves you, your opinions matter to him. He may not give a flying #$&@ what anyone else on Earth thinks, but what you think of him matters greatly. What you think about political, religious, or business matters matter to him. What you think the two of you should paint the bedroom matters to him. Your opinions on all things great and small are important to him.

6. He Listens.

When you speak, he stops what he is doing to listen to you. What you have to say is important to him, even if it is trivial day-to-day stuff. He pays attention to you because you are the most important person in his world.

7. He Remembers.

He remembers things like your favorite color, how you like your coffee or what types of books you are into. He remembers because you are important to him. It may seem trivial to you, but to him, you are the focus of his world. He is your biggest fan and remembering how you like your ice cream is just natural.

8. He Goes Out Of His Way.

If you need him, he will stop what he is doing and go out of his way to help you. He will drive an hour to fix your printer that isn’t working and then drive back an hour to go to work. You are important to him, so he will find a way to make it happen. It is no trouble. It is an act of devotion.

9. He Loves Enough To Let Go.

When a man is secure in his love for you, then he has no problem with you hanging out with your girlfriends for the evening. He is not clingy and demanding of your time. He understands you are busy and have a life of your own. We all need our time apart with our friends to do the things we are passionate about.

10. He Misses You.

When you have to travel for work or to visit family, he misses you when you are gone. He thinks about you while you are away and will send goofy little notes to let you know you are on his mind. He will be glad and excited to see you when you get back as well.

11. He Feels Your Pain.

If you are hurting, then he is hurting as well. It is like he can physically feel your pain. We men are meant to protect our mates, and if they are hurting, then we have somehow failed in protecting them. He wants to soothe your pain and shield you from harm. He doesn’t want to see you hurting or in pain.

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

18 Life Lessons To Learn From Arnold Palmer

September 26, 2016 by Power of Positivity

The King has passed. Long live The King.

Condolences go out to the friends, family, and fans of seven-time major champion Arnold Palmer on behalf of Power of Positivity. The golf legend was eighty-seven years old. Let us celebrate his life from quotes direct from the horse’s mouth, using no dog legs.

These life lessons can be applied to any activity or profession, so pay close attention to one of the truest darlings ever to grace an 18th or 19th hole.

18 Life Lessons To Learn From Arnold Palmer

Take this life advice from Palmer.

The Front 9:

1. “Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I’ve played the game for 50 years and I still haven’t the slightest idea of how to play.”

This comes from his humble background of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. No expert has all the answers all of the time and can become stuck in certain situations, no matter how seasoned the expert is. Therefore, if you do not have the answer you seek, do not be disheartened.

2. “It’s a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get.”

This could not have been better put. When you do something on a consistent level, you raise your performance to a whole different level. If you do not get to your target straight away, keep going. You will get there, no matter how slowly you go to achieve your goals.

3. “The road to success is always under construction.”

Never to rest on his laurels, Gary kept on playing tournament golf until as late as 2005, a full 50 years after his first tournament win in the 1955 Canadian Open. We, too, must keep playing our natural game and keep forging the right road designed for us, by us. Both success and failure are part of the road, but the journey on the road is the essence of life.

4. “I’ve always made total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to win.”

Ah, the never-say-die attitude. A winner always believes that they can win, even though the situation seems hopeless. All greats have persistence in their locker and it is something that is not taught, for that special something is engrained within the quintessential winner. Is it inside YOU?

5. “On the Old Course at St. Andrews: This is the origin of the game, golf in its purest form, and it’s still played that way on a course seemingly untouched by time. Every time I play here, it reminds me that this is still a game.”

This quote is a beauty. Life is not meant to be taken so seriously, yet we are sometimes in awe of how life is so much greater and older than us. It serves to remind us how lucky we are, regardless of problems in our lives or in the lives of loved ones. This was The King’s version of looking up at the stars, such was his love for golf and its traditions.

6. “Hit it hard, go find it and hit it hard again.”

If you are going to do something, do it with all the gusto you can muster. Only you can define how much effort you put into whatever you do, so do not do it half-hearted. Doing things in a half-hearted manner is par for the course, but those who put their hearts and souls into what they do get the green jacket of life.

7. “Success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character.”

