Bright Advice #30: Boost your popularity with just two words.

Thank you Violet for this post: 

-----

Please, take two minutes and think of all the communities you’ve been a part to: school, work, friends, or whatever else. Do they have something in common? They all had their popular one (or few) figures, that guy or that girl everybody seemed to like and follow. How were they different? What makes some of us popular, while others are never noticed?

Until you figure this out, you should know that you can easily earn some “bonus points” with only two words. You can make people see that you care. You can make them understand that you appreciate and respect them. You can make someone’s day.

Try to picture this: since childhood, you had tasks to do, and doing them at your best was the “normal”. You knew that, and you know it today, so you don’t expect any praise or rewards for all normal things you do at school, at home or at work. But there are times when you feel better. If I asked you, you couldn’t tell what triggers these feelings.

May it be because the sun is shinier some days? Maybe.

Or may it be that you have just achieved something you are proud of, and that changed your mood? Possibly.

Or maybe did you hear the two magic words that made your day?

The words I’m talking about are: THANK YOU!

Many times, you can motivate people to keep on doing things, with a simple thank you (although you know, and they know it too, that it was their job to do that).

Let’s imagine some situations when you could experience the magic power of thank you:

• You are a team leader, and your colleagues have just accomplished a difficult task. Acknowledge this by a thank you, whether or not can it be accompanied by a more substantial reward
• You are the proud mom of a child who has just put his room in order. Don’t say something like “you should have start doing this a long time ago”. Just smile and say “thank you for being such a help to me”
• You run a blog project where people send you articles. Send them a thank you note immediately after you receive the material. There’s no big effort in this; you can use an auto responder. And it makes a great difference to your readers.

Such situations are endless. If you don’t believe it, try it for yourself for 10 days. Notice the changes in people around you. Notice the increase in their motivation. Notice how they smile back to you. Does it feel better already? Then why not making it permanent? We can definitely live in a better world, but nobody’s going to make it better for us. Leaders are very few. Most people are followers. Lead those around you to respect and love and you’ll be rewarded with harmony. Lead them to wars and you’ll have hatred and selfishness all around you. Don’t do anything and somebody else will lead you to his/her picture of reality, which you may not always like. It is true that we create our reality. If we don’t enjoy it, we can create a change.

One more thing: don’t start tomorrow (as tomorrow never comes). Start now!

P.S.: Thank you for reading my article. It means a lot to me.

Bright Advice #29: Just do you.

So I saw this video online and I thought it was pretty inspirational.

Keenan Cahill, 16, is not your average teen. He has a passion for singing and acting, and despite his differences it sure does not slow him down one bit. I saw this kid when he first started making his videos and you wouldn't believe how many people tried to degrade him. He continued doing what he loves and has become quite the YouTube star and has met celebrities like 50 cent and the SF Giants.

Do what you enjoy and don't give up, even when hardships do occur. When you do get to where you want to be, you can look back and realize not much can stop your driving will.

It's been a while..

It's been some time since I've updated this. However, during this time, not only did I try my best to remember my own advice, others too sought for more tips. It makes me more than happy to see that people find use in what I post.

People have asked me why do I even do this and why I've stopped . I started this because I wanted change.  I've grown up with great role models who have tried countless times to pummel in certain characteristics and reminders to help shape me to whom I am today. But just like everybody else, we have times where we forget and lose focus. There is so much to learn everyday and it can be hard to remember them all. The things I post are lessons I believe to be either influential and hopefully even inspirational.  This site originally was suppose to be shown to only a few, but I'm glad to see even the most random acquaintances showing appreciation.

I stopped because I was going through a rough time, had lots to study for and lots on my mind. At one point I even questioned why am I doing this. I "know" what I need to do but I didn't remember, and the only way to achieve something is to be consistent and persistent. What exactly am I trying to achieve? Just to show myself and others that each person has a great life and show appreciation to what you do have, rather than what you don't. You can have a bad day, but that doesn't mean good things still couldn't have happened.

