Removing Negative Thought: Tips To Overcome and Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Tina Su - Think Simple. Be Decisive. Says:

October 31st, 2007, 5:20 am

RE: how have you dealt with negative thoughts or broken through your comfort zone

I have two main tips which I personally use:

1. Fully acknowledging the negative thought as they come. Fully feel the feeling of fear, of change, of un-comfort. When you observe your thoughts as a ‘third-person’ or as a pure observer, your will notice that the uncomfortable feeling will slowly dissipate.

2. “Feeling the fear and doing it anyway” Just jump in without thinking. And when you are done, you’ll look back and feel a real sense of accomplishment and fulfillment for successfully gone outside of your comfort zone.

I have written an article called “How to Fight Your Fears” which contains a personal story as an example on how I dealt with being outside my comfort zones.

I hope if will be helpful. to you :)
Thank you Mark for being so candid with this post.

Love & Gratitude,
Tina
Think Simple. Be Decisive
~ Productivity, Motivation & Happiness

Quanology Says:

October 31st, 2007, 6:30 am

What a coincidence! I just had the same thing last night - some negative thoughts creeping up about a company I am setting up. I was laying in bed last night and when I would say to myself “I run this successful company” (to really feel it) - I would feel this little “hicup”and hesitation. I just kept saying it and saying it with more and more energy and belief until the hesitation was gone. I feel much better now.
But in general, here are some ways I deal with this stuff (in no particular order):
1. make sure the process is fun - no matter how meaningful and important it is, if you don’t enjoy it, you will have a hard time convincing yourself it’s worth the energy. Especially when you have periods of doubt, focus on the fun to work yourself out of a dip. Start with a list of the fun things that exist in your project
2. start small - taking on too much or making it too big in your head will also put a lot of pressure on yourself which will only take away from the “fun”
3. get a good list of reasons why you want to do the project and refer to it regularly. It should energize and inspire you to get past your self-doubts since the end result looks so delicious. This should definitely include the people you are serving and the benefits they will receive from the project.

That’s all I can come up with for now, but doing these well should amount to a lot. It’s perfectly natural to have self-doubts - it’s your brain’s way of protecting you from overexersion and danger. You just need to convince your brain that doing the project successfully will lead to joy and happiness.

David Says:

October 31st, 2007, 6:50 am

I hear what you are saying about negative thought defeating you before you begin. I have ambitions in my life that I haven’t pursued because of fearful thoughts of failure seeping into my thinking. I’ll have a great idea and rave about it for a day or so and then I will begin to shoot it down until I have completely trashed it. Then I end up feeling low and self critical. I have recently realised that the reason I never followed through on those ideas was because I really didn’t want to do them. I know it sounds like a cop out but anything I have really wanted to do just happened, in the sense that I made the effort without thinking it was an effort, I just did it, it filled my thinking time and I got on with it with a happy feeling of doing something I really wanted. You sound like a good person with good intent in your heart and I bet you already do good in the world, your blog for one. I wouldn’t give yourself such a hard time about the whole aide agency deal. Its one thing having an idea its another following through. Like I said before, for me, I follow through on the ideas I really want to.

AI Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:01 am

I myself have been very much annoyed by how negative thinking can literally halt you in your endaevours. After analyzing for a long time (few years) I have realized that it is all about what fear you have nourished.

Negative thoughts come from fears. Fear springs from attachment.

For eg. if a person feels he will be short of money someday (and feels so consistently) then a fear for poverty will be induced in him. Misers are so born. This is a result of attaching your mind to money (attachment that leads to the fear of losing it some day).

There are many such fears, fear of health, fear of loss of loved one, fear of being laughed at…etc.

I always try to overcome all these fears by practising detachment from all the wordly object (This will take far more writing to explain). It works.

The ultimate solution to this is to imagine your self consistenly to be larger that life. That you are not a material that will perish and as a routine write all the positive thoughts and at idle time read, write or listen to them.