Winners create their reality before anyone else has seen them lift the trophy. They do not let any obstacles, internal or external, get in the way of distorting or destroying that reality. This helped Palmer claim no less than 62 PGA Tour wins and 10 Senior PGA Tour championships, the last of which being in 1988 at the Crestar Classic.

8. “What people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.”

This wonderfully describes his love and passion for golf, and he collected golf equipment from BirdieBall. To him, the golf swing was a thing of beauty, just like playing the piano was for Mozart or painting was for Leonardo da Vinci. On the links, he was quite an artist with any club in his hand. This shows us that passion is a staple for success in whichever field.

9. “Concentration, confidence, competitive urge, capacity for enjoyment.”

It is Palmer’s C-Force recipe. Without focus on what we have to do to win, it is impossible to win. Without the confidence that we will win, it is impossible to win. Without being up against many others wanting the same thing, it is impossible to win. As covered in #8, without love for what you do, it is impossible to win.

The Back 9:

10. “I have a tip that can take 5 strokes off anyone’s golf game, it’s called an eraser.”

Having a sense of humour always makes the journey more enjoyable – win, lose or draw. If only we could use the eraser to undo mistakes we have made in the past. However, erasing it would be erasing your education in this life. Being able to laugh of good times and laugh off the bad times puts colour into a dull picture and a bunker shot straight at the pin.

11. “Everyone I built a course for thinks they have the best golf course in the world and I’m very pleased and proud of that.”

Of course, it is always nice to have your work appreciated by others and ol’ Arnie was no exception. This was one of the ways of giving back to the very game that gave him a platform. Just imagine your work being used as a measuring stick in your field, close your eyes and really see it in your mind’s eye. How would you feel?

12. “Putting is like wisdom – partly a natural gift and partly the accumulation of experience.”

In this part of golf, what is for certain is that you have to think to succeed. However, is putting an art or a science? According to this quote by Palmer, it is both. Naturally, a golfer will be able to draw experience from similar putts in the past, but each putt is like a drop of water, different. Just like each situation you come across in life, some may be very similar but never the same. Hence, Palmer’s use of “partly a natural gift”.

13. “I would have liked to have won more golf tournaments. But I wouldn’t sacrifice my life. I’ve enjoyed it. I’d love to do it again the same way.”

This is what makes The King a real winner. The journey made him appreciate what he did and how he did it, with no regrets. He enjoyed his experience, his knowledge, his successes, and he did it with the best of company like Jack Nicklaus and South African Gary Player.

14. “My search for ways to improve my touch has never ended. We players have tried a lot of different things and compared notes. Little fads would set in.”

In the business world, this is known as “kaizen” or “continuous improvement”. In Japanese, kaizen means “change for the better”, with kai meaning “change” and zen meaning “good” in literal terms. We must always look to better ourselves in every which way. When we improve, everything else follows suit. Arigato!

15. “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and saddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”

A par 5 quote this time in terms of length from our Professor Palmer. This one reminds me of love, as the comparison of irrationality is very similar – yet no quite the same, as golf is a game and love is not! Both can have a rollercoaster of emotions and play on the heart-strings of the most hardened of men. What is clear here is that the two were intertwined in Palmer’s eyes.

16. “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting it is.”

It is all about desire, it is all about hunger, it is all about the will to win. How badly do you want to win? More than Ed and Ted? If so, you have half the battle set. We all dislike losing so we do all that it takes to win, unless you suffer from a lack of motivation, which makes you a loser by default.

17. “You must play boldly to win.”

This is a hole-in-one at the 17th at the TPC Sawgrass if you hit it just right. As Aristotle taught an adolescent Alexander The Great that “fortune favours the brave”, it is another tenet that made our hero Arnold so successful on and off the course. Do you dare to win?

18. “A lot of people are afraid of winning. I was afraid I might not win.”

Fear can really hold us back, especially when we need to pull something out of the bag. Excuses aplenty for the ones who have already lost in their minds. Here, Palmer is showing us that we can use that same fear to our advantage, by fearing the worst possible outcome. This is the way he putts his way to the championship by visualising what he wants, instead of what he does not want.

