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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JYLLy6nGE4_cGCmBFdN_p8yuqxBNxLRmIzg7IMMvhRQ/edit?usp=sharing

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The ideas in this text relate to the larger world by showing us as the audience how an emotional person ends up. An emotional person in my opinion is someone who cares about what somebody else thinks and doesn't take time for themselves. An emotional person can be a liability or/and somebody who you cannot trust. An emotional person can also be unstable. This all relates to the larger world because being emotional all the time will get you into trouble all the time. Gatsby, for example, was a mysterious man who was really throwing a lot of sprites beau he wanted to marry and run off with a girl who he hasn't seen in 5 years. It is very unique for someone to do something like that. Gatsby at the end of "The Great Gatsby" got killed because of his emotions for Daisy. Emotional people sometimes don't have a goal in life so they try to make everyone else's life worse. Most people also don't just try to talk about how great they are to somebody else. That is exactly what Gatsby did to Tom in the city. The point is if you are too emotional in the larger world, you are going to be living very rough.

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Emotions are normal, but sometimes after an outburst or a crying session, you may be wondering why you're feeling so emotional.

Feeling heightened emotions or like you're unable to control your emotions can come down to diet choices, genetics, or stress. It can also be due to an underlying health condition, such as depression or hormones.

1. You're human

You may be feeling emotional today. But guess what? You're allowed to be.

We all feel happy, sad, low, or exhilarated. Emotions are a normal part of who we are as humans. Everyone processes events and emotions differently.

Unless your emotions are interfering with your day-to-day life, you may just feel things a bit more than others. Or, you might just be feeling extra sensitive today.

If someone tells you to be less emotional, they're probably basing it off of societal standards. Don't let them put you down. Emotions aren't weak. They're human.

2. Genetics

While emotions are normal, being naturally more emotional may actually have a genetic component. Several older studies suggest that emotion is influenced by genetics.

Though there are other factors involved, such as environmental and social influences, human emotions are somewhat inherited.

If a family member has an affective disorder, such as major depression, you may have a higher risk of experiencing one as well.

3. Lack of sleep

Everyone knows what it's like to wake up on the wrong side of the bed, so it's not hard to imagine that a lack of sleep can affect your emotional well-being.

Sleep deprivation has several effects on your body, including:

trouble thinking and concentrating

higher risk for anxiety or depression

weakened immune system

poor balance and higher risk of accidents

It can affect your mood, too, especially the longer sleep deprivation occurs.

Studies have shown that sleep may be linked to emotional regulation, so getting less sleep may cause your emotions to seem out of whack.

Feeling more irritable or easier to anger are common when chronically sleep-deprived.

4. You need exercise

We've all heard the physical health benefits of exercise, but exercise can also have a big effect on mood and emotions.

While exercise, in general, can promote emotional well-being, a lack of exercise can lower it, according to research.

One 2017 study showed that aerobic exercise had a therapeutic effect on regulating emotions. This finding suggests that if you're feeling extra emotional, jumping on a treadmill or going for a jog could help alleviate it.

5. Diet

Everything you eat affects your body, and a healthy diet can improve your overall well-being, including your mental health.

If you're feeling emotional, it may come down to the foods you're eating.

Research has found that eating a healthy diet means better emotional health, while an unhealthy diet increases levels of distress.

To keep your emotions in check:

Make sure you're consuming a nutrient-dense diet.

Avoid processed, fatty, and fast foods.

Avoid skipping meals.

Make sure you're not lacking vital vitamins and minerals.

pro tip: mix things up
Not getting enough varied, nutrient-dense foods can mean you're relying too heavily on one area of the food pyramid. This will likely lead to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies that can affect your mood and health.

6. You're highly sensitive

Some people truly are more sensitive than others.

A personality trait called sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a quality where someone processes the world more deeply. This includes the moods and feelings of others, as well as pain and loud noises.

Studies suggest that it occurs in almost 20 percent of humans - and even other species! - so it's certainly not a rare thing.

The next time someone says you're always so sensitive, remember that it's totally normal. And it's not a bad thing either. You may feel positive emotions more deeply than others, too. Think joy, excitement, and happiness.

7. Stress

Stress can take a toll on our bodies. If you're feeling stressed or burnt out, you're likely going to feel a little emotional.

While stress is normal, and everyone experiences it, chronic stress can have a lasting effect on your mental and physical health.

If you're feeling especially stressed, your emotions may be running high. You may be likely to cry more easily, or be unsure why you're crying in the first place.

8. Big life changes

When major life events or big changes occur, you're inevitably going to feel the stress - no matter how well you plan for it.

Some of the most stressful changes involve:

divorce or marriage

moving

getting a new job or being fired

having a baby

It doesn't have to be a huge, life-altering change, necessarily, to make you feel emotional. Any shake-up is going to have an effect on your emotional well-being, even if it's only stressing you out under the surface.

It's important to talk through your concerns and have a support system when you're experiencing big changes in your life. This will also help those close to you understand that if you snap at them or are more emotional than usual, it's nothing personal.

Don't worry, once the big change is over, your emotions should return to baseline.

9. Grief

Grief is a varied, complicated, and messy thing. Grieving the loss of someone is one of the hardest things that we all universally go through. So if you're not feeling yourself, or your emotions don't feel the same, that's normal.

Grief doesn't have to just be about losing a loved one. You can grieve for your past self, a child you never had, or even a breakup.

We all handle loss differently and go through the stages of grief at different times, and we may not come out on the other side the same.

10. Trauma

Trauma is a response to experiencing a terrible event that causes physical, emotional, or psychological harm.

It brings about strong, negative emotions including fear, shame, guilt, anger, and sadness, both during and after the experience.

In one 2008 study, researchers found that the type of traumatic event, such as a car accident, sexual violence, injury, or physical assault, could change which emotions were especially heightened.

You may experience:

flashbacks or intrusive memories that bring out unpredictable emotions

inability to express your feelings

apathy or indifference

irritability

outbursts of anger

If the trauma begins to severely affect your day-to-day life, you may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

11. Hormones

Hormones have both physical and psychological effects on the body. Any hormonal imbalance or extra sensitivity to hormonal changes can cause a change in your emotions.

Below are some potential causes of an imbalance or extra sensitivity to hormonal changes:

Thyroid issues. An imbalance of your thyroid hormones can affect your emotions, raising your risk of developing anxiety and depression.

Menopause. Menopause occurs when you stop menstruating and can no longer become pregnant. Mood swings are a common symptom of menopause as hormones fluctuate, and there's a higher risk for developing depression or anxiety.