Try it. The only person that can stop you from feeling that what you want to feel is ironically yourself! Wish you all the luck and best wishes.

Quanology Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:04 am

Great point David! I’ve had the same. Used to always think up new ideas and then get bored or down on them within a few days - and one day realized I just never really wanted to do them. I only wanted the perceived benefits they would bring - like money and recognition. And those just aren’t enough to convince your brain to follow through - that’s why the “fun” part is so important. And when I realized this, I realized I wasn’t a quitter or a failure - I was just choosy, which is a good thing.

“Will you really enjoy the process and are you passionate about it?” Sounds like Mark has both, so I just would recommend concentrating on making it fun and contributing on whatever scale instead of forcing it to be successful and viable right off the bat.

Flointhesun Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:04 am

Interesting post, thank you for writing on this subject.

As an eternal pessimist, striving and determined to build a more optimistic view, I often find myself struggling with self-doubt and negative thoughts. As a lot of readers, I’m sure.

When I’m stuck in the vicious circle of loss of confidence-self doubt-feelings of helplessness, I found mostly two things can get me back on the action road, procrastination free.

The first one is to try and focus on the desired outcome.
How am I going to feel once I reach that goal ? How others areas of my life are going to change ? What will I have learnt from the process ? How will it change me, as a person ? Will it lead to something better ? Is it the necessary step to something I want even more ? and so on.
And I try to picture that as precisely and vividly as possible, until the pressure and negative feelings are beaten to the punch by motivation, hope for a better self, excitement at the possibility of reaching that particular goal and everything that goes with it.

The second way is to simply imagine the worst scenario possible. I put my negative tendencies to good use here, but it’s some kind of applied relativism, if you will. The more awfull the scenario, the more efficient, because it puts the whole picture in perspective and lighten the pressure on my shoulders.
When negativity strikes (be it an habit or just a result of a stressfull day), I find it often very hard to just shut it out. So instead of trying to transform this full powered negativity in an unconvincing positivity, well I just use it to the fullest, to the point of ridicule. That’s when I get it out of my system (and often, with a chuckle)

From the beginning negativity is mostly subjective and the consequence of our own state of mind, it has very little to do with the task to accomplish. If the task is overwhelming fo any reasons (the amount of work involved, the short deadline, something never done before, etc), it’s all the easier to get trapped in self doubt and negativity.
But what about trying to separate the two : the task to be done and the feelings (negative, in this case) it brings up.
Well, more easily writtne than done, but it may be worth a try ?!

Have a nice day, everyone !

zen Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:16 am

for starters,
i will support the organization!!

(now you can strike off self doubt no.4 ^^)

Toby Doncaster Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:17 am

I can’t agree with the idea that “whatever I want to do must be enjoyable.” Some things just plain aren’t and getting out of your comfort zone might be done with a light-hearted approach with some people, whereas with others, what’s needed is a swift kick in the tush!

I had a motorcycle I had to completely renovate in order to sell, and couldn’t get myself to pick up the tools and get started. However, I was able to organise a lot beforehand; preparing workspace and organising shelving for all the components, ordering all the parts, and getting all the specialised equipment I would need. But then came ‘crunch day’ where I had to get the project started. Couldn’t do it. “What if I can’t put the bike together again?”

Fortunately, a friend took it on himself to approach me, and expressed a wish to learn about motorcycle repair. Suddenly, I was back in the role of tutor, one in which I am comfortable with.

So on crunch day, we partially dis-assembled the vehicle. He came for another session, and we did some more work. Then he had other commitments and had to leave the project.

Being on my own, but having taken the first step with the help of a friend, I was able to completely strip the bike, service all faulty components, replace parts as needed, and completely re-assemble the vehicle. It passed its annual government transport test last week, and can be taxed, insured and sold.

So my advice: don’t go it alone. Sometimes, having a buddy to help you initiate the process helps a ton.

King Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:29 am

Well done once again.