After this last win by the late great Arnold Palmer, please join us in saying to the first of “The Big Three” to do so (and hope the other two stay with us a while longer yet!):

19. Enjoy the clubhouse, Arnold!

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

3 Ways to Love The Single Life

September 25, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Even though many people associate happiness with having a significant other to cuddle up with at night, plenty of people still find fulfillment being single. Being in a relationship definitely comes with perks, but maybe some people(especially from the generation of millennials) find that relationships cause suffocation and stagnation. We’ve been led to believe that the single life means loneliness, depression, and constant jealousy over happy couples, but could we find happiness within ourselves, perhaps? Could we find what we need in ourselves rather than seeking it in others? We will leave you with those questions for now, and if you’re currently single, don’t ever beat yourself up or get down about this.

You can certainly enjoy life to the fullest whether you have a partner or not; being single doesn’t have to mean nights alone with only Netflix and a pint of ice cream for company.

Society seems to fixate on having relationships in order to find contentment, but lots of people prove this theory dead wrong.

3 Ways to Love The Single Life

1. Enjoy the lack of commitment by going on dates.

So, let’s start this off with some brutal honesty. Not everyone wants or needs a serious relationship in their life at all times, or even ever. Some people actually feel more content by NOT having a serious commitment. I mean, think about it: no worrying about checking in with a partner about plans, no discussing where to eat, or financial issues, or relationship problems, and no asking anyone for permission. You get total freedom to live life how you want, and meet whoever you want, whenever you want. You can go on dates with whoever you like, and get to know people outside of a relationship.

Maybe you don’t know what you want in a partner, so going on dates will let you figure that out all over again. Do you want a talkative, outgoing person, or a more quiet, contemplative person? You might have no idea, especially if you’ve just gotten out of a painful relationship. Go on dates to find yourself, and find what you like in others. You have no one telling you what to do or who to hang out with, so embrace the freedom for as long as it lasts!

2. Fall in love with yourself all over again!

In a relationship, you can certainly work on yourself, but being single gives you more time and freedom to do so. Self-development allows you to build character and strengthen your understanding of yourself and life, which can actually make you a more whole person. You should think of self-development and self-love as the cornerstone for a good life and successful relationships; perhaps our high rate of divorce today stems from an overwhelming lack of self-acceptance and the desperation to attain it. We all want love, but don’t look within. We all want to find ourselves, but forget to look past our own egos.

Being single gives you a chance to boost your confidence, and do the things that make you feel most alive! You can spend your time however you choose, skydiving, cliff jumping, traveling, taking art classes, learning meditation, building a business, or whatever you want! Knock those things off your bucket list, with or without a partner!

In these trying times, many people just want answers, but find that reality doesn’t provide them with what they seek. Meditation, mindfulness, and spiritual practices have greatly increased in popularity recently, and being single will give you more time to fall in love with yourself by going within. At the end of the day, we all have just ourselves to turn to, so the best thing we can possibly do is to cultivate a healthy relationship with ourselves.

3. Spend time with loved ones.

Maybe being single doesn’t have to mean being lonely; I mean, what about those friends and family we’ve been neglecting? Can you remember the last time you called your parents or made plans to meet up and catch up? Maybe your friends miss you and want to see you soon. We pine for a lover, but we put our other loved ones on the back burner. Take the time being single to deepen your relationship with everyone else in your life. They won’t be around forever, so relish in the time you have together now.

Plus, according to a study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, researchers found that single people had more active social lives than people in a relationship. Also, people in relationships tend to feel isolated from their friends since they spend the majority of their time with their partner. Sometimes, all you need in life is great friends and family to get you by.

Not to mention, according to a Gallup poll, over 60% of people ages 18 to 29 identify as single, so maybe most of us just want to enjoy life without the drama for a while, and truly get to know the person looking back at us in the mirror.

6 Ways Aggressive People Try to Control You

September 25, 2016 by Power of Positivity

In every relationship, be it platonic or romantic, boundaries are necessary. People need to still enjoy their freedom and have their wishes respected. Of course, this needs to be reciprocated. You also need to make sure you don’t cross any boundaries. But some aggressive people can’t comprehend this. They don’t want to allow others to be truly free. Or maybe it’s not even that they enjoy taking away others’ freedoms. Some people just display controlling behaviors, which can affect the surrounding people.

This is especially true for the people who are inherently more aggressive. Aggression seems to be linked to a desire to make sure you know of others’ every move. Or rather, people who intend to control others might use force to do it. This happens most often in romantic relationships. At first, this aggressive and controlling behavior might be hidden by your partner.

