Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads would come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.

Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?

There are no guarantees.

You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent. There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.

Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.

Take the risk: decide.

Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life's crossroads:

Get as many information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W's: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

Identify and create options.

What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.

Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight. So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

"There were no more worlds to conquer"- wept Alexander the Great after his army conquered much of the earth. He had a successful mind and became a successful person. You can have similar success, but first you must want it inside before it can become a reality.

Are you unmotivated, exhausted, and too spent to achieve any more? This is a good problem. Why? Because at last you have distinguished yourself from the rest - you know your downfalls and that is the first step in order to be able to correct them. If you keep your mind free, it will make you to feel happiness and success would follow immediately.

Then you may ask how to make your mind free. It is universal truth that shadows will fall behind you once you keep your face to the sun. So if you face the problem with confidence, you may reap the benefits of success.

Just call your friend and ask him to look at a glass that is half filled with water. Ask him to critique it. A successful optimist may answer it is half-full or as a pessimist would probably answer that it is half empty. The sad part is that the pessimist does not have the right mind set to be a huge success. Despite the simple explanation of a pessimist and an optimist, we do have a lot of choices we can make. However, most of us choose to look at things from a negative light and always see the dark side of situations. If we choose to look at the positive side of things, like the water glass being half full, we are more likely to find the good in things and lead a happy, successful life with flying colors.

Try to follow this simple three step positive thinking formula to help you achieve success.

Regardless of the situation you must:
Analyze the situation coolly. Turn it outside in, downside up, and upside down.
Realize that it could always have been worse. Unearth why and how it could have been worse.
Find the good in it and grab it. The good side may appear to you in a flash or gradually. It all depends on the outcome of steps 1 and 2.

Try this three-step mental attitude fix to help turn your mind in to that of a successful thinker. Very soon you'll begin to look at people and things in a new light and see how you can make the most of any situation. The more success you emanate from yourself, the more successful you'll become. Once you've developed a successful mind, you'll definitely become a successful self.

Much has been written about leadership: rules, pointers, styles, and biographies of inspiring leaders throughout world history. But there are certain leadership ideas that we ourselves fail to recognize and realize in the course of reading books. Here is a short list of things you thought you knew about leadership.

1. Leaders come in different flavors.

There are different types of leaders and you will probably encounter more than one type in your lifetime. Formal leaders are those we elect into positions or offices such as the senators, congressmen, and presidents of the local clubs. Informal leaders or those we look up to by virtue of their wisdom and experience such as in the case of the elders of a tribe, or our grandparents; or by virtue of their expertise and contribution on a given field such as Albert Einstein in the field of Theoretical Physics and Leonardo da Vinci in the field of the Arts. Both formal and informal leaders practice a combination of leadership styles.
* Lewin's three basic leadership styles - authoritative, participative, and delegative
* Likert's four leadership styles - exploitive authoritative, benevolent authoritative, consultative, and participative
* Goleman's six emotional leadership styles - visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and commanding.

2. Leadership is a process of becoming.

Although certain people seem to be born with innate leadership qualities, without the right environment and exposure, they may fail to develop their full potential. So like learning how to ride a bicycle, you can also learn how to become a leader and hone your leadership abilities. Knowledge on leadership theories and skills may be formally gained by enrolling in leadership seminars, workshops, and conferences. Daily interactions with people provide the opportunity to observe and practice leadership theories. Together, formal and informal learning will help you gain leadership attitudes, gain leadership insights, and thus furthering the cycle of learning. You do not become a leader in one day and just stop. Life-long learning is important in becoming a good leader for each day brings new experiences that put your knowledge, skills, and attitude to a test.

3. Leadership starts with you.

The best way to develop leadership qualities is to apply it to your own life. As an adage goes "action speaks louder than words." Leaders are always in the limelight. Keep in mind that your credibility as a leader depends much on your actions: your interaction with your family, friends, and co-workers; your way of managing your personal and organizational responsibilities; and even the way you talk with the newspaper vendor across the street. Repeated actions become habits. Habits in turn form a person's character. Steven Covey's book entitled 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides good insights on how you can achieve personal leadership.

4. Leadership is shared.

Leadership is not the sole responsibility of one person, but rather a shared responsibility among members of an emerging team. A leader belongs to a group. Each member has responsibilities to fulfill. Formal leadership positions are merely added responsibilities aside from their responsibilities as members of the team. Effective leadership requires members to do their share of work. Starting as a mere group of individuals, members and leaders work towards the formation of an effective team. In this light, social interaction plays a major role in leadership. To learn how to work together requires a great deal of trust between and among leaders and members of an emerging team. Trust is built upon actions and not merely on words. When mutual respect exists, trust is fostered and confidence is built.