Just wanted to add:

1) thought is important but action is more meaningful
2)Lets us know when you finally start it and trust we all could be supporting it in various ways.

Thanks again.

Quanology Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:43 am

Hi, in response to Toby’s comment - the “swift kick in the tush” can also be seen as preceiving that “forced action, however unpleasant, is a more enjoyable process than feelings of guilt and self-loathing for no action at all”. It’s still about perceived “enjoyment” for lack of a better word. NO ACTION happens until you convince yourself that it is “better/more enjoyable/more fun/more rewarding/more meaningful” than not doing it. It’s universal - if largely subconscious.
Thanks for responding. :-) Good point about getting a buddy. Coaches can also be seen as professional buddies.

Mark Says:

October 31st, 2007, 7:53 am

Good morning everyone, and Leo, thanks for posting my article:

For me, and the negative thought situation that I describe in the above post, I think the obstacles and seemingly minor hurdles that you have to jump through while trying to accomplish any goal can increase self-doubt. Additionally, no matter how many goals we have and would like to pursue, life still goes on with family, work, other commitments, etc. Even though the minor details are stacking up to produce negative thoughts and ultimately standing in the way of this one particular goal, the conceptual, online, humanitarian aid agency that I write about in the post is still one that remains at the forefront of my mind. It is one goal that I am pretty determined to see through to fruition and if you are interested in reading some background I have posted a little more information below.

A little information about the humanitarian aid agency I envision:

People have mixed feelings about aid agencies and rightly so. I would like to create an online, sustainable, and reputable humanitarian organization. The key reasons for keeping the project completely online are twofold. First, I want to cut out the extremely high administrative overhead costs, which drain a majority of the large humanitarian organizations of resources that could go towards helping those affected, and ensure that 99.999% of any monies raised are used for humanitarian aid.

Secondly, my other motivation for keeping everything online is to try and show others out there who would like to help but don’t know how that with a little creativity and initiative they can actually do something to help people and not let apathy or frustration set in after watching the evening news.

All funds would go toward helping refugee orphans, or children who have been displaced due to internal strife in their home country. As a final note, the agency would have as close to one hundred percent transparency as legally possible (e.g. would post amounts raised but not the giver’s information).

If you are interested in possibly discussing the matter further you can always shoot me an email at mark_w_hayward[at]yahoo.com. I have a Masters Degree in International Development but I could use some assistance with applying for 501(c)3 status and trying to overcome technical problems (yes I need programming assistance).

Kind regards, and I hope you all have a GREAT day!
Mark

Mike Pedersen Golf Says:

October 31st, 2007, 8:23 am

Our internal thoughts are at battle at all times. We are making choices every minute of every day. It all comes down to our choices. We will never make 100% good choices, but being more aware of all these choices will open our eyes and allow us to be more conscious about these choices. Great post!

Patricia Thompson Says:

October 31st, 2007, 8:41 am

I started an animal rescue organization (with a group of four other people) and just dove in head first without even knowing what I was up against. If I had known everything I know now, I would never have done it. It turned out well– we ended up starting a private, donor-supported animal shelter that has operated successfully for almost five years, in a rural county that had virtually no animal services. So what does this have to do with negative thinking? Well, as Quanology says in his second post: “Used to always think up new ideas and then get bored or down on them within a few days - and one day realized I just never really wanted to do them.” What kept me going was a passion for the mission. I admit during the first couple of years I was obsessed. My job suffered, and I was at the end of a relationship so I didn’t put any energy into that or any other personal life. This WAS my personal life. No, it didn’t last, because that level of commitment and energy is unsustainable. I realized this when I started to burn out and I knew I needed to step back for a while. What kept me going was the group. We were all in this together. Also, I managed to forge a partnership with another group, and merge with them, and their energy (and resources) allowed me to step back for a while. When I came back, I kept the sustainability factor in mind, and focused on contributing in ways that I was most good at and enjoyed the most. If I had not had to make a living, at one point I probably would have quit my job and things would have been different. There were so many things that I wanted to do! Growing a viable non-profit organization is a very multi-faceted endeavor! But to get back to the point, having partners is what saved me from the negative thinking. This approach has worked well for me at my job too, because beginning a project or seeing it through often seems overwhelming to me, but doing it in in conjunction with a team or a small group saves me from the rumination of self-defeat.