PMS. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can cause a number of emotional and physical symptoms. Female hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, can influence emotions as they fluctuate throughout the month before and during your menstrual cycle. Estrogen, for instance, can affect the intensity of emotions. Around 75 percent of menstruating women report premenstrual mood changes.

PMDD. Premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD) is similar to PMS, but it includes more severe symptoms, particularly emotional ones. Some potential symptoms include excessive crying, anger, irritability, and sadness.

PCOS. People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) produce higher levels of male hormones, disrupting normal hormone levels. Research has shown that people with PCOS have higher levels of distress than those without the condition.

Stress. Certain stress hormones, such as oxytocin or cortisol, can affect mood, like increasing anger or emotional sensitivity.

Birth control. There's some evidence that using hormonal contraceptives can affect your emotions. Depression, anxiety, and anger were all found to be higher in people taking hormonal birth control.

Imbalances in the adrenal gland or your insulin levels may also affect your emotions and mood.

12. Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that affects more than 300 million people worldwide.

People with depression typically experience higher levels of negative emotions, lower levels of positive emotions, and may have trouble regulating their moods.

While most people think of sadness when they think of depression, other emotional symptoms include feeling empty, hopeless, or anxious. You may also experience anger or irritability.

If you're feeling emotional and believe that depression is the cause, it's important to seek help. There are numerous treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and feel a little more in control of your emotions.

13. Anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point. When you're anxious, your emotions may be heightened, especially those involving fear, apprehension, and irritability.

When anxiety begins to interfere with your daily life, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

When you're anxious, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. Staying in this state for a long time can increase tension, irritability, physical symptoms, and your ability to regulate your emotions.

A 2005 study reported that people with generalized anxiety disorder experienced more intense emotions.

14. ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition typically characterized by hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.

While difficulty focusing and trouble sitting still are the most well-known symptoms of ADHD, the disorder can also magnify your emotions.

People with ADHD can often feel frustrated due to their distractibility, which can lead to heightened emotions. This frustration can lead to irritability, anger, or anxiety.

15. Personality disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the guide published by the American Psychiatric Association, is used by healthcare providers for the diagnosis of mental health conditions.

The DSM-5 defines personality disorders as "enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture, is pervasive and flexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment."

Emotional dysregulation, an inability to regulate your emotions, is a common trait of many personality disorders.

If you have a personality disorder, you may feel more emotional than others. Some additional symptoms include:

difficulty controlling anger, or getting angry without understanding why

frequent mood swings

inappropriate emotional responses

hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection

Some of the more common personality disorders include obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder.

If you feel like your emotions are out of your control, or you believe it's caused by an underlying health issue, see your healthcare provider. They can help you get to the root of the issue or refer you to a specialist.

If you feel overly emotional and begin contemplating suicide or having suicidal thoughts, help is available. Call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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Why Am I So Emotional? 15 Reasons You're Feeling Extra Sensitive

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It's normal to feel extra sensitive from time to time. But in some cases, feeling more emotional than usual could be a sign of an underlying condition. We'll go over some common causes and help you recognize when it's time to reach out for help.

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The ideas in this text remind me of another situation I have seen growing up. I have seen one girl and two boys who know of that same girl. The boys frequently hang out with her at different times and have built a connection with the girl. The girl flirts with both of them and makes each of the boys their friend. The girl ultimately has to choose one boy and the boy that does not get picked will go on in a spiral of emotions. It's really interesting to see one event crate emotions that you didn't even know you had. These certain "Love" situations have happened a lot throughout my life. I have seen a lot of them and they all end the same way which is no one wins. Nobody wins these situations because all of the decisions that these people are making are based on pure emotion. This Is why this text reminds me of "love" situations. In "The Great Gatsby" there was a lot of emotion happening during the movie/book. There was so much emotion that some characters couldn't control themselves and would hurt others or themselves. That is what this text reminds me of.

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"Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional." ~Glenda Cloud
I got married three years ago right out of college. We had been together since freshman year, and lived together for two years. Still, we didn't fully understand what was coming our way.

I remember my parents telling me, "You know, marriage is a lot of work. It requires effort." I fervently assured them that I understood, because I thought I did. But understanding something conceptually and experiencing that thing are two different animals.

Our first year of marriage was fine. To be honest, I don't remember too much about it. It was more of the same; just a couple of kids having fun.
What I did not know then was that tiny hurts and resentments had begun to creep up on us. I believe these were unspoken, unconscious issues that had been present but overlooked throughout our relationship.
The manifestation of these problems was subtle at first. It was just our usual way of operating; little jibes at each other, veiled judgments, stubborn protests. Nothing new, but something had changed.

My wife took up Tango. I didn't. She started going out more often. I stayed at home more and more. The rift that had already occurred between us had just been unmasked.
We started fighting more often. In some cases, they were brutal, malicious, screaming fights. At a certain point we began to "accept" our situation.
I decided I would just deal with it and do my best. But my idea of dealing with it was mortally flawed. I stopped protesting to her outings, and she began to spend more and more time away from home.

The resentment built up inside both of us. There was almost no real communication happening. Sure, we had our good days, but in general, we cried more than we laughed.

Finally, one night my wife didn't come home. Neither of us called or texted. I went to bed alone, as I was wont to do those days, but I woke up in a panic around three in the morning when I realized she still wasn't home.
Then, I called, texted, worried, and repeated the process for two hours. She finally arrived home at 5am. She had been dancing all night. She did it to hurt me, because she was hurt.
We were both in so much pain.

The next day, we sat down with each other. I said that we could not go on this way. We both admitted how angry we were at one another. We were not well-versed in this type of conscious conversation, so we talked in circles.
We made two decisions. First, we would seek out couple's therapy. Second, we would take a trial separation. This was heart wrenching. How had we gotten to this point?
Yet, it was a turning point.

We began couple's therapy and shortly thereafter realized that we both needed individual counseling. We were dealing with deep-seated emotional issues that we had never before confronted.
Our arguments slowly became less enraged screaming matches, and more constructive, intelligent conversations. This took months and many little breakthroughs.
The first eight months of counseling were difficult. During that time, we separated twice for a month each time. But once again, something had started to change...for the better this time.

We started spending more quality time with each other, making the decision and the effort to really be with one another. We resolved to listen and stay present, and to be honest about what we were thinking and feeling. If you've been in a long-term relationship, you know how difficult that can be.

