Posted by ineta on Aug 29, 2010 in
How to,
Something to think about... 
“Hi, how are you?”
“I’m fine. How about you?”
“I’m O.K.”
“Anything new in your life?”
“No. How about you?”
“The same old.”
Sounds familiar? Ooh, we are such a creatures of habit. We love our dull routines. We get so adjusted, that even we love to hate them. We LOVE comfort. We love familiar. We love what we know and we do what we can to stay in the comfort zone. What is unfamiliar is scary. What we often do not realize is that in unfamiliarity we can find freedom – freedom from conditioning, freedom from the past. Yes, ankles might shake from the fear of unknown, but in that unknown we’ll find something new to learn, something new and exciting to talk about, something new to experience.
What if we would take a new route home? What if we would visit a new place that we never been before? What if we would meet new people? What if we would stop comparing new people we meet with our exes and the past? How our life would look like if we would look at it from the new perspective? Would we come alive? We certainly would. Now, if we would find time to follow our passions? Schedule them, if we have to. Our lives would be so enriched. We are worth it! We are worth to live lives we desire. Our daily routines are just excuses to be in the comfort – in the known.
There is enriched life that is waiting for us if we are brave enough to cross the line and free ourselves from the comfort trap. The unknown is like a blank piece of paper – we can fill it with any colors we want, we can choose any words or it can become any shape in origami form. It is our source of creativity. What you choose your life to be?
Tags: changing life for better, comfort trap, fear, fear of unknown, inspiration, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, routines, uncertainty
Here is something to think about…
Attitude is everything. We can choose to be miserable, or we can choose to be happy. I prefer to be happy. Life is too short to be unhappy.
If someone treats us badly, they either 1) are evil people and out to get us, or 2) they have a really bad day. More likely is #2, so instead of being mad at them, do something good like leave a better tip and a nice note, give them a genuine smile, etc. This might totally shock them, or it might turn their day for the better.
If somebody KEEPS treating us like crap, we should not take it. We either defend ourselves or leave, or both. Let’s not choose to be a victim. Life is too short to be unhappy.
To everything there is a solution. It might take time and patience. We might need to talk to others about our questions and what we need and we might just get the answer from unexpected sources. Somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody might just have an answer. Universe works in mysterious ways. We just need to know what we want and talk to others.
Why beautiful things, like roses or Silk Floss Tree have thorns? Similarly, that’s life. Most painful experiences make people more stronger and understandable. No matter how painful experiences are, they bring the best out in people; they bring lessons in life. What does not kill you, it makes you stronger. Everything happens for a reason.
Only our own fear stops us. We can control our thoughts. Therefore, we can control our fear and we can stop it. Usually the situation is not that bad as our fear makes it to be.
We can not change the past. Let’s look at the past only for lessons we learned. We can only change today and the future.
What is our essence? What is our passion? Lots of people often neglect what they like to do. Never neglect it because that’s who you are. Schedule your passion if you have to.
We can choose to concentrate on negative or positive things. If we’ll concentrate on negative, all we’ll see is negative. If we switch to positive, we’ll start seeing things that will make our day, and might as well find a solution.
Worry and non-sleep only will ruin our health. It will not help us with anything. So don’t worry, be happy. To everything, there is a solution.
Some things can not be forced. If they have to happen, they will at their own time. If things do not happen the way we want them, it means, there is a better plan waiting for us that will work for the better, even though we can not see it yet.
Whatever we will put out to the world, we’ll get back. If we will be nice to others, majority of people will be nice to us. Opposite is true.
Dream big. What is the point of dreaming, if we can’t dream big. Now do everything to achieve those dreams, and do not let anybody or anything to stand in the way.
Life is too short to be unhappy…
Tags: advice for life, inspiration, post and photos by Ineta McParland
I did it. My friends did it. Lots of women still do it. Men do it, too. All creatures, animals and birds do it all the time. They camouflage themselves in their environment. They hide to escape predators; they hide to save their lives. A lizard’s skin tone suddenly resembles rustic fallen leaves on the ground. Squirrel’s fur color is exact like palm tree’s or any tree’s bark. Robin lifts up his head resembling a tree leaf. Insects become the same color as surface they land on. It’s a trick of survival, matter of life and death situation.
