Valuing Yourself and Your Needs (As a Parent): This is about taking care of your OWN needs as a parent because when you consistently put yourself last to be taken care of and habitually continue to sacrifice your basic necessities to make everyone else happy…Essentially, what you’re teaching your children is that they’re here to be of service to others, then themselves. In other words, you’re teaching them to take advantage of you and use you as they please, which in turn communicates to them that they’re most likely to be used. To prevent this from happening, you need to set consistent limits that protect you from demands that could be overbearing and unfair. That way, you’re communicating that your basic needs are just as important as theirs. It’s true…often times parents that are constantly sacrificing themselves are idealized and praised by other parents. You know… the ones that have no hobbies, no friends and no avenue of enjoyment. Is this really desirable? Parents constantly stressed about the needs of others in the family are usually irritable, and unmotivated to try anything new, fun or exciting. How can parents do this long term with no outlet? Instead, us parents need to enjoy ourselves and focus on being re-energized. When you take good care of yourself, you provide the means to take better care of your children. Going out to dinner or cocktails, trips to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, date night with your spouse or even some alone time reading or going for a walk allows you to be a more productive, interested and patient parent.”

“The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you seem to be naturally motivated to continue.”

“A goal, however, is something distinctly different from a wish. It is clear, written, and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it, and you know when you have achieved it or not.”

“The starting point of great success in your life begins, in the simplest terms, when you discipline yourself to think and talk about only the things you want and refuse to think and talk about anything you don't want.”

“Regla: el pensamiento a largo plazo mejora las decisiones de corto plazo.”

“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.”

“The key to success is action.”

“Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and importance, although  difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.”

“You can accomplish virtually anything if you want it badly enough and if you are willing to work long enough and hard enough”

“The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers.”

“One of the marks of excellent people is that they never compare themselves with others. They only compare themselves with themselves and with their past accomplishments and future potential.”

“Make a decision today that, from now on, you are going to eliminate all the “if only’s” from your life.”

“Every hour, stop and ask: Am I really present in this moment? If not, what are my thoughts focused on? Doing this often will help you return to the present moment.”

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to  you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something  bigger and better than your current situation.”

“By the yard it's hard, but inch by inch, anything's a cinch A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step In addition, to keep your energy levels at their highest, be careful  about what you eat. Start the day with a high protein, low fat and  low carbohydrate breakfast. Eat saladswith fish or chicken at lunch.  Avoid sugar, salt, white flour products or deserts. Avoid soft drinks  and candy bars or pastries. Feed yourself as you would feed a world  class athlete before a competition, because in many respects, that’s  what you are before starting work each day”