Find your self discovery

The following set of questions is from Gretchen Rubin who authors the “Happiness Project” blog. Thank you Gretchen for your wisdom.

Here is a list of questions meant to help you think about yourself, your daily habits, your nature, and your interests. There are no right or wrong answers; they’re fodder for reflection.

If something is forbidden, do you want it less or more?

Is there an area of your life where you feel out of control? Especially in control?

If you unexpectedly had a completely free afternoon, what would you do with that time?

Are you comfortable or uncomfortable in a disorderly environment?

How much time do you spend looking for things you can’t find?

Are you motivated by competition?

Fill in the blank: “I really wish I could make consistent progress on my project to _______.”

Do you find it easier to do things for other people than to do things for yourself?

Whom do you envy? Why?

What do you lie about? For instance, a friend told me he’d been telling people that he walked to work, when in fact he almost never does.

What did you do for fun when you were ten years old? Do you still do that activity–or would you like to do it?

Do you work constantly? or think you should be working?

Do you embrace rules or flout rules?

Do you keep New Year’s resolutions?

Do you work well under pressure? Deadlines?

What would your perfect day look like?

How much TV, YouTube, videos and movies do you watch in a week? 

Are you a morning person or a night person?

What’s more satisfying to you: saving time or saving money?

Do you like to be in the spotlight?

Is your life “on hold” in any aspect? Until you finish your thesis, get married, lose weight, move?

What would you do if you had more energy?

If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it?

What people and activities energize you? Make you feel depleted? 

Is it hard for you to get rid of things that you no longer need or want?

On a typical night, what time do you go to bed? How many hours of sleep do you get?

If at the end of the year, you had accomplished one thing, what is the one accomplishment that would make the biggest difference to your happiness?

Is there an activity that you love to do–yet somehow never seem actually to do it?

B>U supports grieving parents from the loss of their child.

BGreaterThanU.com, recognizes the grief parents suffer through the death of their child. Their “Bereaved Parents Day” sponsorship hopes to raise awareness and grief support for parents.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) May 10, 2013

B>U invites the entire Phoenix community to MISS Foundation’s “Bereaved Parents Day” event on May 19th at the Cesar Chavez Plaza from 8 AM to 1 PM. The event is to raise funds for the MISS Foundation, which provides grief counseling to parents who suffer the tragedy of child death.

The event begins with a 1-mile “Kindness Walk” at 8 AM followed by a morning of family activities including food, prizes, raffle items, children’s activities and much more. Members from the police and fire departments will provide safety information in the hope that it will save other families from experiencing this crippling loss.

“BeGreaterThanYou.com is not just about inspiring people to climb the highest of mountains but it’s also supporting people to overcome their greatest losses,” proclaims B>U Founder Matt Evans.

“It is why we are honored to support the MISS Foundation’s goal of helping bereaved parents overcome the greatest trauma of losing a child. We want to make it our goal to do everything we can to support the enormous contribution MISS provides to bereaved parents.”

The event highlights how devastating child death can be to parents and how important it is to provide affordable and continuing grief counseling.

The MISS Foundation, representing bereaved parents throughout the country, received the recognition from Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton proclaiming May 19 as “Bereaved Parents Day” to honor the parents who suffer from the loss of a child. Each year following it will be on the third Sunday of May.

The MISS Foundation encourages its neighbors to come together in compassion with heartfelt generosity to participate in raising much-needed funds for The MISS Foundation in the name of kindness. These much needed funds will help the MISS Foundation continue to provide service to families after the death of their child of any age from any cause.

The MISS Foundation began 17 years ago in Phoenix, AZ. The nonprofit organization with a staff of dedicated volunteers comes to the aid of thousands of families who have experienced the heartbreak of child death. Contributions are tax-deductible. Look for other MISS Foundation Walks happening throughout the nation athttp://www.MISSFoundation.org.

About B>U:
BGreaterThanU.com is an inspirational brand promoting a greater self for a greater world.

Click here for the actual release.

Face Your Fears!