It’s quite common for people not to notice they are being controlled until it’s too late. Or even if they do notice, they might try to find many excuses for that behavior. Even though you might be in love with an aggressive and controlling person, it’s not worth putting up with that behavior. And the sooner you spot that toxic behavior, the faster you can let go of that abusive person.

How To Spot an Aggressive Person?

It might seem like spotting an aggressive person is pretty straightforward. They are usually the ones punching walls and screaming at everyone around them, right? Some aggressive people might act like that often. But aggression is more nuanced.

Aggressive people can indeed have these very visible outbursts. And they are more likely to snap in tense situations. Often, these people can respond to certain triggers. But sometimes they can be aggressive in a more subtle way. Aggression doesn’t always have to be physical. It can also be mental and psychological. Screaming and insulting people is still aggressive behavior even though it doesn’t leave a visible mark.

Sociologists, psychologists, and even lawyers have long argued about how to define aggression. It’s a very volatile behavior, and it depends a lot on outsiders’ perspectives. In 1994, specialists defined it as a behavior that is intended to harm someone who doesn’t wish to be harmed. To illustrate this idea, just think about something like boxing. Even though punching people is usually defined as aggression, in this context is accepted.

That’s because both parties consent to the possibility of being harmed. But punching some random person on the street wouldn’t be categorized as not aggressive. That’s because the person being punched didn’t consent to being harmed. Violence is something that specialists describe as a subset of aggression. It’s when the aggression has extreme physical harm as its goal.

Verbally Aggressive People

This definition of aggression is not limited to physical aggression. If someone verbally belittles you, that’s still aggression because they meant to harm you. Emotional aggression is sometimes more damaging than physical aggression. A broken arm heals, but a broken soul can stay broken. It’s also harder to spot because it’s more normalized. Society tends to accept people screaming and insulting others more than they should.

They always dismiss it, saying it’s just a reaction to nerves, an impulsive fluke. So, people tend to accept being occasionally called names. But this can escalate and develop into a toxic pattern. So, the easiest way to spot an aggressive person is to look out for toxic patterns. If someone seems to always throw stuff around when they are mad, that’s a red flag.

If they always get into fights, that’s also a sign of aggression. Or if they always talk badly around others, insult them, or generally use demeaning language, they are probably emotionally aggressive.

6 Ways Aggressive People Try to Control You

1. They Always Pick Fights

One of the most common ways in which aggressive people try to control others is by always picking fights. These fights aren’t started because there is a real problem in the relationship. Rather, they’re started by your partner because they just felt like fighting. But engaging in constant fighting is controlling behavior, whether they realize it or not.

When you have to live with the constant fear of some fight exploding around you, you’ll start changing your behavior. You will stop doing certain things that seem to bother your partner, even though there might be nothing wrong with your behavior. For example, you might like going out with your friends often. But you still find enough time to hang out with your partner.

Even though there isn’t anything wrong with your actions, an aggressive partner will still be inclined to fight with you about that. They won’t try to discuss it like an adult. Instead, they’ll just throw insults at you every time you go out. The constant fear of being belittled will probably make you change your behavior. You’ll stop going out, or doing other things that annoy your partner for no apparent reason.

2. They Guilt Trip You

Aggressive people will not shy away from making you feel awful. They won’t care that you are crying in front of them, as long as they get what they want. Because of that, they will often guilt trip you to make you change certain behaviors.

If they want to spend more time with you, it seems normal to just ask, right? But that’s not what they’ll do. They’ll say things like “well I know you don’t want to hang out with me because you don’t love me anymore”. They might even use belittling language to describe you, or themselves.

Because of how guilty they’ll make you feel, you’ll start giving them more and more. Over time, you will reach the point of sacrificing yourself for them. You will lose all the control you once had in the relationship. Instead, all the control will go to them.

3. They Gaslight You

Gaslighting is one of the most damaging forms of psychological abuse someone can engage in. This is a form of manipulation meant to make someone doubt everything about themselves. The abuser will confuse the victim until the lines between reality and fiction become blurry.

If your partner gaslights you, they might straight up tell you they never yelled at you, even though they might have been screaming only minutes before. They will lie about things that happened, like, for example, telling you didn’t apologize for a mistake you made. They’ll keep saying that even if you show them proof of the apology. They will change the subject when confronted with their lies.

