How to Be Successful

Most people want to improve some part of the person they are. While this is a great goal, it is one that can be hard to achieve. Most of us are born one way or another and to change that it takes quite a bit of effort. If you are willing to put forth the hard work it takes to make yourself a better person, the following article can help. Continue reading to find out how you can become the you that you can be proud of.

One thing that can help you become a better person is to rid your life of negativity. This is much easier said than done, but there are certain things that you can do. You will never be able to get all negativity out of your life, but a lot of things can be eliminated. Do you have a friend who is constantly down and griping about things? It might be time to distance yourself. Are there other things in your life that you can simply avoid or eliminate. When you work to get the negative things out of your life, you can be a much happier person.

While it is important to get the negative things and people out of your life, you also need to change your way of thinking. Instead of always thinking in a negative manner, start to think in a positive way. Is there something you think you can not do? Instead of thinking about how you are unable to do it, think positive thoughts about how you can actually meet your goal.

This also works when you think about what kind of person you are. Instead of focusing on your negative qualities, think about what your positive qualities are. For instance, do not dwell on the things you are not good at. What can you do well?

Another thing you can do to make yourself a better person is to set goals in your life. Not only do you need to set these positive goals, but you also need to make a plan on how you can reach your goals. When you begin to see that you can reach goals, you will get a boost of confidence and this will likely shine through in all you do.

Reading self help books is also a way to help you with personal development. There are many books out there on just about any topic imaginable. Search for reputable books and read them. They are generally full of information and ideas on things that you can do to help yourself become a better person.

If you do not have an enjoyable hobby, find one. Having a hobby, something that you like to do, can help you enjoy your life a lot more.

While it might not be the easiest thing to do, you can become a better person. Use the tips shared in this article and you can be on your way to becoming a person you can truly be proud of.

Talking to Your Children About Cancer

When diagnosed with cancer doctors, nurses, social workers, patient navigators, family and friends all work hard as part of your team, however, your child/children can also be a very important part of that team as well. Telling them may be hard but it is important and necessary.

Realize that they can recognize when something is wrong and they will go through their own range of emotions regarding your diagnosis. It is better to include them in your journey. Let them know it is ok to feel whatever they are feeling: sad, mad, scared, confused.

Be honest in answering their questions. Let them know about expected changes in their routines. Don't force information on them but answer questions as they come up in simple language that they can understand. Give them small age appropriate jobs so that they can feel involved.

For younger children, (under 10) my book "Mommy is Still Mommy: Cancer Can't Change That!" is an excellent resource tool. It is designed to be a catalyst for heartfelt conversations between a mother and her child/children.

Order your copy today at www.andreanugent.com, or through Barnes and Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mommy-is-still-…/1105119430…, or Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Mommy-Still-Cancer-C…/…/ref=sr_1_sc_1…

If you have not been impacted by cancer you can help impact a cancer patient's life by donating a copy to your local cancer treatment center or hospital.

#livingbeyondobstacles #breastcancerawareness #cancer #survivor #pink #mommy #cancerresources #ovariancancer #thyroidcancer #melanoma #sarcoma #coloncancer

What Matters Most In Life?

Someone asked me today what did I find to be the most important and the least important about life, while battling cancer.  This was my reply: 

Well for me, I was a workaholic and always struggled with work life balance.   My son Zach was so young and he would come and want to play and I remember having to often say not right now mommy has to finish this audit. It took me being sick to really put a value on quality family time. What became most important to me was creating memories that my son will always have long after I am gone. 

I began recording our conversations so he can remember things we share and my voice. Material things, though never were really important to me became even less important. I lost everything, my health, job, house, car yet I still had everything in God, my family, friends. Most of all God's trust in that He knew that I would know what to do once He healed me. Share His Word and His Love!

I am affectionately known in my family as "The Energizer Bunny,"  and some people still think I am a workaholic but I definitely now know when to shut it down and put family first.  I am so passionate about what I'm doing now it doesn't feel like work any more. 

Funny how life's challenges can change your whole perspective in life.  What matters today, truly may not matter tomorrow and vice versa. Definitely don't sweat the small stuff.  Thanks SK Dixon for inspiring this post.  Peace and blessings.

Empowerment...the choice is yours

“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition and NOT on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go.”

 – Martha Washington

I know, I know…we can say that this is a way of looking at life that is rooted too much in the way things used to be in the past – or we can say that whoever thinks this way does not know what we are going through.

You see, we can only live our own lives (as much as sometimes we may try to live other people’s as well) and because of this reality, we will never know how truly bad (or good) other people may have it. Remember what we project to the world is usually “the tip of the iceberg” – where the bulk of the reality is hidden from view.



So, when we look at this week’s empowering quote, we must forget about the rest of the world and think only of ourselves and our reality – because this is where we DO have the power of choice in how we look at things.



I will share this – it is way more difficult and a lot more work to always be looking at the positive side of things and be looking for and at opportunities – nonetheless, no one said that a life worth living was an easy life.



So, choose to be empowered this week and always be looking at the upside of everything that happens in your life. Sometimes it is very difficult to find the upside but we both know that in doing it this way, we will be able to discover our true strengths and because of it, the opportunities that others will miss … those opportunities that will allow us to leave a legacy; to be strong in navigating uncharted waters when others think it can’t be done; to be true to delivering on our responsibility to do the best we can to give the best of ourselves to this world … and in doing so achieve levels of success that we could never have imagined.

Make the choice for you, make the choice for your family, make the choice for the world … no matter who you want to make the choice for – just make the choice to be EMPOWERED and take the road less traveled for it will make all the difference.