There is a core set of wisdom in our humanity but so many ways to express it. You may know what that piece of “life advice”, inspiration or wisdom is, sometimes it’s how it’s said in a particular way that sparks the inspiration. That’s why B>U likes to canvass the many websites, blogs and people who share their wisdom and their perspective on the best ways to apply the wisdom or inspire others to embrace it.

The following is from Raylene Harvey, the lead author of the blog “Hapicup“. Thank you, Raylene, for your wisdom.

7 Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Failure

1. Ask yourself, what is the worst thing that can happen?

Everyone fears the unknown, that’s human nature, but by thinking about and writing down the worst case scenario you can begin to put your mind at rest and in so doing, start thinking of ways to bounce back from that “potential fail” and perhaps things won’t seem as scary as you make it out to be in the beginning.

2. Before you take the leap, give it a trial run

Don’t just jump off the one train if the next train isn’t already running. For your own peace of mind, why not give it a trial run and see if it will work for you or not – that is if you are able to juggle all your other responsibilities and priorities. Don’t make “not having enough time” an excuse. You will never have enough time unless you make time. Put in the extra effort, it will be worth it in the end.

If you do, however, decide to take the leap, ensure that you have a safety net – just some funds that will sustain for the next few months until your new venture starts taking off.

3. Think about what would happen if you do not act on it

There is a saying that goes “We regret the things we didn’t do more than the things we did do.”, and there is no worse feeling than a feeling of regret. Regret leads to disappointment, which in turn leads to stress, and stress makes you sick. It’s just not worth it. There is no harm in giving it a try, is there?

4. Surround yourself with those who support you

It is important to keep yourself motivated during the journey towards achieving your dreams and goals, but sometimes there are off-days where we feel like things are not going our way and finding inspiration is tough. This is when you need to surround yourself with those that inspire you – be it family, friends or even online through websites, blogs and social networks!

5. Celebrate your small successes

While it is important to focus on the bigger picture of your dreams and goals, you must never lose sight of the small victories, the small triumphs, the high-five moments during your journey. It is these moments that help us stay focused on continuing our dream journey.

Embrace each moment of your journey, time goes by so quickly, you don’t want to open your eyes in a years’ time and wonder where the time went. Make these moments count and show your gratitude for them.

6. Keep taking baby steps in the right direction.

Hapicup’s Raylene Harvey

Remember that consistent persistence key. Then you know you are on your way to having everything you have always dreamed of! Don’t give up when something doesn’t work out, keep doing what you are doing if it makes you happy. You can never go wrong doing what you love – especially when it makes you and everyone around you happy because it inspires others.

7. Remember to see failure as a blessing

We are only given what we can handle, and any time we feel we may have failed doesn’t mean it is the end! It simply means we have learnt an important lesson in our lives and we can move on, stronger, and wiser, than we were before.

Remember, wisdom comes from experience, and you would not have had the experience if you had said “No” in the first place. Whether it worked out or not, the experience is always a blessing. Not only that, but not getting what you want means there is something better in store for you later!

What? Ya lookin’ at me?

Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people. – Fred Rogers

One small step at a time to be greater than yourself.

You reach that success, by building on little, repeated successes. Much like a stair step. Your B>U “Stairway to Heaven”.

Win $500 for creating the B>U Tee Shirt Character

B>U’s tee shirt design contest will select five finalists to be voted on by the public. Competition entries will close one week after the first fifty entries to ensure a lively contest.

Inspirational brand B>U opens up their 2013 B>U tee shirt contest with a $500 cash prize. The winning design will be printed on 500 shirts and for every shirt sold, one dollar will go to the winner adding another $500 to the cash prize.

Entry fees are $20 and the entries will be closed one week after the first fifty people submit their entries. Five finalists will be selected and presented to the public through BGreaterThanU.com and the “Be Greater Than You (B>U)” Facebook page. The public will have one week to vote among the five finalists that will determine the winner. Every entrant will receive a free B>U Tee Shirt.