5. Leadership styles depend on the situation.

How come dictatorship works for Singapore but not in the United States of America? Aside from culture, beliefs, value system, and form of government, the current situation of a nation also affects the leadership styles used by its formal leaders. There is no rule that only one style can be used. Most of the time, leaders employ a combination of leadership styles depending on the situation. In emergency situations such as periods of war and calamity, decision-making is a matter of life and death. Thus, a nation's leader cannot afford to consult with all departments to arrive at crucial decisions. The case is of course different in times of peace and order—different sectors and other branches of government can freely interact and participate in governance. Another case in point is in leading organizations. When the staffs are highly motivated and competent, a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles of leadership is most appropriate. But if the staffs have low competence and low commitment, a combination of high coaching, high supporting, and high directing behavior from organizational leaders is required.

Now that you are reminded of these things, keep in mind that there are always ideas that we think we already know; concepts we take for granted, but are actually the most useful insights on leadership.

Everyone can benefit from creativity in their lives. You can use creativity to help with work projects, goal setting, home and family management and a whole lot more. To help with all of your home and work projects, here are 10 tips to improve your creativity.

1. Stay Healthy
Find an exercise routine that you enjoy and stick to it. Change it when you want to, but keep doing some sort of exercise. Sleep well. Eat a variety of healthy foods. Meditation or something you like to do to relax can help you keep your mind focused.

2. Explore New Things
We do so many things without thinking about them. These things become our daily routines - the mundane and boring. Try something new. It can be something as little as taking a different route to work or something like taking up a new class in something you have always wanted to learn.

3. Start Thinking Like Curious George
Ask yourself questions about everything you see, hear and read. Why? How? What if? Find out the answers to your questions. You can also keep a curious journal and track all of your findings.

4. Read a New Book
Choose one that you wouldn't normally choose. Pick one up at the library. If you have always preferred reading nonfiction, pick up a fiction book. There are so many interesting books to read and so many different genres to choose from. Your librarian will be happy to help you explore new books.

5. Act Like a Kid
Children are so carefree, honest and fun. Think about what you used to do for fun as a child. Paint a picture, take out those charcoals, get some fingerpaints, go to your local amusement park…anything that a kid would do! And have fun!

6. Everyone Needs a Little "me" Time
Take some time everyday to just relax. You can use meditation if you like to meditate. Don't make any plans, pay any bills…nothing. Just do nothing for a little while.

7. What If?
What is the end of the world was tomorrow? What if you did go to college for business? What if aliens were real? What if there is an afterlife? Make up your own what if questions and just see where your brain takes you.

8. Never Assume Anything
Assuming anything always gets someone in trouble. You might assume that your boss is a jerk. What if he just doesn't like his life and takes it out on his employees? You might assume that the person who cut you off this morning was inconsiderate. What if they were rushing their child to the hospital?

9. Write About You
Who are you? What kind of person are you? Where have you been in your life? When are the most important things in your life? Why do you do things the way you do? How do you live your life each day?

10. Have Conversations with People
Listen closely to what they have to say instead of waiting for your turn to speak. What must it be like to be this person? Imagine how they live and think.

We all want to be successful in life but what can we do to assure that success, succeeding in life isn't as hard as you might think, there isn't any secret to it but rather just common sense, positive thinking and attitude and initiative. Along with this knowledge and understanding here are some tips to guide you down the path of success.

* Persevere - perseverance and determination are what is needed for success, if you don't give up at something you attempt then you can't fail, it's as simple as that. If something doesn't work out as planned the first time then try and try again using different methods to achieve the result that you are looking for.

* Change - if you are not happy with what you have now, or who you are in life then the only one that can make a difference to your situation or life is you. A change could mean changing your outlook on life, your outlook on yourself, your priorities or your activities, you have no one else to blame but yourself and only you have the power to change.

* What goes around comes around - you only get back in life what you are willing to put into it, if you are helpful, honest, truthful and positive then you will get the same back in return which can help you on your path to success particularly in the workplace.

* You cannot succeed alone - all successful people rely in part on others for their success, every person has different skills, talents and abilities which when combined leads to an individual's success.

* Center yourself - we all need to take time out during the day to center ourselves, by re-focusing ourselves and what we wish to achieve we are able to accomplish more and be more effective in our tasks.

* Set yourself targets or goals - setting out targets or goals for yourself can help you to succeed in anything you choose, these can be daily, short term or long term targets with short term being a month or so and long term no longer than 6 months. Always set realistic targets and give yourself a date by which to reach your target, review your targets on a regular basis to make sure they are always attainable.