Ken Xu Says:

October 31st, 2007, 8:47 am

I believe, belief alone is not sufficient. I will need to take my self into an alignment of what my belief is and take positive action to make the momentum to move. If not, I will tend to be recaptured into my comfort zone again. ^^

P.G. Smith Says:

October 31st, 2007, 10:16 am

S*@t will always happen. Try anyway.
Take inspiration from other people who have done or are doing something similar.
Learn from mistakes others have made, but don’t be intimidated. Remember, you will make your own mistakes. Let others learn from you, too.
The fear of failure is often worse than the failure itself. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Will you lose your family? Your house? Your car? Your pride? Some things are worth protecting, such as your family, some things are not worth so much, or can be replaced, or you can do without them for a while.
Question: You said you would like to set up an agency to help orphans in war-torn countries. That is an admirable and worthy goal, but like you said, there are a lot of agencies that try to do that already. What about helping people closer to you? There are so many people in North America who could use help with housing, literacy, health, education and so on. What is needed in your community right now? A community garden? A centre (yes I’m Canadian and that is how we spell it) for at-risk youths? Flexible education programs for teenage parents? Services for seniors? There are so many ways to help. Don’t limit yourself.
Good luck in whatever you do.

Muffin Says:

October 31st, 2007, 10:23 am

Everyone is plagued with self doubt from time to time. I’ll have days where I could rule the world if I wanted to and then the next day I will consider myself worthless.

To get through the tough days I always:

- Stay present and remind myself that the only way I will learn and grow as a person is if I take risks.

-Try to remember how amazing it feels when a goal is accomplished.

-Ignore my “ego” . I constantly remind myself that it is my own worst enemy and is trying to create internal conflict. I try to focus on the “me” that is much deeper.

on a side note:

@Mark - I don’t mean to solicit you in any way, but I am a website developer and i believe I could help you out with your site if you would like. I love the concept of your organization and I would surely work for cheap if i knew i could contribute to such a noble cause. Please let me know if you would like to talk about this.

Terry Says:

October 31st, 2007, 11:35 am

I love this article because it describes me to the T! I am not doing what I love but I do my job because it pays the bills and that is necessary for me right now.

On the side I have a love for building a gift basket business. I love making gifts and creating beautiful gift packaging that is special and unique to people. I was at my local gourmet store and saw that they have a gift basket line and the baskets look really bad…the bows are all smushed, they look old, worn down, etc. I am trying to get up the nerve to go in there and offer to do the service for them and pay them a portion of the profits. I will buy the goods from the store to put in the baskets, assemble the baskets all beautifully with unique bows and enhancements and walk away with a percentage of the profit. Sounds easy in writing but getting up the nerve to ask for it is another matter. I am terrified of being rejected but I need to at least pretend I don’t have a fear and just do it. Any suggestions?

ivan Says:

October 31st, 2007, 11:57 am

one thing that I find helpful is to share the burden with a likeminded person. it is natural to have moments of doubt, or feel tired and exhausted. but if you have someone to help you in those moments, to kick your butt when you need it, it will help you in the end. of course you need to be willing to do the same when the need arises.

Sent from my mobile using FeedM8

P.G. Smith Says:

October 31st, 2007, 12:27 pm

@Terry
Even if the store turns you down, make some baskets anyway as starter pieces and tell all your friends and relatives what you are doing. Don’t underestimate word of mouth. Find the local crafts markets where you can market your stuff. Remember to print business cards. Plan for major holidays such as Mother’s Day, Valentines, Christmas, etc. Create theme-based baskets too. Get Well, Anniversary, Newly Wed, Birthday Boy, Birthday Girl, Naughty Adult Birthday, Organic Treehugger, and so on. Don’t forget pets, or rather, baskets for people with pets, too. Keep track of your time and materials so you don’t under price yourself.
Go for it!