Eligible entries must include the “>” sign. The design must be just one color. Contestants may enter as many designs as desired but each submission requires a separate entry form and fee. Designs may be created by hand or may be computer generated. Go to full contest rules and submission guidelines to enter.

To enter, go to BGreaterThanU.com. Or you can mail your entry form, design and check to P.O. Box 10673, Austin, TX 78766. Please make checks payable to “Be Greater Than You”.

Curiosity is a path of discovery.

Curiosity creates an appreciation for the unknown and actually propels you forward because it eliminates the fear of making a wrong move- that keeps you stuck. You can breath a sigh of relief because there are no failures in experiments, just a process of information gathering to help you make the best well-informed and inspired decision.

Here are a few tips for strengthening your curiosity muscle:

• Learn something new. Pick up a book or take a class on a topic completely unrelated to your work or any other major agenda in your life. Explore the subject purely for the sake of wanting to learn more.

• Spend time with a child. Kids are master teachers when it comes to curiosity. They do not hesitate to touch, point, ask, even put things in their mouth to learn more about them. Spend an afternoon letting a child take the lead on what you will do, follow their agenda and be prepared to have your world view opened up in a whole new way. Don’t have a small child of your own? Borrow a friend or relatives- they will thank you for the break.

• Reconnect with someone from your past. Call up your college roommate you haven’t talked to in years, or that cousin you only see at weddings and funerals. Get curious about what is going on in their lives. Ask tons of questions and listen deeply. Wait to be surprised by things you did not know about them.

This post is a re-print from Mina Grace Drake from Catch a Fire.

Vivian Saunders is just one of the B>U inspirational stories.

BGreaterThanU.com opens website for individuals to share their inspirational stories and lifestyle tips to help people become greater than themselves.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 23, 2013

B>U opens their website for individuals to share their inspirational stories and healthy lifestyle tips. B>U, in its 6th month of existence, has researched and developed their own inspirational stories and now want to hear from the rest of world. Currently B>U features 24 inspiring people or groups throughout the world.

People can input their stories and tips directly from the website. B>U staff will review each submission for posting or follow up for further information and verification. Founders Matt Evans and Richard May look for stories and tips that promote self awareness, achieving dreams or a more fulfilled life.

“There are so many people out there doing great things that deserve the recognition,” states Evans. “That’s what B>U is here for. To share that inspiration with the world in hopes that they too will join the B>U evolution.”

They say the criteria are almost limitless as long as the theme of ‘a greater self means a greater world’ is at the core of the submission. Submissions from across the world are also encouraged. Submissions must include photos and a higher priority will be given to those wearing a B>U shirt or cap.

“B>U” is their created brand to identify and unify people who want to do their small part to make this planet a better place to live. Currently B>U offers tee shirts, polo shirts and caps but plan to expand their line as the company grows. They compare their business to the”Life is Good” company where people display their brand as part of their philosophy and identity.

B>U’s website and Facebook page feature individuals, inspirational stories and healthy lifestyle tips on a regular basis and now with their web page and Facebook page, they are giving access to anyone who feels they can inspire to do so through B>U.

The premise of the B>U philosophy is to inspire people to spend each day becoming a little bit better than they were yesterday. The site also featured inspirational and humorous quotes and people are also encouraged to post those on their Facebook page.

About B>U:
BGreaterThanU.com offers lifestyle tips, motivational quotes and features inspirational stories about individuals being greater than themselves for a better world. For more information, go to BGreaterThanU.com.

Life is not what you have. It’s what you do with it.

Inspirational Website, Tiny Buddha, was kind enough to ask B>U Conductor Bee May’s to recount his story of hardship and loss.

“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.” ~Carl Rogers

I had just gotten settled into my hospital bed after two hours of preparation. I had 32 electrodes taped to my bandage-wrapped skull, plugged into a machine that monitored my brainwaves, with just enough room to go from the bed to the bathroom.

After two ambulance rides and multiple seizures, I needed to find out what was going on with my brain.

The full diagnosis of my disease was still unknown then. The doctors told me it could be serious and to prepare for the worst.

The worst?

“Yes, they said. Your time on this earth could be seriously limited.”