I found this article from using Stumbleupon.com and I'm sure it will make you appreciate even the very littlest things in your life. Have a great day!

The head of a company survived 9/11 because

His son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was

His turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her

Alarm clock didn’t go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike

Because of an auto accident.

One of them

Missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take

Time to change.

One’s

Car wouldn’t start.

One couldn’t

Get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man

Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,

Took the various means to get to work but before.

He got there, he developed a blister on his foot.

He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.

That is why he is alive today..

Now when I am

Stuck in traffic,

Miss an elevator,

Turn back to answer a ringing telephone…

All the little things that annoy me,

I think to myself,

This is exactly where

I’m meant to be

At this very moment

Bright Advice #27: Stay on track.

This past week has been rather eventful celebrating a birthday catered by delectable Filipino food and also moments where it was filled with just unnecessary nuisance. Despite all that goes on, I must continue and focus on what I got to do, right? Easier said than done especially when life has so many distractions. Everyone has their own schedule and situations to deal with, but it's how you deal with it that matters.

Don't get me wrong, I too get sidetracked with scrambling thoughts, but honestly, I always have time to ponder. What needs to be done is my priority and I should not let events cloud my thoughts. On top of that, doing other objectives keeps my mind out of the dumps if I do feel a little down. Learn to take care of yourself before you try to attack on other obstacles that come and go in your daily life.

Thank you.

Just hit 5000 views in less than two months :] Thank you to those who visit daily and those who have supported this site! Please continue to come back and please do subscribe!

Mr. Brightside

P.S. Would love to hear more feedback and stories from you!

We got it better than most.

We often do and use a lot of the same things everyday, but never take time to appreciate it. John Bang, a student of UPENN, currently is in Korea and wishes to share with us on how we shouldn't take regular commodities for granted. 


Thank you John for your post.
---

After spending more than a week abroad (if you really wanna know where, read on), I've come to a few conclusions as to what I've taken for granted in the good ol' U.S. of A.

One of the things I've taken for granted is my Audi A4. Auto commercials have always seem to equate cars with independence and freedom. Imagine having to drive without more than a foot's distance between your car and the others surrounding you on all four sides. You now have a picture of what it's like to drive in South Korea. If you're a claustrophobic, don't consider driving here.

Having experienced the mental strenuousness (albeit not firsthand) of driving in Korea, I'd say one of the things I'm looking forward to most is cruising along at 70 mph, if not faster, on California's freeways again.

Air pollution. You hear that word repeated again and again by environmental advocates these days. I want to tell people, relax! Live a little. Of course we shouldn't be dumping nuclear waste into the oceans or emitting gases that cause acid rain from our factories, but it's plain and simple: technology will be the answer to our problems. It always has been.

If you're still fixated on air pollution, go abroad to a developing country who doesn't have standards or laws regarding the burning of trash, such as Ghana. Go to China, where air pollution's unavoidable in cities
like Beijing and GuangZhou. These countries' industries need regulation, but also better technology, which is what the U.S. has always invested in.

It's not so bad in the States. Stop complaining. Now go out there and start finding solutions to these issues like global warming! Become a scientist or something. My advice to environmentalists? Instead of telling other people what to do, start with yourself.

Please subscribe and come back to visit!

Bright Advice #25: See the good in others.

Everyone you meet has a good side, whether or not it is evident on the first encounter. There will be times when you meet someone and already you get a negative vibe. You might feel that it is hard to start up conversations or things might become frustrating.  Learn to see the good in people, even if you may not want to.

If you surround yourself with negative people, the only thing they will do is put you in a negative mood. Try to see the good in people - everyone has a good side. When you learn to see the good in others, it will be less stressful when talking to them or being around them. Now, if you are somewhere where you have no choice but to be around negative people, learning to see the good in them will make things a little more tolerable for you.