Marlin Says:

October 31st, 2007, 12:55 pm

I think of negative thought patterns as misplaced energy. When you have something you really want, you create a sort of connection between the probability that has yet to come into being and the present moment, and this can give you a real jolt. It’s like sticking your finger in a metaphysical light socket. All those negative thought patterns are just ways that your mind is dealing with the extra energy. I think the first step is not to buy into what the thoughts are saying, and recognize that they are just energy that can be assimilated into more productive thought patterns.

PS- geez who are you Mother Theresa? All my future goals involve me being surrounded by beautiful women and video games in a lovely mansion. Congratulations on being a saint!

Daiko Says:

October 31st, 2007, 12:58 pm

This problem strikes me especially when the project would be large and time consuming or require instability in my source of income. A friend and I have the same ambition: to become professional woodworkers and build beautiful things for a living. He made the jump last year, enrolling in a 2-year apprenticeship-style program where he’s learning the trade. I remain on the lip of that precipice, looking down and attempting to acquire enough rope to build a ladder.

I’m fairly certain that my friend will achieve his goal amid a pile of debt, but I wonder about reaching my goal. For now I am taking cost-free and low-cost steps: clearing the basement and setting up the shop. Making plans for a small-scale business that will sit alongside my regular job, and accumulating enough money to pay for a training program in cash (rather than credit). Perhaps time will run out on me. Perhaps not.
___________________________
Wishing you a prosperous future
Daiko

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

October 31st, 2007, 13:00 pm

Great post, Mark. Whenever I feel scared or discouraged, I always think about what the alternative is. For example, if you’re feeling a little unsure about setting up the agency, think about all the pain you’ll experience if you don’t follow through and all pleasure you’ll experience of you do.

It could go something like this: If you don’t follow through, you’ll feel the pain of knowing you didn’t even try and were unable to follow through on a passion. If you do follow through, you’ll feel the pleasure that comes from knowing you’re trying to make a difference in the world.

Powerful reasons like that remind you why you’re aiming for your goals in the first place and are always important to focus on when you feel a little discouraged. Good luck!

Pril Says:

October 31st, 2007, 14:06 pm

Educated risks! very important!
example!
my partner and I were doing road side parks and exploring! we love to hike!
well get to this cliff with a ridge to climb up it and have a breath taking view.. My partner climbed up on his feet!
me I stayed at the bottom looking at the water! I was scared to death of falling and getting hurt.. not really scared of heights just scared to get hurt! lol
well my partner was in aww over the view and i started to get mad and sad and not positive at all!
so i explored my options! and did what you said not using the word can’t!
I said I can and i did.. I looked like a fool with my body compressed againste the earth and me straddling this ridge.. I really didn’t think i could do it… but guess what I did and have the wonderful photo’s to prove it!
after I did that I felt alive and honestly felt like you couldn’t put anythning infront of me that i couldnt smash out!
I was so empowered by this risk that i started to take more educated risk..
umm i’m a very happy human!

Mark Says:

October 31st, 2007, 14:46 pm

@patricia thompson - thanks for the group tip! It sure sounds like you did a heck of a job the animal rescue organization.

@p.g. smith - extremely valid suggestions you make! We are already volunteering with the on island humane society and I volunteer my Geographic Information System skills. Acting locally is very important. When we were in our village for the very last night as Peace Corps volunteers in Papua New Guinea a young woman passed away from cerebral malaria. The main reason she died was because the village clinic only had quinine available in tablet format and not as an injection so they could not get the medicine into her…To make a long story short, from then on I always thought that if there was a way I could assist and try to help even one person from passing the way that the young woman did then I am going to.