Weeks? Months? A year? Years? They said “yes.” In other words, they didn’t know yet.

When the nurse left my room, I was there by myself with nothing but my thoughts about my life and death.

It quickly dawned on me that at some, most people would be in hospital beds, facing their mortality and asking themselves the hardest question they will be forced to ask: Did I live a fulfilled life?

I began to audit my life and smiled.

If the worst news came, I knew I’d be leaving this earth walking the path of fulfillment. Granted, I wanted several more decades to walk the path, but my brain condition forced me to answer that question of all questions.

The phrase “the path of fulfillment” was a revelation I’d had nearly 20 years ago on the plane ride home from my mother’s funeral.

Fulfillment is a constantly moving energy. It’s a path, not a place. You’re either walking on it or away from it. That’s why you have to work at it everyday to stay on the path.

Back then I wasn’t doing what, in my heart, I knew I always wanted. I wanted to make movies and music, to influence others, to make the world a better place. There were so many things I always wanted to do.

But they were huge endeavors, and fear superseded these dreams.

I had to face the fear of failure, the fear of success, the fear of rejection, the fear of what people would think.

So I acted. I wanted to make a movie. It was 1999, so the first thing I did when I landed at home in Austin, Texas was buy a computer, Final Cut pro editing software, and a digital camera.

I had never used a camera or editing software, but that didn’t matter. I took one small step at a time, and in two years my wife and I were travelling to New York, Los Angeles, and Muskogee, Oklahoma to view my documentary at film festivals.

Guess what the documentary was about? That’s right—fulfillment!

As a part of the documentary, I produced two of my own songs. Those songs played all over the world. That’s when there were 25,000 Internet Radio stations begging for music, so radio play over the web was accessible as long as you had a radio-ready produced song worth the airwaves.

Again, one small step at a time, and I had a movie and music under my belt.

I wanted to run a marathon. I was overweight and never really ran long distance before. But, all it took was a start, commitment, and follow-through. It took three years to accomplish, but I took small steps to make the big run.

I started by running one mile, then two, then a 10K, then a ten miler, then running a marathon in four hours and forty-seven minutes. Not a record setting pace, eh? Didn’t matter. To me, I had won the gold medal.

Fulfillment transcended again on March 5, 2007. That’s when I held my beautiful daughter in my arms, looking at all of her beauty, as she was perfect on that day she was to born. But she was dead. And it was tragic, no doubt about it, but if reinforced that life is fragile, and we need to honor it.

So I’m not going into the darkness that lay ahead, just the light that came from her death.

The revelation of fulfillment had elevated to the connections in our lives. Through all of this hardship, I was glad I’d married my best friend, as I don’t know how we could have survived otherwise.

All of our friends and family stood with us and were there for whatever we needed. I had made it a commitment and priority for my 40-something years on this planet to nurture true and deep friendships.

Those deep relationships paid off when I needed them the most. And still do.

I am close friends with those that I connected with in first grade, sixth grade, high school, and college—those relationships where you can peel off all of the layers and just be yourself and laugh and cry all in the same breadth.

Again, it was a commitment I made to be a true friend for all of those decades. You have to be a friend to have friends.

You have to make time to call them, Skype them, have a drink with them. In the end when you’re in your hospital bed facing your mortality, it is those connections that will truly matter.

To build those connections, first and foremost, you have to connect with yourself.

You have to know who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to connect with people and the society we live in.

When you connect with yourself, you can face your fears. You can build the confidence to act on your passions, to commit to them and follow through. And in doing this with deep connections, you can walk the path of fulfillment.

We now have a beautiful four-year-old daughter who is the brightest connection in our lives. My brain condition is in check as long as I take my handful of pills each day.

I make sure I cherish every moment with my daughter, my wife and best friend, my friends, and my family.

And I make damn sure that I honor my commitments to connect with myself, my loved ones, and the world where we all live.

Remember, one day, you will be in your hospital bed auditing your life. When you do look back on your life, you want to make sure you smile.

Be gracious for what you have – each other.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. B>U.