* Don't strive for perfection - never try to be perfect, no one is perfect, set a standard and goal and do the task or job to the very best of your ability and be happy with that, as long as you gave it your best shot that's all you or anyone else can ask for.

* Believe in yourself - develop strategies which make you more aware of yourself and what you are capable of achieving, if you believe in yourself and what you are capable of achieving then you are more likely to be successful in whatever you do.

* Focus on what you want - focus on the positive and what it is you want to achieve instead of the negative or what it is that you don't want to achieve, always look ahead instead of back and focus only on the desired end result.

I am going to ask you to something very weird right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone who would meet you would be able to tell you what's on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your frame of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, too - unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others are around feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

By holding onto grudges, we are holding onto the past and this holds us back and stops us from growing and going onward with our lives. Grudges and not allowing ourselves to let go of the past is negative and negativity holds us back and stops us from achieving what we are capable of achieving out of life and encourages resentment, unhappiness and fear instead of being happy in life and finding peace within ourselves. Forgiveness is the key to happiness, true forgiveness is when you can release all your negative feelings towards another and let them go completely, you have to let the grudge go not only through words of acceptance but also feel it in your heart and soul.

Why is forgiving so difficult to do?
It is our negative ego that causes us to hold a grudge and tells us not to let it go, like all things that block success and happiness in our life, negativity again plays a huge part, only this time it affects our ego. By letting negativity affect our lives this way we are opening up the door and welcoming bitterness and deep resentment and these manifest deep within us and show themselves in our health. Holding onto a grudge causes ulcers, stress and general overall poor health so it is essential that we learn to let go of our resentment and move on with life by letting go of our grudges. As with every other problem relating to negativity in our lives it is all about how we think, forgiveness is all about letting go of harmful train of thought patterns and developing new ones.

Developing the ability to let go
Developing the ability to let go takes time, if you allow yourself to look at your feelings honestly and calmly then you will realize that negative feelings evaporate and you begin to feel peace of mind through letting go of deep resentment. The key to truly forgiving is first being able to release your hurt and anger that person has caused you, without letting go of these feelings; true forgiveness is next to impossible. If you try to forgive without releasing these feelings then the hurt and anger you feel will only continue to build and will manifest as resentment further down the road and resentment will eventually rear its ugly head, have no doubt about that.

A great way of releasing your feelings is to look directly at them and in great detail, admitting what it is that has hurt you and why it hurt you and realizing why you have to let it go, look at your feelings in a different light and gradually allow yourself to forgive and let go. Forgiveness has to come from deep within you, there is no outside force which keeps a grudge building up, the feelings of forgiveness can only be generated from within yourself, only you can take responsibility and forgive and let go and move on in a more peaceful and contented life.

There are many things in life that can affect our emotional well-being and our emotional well-being is one of the most important aspects when it comes to being healthy. In order to be truly healthy it is essential to have stable and healthy emotions. If your emotions are not stable then your whole body will be affected and this will lead to a decline in health and overall well-being.

If you follow the holistic belief of health then this dictates that along with healthy eating, exercise and dieting we have to take care of our mental health as well. It is only when body and mind are fit and healthy can we gain true overall health. Emotional well-being, physical well-being, intellectual and social well-being all come together and if any of these are affected it will affect our health. There are many factors that can affect these, including problems in relationships, unemployment, money problems, social problems and physical problems to name but just a few. Improving your emotional well-being depends on altering aspects of your life that affect it.

Stress is the biggest enemy that can change our emotions and feelings so it is imperative that you remove as much stress from your daily life as possible, you should learn new techniques to banish stress quickly and effortlessly without allowing it to build up. There are many techniques you can choose to combat stress, from practicing yoga and meditation to simple breathing exercises and affirmations, the key is to find the method that works the best for you.

Negative thinking is another downfall many of us acquire throughout our lives and this can cause many problems with emotional well-being, always thinking the worse or continually putting yourself down will lead to low self-confidence and low self-esteem. Affirmations or positive self-talk is an excellent way to help you deal with negative thoughts and feelings. Changing the way you think will change the way you feel and when you feel better about your life and yourself you will have a different outlook on life which will lead to a healthier you.

Situations that occur in your daily life can change your emotional well-being and while we often cannot change situations, we can change how we deal with them, how they affect our thoughts, feelings and emotions. Feelings of anger, sadness and uncertainty all cause problems with out emotional well-being and ultimately our overall health, the trick is to not hold your feelings inside but let them out. Harboring anger, resentment or sadness for long periods of time can be devastating for our emotional well-being. Keeping a journal to write about your thoughts and feelings can help as can having someone to talk to; the main point is getting your feelings out.