They will always tell you that you are overreacting when you call them out. And it’s quite common for them to call you names and tell you you’re insane. The more you question your actions, the more likely you are to be controlled.

4. They Intimidate You

Aggressive people often try to intimidate others to get them to do what they want. They are likely to act superior and try to undermine your feelings and reputation. This is a behavior that is just as common in the workplace and other platonic relationships as it is in romantic relationships.

Intimidation is usually done using words, but it’s not so uncommon for things to get somewhat physical. This works best when there is a pre-existing power imbalance in the relationship. If you are just starting out at a new job, your superiors might try to use their position to make you do certain things. They’ll tell you to go get some coffee if you want to show some respect to your superiors.

They might even use threats veiled as jokes. For example, they will “joke” that if they don’t have a report on their desk in a day, they’ll get you fired. These tactics will make you engage in behaviors you don’t want to engage in just out of fear.

5. They Ignore Your Boundaries

A controlling person will not care about respecting your boundaries, because they know that’s not going to help them get what they want. Or, in any case, they won’t accept healthy boundaries. They will always try to pressure you into sacrificing and giving more.

They will often do things even if you specifically told them not to. For example, they’ll force you to go to a party with them even though you might be feeling sick. They won’t let you go home for the holidays, even if you haven’t seen your family in a really long time. They might even use force to get you to do what they want. And they won’t shy away from insulting you and calling you names.

6. They Are Moody

Being moody might not seem like a way to control someone else. But it can actually be a powerful, controlling tactic. And it’s something that aggressive people naturally do. A moody person might seem like the sweetest person ever one minute, and the next, they might start acting like a bully. One day they will bring you flowers and take you out, and the next, they’ll act as if they hate you with all their being. Sometimes this behavior is intentional. Other times, abusers do it intentionally. ‘

These mood swings will confuse you and make you feel like you’re always walking on eggshells around your partner. You won’t know whether to stay with them or not. You won’t know how to act and what to say. This behavior is not normal or acceptable, as most people would assume.

Final Thoughts on Ways Aggressive People Try to Control You

Being in a toxic relationship is dangerous, especially when your abuser is aggressive and controlling. And even though people know this, sometimes they don’t know how to avoid being trapped in such a relationship. It’s important to understand and know how to read the signs from an early stage.

Aggression can be both emotional and physical. As long as someone intents to hurt another person, who hasn’t consented to being hurt, that’s aggression. And it can be displayed in relationships as controlling behaviors. A controlling partner will always try to pick fights with you and make you feel guilty about everything. They will try to gaslight you and even intimidate you.

And it’s important to note that intimidation is a tactic even used in the workplace. Aggressive people also tend to be moody and ignore your boundaries. All these signs are things you need to look out for if you want to avoid being in a toxic relationship.

The Top 10 Regrets Of The Dying

September 25, 2016 by Power of Positivity

As children, we don’t really think much about the end of our lives. Nor do we worry about having regrets later in life.

Instead, we think mostly about what our parents will cook us for dinner, or what friends we will play with tomorrow, or which show we’ll watch on TV later. We don’t think about death very often, simply because we think we have time. As we grow older, the thought of death may enter our minds, but we still don’t take it seriously because we have plenty of years left here, right? So, we live our lives on the basis of denial. We deny our inevitable fate, and gamble with the idea that we have plenty of time to live our dreams. We all live with the hopes of seeing tomorrow, but we’ve only really got today.

We don’t want to scare or depress anyone, but simply awaken you to the idea of following your dreams NOW, so that you won’t have regrets later.

10 Common Regrets People Have At The End of Their Life

1. “I wish I lived for myself more”

According to Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse from Australia, many of her dying patients listed this as their biggest regret. Ware took care of patients in their last three to twelve weeks of life, and heard many stories and confessions from them all. While she said that all of them found peace before their death, listening to their regrets moved her so much that she actually wrote a bestselling novel about it called “The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.”

In the book, she said many of her patients had not honored even half of the dreams they wanted to fulfill, and this caused them to have major regrets before the end of their life. They wanted so badly to knock other things off their bucket list, but they had to die knowing they still had dreams. Don’t die with your dreams still in your heart. Don’t die knowing that you lived for someone else’s dreams and stuffed yours under the rug. Live life the way you want NOW, and don’t wait for anyone’s permission.

2. “I wish I didn’t work so hard.”

