Life Lessons

Break Through Your Limits and Attain Greater Success

Along any personal-development journey, it eventually becomes obvious the biggest enemy in your way is yourself.

Your limiting beliefs, self-defeating habits, and negative thoughts will create barriers between here and where you want to go.

We often ask too little of ourselves and doubt our ability to succeed in the future based on our previous struggles.

These techniques will help you break through your limits:

1. Decide what you will no longer tolerate. You put up with a lot from yourself. The late-night snacking, procrastination, and making excuses for not taking important action may be common scenarios in your life. Breaking the promises you made to yourself. When you accept poor behavior from yourself, you’ll get poor results.

Make a list of all the things you will no longer do or accept. If you want to rise to a new level in any endeavor, it’s important to eliminate attitudes and behaviors that get in the way.

2. Define your goals. Make your goals bigger and better and stick with them. Think about the worst parts of your life and start there. It’s the lowest-rated parts of your life that create your limits and stifle your happiness.

Raise your standards. Most people set goals that are too small. Set bigger goals and then figure out how to attain them quicker. With a good enough plan and hard work, you can accomplish a lot quickly.

3. Define the five most important behaviors for your future. What are five things you can do each day that will transform your life? Look to your goals for guidance. A few examples:

Cold call or email at least 10 potential clients each day.
Eat less than 2500 calories.
Perform 50 pushups.
Talk to one new person that could either be a potential friend or lover.
Spend at least 30 minutes practicing the piano
The things you do each day matter. If you look at your average current day, it’s easy to see why your life is exactly as it is. What can you do each day that will guarantee that next year will be amazing?

The things you do each day matter. If you look at your average current day, it’s easy to see why your life is exactly as it is.

4. Find a quality mentor. A good mentor is one of the best ways to rise above yourself.

Your ego will hide many of your weak spots from you. Your mentor will spot them for you.
We often dismiss our greatest gifts. A mentor will see them and encourage you to embrace them
A mentor will be able to see the truth.

5. Evaluate each day in writing. At the end of the day, make a list of the things you did right and those things you did wrong. Promise yourself to do fewer of the wrong things and more of the good things going forward.

6. Learn. Determine the three things you need to learn this year to have a great year. Where are you lacking? What skills do you want to develop or strengthen? You should always be learning something, but ensure you’re learning what will matter the most.

7. Enhance your ability to focus. If you can’t focus, you can’t accomplish much of anything. Try using a timer, learn to meditate, make lists, or try another method. The ability to focus comes with practice.

We’d like to think there’s a secret to succeeding – a quick trick and suddenly make our dreams come true. But nothing replaces digging in and getting to work on yourself.

Raise your expectations and personal standards. Evaluate yourself daily and find a mentor for help. You are your greatest enemy. Break through your self-imposed limits and success will be yours!

Stay Unstoppable,

Who Benefits the Most from Forgiveness?

by Ann Rusnak Leave a Comment

Forgiveness can be a tricky subject. You may ask yourself how can I forgive the wrong, the hurt somebody caused me? You may say to yourself, look at what their actions have caused in my life. You may be thinking, it’s not fair, if I forgive them, they got away with it, what about the responsibility they need to take for their actions?

All those feelings are legitimate. I felt the same way too. No way I’m forgiving. They messed my life up. I wouldn’t be in the situation if it wasn’t for them. They aren’t taking any responsibility for the abuse that occurred during my childhood.

First things I heard during recovery was, I need to forgive. What???? You got to be kidding me. But they were right.

Over the years, here is what I discovered. Forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person. Forgiveness is for you, for your peace of mind so you can move forward in your life.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you deny the other person’s responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn’t minimize or justify the wrongdoing. It allows you to let go of the hurt and pain, so their actions no longer control you. You take back your power.

When you don’t forgive, you stay in resentment, living the event repeatedly in your mind. Expending lots of time and energy to keep the hurt alive.

You only need to forgive one time. That’s it. Life is too short. You gain more time and energy back from no longer dwelling on the experience and desiring some sort of justice or revenge.

Forgiveness allows you to move forward, leaving the energy draining negativity behind.

Forgiveness allows you to move forward, leaving the energy draining negativity behind. You can enjoy a life of inner peace and joy. Which is probably the best revenge anyway. At this point, you won’t even care anymore about seeking some form of retaliation because you’re aligned with the Universe.