@muffin - you can reach me at mark_w_hayward[at]yahoo.com for further discussion.

@terry - is it possible to start off small selling to family and friends and then go big with the gift baskets?

@marlin - you had me laughing out loud with the Mother Theresa comment…

Kind regards,
Mark

linda Says:

October 31st, 2007, 16:01 pm

Visualization!!!

Positive self-talk.

Take a step toward your goal every day.

Sure you might get scared or frustrated but that will pass if your really passionate about your project!
God Bless
Linda from Cal

Terry Says:

October 31st, 2007, 17:19 pm

Thank you to those who responded to my comment on me making gift baskets. Yes, precisely what I am doing right now is starting out small especially as we go into the holidays. I am going to “practice” my products on my family members as gifts. That kills two birds..first I give my gifts and second, I try out small as a hobby with no pressure to see how I like it. So yes I am not going to overwhelm myself at first but I am going to start out small with the holidays coming up…..Thanks!

Lucas Says:

October 31st, 2007, 20:07 pm

When plagued by self-doubt, lack of confidence or just a case of the grumps (which is more frequent), I’m often inclined to just not move for a while. As one might expect, this actually makes things worse rather than better.

The answer: get up and do something. Make and enjoy a cup of coffee, take a walk, anything, as long as it’s something.

If I can find a reason and some inclination to laugh at myself (in a good-natured, genuinely amused way), that can help as well.

Also, smile. You’ll feel better. It may sound stupid, but it works.

Henriette Says:

November 1st, 2007, 7:37 am

I have to agree a bit with David - maybe you don’t want it enough? Do you feel that you “should” want to do it? (Because of your education?) Perhaps you’d be better off working with something similar, but for other people, not setting up the whole organization yourself? I can certainly appreciate and deeply respect your wonderful, caring idea, but if other factors such as administrative things etc are holding you back, I have understanding for that too….

Mark Says:

November 1st, 2007, 8:00 am

@Henriette - just happened to catch your comment…

It is something I definitely want to do because I think that most of the humanitarian aid agencies do a tremendous job but I think a lot of them work from the same basic model and structure that was developed many years ago.

Henriette Says:

November 1st, 2007, 8:06 am

@ Mark - Perhaps you should look at a different “business model” then - how about contacting some of them and suggesting a partnership?

Mark Says:

November 1st, 2007, 8:10 am

Henriette - that is a great idea!

Henriette Says:

November 1st, 2007, 8:12 am

I really hope you’ll let us know how things develop - either way!

Tina Su - Think Simple. Be Decisive. Says:

November 1st, 2007, 8:33 am

RE: how have you dealt with negative thoughts or broken through your comfort zone

I have two main tips which I personally use:

1. Fully acknowledging the negative thought as they come. Fully feel the feeling of fear, of change, of un-comfort. When you observe your thoughts as a ‘third-person’ or as a pure observer, your will notice that the uncomfortable feeling will slowly dissipate.

2. “Feeling the fear and doing it anyway” Just jump in without thinking. And when you are done, you’ll look back and feel a real sense of accomplishment and fulfillment for successfully gone outside of your comfort zone.

I have written an article called “How to Fight Your Fears” which contains a personal story as an example on how I dealt with being outside my comfort zones.

I hope if will be helpful. to you :)
Thank you Mark for being so candid with this post.

Love & Gratitude,
Tina

Daiko Says:

November 1st, 2007, 11:32 am

Negative thoughts can be countered with a change of focus. Here’s something I’ve started doing to combat negative thoughts:

1. Stop fixating on specific end results.

Every morning I make a list of three things that would be good to accomplish today. Often these are very small and achievable. Contrary to some advice I’ve seen, my aim is to accomplish these easily.

On days that are filled with big time consuming obligations, I make these mini goals extremely small so they will fit into the day. Of course, if one or all of these help me work toward a larger goal (like Mark’s goal of starting a non-profit) that’s OK, but I don’t put any restrictions on what these are. One of yesterday’s goals was to enjoy Halloween with my kids!