Be positive with the people around you, and also with life in general. When you see the positive aspects of negative people, apply the same thinking process with life. The more positive you are, the more motivated and awake you will be.

Upon learning how to see the good in others, be sure to be able to differentiate between that and sucking up. Just because you might not be around people you like doesn't mean you have to be down and negative. Develop the skill to see life in a positive perspective. Pretend you're stuck in traffic for the next hour, but it's okay. You just downloaded some new music to jam to on the way home. There are always brighter alternatives, just learn to notice them.

It is about focusing on the little things and finding the positive in them. The more positive you find in people and the things around you the happier you will be. You will also be more motivated to make it through everyday and reach your goals.

Please subscribe and come back to visit!

Bright Advice #24: Mending broken relationships.

Happy Valentine's Day! Even on this day of love, it's not always how it is pictured. Sometimes relationships come to a deep hole, and if we learn to fix these broken relationships, it helps bring ease and peace to the body and soul. Here are some ways to help mend or create healthy relationships with friends, partners, and family members.

See both sides
When relationships start to fall apart it builds stress for both sides. Both might feel a sense of anger, sadness, disappointment, or even fear as a result of the situation. Although these feelings will be bottled up inside you, learn to be mindful of the other side's feelings too. Ask yourself 'How are they feeling right now?' and 'Will they be okay?'

As the relationship comes to any disputes, each side has their own perspective and expectations. These are a result of beliefs and past experiences. If you really know the other member, you can picture the conflict from their point of view. When you learn to see things from their perspective, it gives you a more clear understanding to how/why they are handling the situation thus far.

Take Responsibility for Your Part
If each person does not take responsibility of their part in the relationship, then things won't get better. Learn to not blame or criticize one another for all the wrongdoings, but rather focus and hone in on what caused this situation.

Even though the situation may be clear that one side had more fault  than the other, one can still step back and think what led up to this point? When you build a mentality of finding out WHAT was the cause of the issue, rather than WHO's fault it was, this will bring a sense of relief and aid you with fixing that broken relationship.

Make Amends Where Appropriate
Sometimes all it takes is to make amends. Try an apology or even a small gesture, done from the heart of course, can go a long way towards creating a healthy relationship.

Decide what needs to be done to reconcile the problem. What does the other person need? Would forgiveness, acceptance, or appreciation help? Use your intuition to determine what would help to create a healthy relationship.

Communicate Effectively
The last part to help improve a broken relationship is learning to communicate effectively. When both of you sit down and discuss how you feel with honesty and sincerity, the tensions lessens and you've begun to rebuild the relationship.

Notice how I said communicate effectively. This is not the time to continue blame or see who can make the other feel worse. Go into this conversation with an open-mind, with the thought of fixing the situation only in your mind. Relax and calm down. Then you are able to share how you truly feel and let the other person know the reasons for your actions.

And to those that are just perfectly happy with everything. Happy Valentine's Day once again.

Please subscribe and come back to visit!

Please.

Please subscribe and follow! Leave comments/questions you want answered or any advice for improvement. Anything you want more of? Let me know!

Subscribe to Mr. Brightside - Tips for Life by Email

Bright Advice #23: Good music, good time.

For many people, music is the quickest way to have fun while working. Cue your computer to play a string of upbeat and relaxing tunes during the appropriate times. Notice that your stress levels don’t rise easily, as you have a continuous stream of energy to hurdle each task. When you’re starting to tire out, sing along to your favorite tunes, especially during the chorus. You might be surprised with the amount of energy you’ll have right after.


www.lifehackery.com

Bright Advice #22: Be polite.

If you want people to like you and want to get to know you, politeness helps a lot. I'm not saying you should suck up to them, but treat them with respect. There's a trend for being rude these days that comes from the movies and TV. It's fun to watch, but that's not how the real world works. When Ashton Kutcher is rude and nasty, it's fascinating - when you're rude or nasty, you're just someone who's not worth having anything to do with. Everyone knows what you're supposed to do to be polite - put it into practice and you'll go far with making new friends.