Everyone makes mistakes in life. Nobody is perfect. Sometimes people hurt or do something unintentionally. Not aware of how it affected you. You’ve probably done the same thing too.

Forgiving yourself is the ultimate act of self-love. It will bring a sense of inner peace to help you let go of the past and open you to receiving abundance from the Universe.

Stay Unstoppable,

Just Being Himself Won Our Hearts

by Ann Rusnak

Just Being Himself Won Our Hearts

Spider entered my life on November 7. He was an unexpected gift and would only be in our lives for a week. In that short week, he stole both mine and my husband’s heart.

We stopped at the pet store to pick up litter and I always go over to the kitty kennel to pet the kittens. There was an adorable brown kitten.

He rubbed his head against my finger which activated his purr switch. This little guy was a big purr machine. There was something special about him and an invisible connection was born.

The petting stopped as I go join my husband in the checkout line. This little guy wanted more and meowed in protest as I left. I look over and he’s watching me at the register.

We start heading home when out of the blue my husband says, "Should we get the kitten?" His totally uncharacteristic remark caught me by surprise. He said there was something in my eyes when I was petting him and was surprised I didn’t ask when were at the store.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted another kitten. My current cat, Dusty, has cancer and I already decided when she passes away, not to get another cat. There was something in my heart that ached for the little guy at the store. Yes we did connect.

When my husband made this suggestion based on a look I had, I figured I’d better go with it and make this little brown kitty a part of our family.

The light brown circles around his eye and his svelte, sleek body and long tail gave him the appearance of a spider monkey. Thus earning the name Spider.

Spider, according to the APL, was recently removed from a bad situation. His life didn’t start off on a good note. His personality shined through regardless of what happened to him. He didn’t let his past hold him back.

He made himself right at home. Running around exploring and crying when he lost sight of me. He loved being cuddled, just like Dusty.
This fun, loving little purr machine totally stole our hearts right away. He vocally expressed how he enjoyed his meals by making loud "yum yum" noises while eating.

He followed me throughout the house and got right into my morning meditation routine by joining Dusty on my lap. Giving me a stereo effect with their purring.

A couple of days later, Spider became less active and began sleeping more. At first I figured it was from all the trauma of being removed from his first home, getting neutered and shots at the APL, taken to the pet store and then finally coming to our home. All within a week.

Thursday turned into concerned when I got home that evening to see he didn’t touch his food. My husband said he threw up when he got home and he threw up again when I arrived.

The vet office was closed so I would call them in the morning to get him in. He was drinking water and still walking around although weakly. He drank some more water before we went to sleep.

At 2:00 in the morning, he started crying and I noticed he was weaker. We rushed him to the emergency room at the animal hospital. The emergency vet said he was critical and would give him liquids. They would still need to find out what caused the situation in the first place.

We returned in the morning with the vet giving us bad news. Apparently, Spider had a rare fatal parvovirus. We opted not to put him down there but to take him to our vet who was waiting for him. We still wanted to give him a chance even if it was a slim one.

I held and stroked Spider on the ride over while he looked up at me. At our vet’s we decided if he didn’t show signs of recovery by late morning, we would put him down. Our vet said he still might die during supportive care. We understood. Hugged and kissed him before she took him back to hook up the IV again.

Spider passed away before she could even begin.

We were told by the emergency room and our vet that there was nothing we could have done for him. This virus was fatal. By the time the APL rescued him, it was too late for the vaccine to take effect.

It still didn’t ease the pain. I’m comforted through tears that *God choose me to give this little guy’s last week of life, a warm, loving home.

Spider never stood a chance, even after his rescue. He didn’t let his horrible beginning keep him from being a warm, loving little kitten, full of joy and fun. He let us in, took our focus off our problems and showed us not to let the past determine your future.

What incident(s) in your life do you let hold you back from being you?

To Your Unstoppable Success

*Substitute Universe, Divine Spirit or whatever works for you.

A Daughter’s Valentine Memories by Ann Rusnak

by Ann Rusnak

A Daughter’s Valentine Memories

My father passed away 10 years ago. Although most of my childhood memories are unpleasant, there are a few good ones that warm my heart.

I had more in common with my father, than my mother. I inherited his fun loving entrepreneurial spirit.

