Margaret Thatcher on Hard Work

I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near. - Margaret Thatcher

Conquer Fear.....

If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy! - Dale Carnegie

Live Your Passion!

Live Your Passion
ByNancy Shields

There's an old saying that goes: If you follow your passion, you will never work a day in your life. So many of us get caught in a rut and we end up in dead end jobs which we dislike. We dislike the idea of getting up in the morning to go to these jobs, and we don't like the idea of being at these jobs. I've done it plenty of times in my life, and finally I realized - enough of this insanity. Life is too short not to be doing what you truly love!

Of course, first you must find your passion. Once you find what truly excites you, then it is time to execute the plan in how you can make a living in what you truly love. I recently came in contact with Sue Fernandes, living in the U.K.; Sue designed my website, and after talking to her, she is an inspiration! She worked in the hotel business most of her adult life, she is nearly 40 years old and she decided on this new career move. She now builds and designs websites. I personally love stories like this. It's never too late to do what you LOVE!

I believe our parents were apt to stay in one career, one job, and would not move or even consider something else; the reason being because you have a job, it pays you money, so you stay in that job. They may not have been happy with that job, but, hey, they stuck to it. Guess what, they win the award for sticking to something they don't like. We spend too many hours in a day at these jobs and offices to be wasting our time with something we truly don't like. "Why" - I ask?

Imagine a life where you are creating and doing your passion? Words like joy, happiness, excitement are some of the feelings tied in doing something you love. I am going to use that word again - FEAR. This is what stops us from proceeding with our plan to start something new, for ourselves, and in the long-run, for all around us.

We are happy people when we are doing the things we enjoy. You feel less stressed and life flows so much better. So, time to get out there - figure out your true passion and DO IT!

If you love something and stick with it, you will get phenomenal results. This statement comes from inspirational speaker, Bob Proctor.

Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all!

Eleanor Roosevelt stated, "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." My dream has been to encourage and empower women. My passion to inspire through words of love and understanding. Makegirlfriends.com has been created for women to meet.share and inspire one another. We put so much emphasis on sites where men meet women but I found in life that my girlfriends have been there for me through life's challenges. The importance of great friends is what inspired me to create http://www.makegirlfriends.com/

I also have an inspirational blog at http://blog.makegirlfriends.com/

I will be launching this site on August 1, 2010 which is National Girlfriends Day in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Be part of the inspiration and part of this adventure we call life!

100 Famous Inspirational Quotes

Enjoy some of the most famous Inspirational Quotes of all time in this video:

It's Not the Load...

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. - Coach Lou Holtz

Free of Admirers?

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then. - Coach John Wooden

Responsibility

Whenever we seek to avoid the responsibility for our own behavior, we do so by attempting to give that responsibility to some other individual or organization or entity. But this means we then give away our power to that entity. - M. Scott Peck

No Scarcity of Opportunity

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there's only scarcity of resolve to make it happen. - Wayne Dyer

5 Ways to Create an Active and Healthier Lifestyle

Five easy ways to create an active and healthier lifestyle


(ARA) - Outside of the economy, fitness and healthy eating are among the most critical issues facing Americans today. Only 31 percent of Americans are getting adequate exercise and 68 percent of men and 53 percent of women are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Interview survey released in March.



The good news is that the tried-and-true approach of regular exercise and smart nutrition will go a long way toward managing weight loss and an overall healthy lifestyle. In fact, the benefits of being more active can be seen within a short time after starting a new routine and include more energy, less stress, lower blood pressure, improved digestive health and a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.



A fitness program doesn't have to take place in the gym. Beverly Abbs, an award-winning ultra-runner, recommends outdoor fun to get started on everyday fitness. "You don't have to run long distances in order to reap the health benefits," says Abbs, a member of Ultra-Running Team Sunsweet. "Short distance runs and even outdoor walks are a great way to stay fit and have fun. I got my start competing in athletic events with just 2- to 3-mile runs. That turned into a life-long love of ultra-running."



When you add in smart nutritional choices to your exercise routine, the positives pile up further.  "As a triathlete and a sports dietitian, I can tell you that plenty of healthy choices are convenient and taste delicious," says registered dietician Dr. Katherine Beals.



So, whether you aspire to overhaul your diet and exercise program or are just thinking about taking a few first steps to a healthier life, smart choices can start with a few simple steps. Abbs and Dr. Beals offer these tips for getting started on achieving overall better health.



1. Get and stay active:  Adults should get 2.5 hours of aerobic physical activity per week and perform strengthening activities two days a week, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services department.  Fortunately, it is easier than you might think to incorporate exercise into your routine.  For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator and find the parking spot that is farthest away to get extra steps in between your car and your destination.  Play tag with your kids, or consider signing up for a community fun run 5K. Not only do these runs usually provide an opportunity to race for a good cause, you can use it as training motivation.



2. Use interval training: Experts say varying your cardio work with a combination of easy/hard intervals will result in faster fitness gains.  It also mixes up your workouts and staves off boredom. Next time you go for a run, instead of keeping the same pace, try mixing in a few sprints. Start with 30 seconds on hard and 10 seconds on easy.



3. Go for convenience: Abbs says dried fruits like Sunsweet Ones, individually wrapped prunes, are a convenient and nutritious snack whether you're training for a marathon or just a busy person on the go. "These delicious snacks are portable, don't spoil and deliver calories that count." Plus, prunes are known to support digestive health.



4. Fill up with fiber: High-fiber foods are critical to digestive health and any weight loss program because they fill you up and help keep the hunger pangs at bay. The typical American eats only about 11 grams of fiber a day, according to the American Dietetic Association, and health experts recommend a minimum of 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day for most people. Fruits (dried and fresh) and vegetables are great fiber sources including apples, pears, prunes, peas, broccoli and sweet corn.



5. After an intense workout: Carbohydrate-rich foods that are energy dense, easy to digest and familiar and appetizing - like bagels, granola bars, crackers, dried plums and fruit juices - are good choices for post-workout fare to replenish any lost nutrients. Exercise also increases the loss of water from the body, primarily through sweat, so the harder and longer the workout, the more lost fluid that needs replacing.



"Drinking fluids like water, sports drinks, and fruit juices or eating water-containing foods can replace these lost fluids and, in the case of fruits, fruit juices and vegetables, replace much-needed potassium," Dr. Beals says.



Regardless of your current level of activity and commitment to nutrition, it is never too late to make smart decisions. Make the commitment today and take these steps toward a more fit and healthy you.



Courtesy of ARAcontent

Shades of Change.....

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.  - Arnold Bennett

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. - Frederick Douglass

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.  - C.S. Lewis

Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.  - Frank Herbert 

Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it. - Harry Emerson Fosdick

Character.....

Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike. - Teddy Roosevelt

Peace Is...

Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. - Ronald Reagan

Prepare to Win

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. - Zig Ziglar

Miracles

Miracles do not, in fact, break the laws of nature. - C. S. Lewis

Be Great, Powerful Beyond Measure