Key points to improving your emotional well-being are

* Learning how to relax and let go of stress

* Eating a sensible diet and exercising on a regular basis

* Get a good nights sleep every night

* Deal with problems as they arise

* Give yourself a break and stop putting yourself down

* Don't let things build up, get thoughts and feelings out

* Do something everyday that you enjoy doing

Self esteem by definition is the way a person sees oneself. But unknown to many, the attitude that the individual possesses may also do great things for others.

This happens as each person plays a significant part in society. At home, the man plays the roles as a husband and wife. At work, the individual is an employee and at times, a friend to those who need someone to listen to.

Those who have high self esteem are looked up to by the people. In some cases, the name mentor is bestowed on the person. Was it really something the man dreamed about? The answer is no but circumstances have made it happen and those who have it should use it to help others.

There are many benefits for playing this role in the life of people. Here are a few with one end and that is seeing others just as happy as the person.

1. First, the mentor is able to build strong relationships with these people. Both parties will learn something from the other, which is also a part of building one's self esteem.

2. All work and no play makes the person dull. It is a good thing that being a mentor to others allows the individual to interact and feel refreshed even if it just for a few hours.

3. One of the things that people will learn in school or even at work is networking. The employee may soon leave the company but the connections one has made will surely do well when applying for a new job. Surely, some of the people the person has helped can make a good referral.

Those who choose stay can look back and be proud of the motivation one has given to others. This gift that the person has may even make others follow the same example, which may even, to a promotion in the future.

4. Isn't it funny sometimes how a person is to understand something only after having the opportunity to explain it to someone else? This happens and this can help the individual also practice the same values that one is preaching.

5. Ever helped someone and felt good about it? A lot of people have experienced that and this even makes the individual continue doing it without any type of reward in return. Seeing others happy will not increase one's material wealth but it will show that the person has a loving and caring heart.

6. Another benefit of helping and seeing others happy is that it helps the person grow confident even further. This is because the person gains experience in these matters, which makes it easier to assist someone who may face the same problem in the future.

Somebody once said that there is no better sacrifice than giving oneself to others. This doesn't mean the person has to sacrifice his or her life by taking a bullet. Just being there to offer advice or being a shoulder to cry on is the best thing the individual may need in times of sorrow.

The accomplishments one has done in life being a mentor to others is something that will always be remembered. In the end, it helps strengthen the existing self esteem of both parties helping both become better people.

When babies are born, everyone starts on equal footing. The events that happen years later will determine if someone is smart or just average. This will all depend on the child's upbringing until one becomes a teenager.

At that age, the individual will be able to think for him or herself without that much assistance anymore when one was still an infant.

Nevertheless, the process of building self esteem still continues at this age. This is because there is still much to learn and there will be other challenges that the person will experience before one can ever be called a man.

One way teens can build self esteem is by taking certain risks. The student can try out for the varsity team or take up an art or music class for the summer to find out if one is musically inclined or not.

There is a saying that goes, " you can't keep a good man down." Life has it up and down moments so teens should seize the day and rejoice in the success while not dwelling on mistakes. The person should simply think that this is just one of life's lessons and should try a little harder in the future.

Since some find it hard to handle rejection, this is the time that parents must come in to act as a shoulder to cry on and offer words of wisdom. Rather than making the teen afraid of it, the guardians should encourage the person to do it again because the outcome may be a little different.

Self esteem is not just for the individual. This is for everyone. The teen can share this with others by being happy when others are also successful. Those who need a little push will surely appreciate the help one can give to make the classmates dream come true.

Another part of building self esteem as a teenager is by noticing the strengths and weaknesses one has. Those who are successful in one endeavor can help others excel in the field.

By being aware of what other people have, the individual can also become more confident by learning something from others which is all part of the improvement process.

One of the most difficult things to do especially as a teenager is being able to look at the bright side despite the problem that is at hand. Some adults can't also do this but with constant practice, the individual will be able to have a positive outlook in life that can be seen through words and actions.

It takes time to build the teens self esteem. Parents start the moment the infant is born by showing signs love and affection that will soon later involve empowerment. This continues as long as mom and dad are still living.

Teachers and friends on the one end will also do the same thing by giving positive feedback that will occur when excellence in certain skills are shown.

People have to believe in oneself in order to succeed. This is the only way that a person can get a high paying job and be able to live a life of luxury. Being confident won't happen overnight but those who feel man enough should face the challenges head on and become someone better after everything that has happened.