Glossary of chess

5 Ways to Make Your Life Ridiculously Amazing.

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I used to dream, wish, hope for an amazing life. Not just an okay life, but a ridiculously amazing life. When I was younger that dream had me rolling in style, of course, with fabulous clothes, a big house and a fast car. As I grew older and wiser, the material wants and needs in my dream changed. I simply wanted to be excited to get out of bed. But that wasn’t happening.

amazing-life

I was living within a shell of myself.  Sleep, wake, crawl out of bed, work, eat, sleep & repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

I found myself caught in the vortex of boredom with my dreams of a different life on hold. I was stuck. Not unhappy,  just stuck. Like an overcooked pot of pasta… heavy, uninspired and pasty. That heaviness was not only settling in my behind, it was finding it’s way into my heart. And all I wanted to do was sleep. And eat. And then sleep some more.

This was my own fault. I had built a decently successful business, I had wonderful clients, friends, family and all that fun stuff. I was living in the suburbs of heaven with a nice car, good home… and it was killing me. I was slowly and surely dying inside. Because I was unmotivated, uninspired and unfulfilled. I was a walking, talking empty shell. Like a pretty puppet, I moved, I acted, I responded, but if you would have taken the time to knock on my shell, you would have heard the resounding echo of an empty inside.

So what did I do? I woke up, took a hard look at my life and told myself to snap out of it.

I made the decision to step back into my life. To take the bull by the horns and take charge of my life. No more excuses. No more blame. It was time to start living from the heart.

It was then that my life started to become a bit more amazing. I started to become a bit more amazing.

And, yes, it was that simple. The decision, that is. I realized that the only way out of my spiralling vortex of unfullfillment was through me. In order to create the life I dreamed of, I had to be the one to change. I couldn’t blame anyone for my choices, my dissatisfaction, my growing ass. I had to turn the mirror around and face myself. And at first I peeked, not wanting to face myself. But as time went on and I did the work, that mirror started to shine and reflect a happier me. And now, I can proudly say that I have fully and completely stepped into my life. And I try to do at least one thing to make my life ridiculously amazing each and every day and I hope you will do the same.

Here are 5 ways to step into your life and make it ridiculously amazing:

1. Move

As in move, breath, sweat. You can’t be ridiculously amazing borrowing a hole into your couch or glued to your computer screen. (I know this because I tried. Massive fail! And what makes matters worse, that decently successful business I ran was a fitness business. How sad is that? I was inspiring others to move but couldn’t get myself on board!)

You have to get up and get your ass moving! Get the blood flowing, muscles fired up and the energy levels inspired. And the million excuses you will come up, shelf them. If you can walk to the fridge, you can move. I’m not asking you to hop off the couch and run a marathon… go for a walk, dance, do yoga… something. Just move. And then while you’re doing so, move on to number 2.

2. Check in and take notice

One thing that is consistent is that life is continuously changing. And it will pass you by in the blink of an eye if you don’t take notice of it. Start by checking in and paying attention to the little things that happen on a daily basis.  I take the same route everyday to teach and each time I notice something different. It didn’t used to be this way.

I used to drive mindlessly to clients homes or to appointments and find myself 10 km down the highway with no recollection of what just passed me by. I had created a cosy vacuum of numbness that had me periodically checking out of life. Now I pay attention. I check in and stay present. So that even when I’m doing the dishes, it becomes a mini adventure.

I’ve noticed that anything can and will happen, but it’s up to me to take notice. So open your eyes, ears, mind. Rediscover your senses. When you pause and actually notice the little things, what you see might surprise you.

3. Love

Sweet juicy love. Get the love juice flowing for your friends, family, partner, pets. Basically anyone or thing that shares your space. Try to sweeten the pot with some unconditional love. Pets, easy. People, maybe not so much so try to practice first and foremost on YOUrself. Drown yourself in a giant pot of love juice. Be kind & nourishing to yourself in deliciously healthy ways.

When we start to treat ourselves as though we are worthy, we set amazing things in motion. After all, we can’t tap into love if we don’t love ourselves first.

4.Play

Remember that four letter word? If you don’t, seek out a niece, nephew, your child or a friends child. Watch, listen and learn. Life has enough serious moments without us purposely adding to the mix. It’s okay to let lose and let your inner child come out and play once in a while. Be silly, dance, sing and laugh a lot. Don’t let anyone dampen your silliness. I did that, it’s wasn’t fun. Now I play. A lot. Everyday. With my crazy dogs. In the beautiful sea. On my yoga mat. And with my boyfriend. They nourish my quirky side and allow me to be me. Which makes me smile a lot. As a bonus, they’re helping me develop gorgeous laugh lines… much prettier than the frown lines I was working on before.

5. Leap outside your comfort zone

Don’t think. Get like Nike and just do it! Leap, jump, dive into something that takes you outside your comfort zone, something that scares you a little or a lot. I did this when I first arrived in Tulum. Shy, deathly afraid of house parties, I became a bit of a hermit back home. Once my shell started to crack open, I forced myself to do things that took me way outside my comfort zone. The end result, I became more social. Less afraid to attend parties or events solo. And it was so extraordinarily freeing. Terrifying at times, but once the sweat stopped pouring, I noticed that I was not alone. And no matter what the outcome, I embraced every experience as an opportunity to spread my wings and grow. Amazing things happen when we open the door to life and let our senses explore.

