Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain — and most fools do.

- Dale Carnegie

Unsolicited Criticism: It Stinks And So Do You

In a previous entry, I discussed how to combat stress and actually use it to your benefit, but what about when you find yourself on the giving end?

There exists a great majority of people who follow the practice of consistent, yet unasked for, criticism. It is often rationalized as somehow being constructive, yet it rarely, if ever, actually is. Those bearing the brunt of these verbal attacks are introduced to even more stress in their lives. This is simply not constructive to anyone involved, and therefore, not worth the time or the effort.
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3 Steps for Killing Stress Now

Stress. At its best it is improving your physical nature and mental ability. At it’s worst it is a crippling bully that refuses to leave your side. Stress can be a humble servant or a fiery master, depending on the approach you take towards it.

Stressed Out
Like any other stimulus, it can take on a number of forms; however, all types of it fall into one of two categories. You normally have positive stress, which everything from lifting weights to solving a Sudoku puzzle, as well negative stress, which could be a family member dying to even being late for your doctor’s appointment. These labels are merely for convenience, as it is ultimately up to you how you interpret them.

Photo by _nickd
Positive Stressors vs. Negatives Stressors
Each and every time you receive a stress, be it mental or physical, you have two choices. You can view it positively or you can view it negatively. To deem everything in a negative light will surely kill your spirits, and most likely your body will be soon to follow. This is why our goal is to kill all stress, before it kills you.

The three-pronged approach
Ideally then you should try to limit all negative stress, handle what’s remaining, and view everything as positive stress.
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Warning: Be Careful What You Wish For, Because Using This Technique Will Ensure You Get It

One of the most challenging aspects of setting goals is believing in them. Sounds simple enough, right?

It’s certainly an easy task to imagine, and even write down, some extremely creative and challenging goals for yourself, yet this is a far cry from being able to visualize yourself actually accomplishing them.

Photo by notsogoodphotography
Why the disconnect? It is simply a manner of changing how you mentally approach goal-setting. Your goal needs to be managed within a foolproof system. There is no way you can allow for any other possibility, other than your desired outcome, to occur. Besides, if you don’t truly believe it can happen, with every fiber of your being, you stand a strong change of your worst fears coming true: being right.

Write Your Own Future?
Here is how my approach to setting goals works..
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Mr. Magorium’s Powerfully Effective Emporium

I swear it wasn’t more than halfway through watching this movie that I thought to myself, “This would make a killer post!” However, I am not saddened to say that the message behind this wonderfully imaginative and extremely colorful film fits nicely with the subject matter of GrowStronger.com. What is that message exactly? The power of belief.

Throughout the movie, Mr. Magorium’s character, played by Dustin Hoffman, had a magical sense about him. Whether it was him or the store that was truly magical is beyond the point. He had the belief that life itself was magical and that was the only explanation needed for the fantastic and gravity-defying spectacles put on daily at his toy shop.
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