Save money, eat more?

Everyone loves saving money. With Valentine's coming up, check out www.Groupon.com. Now you can get a bouquet of roses, originally for $40, half off! This is only one of the great offers Groupon.com has. Each day, Groupon features an unbeatable deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in your city. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, you get discounts you won't find anywhere else. No membership fee is needed, and it's fast and easy to sign up. Don't miss out on some of the great deals that could help save you money!

Decide and Move On.

Our brains have way of creating a synthesized happiness when we don't get what we want - it's often difficult for us to make a "wrong" choice. Thus, it's just better to decide on something and move on. 

A scientist stated that our brains can not tell the difference between synthesized and actual euphoria. Even when we make the "wrong" choice, our minds find a way to make us feel as if that choice was ultimately in our best interest; to the brain, this feeling created shows no difference than actual happiness. 

We often are horrible at predicting how we are going to feel later on, so when time is spent figuring out what to do over a simple matter, it is actually just wasted efforts. Even though waiting for the right opportune time to make a choice is important, when it comes down to small decisions in our daily lives, it is better for us to pick something and continue on. In the end, we're happy with either decisions so long that we don't have to waste any more time in our life pondering over petty things.

Bright Advice #19: Ways to stop procrastinating.

1. Make a list of everything you need to do
• As mentioned previously, obtaining an organizer is mighty handy to help you visualize the tasks needed to get done. With this, learn to create a self-monitoring system. 
2. Make note-taking a habit
3. Break a big job down into smaller parts
• Something may seem daunting because of how much needs to be done. However, if broken down into smaller sections, it is easier to attack this job. Focusing for just 10 minutes could possibly help you get started.
4. Put what needs to be done right in front of you
• When you lay something right in front of you, you have no other option but to look at it, well, eventually. Just focus your attention on what needs to get done, even if it's for a brief moment.
5. Keep reselling yourself on the benefits of doing what has to be done
• If you constantly remind yourself that you need to get your job done, it will keep that motivation pumping.

6. Figure out why you put things off
• Can't pay attention due to Facebook or Instant Messaging? If you know what causes your procrastination, then great. Avoid those situations/ or scenarios. 
7. Emphasize doing - not doing it perfectly, yet.
• This tip is to help you get started. As long as you get started on your task, it's progress towards the finish line. However, since you spend your time on it, you might as well make the most of it. But getting started is foremost.
8. Force yourself to get started
• Having trouble getting started? Start now. If you have something that needs to get done, why put it off? Finish and move on to other objectives.
9. Establish deadlines for yourself
• If you don't establish deadlines, you won't ever come across finishing them. Make deadlines, and meet your goals.
10. Learn to value your time
• Everyone only has 24 hours in a day. What you do in that time is all up to you. There's nothing wrong with enjoying yourself and putting aside some leisure time, but when you have things that need to get done, prioritize your time. Also, learn to use all the time you have. Those 10 minutes before work/ school can become rather useful.
11. Avoid the telephone/ computer traps
• Nowadays, with technology being a big part of our daily lives, we tend to spend a lot of time on it. If your someone, me included, that gets sidetracked with such things, learn to avoid them when it's time to work. Learn to discourage interruptions.
12. Anticipate your daily needs
• With all the things going on with our lives, it's hard to get some things done on time like we would like. However, if something is due, for the sake of discussion, next week, don't put it off till the night before. Get it done days before, allowing you to either review or edit. 

Bright Advice #18: Working on first impressions.

Practice a strong, firm handshake and the small talk that generally goes along with meeting someone for the first time. People won’t know what to think of you if you have nothing more to say past “Hi, I'm ____, nice to meet you.” Learning people's names is also an important attribute to take on. You never know, you might end up doing work with this person or, with a good first impression, could even potentially land you a date. Be sure and make an excellent one.

Don't burn bridges.