Now, a year and half later, my wife and I are still in counseling, but our relationship is better than it has ever been. We make it a point to sit down and have a check-in conversation at least once a week, if not more.
Ultimately, what we learned was that if there was to be communication, we had to speak and listen to one another with intense presence, honesty, patience, and compassion. And above all, we realized that we had to accept that our relationship was changing, that it needed to change.
We have learned to compromise on our social endeavors. She still dances. In fact, she's an incredible dancer. And I go with her when I can (though I'm no good). In turn, she spends more evenings at home with me when time and work permits.

When our problems first surfaced, things had stagnated. In many ways we had resisted change: the transition from student to working adult, from boy to man, from girlfriend to wife. But if we're always resisting we never see what is right in front of us (or inside of us).
In both cases, we are resisting what is and the opportunity to grow. It is a recipe for resentment, anger, and ultimately, apathy.
What I've come to realize is that often we leave things unsaid because we believe broaching the issue will be more trouble than it's worth. In turn, we get defensive when our partner is critical, even in a constructive way.

I urge you to think of yourself in this light. Whether on a large or small level, how often do you resist what's going on inside of you? No one wants to feel annoyed, hurt, angry, or sad. But if we feel that way, we must accept. Otherwise we suppress and miss an opportunity for self-growth.

Only when we make the decision to acknowledge what is really there can we take the first steps toward healing. When that happens, we stop fighting the truth and are able to loosen the grip on all the pain to which we are so accustomed.

Nothing is ever perfect, but we must remember that to live and to love is to change and to grow. We can resist it all we want, but change is inevitable.
Photo by Garry Knight
Growth, on the other hand, is conditional. It only happens when we choose to embrace change one moment at a time.

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When Relationships Change: Growing Together, Not Apart

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"Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional." ~Glenda Cloud I got married three years ago right out of college. We had been together since freshman year, and lived together for two years. Still, we didn't fully understand what was coming our way. I remember my parents telling me, "You know, marriage is a lot of work.

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The ideas in this text relate to my own life by making smarter choices in life. If I was in love with someone I would tell the person how I would feel and let the person I'm telling my feelings to make the decision of whether she wants to be with me or not. The choice should be hers to make not man. In "The Great Gatsby" this was not the case because Gatsby was almost forcing Daisy to tell Tom that she didn't love him when she really loved both of them all along. The ideas in this text relate to my own ideas in life by making constant decisions every day to be better than I was yesterday. All of these characters didn't really thrive to make themselves better every day, but it sure cost all of them in the end. All in all, Gatsby should have controlled himself more with Daisy and should have been more rational with her as well. Lastly, the ideas in this text relate to my experiences by always picking the right decision in life no matter how hard that decision is. A great example of this is when George killed Gatsby. George shouldn't have done that because he ended up killing himself and ending his life in a terrible way. Even if the love of his life got murdered in cold blood, there is still no excuse for killing the man who did it.

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At the Duke Career Center, Monique Turrentine decides what companies and organizations are invited to Duke to meet virtually or in-person with students to discuss job opportunities.

With thousands of employers and almost no parameters, Turrentine takes her time figuring out what companies to invite for events. She notes necessities - equitable hiring practices, undergraduate degree requirements and right fits for Duke majors - and talks over her thought process with colleagues before final decisions.

"I'm not doing any favors by rushing through my process," said Turrentine, assistant director of employer relations for the Duke Career Center, where she's worked for four years. "I have my process. I stick to it. I want to make decisions that benefit both the employer and our students. We want them to have a good experience."

To ensure her decision-making process is sound, Turrentine tuned to a virtual talk by Ralph Keeney, research professor emeritus at the Fuqua School of Business. The August talk, called " Nudge Yourself to Make Smarter Decisions," was part of Fuqua's ongoing series on LinkedIn Live where professors and leaders share expertise in 30-minute sessions. Dr. Keeney's presentation was based on his new book " Give Yourself a Nudge," published by Cambridge University Press in April of this year.

Keeney, who studies how people make decisions, spoke about how to make smarter personal and professional choices by defining a decision clearly, identifying what you want to achieve and creating better alternatives by taking time to consider options.

"Often we don't spend much time on the front end of decision making," Keeney said. "We try to solve the problem we have with a decision right away. Taking time to think things through is important because decision making is the only way to purposefully influence your life. Everything else is beyond our control."

Check out this three-step process for improving your decision-making process.

Define Your Decision Clearly

Begin your decision-making by writing a decision statement that identifies the decision that you want to face.

Keeney recommends starting your decision statement with "decide," followed by words such as "how," "when," "whether" or "if."

For example, Keeney offered a decision around a new position. Your thought process may begin with whether to accept a new job - a yes or no. A useful decision statement would be "decide what type of job would be better for my career" or "decide what job would provide the most enjoyment and offer opportunities to expand my skills."

"Writing down multiple decision statements in that format will bring clarity to what needs to be addressed and why," Keeney said. "Understanding the question is important for finding a solution."

Next, consider your potential decision statements and select the one that best describes your interests.

"Your selected decision statement guides your subsequent effort," Keeney said. "It helps you figure out what your objectives are and you will likely recognize more things you need to consider."

Identify Your Objectives

Once you've taken time to settle on a decision, it's time to identify objectives, which specify what you want to achieve.

Keeney suggests making a list of everything you want to achieve as consequences of the decision with a verb in front of an object.

"If you say 'work-life balance is important' then turn that phrase into 'take more vacation days' or 'spend time with my family every night,'" Keeney said. "This makes your objectives easily identifiable when thinking over your decision."

Karen Kharasch, senior director of research strategy and operations for the Duke Cancer Institute, also listened to Keeney's LinkedIn Live for help with professional and personal decisions, like setting boundaries for ending her work day while working remotely.

Kharasch's decision statement was to "decide when to wrap-up her workday at home," and her objective was to close her computer by 6 p.m.

"While I could work well after 6 p.m., I decided I need to stop myself," she said. "I decided to be intentional about ending my day because I'll be more alert and well-rested."

Take Time to Consider Alternatives

The final step is to give yourself time to create alternatives for your decisions.

See if you can brainstorm new decision statements and objectives to create alternative results to the question at hand. Keeney said never to settle on the first alternative that you come up with.

"Giving yourself time to think of other alternatives will often reveal new and better alternatives," Keeney said. "The more alternatives that you identify, the more likely your choice leads to a consequence that achieves your objectives."

Keeney said to let your values, as expressed by your objectives, guide your thought process during this step of the decision-making process.