Now you probably asking, “What animals and we have in common?” We don’t need to hide from predators. This does not make sense. Or does it?
Looking deeply in ourselves, we’ll find we do camouflage. The only difference among animals and us is that camouflage saves and protects animals, but it has an adverse reaction to us. To some degree or another, we all have “a fit in” disease, and could be detrimental to our self-image, self-identity and even our health.
All of us probably heard or said to others “Oh, I like your outfit. Where did you get it?” Let’s admit it, we like to wear the same or similar clothes as others wear. Even fashion magazines compare the real designer clothes to bargain look-a-likes, that anyone can “afford.” By “fitting-in,” we camouflage our individuality, our individual tastes. We blend in with others, by avoiding to be different. We wear the similar hairstyles, similar jewelry, similar shoes. We even “copy” movie stars. Our justification is that now we look like famous people, or perhaps even better.
Don’t get me wrong, though. Some of us try really hard to be different, but our society is set up this way that we look at those people who are different as outcasts, odd, strange and eccentrics. Why can’t we accept them as normal human beings celebrating their differences and individuality? They just try to express themselves of who they are and not what society wants them to be. Better yet, why can’t we express unique ourselves in our clothes, our style full-heartedly and would not be judged and not judge others who do the same? Why can’t we just celebrate our differences?
Secondly, beauty is everything for many of us. We do everything we can to stay thin, young and beautiful. Some of us go to the extremes to have plastic surgery, to go under the knife, just to become a beauty from outside. That’s a form of extreme, another form of camouflage. We want to fit-in a beautiful world around us, among beautiful friends in a beautiful society where media plays a huge role in changing “ugly ducklings” to beautiful swans, or showing never-aging actors and actresses. Whatever happened to beauty from inside? Whatever happened to intelligence and creativity and resourcefulness as great qualities? Whatever happened for giving respect to older people who proudly are showing their age and wisdom? It seems that all of this is forgotten. All forgotten of what is important. Outside beauty, no matter what way is achieved, no matter how many times going under the knife is all that matters. To me, that’s a camouflage under the mask. Shockingly enough, still physically not developed teens go under the knife to get breast implants. Everything is just for an image, so they would fit in among beautiful people. All of this fake beautification is just a mask. What people do not realize is that no matter if person is the most beautiful from outside, if he or she does not have a high self-esteem, no boob job or face lifts will be good enough. They’ll feel horrible anyway. The first thing what they need fixing is their self-esteem. If they are proud of who they are, they’ll not need plastic surgery to make them fake beauties. Here is an idea for the media: how about a show portraying how people can be beautiful from inside. There are many everyday heroes doing great deeds. They don’t need to hide under fake masks. They are beautiful all around. It’s what inside that matters, and no makeover will change that. Then maybe our children will learn more valuable lessons in life.
The third camouflage is not that noticeable, but it is as destructible. Many of us don’t even know or notice it until it is too late, and we get easily lost. We camouflage ourselves among family, at our work, at our endless the same over and over again schedule, earning that dollar to pay the bills. We get easily stuck in the same routine over and over again. We become what everyone expects us to be: a great wife, great husband, a breadwinner, excellent employee or manager, great mother, great father… We start to become people-pleasers at no matter what price. We take care of all of the world, and become what world expects us to become, but we never truly find the time to take care of ourselves. We get so involved in the same routine over and over again. Days, months, years go by very quickly, and we lose ourselves in every day life. We lose ourselves. Period. Then, if we’re lucky enough, we wake up one day. Many of us are not that lucky. But if we are, we start asking ourselves, “Who am I? What do I like? What I’m here to do? I did everything for everybody, how about me? What do I want in life? What do I want to accomplish for myself?” We hit identity crisis. When our children grow up and move out, or if marriage did not work or spouse died, many of us start to feel empty. We gave all to others, and nothing is left for us. Some of us hit the bottom and get depressed. But some of us are lucky to still have time to re-discover ourselves.
