http://www.consciousgrowth.com Experiencing Potential through Balanced Living Sun, 25 May 2008 15:05:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Meaningful productivity is one pathway toward fulfillment and long-term success. It helps you meet internal needs by taking conscious action toward your goals. To be productive, you only need (1) to know what to do and (2) then do it. Many productivity books today only emphasize the "doing it" part. Getting ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/mind/on-meaningful-productivity-and-long-term-success/ Suffering is a painful yet normal part of life. Each day comes with tragedy and injustice; some days much worse than others. Whatever the trouble – be it physical, financial, inter-personal, or environmental – life throws it at you. Your mom passes away. You lose your job or go bankrupt. Your ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/soul/spirituality/the-10-worst-responses-to-suffering/ Coming up with a great idea is an interesting process. Sometimes, it happens at random as you shop for groceries, use the bathroom or stare blankly out the window. Out of nowhere, a great idea just hits you. Other times though, it is forged through effort and discipline. You stay ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/mind/13-ways-to-brainstorm-great-ideas/ Overdraft charges result from poor money management. They are clear indications that you need to be more conscious of your spending. Overdrafts happen for two reasons: (1) spending more money than you have or (2) failing to monitor the flow of your money. With a smaller budget, these pesky charges ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/mind/financial/how-to-never-overdraft-again/ Your mind maintains your survival by creating a perception of what is good and bad. Each judgment includes an unspoken context of meaning and value which energizes and directs focus into action and behavior. These "maps" help you navigate the territory of life. Without them, you wouldn’t last for more ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/mind/balance/mental-maps-improving-accuracy/ A relationship is like an emotional bank account. You put money in or you take money out. It happens every time you interact with someone. A deposit creates positive feelings in the relationship. A withdrawal puts strain on it. The balance (deposits + withdrawals) shows the relationship's level of trust. An ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/heart/relationships/improving-relationships-with-emotional-deposits/ When I first started dating my girlfriend, I thought we'd never fight. Couples who did that made no sense. We had the blissful relationship, fully accommodating of each other's wishes. It was great for a whole month! :) Then all of a sudden, we started acting human. Our flaws and weaknesses ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/heart/relationships/prevent-fights-with-your-spouse-use-a-pause-card/ In a previous article, I stressed the importance of using a cash budget to help you get out of debt. In it, I suggested using a credit card initially for emergencies. As you implement it though, it's important to setup an actual emergency fund relative to your budget. One major ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/mind/financial/getting-out-of-debt-setting-up-an-emergency-fund/ One of the lessons I learned in college was money management. Particularly because I was really bad at it. In the course of 5 years, I racked up a good amount of debt with credit cards and student loans. I wasn't managing it though and I started missing payments and ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/mind/financial/getting-out-of-debt-using-a-cash-budget/ Before you read through the list of ways to be more romantic with your girlfriend or spouse, I suggest reading Improving Relationship with Emotional Deposits. In it, I explain that an emotional deposit for one person may not be an emotional deposit for another. So you might think your doing ... http://www.consciousgrowth.com/heart/relationships/20-ways-to-be-spontaneously-romantic/