"What do you care about?" Keeney said. "People often jump in and go with the first alternative that contributes to an obvious objective without thinking about long-term consequences. Will you be happier making more money with a new job, if you do not learn much or enjoy what you're working on?"

Diversity, equity and inclusion are some of the values the Duke Career Center's Turrentine holds close when planning networking events for students.

The center has typically scheduled one or two annual events that focused on employers with diversity, equity and inclusion hiring initiatives for students. But Turrentine and the employer relations team are expanding that to more events.

"Increasing our diversity and inclusion programming is now something we've begun discussing on the front end of event planning at the Career Center," Turrentine said. "The more we talked, the more we realized how important it was. We gave ourselves time to find a better decision."
Got something you would like for us to cover? Send ideas, shout-outs and photographs through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.

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At the Duke Career Center, Monique Turrentine decides what companies and organizations are invited to Duke to meet virtually or in-person with students to discuss job opportunities. With thousands of employers and almost no parameters, Turrentine takes her time figuring out what companies to invite for events.

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Something that relates to me in this chapter is dignity. Every single character in this book had a goal and not one of them achieved it. To do something and not achieve it either means you tried really hard or you didn't do anything to achieve that goal. All of the characters in this book showed their dignity by getting back up when they fell. When things didn't go well fr these characters, they all rose above the heavy challenges that came with their goals and faced it like true Men and Women. Personally, I have never read a book where every single character shows a lot of dignity and pride. It is a very rare thing to see. I liked the ending of the book so much as well because all of these characters went out with Dignity. It was definitely sad to see all of these characters die, but it made sense to see how their actions time and tie again lead them there. This chapter also was creative because it shows a lot of perspective from Nicks's point of view since he was one of the only characters still alive. Lastly, I was very impressed to see how Nick told his point of view of everything that happened in "The Great Gatsby". That is something that related to me in this chapter.

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Every day, you wake up with a choice. When you leave your home to go out into the world, you can either operate on autopilot - reacting haphazardly to interactions with others, or avoiding them altogether - or you can be mindful of your behavior and how it's affecting other people.

Each one of us makes this choice every day - many times a day - though we may not consciously know it. But what if you started paying attention to your habits and committed to treating everyone you encounter with dignity and respect?

This is what the 30 Tips of Dignity & Respect aims to do. These simple tips are everyday behaviors that you can easily incorporate into your life - that will make a world of difference to those around you.

So read the list and follow the tips, and learn how to start making the world a better place for ALL to live:

1. Start with you. Reflect on how you see others, and how others see you.

2. Sweat the small stuff. It's often the small things, such as being kind and courteous, that make a difference.

3. Smile. A smile can be contagious.

4. Say "Hello." You could make someone's day.

5. Say "Thank you." Gratitude is a gift that's never too small to give.

6. Treat others the way they want to be treated. Find out what respect means to others.

7. Build cultural awareness. Differences are barriers only if we allow them to be.

8. Make a new friend. Start a conversation and learn something new.

9. Demonstrate mutual respect. Inclusion means being respectful regardless of position or title.

10. Ask. It's okay to ask when you're not sure.

11. Find common ground. Discover what you have in common.

12. Communicate respectfully. It's not just what you say, but how you say it.

13. Practice patience. Take the time to get the full story.

14. Seek understanding. It's better to not fully understand than to fully misunderstand.

15. Share your point of view. Everyone has a perspective. Let others benefit from yours.

16. Get someone else's point of view. After sharing your perspective, give others a chance to share theirs.

17. Reinvent the wheel. Do something that hasn't already been done.

18. Be open. Try to experience new thoughts and ideas as learning opportunities.

19. Be flexible. Things don't always go as planned. Adapt to changing conditions when necessary.

20. Join the team. Do your part to support teamwork.

21. Be a relationship builder. Seek ways to expand your network.

22. Build trust. Be fair. Limit bias and favoritism.

23. Lead the way. Let your inclusive behavior light a path for others.

24. Listen. People feel respected when they know you're listening to their point of view.

25. Remember we all make mistakes. Resist the urge to point out the ones others make.

26. Do the right thing. Make a difference. Get caught being good.

27. Become a mentor. You - yes, you - can help others realize their potential.

28. Lend a hand. A little help can go a long way.

29. Live a healthy life. Do something good for your mind, body, & soul. Encourage others to join you.

30. Be a champion of dignity and respect. Demonstrate respect for self, others, and your community.

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The 30 Tips of Dignity & Respect - Dignity & Respect

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Every day, you wake up with a choice. When you leave your home to go out into the world, you can either operate on autopilot - reacting haphazardly to interactions with others, or avoiding them altogether - or you can be mindful of your behavior and how it's affecting other people.

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What this novel says about the American dream is that anyone can achieve it. The American Dream summarizes that you have to work hard to achieve something. Throughout this story we have learned that each character will work relentlessly to achieve their own American dream. For example, Gatsby's American dream was to get the girl of his dreams and live a happy life. Another character that wanted to have an American dream was Daisy and that was to have a secure and healthy relationship. What this novel also says about the American dream was that bonding with one another is really important. Wolfsheim was very fond of that saying and understood throughout his lifetime that life is better when you have a better bond with your with then someone your with and don't have a bond with "Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead". This "American dream" that all of the characters are so fixated on was really a distraction for all of their development in my opinion. Characters like Myrtle, Gatsby, and Nick were trying so hard to achieve their "American dream" that they lost sight of themselves. Lastly, Daisy described how Gatsby and her first met in the mansion which was kind of cool, " It makes me sad because i have never seen such beautiful shirt before". That is what this novel says about the American dream.

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If you want to succeed at anything in life, you need to know how to achieve your goals.

Goals give us a sense of direction and focus. Without them, we would be wandering aimlessly. If you don't have a clear understanding of where you want to go, then how do you expect to ever get there?

We all want to achieve something great in our lives, yet many of us don't know what it takes in order to reach our desired outcome. The trick is knowing how to move from wanting something to actually following through and making it happen.

Setting goals is a good start, but it's not enough. If you don't have a plan in place for execution, you will fail.

When you look at the statistics for failure to achieve goals, the numbers are shocking. According to research by the University of Scranton, 92 percent of people that set New Year's goals never actually achieve them. Failure to achieve your goals can leave you feeling disappointed and depressed. The result? People give up.

If you want to be one of the 8% who succeeds, you need to know how to achieve your goals. Don't expect to say, "This is what I want" and have it magically come true. If you are serious about goal-setting, you need to understand that it is a process that takes time, commitment, hard work, and patience.