Life is too short to be unhappy. So let’s be happy for who we are. Let’s wear clothes and hairstyles that express our individuality and makes us comfortable. It’s OK to be different. Let’s not follow the crowd. Let’s be proud of who we are, not hide behind fake masks of plastic surgery. Let’s be proud of our gray hair and wrinkles that show our wisdom acquired by age. Let’s find the time for ourselves to do what we want to do in our lives, and learn and accomplish more, and be proud of who we are. It is great to be imperfect. Nature is imperfect. That’s why it is so beautiful. We do not need to hide from predators like animals do. Therefore, let’s open ourselves like rose opens it’s bud and show the world who we truly are. Let’s come out of camouflage.
For inspiration to be different and self-expressive, you can log into Dalia Koss Unique Jewelry where you’ll find stunning one-of-a-kind pieces that no one has. You can express yourself with her art pieces in the most unique ways. Shoerazzi.com brings you the best of the best in shoes, all in different styles. Here you’ll see celebrities and people on the street wear them portraying their unique style. living on impulse is all about life-style, adventures, living life you can only dream of, unless of course you decide to live it yourself.
Be yourself and inspire others to be themselves as well. World is too boring when people want to be the same.
Tags: beauty, being different, camouflage, clothes, creativity, fit-in, fit-in disease, health, individuality, intelligence, outfits, people-pleasers, photo and post by Ineta McParland, plastic procedures, re-discover, routine, self-esteem, self-identity, self-image, survival
“Paul Hartunian figured out how to make a fortune from selling pieces of the bridge. This is a true story. Hartunian was working as paramedic, looking for his lucky break. One day he was watching a newscast of some work crews repairing parts of the Brooklyn Bridge – taking down old wooden beams and carting them away. And this idea popped into his head. He immediately called down to the construction site and asked the project manager if he could buy the old wood. Of course, the manager thought the wood was worthless so he was happy to get rid of it.
Hartunian took the old beams of lumber and had them sliced into one-inch-square and 1/8-inch-thick pieces of wood and glued them onto an official certificate saying that the holder of the certificate had purchased the Brooklyn Bridge, or a piece thereof. Then he did something quite remarkable. He sent a press release to hundreds of media outlets that said, “New Jersey Man Sells the Brooklyn Bridge for $14.95!” His phone rang off the hook! Literally hundreds of media outlets called him on the phone and wanted to learn more. He ended up selling thousands of these pieces for $14.95, plus a couple bucks for shipping and handling. He turned those old, worthless beams into SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.”
“Cindy Cashman took an old idea and added a twist to it and made a fortune in the information business. Cindy was able to purchase a huge mansion on a lake in Texas, having made over a million dollars from marketing her specialty book, which she published with a partner. You might have seen her book, Everything Men Know About Women, by Dr. Alan Francis (her pseudonym). But here’s the real amazing part: Cindy’s book is totally blank! There isn’t a single word printed on any of the 128 pages of this paperback! And yet women bought this book by the caseload. A hundred books at a time to give to their friends! Cindy made enough to retire.”
The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
What great idea lurking in your head? Follow it through. You never know unless you try it! 
Tags: Cindy Cashman, Everything Men Know About Women, inspiring story, interesting ways how to make millions, Mark Victor Hansen, Paul Hartunian, Robert G. Allen, selling Brooklyn Bridge, successful stories, The One Minute Millionaire
In 1974 Sylvester Stallone was a broke, discouraged actor and screenwriter. While attending a boxing match he became inspired by a “nobody” boxer who “went the distance” with the great Mohammed Ali.
He rushed home and in a three-day burst of creative output produced the first draft of the screenplay entitled Rocky.
Down to his last $106, Stallone submitted his screenplay to his agent. A studio offered $20,000 with either Ryan O’Neal or Burt Reynolds playing the lead character. Stallone was excited by the offer but wanted to play the lead himself. He offered to act for free. He was told, “That’s not the way it works in Hollywood.” Stallone turned down the offer though he desperately needed the money.
Then they offered him $80,000 on the condition that he wouldn’t play the lead. He turned them down again.