When you step outside your comfort zone and try new things, visit new places, create new adventures, you give back to you ten fold. Embrace what comes up when you take a chance on life. The good with the bad because it will help you grow as a friend, lover, mother or father.

Take charge of your life. If you’re unsatisfied, do something. Your life won’t change unless you create the change. So get things moving, go dance in the rain, kiss your partner deeply, try a new taste, take the road less travelled, open your eyes and drink in the sights. There’s beauty to be found in simplicity. Make the choice to step up to the bat and hit a ridiculously amazing home run in this fabulously messy thing we call life.

Source: Purpose fairy

 

 

It’s a Trap. 10 Interview Questions Designed To Trick You .

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Atrapitis

Hiring managers are tasked with the impossible job of learning a candidate inside and out after just a few interactions. That’s why they’re always coming up with new tactics to extract every last drop of information from a candidate. It’s important to keep your guard up!  You can almost be sure some of the questions asked will be “interview traps” – interview questions designed to get you to reveal some critical bit of information about yourself that you might have preferred to remain covered. They come in many forms, but all have the common goal of getting you to expose some character flaw that will bump you down a few rungs in the rankings.

Hold it together! Here are 10 of the most popular “interview traps” and tips on how to use them to your advantage.

The setup: Why is there a gap in your work history?

The trap: Does all this time off work mean you’re lazy?

It’s not necessarily a problem to have a gap on your resume. If you pursued personal projects, took care of a sick relative, volunteered for charity or otherwise used your time off in a productive manner, let them know. They don’t care that you haven’t spent any recent time in an office – only that you haven’t spent it all on the couch.

The setup: What would the person who likes you least in the world say about you?

The trap: Are you aware of your own weaknesses – and how to work around them?

A cousin to “what’s your biggest weakness?,” this question also requires framing your dominant personality traits in a positive light. Perhaps your enemy would say you’re neurotic and controlling, when in fact you just have a completionist’s eye for detail, which will ensure no project is finished until all loose ends are tied and re-tied for peace of mind.

The setup: Describe when you were part of a team that could not get along.

The trap: Do you work well with people you don’t like?

No matter whose fault it actually was, the interviewer will assume you can’t work well with others if you complain about a dysfunctional team buried in your work history. What matters to them is how you handled the situation – did you allow room for discussions and ideas you may not have agreed with? Did you learn any lessons about give-and-take from clashing with a coworker?

The setup: If you could change one thing about your last job, what would it be?

The trap: Are you holding on to any lingering issues you couldn’t resolve at your last job?

Can you vocalize your problems in a professional manner and come to a diplomatic understanding with your coworkers / bosses? This question tests whether you let problems stew and boil over, or whether you can address them rationally with the benefit of a positive work environment in mind.

The setup: Explain ________ (your industry) to your nephew / grandmother / totally oblivious client.

The trap: Sure, you know your line of work – but can you communicate your responsibilities to others?

Are you a good communicator? As a developer, can you explain how the newest product feature operates in a way that the marketing team can process, so they can in turn pitch it to customers? If you can’t explain your job duties in plain English, you probably aren’t well-versed enough in the field to effectively communicate your needs to the coworkers you will interact with on a daily basis.

The setup: Tell me about yourself.

The trap: Are you lying on your resume? Are you confident you’re qualified for this job?

Don’t meander. This also tests your communication skills – whether you know how to pitch, and whether you know when to stop talking. Succinctly list education history, skills gained from previous jobs, and perhaps a personal project or two which enhances your skill set and demonstrates motivation outside of the workplace. Then, stop talking. Rambling indicates a lack of confidence, suggesting you’re not sure whether what you’ve listed is “enough” to qualify you for the job.

The setup: Why should we hire you?

The trap: Are you a good fit for this specific role and company?

If you can’t answer this question, you probably didn’t research the company you’re trying to work for. Make sure you know the specific functions your future role will entail, and the short- and long-term goals of the organization itself. Then, frame your skills in a context which aligns with the job description and the company’s direction.

It also doesn’t hurt to research the hiring board to find out what makes them tick, so you can carry the conversation if they mention a project from their background.

The setup: What’s your ideal job?

The trap: …Is it something other than this one?

It’s okay to have career aspirations, so long as the things you want to do overlap with the things you’ll be doing here. Avoid mentioning a title – it may not carry the clout in this company’s role structure that you think it does. Instead, discuss the problems you’d like to solve, platforms you want to work with, and other active engagements that encompass both your dream work and the work in front of you.

The setup: What annoys you about coworkers / bosses?

The trap: Are you easy to work with, or are you a Negative Nancy?

It’s never a good idea to badmouth a coworker, whether peer or superior. It’s best to say you’ve been fortunate to navigate amicable work relationships. If pressed, mention an attribute that highlights dedication to the company cause, and say that you will expect and encourage that same dedication from your peers.

The setup: If you won the lottery, would you still work?

The trap: Are you motivated to succeed?

Most people know this question aims to trap candidates for whom work is merely a means to an end, rather than a passion to which they will be dedicated. But it’s also facetious to say you’d stay in your current position if you were to be blessed with such fortunes. It’s perfectly acceptable to say you’d start your own company, charity or project to further your personal development. This question really gets at whether you’re naturally inclined to work, so make sure those imaginary piles of cash would enable some form of future productivity.

Source: smarterer.com