In the words of Brad Burden, "Winners must have two things; definite goals and a burning desire to achieve them." Are you ready to learn what it takes to be a winner and achieve your goals?
Watch the video below: (Click here to watch on YouTube) Are you ready to succeed faster and master every area of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program! This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!
Before you can even think about setting or achieving your goals, you need to understand the difference between results-oriented and process-oriented goals.

Results-oriented goals are focused towards a specific result. Ultimately, a result is what you are striving for. However, if you only concern yourself with the final outcome, you are making a big mistake. Don't forget about the process that it takes in order to achieve your goals.

Process-oriented goals are small milestones that remind you that you are going in the right direction. Think of process-based goals as habits. Once you have mastered habits, then you can turn your focus towards the results that those habits are supposed to create.

I am a firm believer that, if you want to achieve your goals, you need to focus on and enjoy the process. This is my goal-setting strategy for success. In the words of Eric Thomas, "Fall in love with the process and the results will come."

Let's explore 10 tips that will help you achieve your goals.

1. Make A Commitment

If you want to achieve your goals, you need to first make a commitment to yourself. Look at the current state of your life and ask yourself, "What is the consequence of NOT achieving my goals?"

If there is something that is holding you back, go inward and figure out what it is. If you are waiting for the perfect moment to commit to achieving your goals, you are going to be waiting a long time.

As William James once proclaimed, " To change one's life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions." Are you ready to go all in?

2. Aim High, But Start Small

When it comes to setting goals, it's important to aim high. Big goals are awesome, in that they inspire us to take action. However, I see a lot of people that set big goals that are too grandiose. As a result, they never get achieved.

I'm a big believer that, when it comes to setting goals, you need to start small. Sometimes when we look at the big picture, our goals can feel unattainable, which is why we need to celebrate the small milestones that we make on a daily basis.

This idea is supported by Harvard researcher Teresa Amabile who points out that the single most powerful workplace motivator is small, daily progress which has the power to ignite joy and engagement in people.

I probably have over 50 plus goals. The reason why I never get overwhelmed with the number of goals that I have is that I don't focus on all of my goals at once. I hone in on 1-2 projects at a time, and then as I grow, I celebrate my wins and slowly start taking on more goals.

3. Determine Your Level of Desire and Belief

Whenever you set a goal, your intention is always to change something. In order to achieve your goals, you need to have a deep-seeded desire to change throughout the entire goal-setting process.

When you set a goal, ask yourself, "On a scale from 1-10, what is my level of desire to achieve this goal?" If your desire is a 2, then obviously you won't have the momentum that you need in order to achieve your goals. You want your desire to be in the range of 7-10.

Here's the kicker. Desire isn't enough. You also need to possess an unwavering belief in your ability to achieve your goals, which is why you also need to ask yourself, "On a scale from 1-10, what is my level of belief that I can achieve this goal?"

If you have a desire to make $10 million dollars this year, but your belief is at a 1, you are setting yourself up for failure. This is where a lot of people get stuck. They set goals, but because their desire and/or belief is not in alignment with the goal that they want to achieve, they fail.

The result? They drop into avoidance mode and forget about their goals altogether.

When you find the sweet spot, where your desire and your belief are in full alignment with your goals, you are setting yourself up for success. This goal-setting formula is what has allowed me to achieve my goals and take my life to the next level.

4. Drop Bad Habits

Achieving your goals is not so much about mastering the art of goal-setting, as it is about dropping the bad habits that are holding you back from success.

Our brains are hard-wired to prefer routine over something new, so when we are trying to kick a bad habit there is always some resistance. The result is that it inhibits our ability to make progress. Bring yourself back to "here and now" and stop thinking too far into the future.

Take the focus away from the goal itself and how you are going to get there and learn to fall in love with the process of who you want to become.

In the words of Leo Tolstoy, "Remember then: there is only one time that is important - Now. It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power."

5. Be Consistent

To be consistent means that you commit to taking action over the long-term. It means that you are willing to go all-in and fully dedicate yourself to achieving your goals. This is what a master does. They don't get distracted by shiny objects. Rather, they are hyper-focused. Nothing stands in their way of success. If they can't find a way, they make a way.

Consistency comes down to repetition. If you want to master your life, you need to commit to repeating the same habits and rituals over and over again. One of the best ways to trick your brain into helping you achieve your goals is by consistently engaging in the habit that you want to adopt.

By working towards your goal, every day, it will be easier for your brain to convert that behavior into a habit. This is why I am such a big fan of morning rituals, as they help you make progress towards your goals by conditioning your mindset for success every day.

6. Set SMART Goals

When you set goals you have to make sure that you are achieving 80-90% of them. This is a mistake that I see a lot of people make. They set goals that are so big that they end up being impossible to achieve.

You need to phrase your goals properly, and the way that you do that is by using the S.M.A.R.T. philosophy. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

These types of goals will provide you with the structure and guidance that you need in order to ensure that you actually achieve what it is that you set out to do. I achieve all of the goals that I set for myself because I follow this strategy.

When it comes to reaching your goals, in her book, Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, Heidi Halvorson says that "Difficult but possible is the key. That's because more difficult goals cause you to, often unconsciously, increase your effort, focus, and commitment to the goal; persist longer; and make better use of the most effective strategies."

7. Find an Accountability Partner

Achieving goals takes time, hard work, discipline, and commitment. When results don't come fast enough, a lot of people give up. Yes, it can be easy to lose your motivation in the process of achieving your goals, which is why you need to find an accountability partner.

The American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) did a study on accountability and found that you have a 65% of completing a goal if you commit to someone. Moreover, if you have a specific accountability appointment with a person you've committed, you will increase your chance of success by up to 95%!

When you are accountable to someone else, it gives you the momentum that you need to keep pushing forward. Find someone who will inspire you to stop talking about achieving your goals and that will actually challenge you to take action and crush them!

8. Write Your Goals Down

The act of setting goals is great, but they become real and tangible when you actually write your goals down. Doing so forces you to really think about what it is that you want. Visualize what life would be like if you achieved your goals.

What would it feel like to achieve the success that you desire?

Setting a goal is one thing, but oftentimes life gets in the way and we don't hold ourselves accountable for following through. Can you relate? We've all been there.

Writing down your goals also forces you to take action, especially when you read them out loud to yourself every day. They provide a benchmark that allows you to check-in with your progress so that you know how much farther you need to go in order to achieve your desired outcome.