2. Start reviewing positives from the day.

At the end of the day I sit down to think of at least 5 positive things that happened that day. I usually end up with 10 to 15, and in most cases the start is easy: I can list the achievement of my 3 morning mini-goals.

I started this plan just over a week ago in response to Leo’s September article on how to create a habit. So far it has worked amazingly well at reducing my negative thoughts, and has seen me through one of the toughest weeks I’ve had in years (my water heater filled the basement with water, and we’ve spent all our spare time clearing the basement, getting the boiler fixed, arranging for a dumpster, and filling it. There could be a lot of negatives in a week like this, but the daily review of positives has helped me see my successes rather than dwell on the things the basement has prevented me from doing.
___________________________
Wishing you a prosperous future
Daiko

Brad Says:

November 1st, 2007, 13:31 pm

I think the biggest issue with the negative self-talk is that it’s cyclical. I’ve found that if I simply change the thought into a question, I’m at least able to understand why I’m thinking a certain way. This typically helps move me forward on whatever project I’m working on.

1. I need someone to help with programming the online end user functionality.

Why do you need someone? What specifically do you need help with? How are you going to find someone to help?

Write the questions down. Then figure out what you need to do to answer them.

Best of luck!

Cheers,
Brad

Mark Says:

November 1st, 2007, 20:17 pm

Because of this post I have had a wonderful ZenHabits reader email me and say that he would be willing to assist with the online user functionality.

Additionally, I do not know if it was ZenHabits karma, but yesterday I ran into a friend who formerly worked for Human Rights Watch and she said that she would be willing to assist and advise on the establishment of a 501(c)3 organization. So, thank you all for your comments and offers of assistance.

p.s. when we reach launch stage (if Leo allows) I will let the ZenHabits community know.

Henriette Says:

November 2nd, 2007, 3:26 am

How WONDERFUL! The internet loves you! Good luck with the project!
Karma-greetings from
Henriette

Brendan Says:

November 2nd, 2007, 7:14 am

Hi,
In a zen approach you could have a site that lists ten simple, clear worthwhile causes (water pump for village x, new school roof for school y) that are achievable in a realistic amount of time. Let people donate if they want and have another page for updates of completed projects. A three page website humanitarian organisation. A simple effective way to do good.

Whatever way you decide to approach your project if you need any technical help let me know.

Regards
Brendan

Dot Hage Says:

November 5th, 2007, 10:48 am

My first way to move ahead when I’m faced with a lot of negative thoughts is to ask myself, “Who in my family used to talk like this?” I often find that these negative messages were imposed on me at a very early age by a family member, and they pop up unbidden years later. Identifying the source of the negativity helps me to move beyond it.

Second, I tell myself, “It’s okay to fail.”

Hope this helps.

Mark Says:

November 7th, 2007, 23:17 pm

Greetings Leo ~

Not sure if people are still getting the comments on this post but I just wanted to give a quick update.

Part of my plan to help raise funds and awareness for humanitarian causes entailed me seeking monetary donations while I trained for my first triathlon on a site I was planning to call triforhumanity.com. Unfortunately, I re-injured a torn medial meniscus over the weekend so my plans are on hold for the moment.

The organization I planned to direct all donated monies toward was Darfur Peace and Development. If people are interested I suggest they check out their website at http://www.dpado.org/home.php as they are a terrific organization.

Also, I just wanted to thank your readers who personally contacted me and offered to assist. I feel horrible that my injury has sidetracked me for the time being and placed my plans on hold but I am going to try and sustain some momentum. If anyone in your reader sphere is currently working on any humanitarian work and would like my assistance please feel free to email me at mark_w_Hayward[at]yahoo.com.

Mark

Carlos Says:

November 8th, 2007, 22:59 pm

I’m printing your list and placing it on my wall so that every time A negative thought comes wondering I can just glance at one item on the list and feel better.

Very nice post.