The Motivation Movement | Inspirational Quotes, Daily Advice, Lifestyle Design, Personal Development

Positive affirmations are easily digestible, simple phrases, or statements that challenge negative internal dialogue. People utilize positive affirmations to motivate themselves, encourage growth, and boost self-esteem levels. You are creating a pattern in your subconscious thought when you continually and routinely repeat positive affirmations to yourself.

"If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive." - Betty Eadie

Our thoughts have power, as do our words. As the old adage goes, we are what we think. That’s why the most effective positive affirmations are phrased in the present tense as if what you are declaring about yourself is already true. FAKE IT TIL’ YOU MAKE IT!

The most effective positive affirmations in my experience are short and SWEET:

- I was made with divine intention.

- I can, I will, I do, END OF STORY.

- I am adventurous, I overcome my fears by following my intuition.

- I am in charge of how I feel today, I feel happy. I am enough.

- I have the power to create change. I have the power to make a difference.

Behavioral scientists and psychologists explain that when engaging in self-affirmation, you’re building self-integrity, confidence, and a better understanding of self, which allows you to be more reasonable and rational. This leads to increased problem solving and critical thinking abilities, which play a major role in mental performance and decision making.

My final thought for today is that any type of self-affirmation, positive, introspective, or negative, helps to build your internal and external self-identity.

It’s clear that all affirmations have an effect on cognitive restructuring. Do you want your brain to be rewired with inspiring and uplifting thoughts in mind or the opposite?

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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Everyone always tells us to “stay in your damn lane,” “embrace yourself, embrace your talents,” and “focus on your strength and double down on it . . .” BLAH, BLAH, BLAH . . .

Why are we so obsessed with this idea of having a super sharp focus and tunnel vision? You MISS out on a lot of opportunity when you don’t pay attention to what’s in the peripherals!

People take even greater umbrage when they hear themselves labeled with a common noun. The reason is that a noun predicate appears to pigeonhole the with a stereotype of a category rather than referring to them as an individual who happens to possess a trait. - Steven Arthur Pinker

Just because you’re a great salesperson, doesn’t mean you can’t be a great graphic designer.

Just because you’re a great photographer doesn’t mean you can’t be a great personal trainer.

Don’t deny yourself from embarking on new endeavors. Don’t define yourself strictly by the one thing you’ve always been so focused on. Don’t limit yourself to what you’ve done in the past.

There’s no need to self-impose a label that restricts you from becoming who you potentially might be.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, but be excited about what’s to come, about what’s around the corner. This could be your chance to make a bigger impact, make a new name for yourself, make more money, whatever your ambition is.

mRuddo.com #TheMotivationMovement @mRuddo

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Where does one begin on the journey of trying to feel better about themselves, be more decisive, more confident, have higher levels of self-esteem? POSITIVE INTERNAL DIALOGUE.

ASK YOURSELF: What are the triggers that have you feeling down? Do you keep finding yourself in stressful situations at work, school and/or at home? What are your thoughts like when you find yourself in one of these predicaments? Is your self-talk generally positive or negative?

“Wouldn’t it be powerful if you fell in love with yourself so deeply that you would do just about anything if you knew it would make you happy? This is precisely how much life loves you and wants you to nurture yourself. The deeper you love yourself, the more the universe will affirm your worth. Then you can enjoy a lifelong love affair that brings you the richest fulfillment from inside out.” - Alan Cohen

I challenge you to flip the script on your life story. Maybe you’ve had doubts about your potential in the past, but today is the day you can begin to love yourself, then let the ripple effect re-build your confidence and self-esteem.

If you recite a particular idea to yourself frequently enough, you’ll eventually convince yourself. It’s like positive version of when someone says, “this guy lies so much, he’s starting to believe his own bullshit,” except in this case, you’re not lying to yourself . . .

Be very careful when negative thoughts do infiltrate your internal dialogue, do not mistake them for FACTS. Just because you feel like a loser, does not mean you actually are a loser. We tend to be very critical of ourselves, very harsh, it’s only constructive to a certain degree though.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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To become great, you must give up the good. To become extraordinary, you have to sacrifice the ordinary. To live a life you love, you temporarily have to let go of the interests you like. To realize the dream you are pursuing, you ironically may have to forego a few hours of beauty sleep.

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation -- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What’s on the flip side of suffering and sacrifice? Creativity. Success. Freedom. Empowerment.

Owning your struggles, taking responsibility for your situation, is the product of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. You can let suffering overcome you, or you can overcome your suffering.

There are countless stories of extraordinary individuals who’ve invested their last pennies into an idea, spent time away from their families for work, had to pick up an extra side job, skipped meals to feed their children . . .

People make sacrifices and endure struggles every day in all different facets of life. Everyone’s sacrifice and struggle is unique and relative to their situation.

Giving up what feels comfortable, what feels secure, to ultimately be even more comfortable and more secure, is what sacrifice is, at its core.

mRuddo.com | #TheMotivationMovement | @mRuddo

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We're all busy. We're all HUSTLIN’, we're all grinding. Honestly, what the fuck does self care even mean?