They told him that Robert Redford was interested, in which case they’d pay him $200,000. He turned them down once more.
They upped their offer to $300,000 for his script. He told them that he didn’t want to go through his whole life wondering “what if?”
They offered him $330,000. He told them that he’d rather not see the movie made if he couldn’t play the lead.
They finally agreed to let him play the lead. He was paid $20,000 for the script plus $340 per week minimum actor’s scale. After expenses, agen fees, and taxes, he netted about $6,000 instead of $330,000.
In 1976 Stallone was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor. The movie Rocky won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. The Rocky series has since grossed almost $1 billion, making Sylvester Stallone an international movie star!
Follow your gut. Stick to your guns. – from book “The One Minute Millionaire” by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen.
Tags: Academy Award, actor, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, book, Mark Victor Hansen, Robert G. Allen, Rocky movie, screenwriter, Sylvester Stallone, The One Minute Millionaire
Oh, it is so frustrating when we want to achieve something and things just don’t go fast enough or right enough. We get mad or depressed and sometimes even give up.
The key to these situations is to keep going and never give up:
1. Patience and persistence do pay off, if we only persist. I know, people keep telling us that, but how long can we stay patient? It’s a TEST.
2. Think of this. There is time for everything. There might be a lesson to be learned on the way or people to meet. Everything happens for a reason, at their own timing.
3. If one way does not work, there has to be another way. Be innovative, think outside the box, in multi-dimensional ways. Be creative. We can always find a solution if we persist.
Tags: being creative, finding a solution, innovation, inspiration, keep going, never give up, patience, persistence, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, right timing, test, think outside the box
Posted by ineta on Jun 10, 2010 in
How to,
Something to think about... 
Our minds are so super-busy, that they would not shut up when we lay down to sleep. They work over-time, like that energizer bunny: keeps going and going and going…
It’s great when our minds work to help us to achieve things, when we get a brilliant idea and go for it. Then sleepless nights are great.
However, what keeps most of us late at night is useless stuff:
1) “I’ll think about it” stuff;
2) Worries;
3) Uncompleted “To Do” lists.
Earlier that day, we see something in the store or online that we really like. We tell salesperson to put it on hold. Then, we rack our brains, “Should we get it? Do we really need it? But it looks so good.”… After thinking, we decide to go back and get it.
Now imagine if we do not need to “think about it” and buy it on the spot. By night, we would enjoy what we bought; we would avoid the aggravation of thinking; and at the end, we would save our time, salesperson’s time and gas. We would have a free mind and be able to sleep at night.
The key is if we like it, we should go for it right now, not later. Why to put our enjoyment on hold?
The most major useless thing that keep us late at night is worry. We worry about major things and minor things. We worry about health, money, family – you name it. Think about it… Does worry do anything good? It gives us headaches, sleepless nights, stomachaches, ulcers, unclear thinking, black circles under the eyes, nervous breakdowns, breathing problems, anger outbursts, depression. Nothing good comes out of worry. Worrying is usually looking at the worst case scenario of the situation.
So, instead of worry (that does not do any good), look at positive and find a solution. Granted, some problems are out of our control – might take awhile to solve. Some things we just have to let it be. However, most problems can be solved one way or another. With little innovation or different way of thinking, there is always a solution.
Instead of filling our minds with worry (that is hazardous to our health and sanity), how about to look at solutions.
To us that are busy-bodies, To-Do list is pretty essential. There are not enough hours in a day to accomplish everything we want. Therefore, the To-Do list is not finished – again. We regret not be able to accomplish it all. So now, we add undone items to tomorrow’s To-Do list, which probably will be unfinished – again. What we do not realize is that we have become over-achievers.
What if we would throw that To-Do list out of the window and concentrate on stuff that really matters to us. What if we do not depend on it anymore? What if instead of multi-tasking and overextending ourselves, we concentrate on one task at the time that is most important? Would life be so much easier?
At the end of the day, then we can breathe easier knowing we achieved what was important to us. It’s great to be imperfect. Without “To-Do” list, there is no more pressure to be perfect – in that, there is a peace of mind.