9. Celebrate Your Milestones

Sometimes we can get so consumed with juggling our massive to-do lists that we forget to celebrate our accomplishments. Whenever you achieve a small milestone, don't forget to celebrate yourself! This will give you the motivation that you need in order to keep moving forward to keep leveling up and achieve your next big goal.

10. Don't Give Up!

The people who always succeed in achieving their goals are the ones who never give up. If you are expecting an easy, breezy ride on the road to success, keep dreaming. Anything of value requires hard work and persistence.

Your ability to overcome the challenges that you face along the way makes accomplishing your goals all that sweeter.

The fact that you have read this entire blog shows me that you are the type of person that is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Someone once said, "Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other 3 tires because you got one flat." Follow your dreams and don't ever give up.

If you want to live a life that you love, you need to achieve your goals.

The best place to start is by following the above 1o tips. Every successful person has one thing in common - they all set goals and work extremely hard to achieve them.

If you want to be successful, you need to drop the excuses. Stop telling yourself that you don't have time to achieve your goals. It's time to make time for the things that are most important to you.

Are you ready to crush your goals? There is no better time than today to start.
Are you ready to succeed faster and master every area of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!
Do you want to learn 3 reasons why you aren't crushing your goals? CLICK HERE to read the article I wrote on Medium!

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How To Achieve Your Goals (50+ Goals Per Year)

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If you want to succeed at anything in life, you need to know how to achieve your goals. Goals give us a sense of direction and focus. Without them, we would be wandering aimlessly. If you don't have a clear understanding of where you want to go, then how do you expect to ever get there?

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The image on the cover conveys key aspects of the story by the giant face symbolizing everyone in the story. The giant face on the cover of the story symbolizes everyone in the story because it gives an in-depth perspective on who these characters really are and how serious all of these characters can be. The cover of the book also has a bright picture of the city which holds many events that were taken in "The Great Gatsby". The city all in all was a place where many physical and mental battles were held during the story of " The Great Gatsby". I also feel like the city gave all of the characters more variety in terms of where they can est and have conversations. I have also noticed that the cover of the book seems to look like a woman. This woman in my opinion has to be none other than, Daisy. Daisy's role in "The Great Gatsby" was so impactful and honest. Daisy was a character who could change the whole arc of the story with one small decision like where she was going to sleep. Daisy's role also had other characters make crucial decons that were very important in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Lastly, as a reader of this book, it makes a lot more sense why someone like Daisy would be on the cover of " The Great Gatsby". That is how the image on the cover conveys key aspects of the story.

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Something that relates to me in this chapter is a mystery. The reason why mystery relates to me in this chapter is that throughout this chapter, we have been wondering what will happen to Tom, Gatsby, Daisy, etc. I also feel like mystery relates to me in this chapter because life itself is a mystery. Nobody knows where they are going to end up in life no matter how much they try to get to that one spot. You could have everything planned out since you were a little kid about where you want to go and you still wouldn't know if you would end up there or not. Throughout this story and every page I type, I don't know what's going to happen to who, but I keep reading because I have to or else I won't know what will happen. This relation between mystery and " The Great Gatsby" can be compared to life because if you don't keep pushing forward and working hard or/and "finding out that mystery", you will never know what could have been. I think a lot of kids struggle with that because they just don't know how to find the courage to move forward and explore the mysteries of their potential. That is why mystery relates to me in this chapter.

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A little bit of mystery can go a long way when building your reputation. By adjusting how you talk and act in public, you can wrap yourself in an air of secrecy that will make you seem more interesting, exciting, and attractive to the people around you.

Communicating with Others

1. Think before you speak. This goes hand in hand with speaking minimally. Instead of saying every little thing that pops into your head, think about why you want to say what you're thinking and only verbalize it when you need to. This will give you an air of mystery.

2. Listen more to others. Those who are mysterious often observe others more than they steal the spotlight. Focus on taking in your surroundings, listening to what others say, and fading into the background a bit. Not only will this make you more mysterious, but it'll also make you a better conversationalist.

Acting Mysterious

1. Display confidence. Being cool and comfortable is necessary in giving off a mysterious vibe. Having an air of quiet confidence is intriguing to others, and can greatly contribute to your mysterious image because it proves that you know exactly who you are although others may not. Maintain good posture and keep your head held high so others immediately pick up on your confident attitude.

Confidence and arrogance are different; don't be rude and brag about how great you are to everyone.

2. Embrace your uniqueness. Those who are mysterious often march to the beat of their own drum, meaning they don't just follow the crowd. Instead of wearing trendy clothes and participating in popular activities, rock your own style and embrace all things odd. This may make you appear complex and even difficult to understand to others.

3. Conceal your emotions. Mysterious people are hard to read. If you're really expressive, others will know what you're feeling without you having to say a word. Be mindful of your facial expressions and try to keep them somewhat neutral so that people aren't sure what you're thinking and feeling.

For example, if you got into a big fight with your sibling or friend earlier in the day, act as if it's just a normal, uneventful day. Avoid wearing a frown or crying in front of people you interact with throughout the day.

Try to stay calm, cool, and collected at all times.

Making Lifestyle Changes

1. Be less present and available. The key to being mysterious is to keep yourself as private and unknown as possible. The easiest way to keep people from learning too much about you is to spend less time with them and talk to them less. Spend most of your free time alone and/or with people that know the real you so that you appear distant to others.

2. Focus on your hobbies. Having multiple hobbies may make you seem more interesting and versatile to others. It may also add to your mysteriousness if it takes up a lot of free time that you would otherwise socialize during. Additionally, working on your hobbies can help you acquire a sense of pride and purpose that may help you develop a mysterious confidence.

This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 879,460 times.

Updated: February 23, 2020

To make yourself seem more mysterious, avoid mentioning personal details and think carefully before you say or post anything private. Mysterious people often march to the beat of their own drum, so don't be afraid to wear strange clothes or participate in odd activities. While in public, try to keep a calm, cool demeanor even if you're extremely happy or sad so nobody can guess what you're really feeling. For tips on how to open up to certain people without ruining your mysterious image, scroll down!

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 879,460 times.

Vincent Wiggins

"It helped very much! I had just started college and was always the obnoxious kid who always tries to make people laugh, so I thought I'd try something new. This website helped very much and soon, everybody was wondering about me. " ..." more

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A little bit of mystery can go a long way when building your reputation. By adjusting how you talk and act in public, you can wrap yourself in an air of secrecy that will make you seem more interesting, exciting, and attractive to the...

