Okay, I’ll start by telling you what the four GEMS are, and then we’ll go through each one separately.

G is for GRATEFUL
E is for ELIMINATE EXCUSES
M is for MASTER CHANGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
S is for SHINE

GRATEFUL

Being grateful is an instant state changer when you take a moment to truly feel the feelings of gratefulness.

Pause right now and ask yourself what three things/people/circumstances you are most grateful for in your life at this moment? Why are you grateful for these things?

Allow yourself to release and actually wallow in gratefulness. Take as much time as you need.

If you took a moment to actually DO this simple exercise, I know you are feeling better right now. If you did not do this simple exercise, go back and do it now. If you are simply going to just read this article and not DO, you are not going to get the most from it.

Experience is a great teacher.

ELIMINATE EXCUSES

One of the best things I learned when pledging my college fraternity was a short poem called “No Excuses.”

Excuses are monuments of nothingness, which build bridges to nowhere, and those who use those tools of incompetence are masters of nothingness.

That’s very short, but it gets right to heart of my point: Take full responsibility for all of your thoughts and actions and make blame a thing of the past.

Taking responsibility gives you immediate control over your life. @ChappaleBurton (Click to Tweet!)

MASTER CHANGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Even when something bad happens, if you can find a way to locate the good in it, you will be able to change your energy regarding your situation, your outlook, and maybe even your life. I speak to many groups, associations, colleges, and even practicing attorneys, and the demographic I find that will usually ask me the most honest and direct questions are the children’s groups.

I once had a third-grader ask me, “How did I change my perspective and what was good about my parents being killed?”

I thanked the student for the question, and I went on to explain that after that happened, I was placed into a more loving environment with my grandmother, where I was able to flourish and grow. Now I’m at a place where I use my past and the events that have happened in my life to help others be the best they can be by sharing the techniques I’ve used to overcome my dreadful past.

SHINE

When it comes to shining, it’s important that you be true to yourself, be authentic, be genuine, polish your skills, and let your light shine.

A great example of what I mean by shine can be exemplified in this quote by Marianne Williamson:

Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us…As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

The more you shine, the better and freer you feel and the more you give others the courage to shine as well.

As you can probably see, using these four GEMS will not only affect your life in a positively positive way, but also affect everyone you come into contact with.

Until next time.

Live & Love Fully,

Chappale Linn Burton

Chappale Burton is an international motivational speaker and coach with a degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of How To Choose Happiness…Most of The Time: 30 Ways in 30 Days, an inspiring and autobiographical book, which not only details his life story but gives the reader practical steps to help themselves through any kind of adversity. To learn more about Chappale, please visit his website.

*Image courtesy of Ed Schipul.