We got to get rid of the useless junk that clogs our mind. This way, we can make a space for more important stuff, like joy for life.
For more inspiration, you can log in to living on impulse to see what is possible.
Tags: "I'll think about it, anger outbursts, black cicles, breathing problems, depression, finding a solution, hazardous to health, headaches, insomnia, inspiration, mind, multi-tasking, nervous breakdowns, overachieving, overthinking, peace of mind, post and photos by Ineta McParland, sleepless nights, solutions, stomachaches, ulcers, unclear thinking, uncompleted "To Do" lists, useless stuff, worries
Can you name a few? It could be our family, friends and even strangers. They are always there to help or some of them even will stop their lives and come unexpectedly for a rescue.
I got a flat tire the other night. I put my “blinkers” on. In about 15 minutes to half an hour many cars passed, but nobody stopped. Even a cop car slowed down but did not stop to help. I thought, “Fine, I’ll try to change it myself.” I put “jack” under the car by feeling the “spot” with my fingers, and I started to lift it. Unfortunately, I was not strong enough to lift a car. All of the sudden, three young men (18 to early 20s) stopped and offered to help. They changed my tire in great teamwork. One was holding a cellphone as a flashlight, while I and other guy showed drivers to slow down. The side street was dark. To our surprise, one driver even sped up not paying any attention. A man at neighboring house where I stopped, closed curtains and peeked through the window, as my “heroes” finished changing the tire. They were such a young gentlemen, and I felt so blessed. I thanked them for their help and we parted our ways. I felt so grateful.
There are a few heroes that walk amongst us. It’s a part of their nature to help someone in need. While many people are oblivious to their surroundings, there are those who will do everything to help. As I was going home, I wished so hard that something really good would happen to these three young men, my heroes. The world is such a better place because of them.
Tags: angels in disguise, being thankful, flat tire, gentlemen, grateful, help, heroes, kindness, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, rescue, teamwork
We usually make excuses to sabotage ourselves. We think we are too young or too old to do anything. When we are the kids, we can’t wait to grow up, so we would be allowed to do something we wish. We can’t wait for that freedom.
Yet, when we grow up we completely forget what we were after. We get overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities, and at times we even forget who we really are. We do everything to pay the bills, take care of partner, kids, parents. We bury our dreams deep and we do not even have time to look at them.
Time flies so fast. We get in older years, and now we regret of not taking chances. We make now excuse that we are too old. We wasted our time. What we do not realize is that age does not really matter. We can achieve anything we wish regardless. All we have to do is to act on our dreams. Dreaming alone does not do anything. We got to back it up with actions.
Here are some inspiring videos from Britain’s Got Talent that shows that anything is possible, no matter how young or old you are:
Six year old angel that moved the world with her singing
80 year old singing sensation
Tags: achieving anything, act on dreams, actions, age does not matter, britain's got talent, burrying dreams, Connie Talbot, dreaming, dreams, excuses, freedom, grow up, inspiration, Janey Cutler, kids, overwhelmed, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, responsibilities, sabotage, taking chances, time flies, too old, too young, videos, wasting time
Think about it… How easily you’re influenced by others? Do you have your own say? Or you let others say things for you? Do you stand your ground? Or you think others know better?
Of course, some influence is great. We become better people because of it; we learn something from our heroes or people we admire. We become who we want to become.
There is also another type of influence that works quite opposite. If we do not have our say in anything, do not stand for our own beliefs, others will influence us any way they want to. They can shape us in any way and form if we allow them. We become who we really not.
How to tell a difference? How to resist unhealthy influence? How to stay who we truly are despite constant influence from others?
Here are the answers:
1) Follow your instincts;
2) Do not do anything that feels not right for you;
3) Have your own opinion;
4) Stand your ground;
5) Do not let others change who you are or your work that you stand for.
You are unique, and nobody is like you. Why change yourself or your work according other person’s expectations? If it is no longer you, do not do it, do not let others to influence you.
Tags: admired, being influenced, beliefs, change, constant influence, heroes, influence, instincts, opinion, standing ground, unhealthy influence