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Something that relates to me in this chapter is passion. What I mean by passion is seeing how focused and driven all of these characters are to achieve different goals. A lot of these goals do revolve around Gatsby and Daisy but there are a lot of different reasons why the characters in "The Great Gatsby" are chasing after Gatsby and Daisy. Nick, Tom, Jordan are all very passionate characters and care for what they want in a partner. All of these characters are passionate about getting their partner by whatever means necessary. When someone is passionate about something, they don't care what anyone else does or what anyone else thinks. A passionate person just pushes and pushes until they are exhausted and then they do the exact same thing the next day. It is a truly frightening sight when someone is passionate about something because there is no point in trying to get in their way. I also think that passion is just something that is attainable for everyone if that person puts in enough time and effort. Lastly, this chapter relates to me through passion because I see myself as someone who is passionate and t read this book every day and to see how passionate the characters are such as Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, etc. It is really impressive to see a lot of passionate characters thrive in what they believe in and how these characters are passionate and hungry to achieve their goals. That is how passion relates to me in this chapter.

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Being passionate is important in life, but it also can be difficult to deal with. Just like with all good things, too much of it can be damaging. However, passionate people, overall, do live happier and better lives than the average individual.

Passions give us purpose, but more than that, they make us feel that we have purpose in our lives. Being passionate isn't just about knowing - it's also about feeling. That's what makes passions so important; they make us feel that we're on the right path in life and give us hope for a happy and exciting future.

Passionate people lead significantly different lives from their less-than-enthusiastic counterparts. Here are 10 things that passionate people do differently and the good and bad that comes of it.

1. Start their days early.

It's not that passionate people don't enjoy sleeping - they do. It's just that once they're up, they get excited about the work ahead of them. Even if the particular project or tasks they will be working on may not excite them, their future aspirations and the passion they have for what they do drive them to get out of bed rather quickly. Passionate people are all about doing and you can't do much if you spend half the day sleeping.

2. Always have their passions on their mind.

They're basically obsessed - hopefully in a healthy manner. Healthy passions are healthy obsessions. You can't keep your mind from returning to the topic and can't help but get excited by those thoughts. Passionate people live in a world in which the few things that matter to them in life basically involve the passions they love.

3. Get excited more than the average person.

Passionate individuals may not always feel excited - no one is excited all the time - but when they get excited, they get excited more fully, for a longer duration and, overall, more frequently.

It's because they have more in their lives to get excited about. They devote their time to usually one or two things and therefore make more progress than those who split their time amongst many things. The momentum keeps them excited.

4. Get pissed off and emotional more than the average person.

Just as the passionate get excited, they also can come off as very moody. They go from happy and excited to pissed off and miserable. Because they are passionate, they are much more emotionally connected to whatever it is they are doing - so when things go well, the world is a beautiful place, but when things go awry, sh*t gets real very quickly.

5. Willing to risk more and put more on the line.

If you're passionate, you have a clear understanding of what your purpose in life is - if only your purpose for that very moment. For this reason, you give much less importance to other things. Therefore you're willing to risk more for the thing(s) that you find most important, that you are most passionate about. Those that are passionate are much more willing to give up things that don't fall in their scope of passion.

6. Devote their lives to their dreams.

Life is filled with things worth doing and things not worth doing. That which we are most passionate about is what we believe to be worthwhile, everything else seems to be wasteful and lacking. Passionate individuals gradually gravitate towards their passions and away from the rest that life has to offer. They know what will make them happy and are willing to ignore the rest.

7. Surround themselves with their work.

People say that it isn't good to bring work home. However, for the most passionate, work is home. It's not possible for these individuals not to bring their work home because their work is in them and reflects in everything they have and do. But it doesn't feel like work to them. It feels like life.

8. Can't help but talk about their projects.

They know that you probably don't want to hear about it because you hear about it all the time, but they don't really want to talk about much else. And even if they do, their conversations almost always steer back to their passions. They can't help it because they don't see their passions as separate from themselves; they are their passions.

9. Tend to either be pushing ahead full throttle or are completely still.

Passionate people aren't always the best at balancing their lives. They get overly excited and push themselves to their limits. They love working and love moving forward quickly. But they eventually do run out of steam and crash. Only the seasoned and wise passionate individuals have learned to balance havoc and calm in a healthy manner.

10. Always think positively about the future.

Their minds are always looking ahead, looking at what can be instead of what is. This has its good sides and bad, but nevertheless, they are always thinking about their next move.

The one great outcome is that they always have something to look forward to and are excited to make it happen. As long as they remember to hang around in the present from time to time, they don't run into too much trouble.
Photo credit: The Aviator
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10 Things That Truly Passionate People Do Differently

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Being passionate is important in life, but it also can be difficult to deal with. Just like with all good things, too much of it can be damaging. However, passionate people, overall, do live happier and better lives than the average...

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In my opinion, I do think that Gatsby loves Daisy. The reason why I think Gatsby loves Daisy is that from the very beginning of the story, Gatsby has seen Daisy as a very unique and beautiful woman. I do think that Tom loves Daisy. Tom may treat Daisy way differently than Gatsby, but he still loves her just as much as Gatsby does. I think that Nick doesn't love anyone. I don't think Nick loves anyone because of how much of a facilitator Nick has been in " The Great Gatsby"  more than anything else and I just don't think Nick really found any loving connections in "The Great Gatsby". Love is something unique that can be used for you and against you. "Love" in "The Great Gatsby" has been nothing short of insane decisions and disturbing interactions. "Love" can also be very dramatic and can bring and uprise a lot of emotions. For example, we know how bad of a person Tom is to Daisy, but since they are married and he "loves" her, it can bring a lot of good and bad things to a person. "Love" can also test a person on how to resist temptation and how to respectfully treat your partner. What Fitzgerald is saying about "Love" is that he likes the rush and excitement about giving pleasure to your partner. Fitzgerald does not really care fr all of the feelings and true emotions of "Love". That is what Fitzgerald is saying about "Love".

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LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships

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It's understandable that some people might question whether or not they really are in love especially if they've never known what love feels like.

There are no specific criteria for when or how you fall in love with someone. In terms of feeling it, there's also no way to gauge if it's real or not. Falling in love can be misconstrued as infatuation, because the two emotions go hand in hand. What people really want to know is whether or not it's stopped being infatuation and finally turned into love.
How do you know if it's love?
The only way to know if you really are in love is when you start to believe it without a shadow of a doubt. No matter how many signs there are, you cannot guarantee whether or not it's really love, but you can get a pretty good idea one way or the other if you know what to look for.