Every Valentine’s Day, my father would give each of us girls a box of chocolate. When I married and left home, I would find a box of chocolates on my front door step. I didn’t realize how much I missed those boxes of chocolates.

My parents did their best with their current level of awareness and compared to my mother’s childhood, I guess mine was much better. Love came with conditions.

I forgave them and live this amazing, incredible life. It took many years and lots of work to finally find this happiness and inner peace.

I learned to give myself the unconditional love I didn’t receive growing up. I learned to love myself totally… faults and all… embracing my true ME… my Magical Essence™.

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of romance and love.

Oscar Wilde said "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."

Begin your lifelong romance with yourself by following these tips:

Consider your own feelings. Your emotions are at least as important as everyone else’s. So, if you’re uncomfortable, act on that information. Take your own feelings into account in your everyday life and the decisions you make.
Take care of your emotional needs. Self-respect is apparent through the things you do to make yourself comfortable, content, and happy. If a relationship constantly makes you feel emotionally upset or out of balance, perhaps it’s time to do something about it. You are the only person you can be absolutely sure will be there to take care of yourself emotionally.
Acknowledge to yourself that you deserve respectful treatment. This is as simple as it gets: because you’re a human being, you deserve to be treated with fundamental human courtesies, including respect. Recognize your own value.
Avoid allowing anyone to treat you disrespectfully. Be clear that you expect to be treated with kindness and care, whether you’re interacting with a co-worker, partner, or your child.

Sometimes, you might think you’re giving someone a break by not insisting on being treated well. However, when you allow others to treat you poorly, you’re slacking on your own self-care and enabling them to practice negative interpersonal habits as well.

Treat others with respect. In order to treat others with respect, you need to have a clear idea about how to act in respectful ways. Then, you can turn those same responses toward yourself. Make showing respect a way of life.

Which of these tips will you do? Pick the one that really resonates with you and start making it a part of your life.

What other ways can you show yourself unconditional love? Share your thoughts below.

My granddaughter arrives

by Ann Rusnak

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

~ Woody Allen

Last Thursday at lunch, my daughter shared her "time off" plans for when Alexis would arrive. Everything was all worked out.

June 1st would be her last day since she was scheduled to be induced on the 6th. She said if Alexis would arrive early it would really mess up her "time off" schedule.

The next day Chantal calls me to announce she is going in for a C section.

Alexis arrives 2 1/2 weeks early letting everyone know who is really in charge.

Actually she was so excited hearing her "Momette’s" voice (code for grandmother) at lunch… she said to herself "I can’t wait to meet her."

So she didn’t wait. So much for planning… Alexis’s definitively has her own agenda.

Thanks for all the prayers… Mom and baby are doing well and are already home.

A Wicked Looking Lake Erie

by Ann Rusnak

We were very lucky and I thank God for his blessings. Although Ohio didn’t experience any where near the devastation the East coast experienced, we still got visited by Hurricane Sandy.

I never saw Lake Erie this wicked before… so many people couldn’t resist going down and checking it out… I was one of them. I grew up with hurricanes and this looks tame compared to the ocean. But it is still pretty incredible to view.

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Many of my friends are still without power, please keep them and everyone else who felt this wrath of this storm in your prayers.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

by Ann Rusnak

Site just went through a major site overhaul

Going from Studio Press’s older Lifestyle theme to the new Genesis Framework… took much longer than I anticipated.

WordPress evolved so much that the older theme no longer supported many of the "cool" changes. It keep requiring more and more work to keep the theme updated.

Time to take the plunge… bit the bullet… do the upgrade… and rev my site up with the Amped theme.

At first glance Genesis looks like a nightmare to figure out and many asking for support felt the same way. But once I got the hang of it, I soon realize a site on the Genesis Framework will make life so much simpler.

Deep inside me is a repressed nerd/geek that likes to come out and play from time to time. I enjoyed tinkering around with this great framework over the holidays.

I’m not completely done and there are a few minor tweaks but it’s time to open the site back up.

Following in the advice of my friend and mentor Bob "the Teacher" Jenkins… I’m doing a Take Action Revise Later approach.

All the original content is available and I’ll be adding several new "goodies" over the next few days so don’t panic at the "placeholders."

Besides the only way I can receive the support for the minor problem area, is for the Studio Press team to see what I’m talking about.