Ware said that this regret came in at number two, based on how often she heard people say this. We all work too hard in today’s world, but for what? We all want to reach some goal, some achievement, some number in our bank account. However, what will all this really mean? Sure, we may have security and pride knowing that we can afford certain things or have a specific title, but humans need more than that. We thrive on emotional connection and love, both of which require other people.

In the end, you won’t remember how much money you made or how far you got in your career; you’ll remember the people you made connections with, and how they impacted your life. You’ll think about the memories you made and all the laughs you had with those you loved. We have to work to survive, but don’t work so much that you forget to build relationships and a life outside of your job.

3. “I wish I didn’t hold back my feelings.”

Coming in at third on Ware’s list, the dying patients also regretted holding back their feelings. They wanted to keep the peace and not rock the boat, so they settled for repressing their feelings. However, this leads to a limited and very resentful existence. You will come to resent those you keep feelings from, because you obviously have an issue with them but choose not to voice it. This results in bottled up feelings that can even lead to mental and physical illness.

Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes. Even if you lose friends or a relationship, say how you feel. You may lose someone, but no person on this Earth is worth holding back your feelings for. This will only haunt you in the end.

4. “I wish I stayed in touch.”

People at the end of their lives also regretted losing touch with friends. They missed their companionship and wished they had put more effort into keeping in touch. We may take our friends for granted now, but remember, they won’t always be around. If you miss a friend, try to get back in touch with them via Facebook, email, text, or some other form of communication. They probably miss you too and would love to hear from you sometime. Friends help us get through life, and stick with us through the ups and downs. Life may take you in different directions, but it doesn’t have to alienate you from them. Pick up the phone and chat with them for a bit; you will never regret reaching out.

5. “I wish I was happier.”

We like to think that outside forces control our emotions, but the key to emotional control lies within us. We don’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we react to it. Life goes by so fast, so why spend it finding every little thing to complain about? Being happy costs nothing, keeps you healthier, makes life more fulfilling, attracts more positive relationships, and so on. So, unhappiness, then, actually costs MORE in the long run, and can even lead to serious illnesses. Our mental, emotional, and physical health relies on our perception, so if you want to start living a better life now, simply change how you look at things.

6. “I wish I cared less about what others think.”

Again, why care so much about the opinions of others? Keep in mind that most people probably don’t think about you as much as you’d like to think, so stop worrying so much. Other people have so much going on that they probably don’t fixate on how you live or the decisions you make. Live in your truth, and don’t worry yourself with what others think; that’s their problem.

Live authentically, simply, and happily, and do what feels right for you. As long as you feel happy with yourself, nothing else matters.

7. “I wish I didn’t worry so much.”

We spend A LOT of our lives worrying. No matter what role you play in this world, whether you’re a mom, student, daughter, son, father, CEO, banker, farmer, janitor, etc, you have something to worry about. However, will you let this worry take over your life? Will you let the heaviness of the burden drag you down? Or, will you release these worries and realize that this world worries far too much?

At the end of your life, remember that the unpaid bills and debts, what other people think of you, how much money you have, and everything else we worry about won’t really matter. The fleeting nature of life should cause us to shed our worries immediately, but unfortunately, we don’t feel how quickly life goes by until we wake up one day as a 75 year old. Then, we begin to see how small our worries are. But, why not choose to awaken to this truth NOW? Remember: don’t be a worrier; be a warrior!

8. “I wish I took better care of myself.”

If you don’t have your health, you have nothing, so make sure to look after yourself. After someone else must take care of you due to not taking care of yourself, you pretty much have no freedom left. You have to live with illnesses and ailments that probably could have been prevented simply by taking care of your health. You only have one body, mind, and spirit, so take care of all of them now to ensure that you can enjoy life even in your older years.

9. “I wish I didn’t take life for granted.”

Many people actually take their life for granted and don’t appreciate all the little things around them that make up their environment. The bees that pollinate the foods we eat, the plants that provide us with sustenance, the air we breathe that gives us oxygen, the water we drink that keeps us hydrated, the sun that shines down on us and gives us life – we should appreciate all of it. Even if you don’t have much in life, you could at least say your thanks for having the basics that the universe provides you with.

Related article: 25 Things You’ll Never Regret Doing

Have an attitude of gratitude, and it will come back to you tenfold.