When the hell do I have the time to think about a self care strategy, let alone actually physically take care of myself?

The constant roller coaster grind seems like a normal state. The cycle of ups and downs becomes your typical expected lifestyle. A break of vacation seems like a foreign concept. And when you do attempt to rest and relax, it just seems impossible.

You can't take your mind off the grind...

You can't take your mind off the hustle…

You can't take your eyes off the prize…

Not even for a SECOND.

“A healthy self love means we have no compulsion to justify ourselves or others why we take a vacation, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why do we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing the things which add quality and beauty to life.” - Andrew Matthews

Self care is ANY purposeful intention, act or decision that places yourself, your needs, at the forefront of your mind!

Stress, lack of self care - it's contagious. Observe the people around you. If your co-workers, your friends, family, even your pets, if they're anxious and tense and walking on the edge around you all the time, the truth is, it's probably you!

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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I’ve felt the heat from BURNOUT, from too much HUSTLE, TRUST ME, but I’ve always managed to avoid falling into the FLAMES!

We have to be cognizant of what sacrifices we make in the name of the HUSTLE, as neglecting certain aspects of life can have dangerous consequences to your mental and physical health.

“That's the great irony of allowing passionate people to work from home. A manager's natural instinct is to worry that her workers aren't getting enough work done. But the real threat is that they will wind up working too hard. And because the manager isn't sitting across from her worker anymore, she can't look in the person's eyes and see burnout.” - Jason Fried

Utilizing small blocks of free-time, momentarily investing in your well-being, is one easy way to avoid BURNOUT! It’s all about taking control of your schedule as best as possible. Optimize the time in your day that you do have control over.

To avoid BURNOUT, you need to work SMARTER, not harder. Being a workaholic isn’t cool, unless you’re really out there saving the world and able to somehow still take care of yourself!

Being stressed, being super busy all the time, doesn’t equate to being productive. It’s possible to be highly effective and efficient without sacrificing your sanity.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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You may be thinking what in the hell does pita bread have to do with any of this, but PITA is also code for pain in the ass.

You need to be extremely persistent in the pursuit of your goals. The art of the follow up, better yet, the art of the follow through is an art form worth studying.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” - Calvin Coolidge

Being persistent isn't just about constantly and strategically working on your project, working on your craft. It's also super important to be persistent in your thinking, in your vision, in your mind state.

Motivation comes and goes really quickly. Sometimes, when you lose that sense of drive mentally, that's when you need to push through and stick to the plan. Don't take your eyes off of the prize.

You need to tackle your goals in time blocks in bits and pieces, but attack them consistently and persistently leverage inspiration when it strikes.

Do not forget to take care of yourself. Be persistent about your health and wellness. As persistent as you are towards your dreams and ambitions.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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In my experience, how often you say yes or how often you say no depends on where you're at on your journey in life.

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1000 things." - Steve Jobs.

In life, tons of shiny objects are flashed in front of us. They're usually very enticing, but typically end up being smoke and mirror like distractions that don't actually help guide you towards your ultimate goal and deter you off of your path.

So, what are a few activities that we should start saying no to right off the bat? All of the uninspiring shit! Say no to wasting time with negative people, say no to working excessively long hours, but don't be lazy and entirely unproductive. Say no to wasting time endlessly scrolling through Tik Tok videos and bingeing on Netflix shows.

Saying no can be a bit uncomfortable. No one enjoys being rejected or rejecting someone. You don't have to apologize for or feel bad about saying no either. Saying no to protect your time to protect your dream is your right as an individual. It's the ultimate, ultimate form of self respect in my opinion.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement #mRuddo

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How do you define success in your own life? Have you ever wondered what makes a person successful? What are the common personality traits amongst the most successful individuals throughout history?

Successful people often have very clearly defined aspirations, strong drive, a whole lot of patience, a willingness to learn and very strict discipline.

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that's how you grow. When there's that moment of, ‘Wow, I'm not really sure I can do this’ and you push through those moments - that's when you have a breakthrough.” - Marissa Mayer

Successful people always go the extra mile, even when they feel like there's absolutely no gas left in the tank.

Luck is a result of dedicated hustling. It's not a force that's generated when you stumble upon a four leaf clover or see a rainbow in the sky. Luck is the product of calculated risk.

How much time did you spend creating content on social media last week versus consuming it? For real? I'm asking you to keep track of how much time you're spending, audit yourself every week. Keep track of your actions.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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Why do we always try so hard to strive for perfection? Perfection is the ultimate killer of productivity and an absolute destroyer of results.

It's very problematic in my eyes because it leads to extreme obsessiveness and inefficiency. The perfectionists that I know are often the greatest procrastinators because they're so, so sharply focused on the minor details that they never actually get to a finished product.

What comes out of failure is the opportunity to become better; the opportunity to become the best you.

I quite frankly don't think perfection exists. And if it does exist, it exists as a collection of your mistakes. It exists as an actualization of the learning experience that you've had over time.

#TheMotivationMovement @mRuddo mRuddo.com

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