Even if you think you are never seeing the other person ever again, keep the friendship and tie. For instance, if you were about to quit your job, it’d be in your best interest to not let off steam on your boss. You never know when you might bump into him later on in life or need a reference, then wishing you did not burn that bridge. Life has a lot to do with building connections and reputations - at any time you might seek assistance from someone you knew before in the past. Given, there already is a lot of hate and violence that really is not needed in this world. So there is no need to show those sides to those around you.

Bright Advice #17: Take action today.

Ok, lets be honest here. Who procrastinates? I know I use to, but I've been learning to get things done on time. How? Simple. First, know what you want to do, then act on it. Now, that is easier said then done, especially with so many objectives to do each day.

As of late, I've acquired an item that I use on the regular that has helped me not only by accomplishing my tasks, but also keeping my life a little bit more organized. I strongly encourage, for those of you who do not have one, investing in an organizer. Having an organizer is one thing, but learning to use it at its fullest potential is something that could help turn your life around.

One of the most rewarding parts of my day, sadly enough, is highlighting tasks which I finished. It honestly feels up-lifting knowing that I'm able to stay on schedule with my to-do lists in an orderly fashion. Within your organizer, learn to jot down reminders, things to do, or even important up-coming dates. I tend to list the things needed to be done the night before, and as soon as the day starts, I'm on my way staying productive and keeping on track.

Purchase an organizer or calendar, something you are able to carry around, and get your life in check. You'll know what I mean about the self-euphoria you get when you begin crossing-off your checklist. Here's a start, learn to stay on top of things today.

Have a hard time getting tasks done, even with being organized? It might only take 10 minutes to get it done.

Bright Advice #16: Stay in touch.

We come across many people in our lives each day, whether its people we casually walk by or those we associate with. No matter the quantity of people you know, the value of friendship is what's more important. The friendships you choose to establish come with reason, and these reasons are why friendship exists in the first place.

Now, as life goes on, we are occupied with our own tasks and might have less time for leisure purposes. However, as you carry on with your life, remember the things that have helped brighten up your days - hobbies, family, and friends. Life is pretty fast paced, and things come and go, but don't forget the things that helped made life a little easier for you.

The beauty of true friendship is that no matter where you are, the ties you share won't fade. With that said, that is true as long as you don't allow it too. From a simple text saying 'Hello :]' to having a nice lunch to catch up, there are many ways to stay in touch.

Remember your memories and learn to make new ones with those you have done so with already.

Bright Advice #15: Appreciate the small things.

Today while walking around campus, I managed to trip over my own feet, and drop my books on the floor. However, while others chuckled, this random person stopped what they were doing and helped me gather my things together. Honestly, I did not need the assistance, yet this kind gesture turned my day around.

The gestures you pose to others, whether it be a big favor or something just taking up seconds of your day, can change someone's day. Stop to hold the door, flash a smile at another, or simply just saying 'please' and 'thank you' are small things you can do to help brighten people's days. Some might think this as doing too much or not necessary, but think about it. What I mentioned takes little to no effort, yet helps create a better atmosphere around you - making you more warming and welcoming. We live in a society where things can't be achieved on your own, so learn to be open to others.

Try it. Go out and make someone's day. You might be surprised at what you'll see.

Bright Advice #14: Look around you.

Many of us do the same routines daily. While we do build stress as we go along our days, learn to not overlook the positive aspects that you do have. When your feeling a little down, this is way to maybe just brighten up your day. Nothing wrong with keeping yourself up, right? Know that you are lucky to have specific components of your life to help shape who you are today, whether it be family, friends, or even your health. You should be grateful for the roof over your head and even the meals that you eat each day. We take a lot everyday, but never stop to be thankful for things we do have. A lot of people could only dream of what we take for granted each day. To help yourself feel a little bit more optimistic, stop dwelling on the stressful events for a moment, and appreciate what you got around you. When you see life in a brighter way, it keeps you out of the dumps and your head a little higher, and know that you don't need to be worked up all the time.