10. “I wish I lived in the now”

More than anything else, it seems most of us have issues with living in the NOW. We reminisce on the past and wish we could bring it back, or we long for a future that hasn’t happened yet. Either way, we live out of alignment with the present, which means that we’re NEVER truly experiencing life. We’re experiencing moments in our memory, or moments in our imagination. We aren’t experiencing the raw moments, the moments unfolding right before our eyes.

If anything, remember that one day, you won’t have any more present moments left to experience. You won’t have road trips to go on, or mountains to climb, or children to kiss goodnight, or a partner to cuddle with. You will have your memories, serving as a reality check. Did you live according to your dreams? Did you live the hell out of this life and leave no stone unturned? No matter your age, you can choose to live life fully right now. Don’t wait until it’s too late and all you’re left with is regrets. Say no to regrets, and say yes to fulfilling your greatest destiny.

The Difference Between Giving Up on Love And Letting It Go

September 25, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Maybe you just got out of a bad relationship and need closure, or maybe you started giving up on love a long time ago. Whatever your situation, maybe this perspective we will provide about love can help you on your journey. Love can feel like a battlefield, an all-out war against your happiness. It can feel like the highest cloud or the deepest cut in your soul. It can feel liberating or suffocating.

We all want love, but sometimes, we forget that love comes with a cost. It doesn’t just mean butterflies and rainbows. Sometimes, it means blood, sweat, and tears. It means sacrifice and commitment, courage and compromise. It means being willing to stand on the front lines and show up in your most authentic form. Sometimes, the magnitude of what love entails can overwhelm us, causing us to retreat and give up on it altogether.

We naturally want to run from pain, but when it comes to love, we can’t shut out the discomfort forever. We can’t forever lock ourselves in a room with steel walls and shelter ourselves from the entire world. While love can hurt, it can also heal. It can break your heart, but it can mend it, too. No matter your stance on love, hear us out for a second.

What’s the difference between giving up on love and letting it go?

Okay, we will start with the former – giving up on love. Giving up means shutting yourself out. It means backing away from any possibility of love instead of convincing yourself that true love doesn’t exist. It means accepting a life of hate and loneliness because when you give up on the idea of love, you give up on hope. You accept that love doesn’t exist, so you settle for less. You settle for feeling a constant hole in your chest, for feeling numb and lifeless. Without love, we cannot survive. So, when you give up on it, you die a slow, painful death. You end your life while still existing on this planet, and that seems far worse than actually dying.

None of us can truly wrap our heads around love because we don’t have all the answers. However, we have bodies with arms that we long to wrap around someone else. We have hearts that long for connection, intensity, and passion. We have our breath that we long to share with another. And we have stories on the tips of our tongues that need telling, and deep down, we desire someone to open up to. We want someone to hear us, to know us, to understand us. Usually, we want that someone in totality, in an all-encompassing way. We want romance, commitment, safety, and honesty.

We want someone to make us feel comfortable, to make us feel like love doesn’t have to be complicated. So why do we turn our backs on this possibility when we all desire much more?

More than 7 billion people live on this planet, and right now, many feel broken-hearted, scared, and alone. You might be among these people, so listen if you’re hurting. Don’t give up on love because by doing this, you’ll give up on a chance to connect with another on a deep level. Shallow relationships will only satisfy your body and mind temporarily, and they will leave you feeling empty at the end of the day.

To truly feel alive, we need love, and lots of it. Maybe instead of giving up on love, you could try letting it go instead?

Letting go of love means you still believe in it, but you must allow it to move on. This can apply to that ex-boyfriend or girlfriend you still look at pictures of and dream about every night. You want that feeling back, so you don’t want to give up on love. You want to let a person go that meant so much to you so that you can heal. Letting go of love means liberation while giving up on it means imprisonment. Releasing a toxic relationship allows you to create space for the right person to enter your life, while giving up on love entirely shuts EVERYONE out, regardless of their attitude about love and life.

Final Thoughts on Knowing the Difference Between Giving Up and Letting Go

So, the next time you feel threatened or in pain by love, ask yourself: “Will I let one person or situation cause me to abandon love altogether, or can I let that person go while still keeping the possibility of loving another in my heart?”

Love can live on even amid pain, but it can’t live in a heart full of resentment. Choose to love yourself and love others despite how they treat you, and you can finally escape the battle between love and pain.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!