Happiness and Goals

           

                   Happiness and balance is something everyone strives to achieve through being successful in their personal and professional lives, But to begin with, what is success exactly? I asked around some friends the same question everyone gave me a different answer according to their own point of view and how they perceive success most of them linked it to their goals what that they want to achieve at some point in time.

In my opinion success is not a " Destination " its the " Journey " itself , being satisfied inside about your daily life activities,what you do ,what you see, what you have and the direction of your path if it is towards your goals, are you seeing them getting closer and achieving them one by one.
How to accomplish that ? well first thing is first "If you don't know where are you going you can never get there " so the key point here is " Goal Setting " goal setting is very very important because goals really do define your future.Write down your goals , researches showed that you will have better chances achieving them, keep in mind that a common misstep is to be overly ambitious with your goals don't get me wrong its good to aim at the stars but be careful to aim too high (You'll brake your neck) lol .Just be realistic and optimistic as much as possible while writing your goals in a (SMART) format : Specific,Measurable,Attainable,relevant and Timely based. Finally I would like to share with you ten simple tips that for sure will help you be happy and successful :

- keep your list to 10 goals .
- Write them down where you can see them frequently (phone or beside bed ).
- Surround yourself with people doing the same or have already achieved it.
- Constantly stay on the lookout for opportunities that will help you attain your goals.
- Visualize yourself succeeding.
- Let everyone know what you are doing people want to love and see others succeed.
- Free your life of other interest or time consuming endeavors that no longer fit your goals.
- Talk to people who are doing what you want to do and ask for advice and assistance.
- As you meet a goal replace it with another one keep stretching your mind and ambitions.
- Stay positive and flexible.

                                                  " Plan your work & work your plan "

The right friends

            

Finding the right friends and building lasting friendships is something everyone strive to achieve since lasting friendships are considered to be the backbone of our social life where they help us in many ways throughout our personal and professional lives as well as they provide the constant support and companionship that a friendship can provide, being a friend and having a friend makes life worthwhile.
        
              Friendship is one of the most amazing things in life that is most valued and appreciated. Real lasting friendships doesn't happen over night it takes investment from both parties in order for this friendship to grow and prosper they say "a friend who walks in when everyone is walking out " . sometimes we get disappointed from people we thought they are friends that is why its important to learn from your previous experiences and try to really determine the ones worth investing in. I will share with you some tips of why choosing the right friends is very important .

1.Stress Relief
friends can be a big stress reliever when you take a break from studying or work to hangout and do anything fun that you share interest in with them to relax and enjoy a good time doing what you like with good company. 

2.Support
Everyone needs support specially at difficult times and that is what good friends are for to support you and stand by you in difficult times either you are away or at home .

3.Help
Good friends show up when you need help if your car broke down in the middle of nowhere and need a ride there is a few who you will wake up to come assist you and if you are moving they wont ask if you need help they will just show up at your house.

4.Positive Motivation
Having positive optimistic friends around you is important to motivate you and helps you to stay positive specially through rough times when you are down.

5.You well become Them.
This is the most important reason when choosing your friends because friends will have strong impact on you whether you admit it or not its a fact , you will adopt words they use and start developing similar habits and laugh about thing they thought it funny.

It is very important to choose friends that share the same standards to build each other up and who will love and support you encouraging you to bring your best out .

Tomorrow

Beat the odds and achieve your goals today.

Smart Snacking Strategies

Here are some ways to make healthy snacking part of your everyday routine:

• Prepare healthy snacks in advance. Did you know that you can make your own granola or trail mix? When you make something yourself, you get to control the ingredients and put in what's good for you! You also can keep plenty of fresh fruit and veggies at home to take on the go. Cut up melons or vegetables like celery and carrots in advance and store them in the fridge until you want them. Making your own snacks is also a blessing to your wallet!
• Keep healthy snacks with you. Make it a habit to stash some fruit, granola bars, or baby carrots in your backpack so you always have some healthy food nearby. Half a cheese sandwich also makes a great snack to have on standby.
• Make it interesting. Healthy snacking doesn't have to be boring as long as you give yourself a variety of choices. Whole-wheat pretzels with spicy mustard, rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins, or low-fat fruit yogurt are healthy, tasty, and easy.
• Satisfy cravings with healthier approaches. If you're crazy for chocolate, try a hot chocolate drink instead of a chocolate bar. An 8-ounce mug of hot chocolate has only 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. The average chocolate bar, on the other hand, has 230 calories and 13 grams of fat. Substitute nonfat frozen yogurt or sorbet for ice cream. If you're craving savory munchies, snack on baked tortilla chips instead of regular corn chips and pair them with salsa instead of sour cream. Or satisfy salt cravings with pretzels instead of chips.
• Read serving size information. What looks like a small package of cookies can contain 2 or more servings — which means double or even triple the amounts of fat, calories, and sugar shown on the label.

Don't slip up after dinner. Evenings can be a tempting time to indulge in sugary, fatty snacks. If you're really feeling hungry, don't ignore it. Instead, pick the right snacks to fill the hunger gap. Whole-wheat fig bars, rice cakes, or air-popped popcorn can do the trick, as can fruit paired with cheese or yogurt.

Healthy Treats to Try!

Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard and it's definitely worth the little bit of extra effort. Here are a few healthy snacking ideas that do the trick:

• Ants on a log: Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top with raisins. See picture to the left.
  
• Banana ice: Peel several very ripe bananas, break them into 1-inch pieces, and freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Just before serving, whirl the pieces in the blender with a small amount of water or juice. Serve right away. Add berries for a different flavor or top with fruit or nuts.
  
• Healthy ice pops: Freeze fresh, unsweetened 100% juice in ice pop molds or ice cube trays.
  
• Whole-grain pita and hummus: Warm a pita in the oven on low, then cut it into small triangles. Dip it in a tasty, low-fat hummus. Hummus is available in yummy flavors like garlic and spicy red pepper. Hummus also makes a tasty dip for cut-up veggies.
  
• Happy trails mix: Combine 1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cereal with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and ¼ cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix.

As with everything, moderation is the key to smart snacking. Students who eat regular meals and healthy snacks are less likely to overeat and gain weight than those who skip meals or go for long periods without eating and then munch down a large order of fries.

It's also natural to feel hungrier at certain times — like between a long afternoon of classes and your sports game meet. Knowing how much food your body needs to satisfy this hunger is critical. A handful of walnuts is great brain food before sitting down to do that math homework. But a whole bag won't help you add anything — except pounds!