If you really are in love, you stop thinking about why you shouldn't be in love. If it's too early, you may feel that it's not yet true. If you're too guarded, you may decide that you don't want to open your heart yet. With these kinds of limitations, it's easy to tell yourself you're not in love.

But what happens when you finally want to know whether or not you really are in love? Is there a signal? Is there a specific ritual that needs to be done to find out? Not really. All you have to do is ask yourself what you truly feel deep down. [Read: 19 sure signs of falling in love to watch out for]

If your gut feeling is that you're not in love with someone, chances are you aren't. If, however, you seem to feel some sort of warm and tingling sensation whenever you think about that person, maybe it's time to delve more deeply into your emotions.

For the purpose of helping you out, we've listed some of the most common feelings that are related to being in love. These are not limited to romantic love, but if these are all present, it's highly likely that you're starting to go beyond infatuation and into true love's territory.
What you feel when you're thinking about the person you love:
#1 Giddiness. Mind you, this is the same type of giddiness you feel the first time they hold your hand. When you're in love, however, it starts to become a normal part of your day. With or without your partner, the giddiness seems to never go away.

#2 An unsolicited need to smile. Sometimes, it happens even before you think about the person you love.

#3 Craving their presence, not their attention. The difference between wanting someone's attention and wanting their presence is the understanding that a person can't be there all the time. Oh, yes, sometimes it's cute when you send an innocuous "whatchadoin" text, but it's also okay just to know that your partner will reply whenever they can.

#4 Worrying in their absence. The world is a scary place, so it's understandable that you might start to think your partner died because they didn't text for 24 hours. Still, even when they do send regular updates, you can't help but hope and pray that they will be all right throughout the day.

#5 Feeling the need to make them happy. Wanting someone else's happiness is okay, but only if it's not to the detriment of your own. Rather than being selfless, you're simply feeling more generous about what you can give to your partner in order to make them happy. A shoulder to cry on, a hug for posterity, or a kiss for good luck-any little thing will do so long as you get that smile you've been wanting to see on your loved one's face. [Read: Is love real? 10 happy signs that fuzzy feeling is real]
What you feel when you're going about your day:
#6 Unexplainable happiness. There's a kick to your step and a spark in your eyes. No, it's not an after-sex glow. It's a constant feeling of happiness that exists because you are giving away love.

#7 A need to share the love with others. You don't want to be happy on your own anymore. You want everyone to be happy. You start becoming a matchmaker-a charity dispenser-and you might even agree to become the designated driver for your friends who want to drink their troubles away.

#8 Feeling like everything will always fall into place. Being in love makes you realize that things happen in their own time. Now that you feel an immense satisfaction in your relationship, you start to see that it is also possible to have this type of happiness in everything else in your life.

#9 Excitement about seeing the one you love. Not being with them can be painful, but it can also give you immense satisfaction and joy. The beauty of anticipating the presence of your loved one is that you feel exponentially happier when you finally get to see them in person.

#10 A quiet acceptance that they will always be there. No matter where you are in the world, being in love gives you a sense of security that your partner will always be there, no matter what. Even when you have minor arguments or even big fights, you know in the back of your mind that you and your partner will always be there for each other in the end. [Read: 10 heartfelt signs it's the right time to say "I love you"]
What you feel about yourself:
#11 You feel like the most beautiful person in the world. When you are in love, almost all of your negative feelings towards yourself will gradually disappear. That's because it feels better to love and be loved for who you are rather than seeking love through someone else's approval.

#12 You start to love your flaws. Your flaws will hardly disappear, even if you do love yourself, but they start to lose their hold on you. That overlapping bit of skin over your jeans and that three-year-old acne scar are not relevant anymore. By loving someone else, you have learned to love yourself as well, flaws and all.

#13 You feel stronger. Experiencing a positive feeling like love gives people strength. It gives you the strength to push harder in life, to be better, and to be more compassionate. The strength you gain from love is reflected in the strength you show in other aspects of your life as well. [Read: Hook, line and sinker - 20 signs he's starting to fall madly in love with you]

#14 You feel more fragile at the same time. Although you have become stronger, your heart is now more delicate than ever. Being in love means that the possibility of heartbreak is more real and painful.

#15 You start to feel responsible for another human being's heart. Now that you're in love, you feel that you also have a responsibility to make someone else happy. By letting yourself love, you have also signed up to take care of that person's well-being and emotions in any way you can.

[Read: Am I in love? 21 signs to decode that fuzzy feeling]
Whether you're in a new or a long-term relationship, it's often common to question at some point or another whether or not it's the real deal. To be sure, compare your own feelings with our checklist above!
Liked what you just read? Follow us on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest and we promise, we'll be your lucky charm to a beautiful love life.

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15 Ways You'll Experience What Love Really Feels Like

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There are no specific criteria for when or how you fall in love with someone. In terms of feeling it, there's also no way to gauge if it's real or not. Falling in love can be misconstrued as infatuation, because the two emotions go hand in hand.

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Something that relates to me in this chapter is respect. Respect relates to me in this chapter because Gatsby throughout the story has respected his so-called "opponents". He has respected Tom for being with Daisy and he has also respected Nick for trying to keep Gatsby away from Daisy. Gatsby has learned that he has to earn respect from people who are around Gatsby to even try and socialize with Daisy herself. Gatsby has also learned how to treat Daisy and how to be respectful to her which can be very hard for some people such as Gatsby. Gatsby throughout his life has been through hard and challenging times and as a reader, I have to respect where he has come from and how where he has been shaking him up into the person he is today. Gatsby has also learned to compete with people who want the same thing he wants which is to be with Daisy. Lastly, I am also very impressed with how long Gatsby has kept his cool

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We live in a world filled with conflict. Opinions and worldviews, likes and dislikes are as varied as the number of humans on this planet.

Most of us like to think we're tolerant of people who see the world differently than we do. We know it's important to show respect to those around us, and we really do try.

But sometimes we find ourselves only tolerant of people who see things ourway. That's human nature, isn't it? To push back when we hear someone express (what we believe to be) an outrageous opinion?

How do we genuinely show respect for someone who (in our opinion, at least) is so wrong about so many things?

How do we make others feel respected, even if we don't see eye to eye about anything?

How do we show respect to someone who doesn't seem to deserve it?

When we choose to accept that every human is imperfect, to look past the things we don't like or agree with and love anyway, the result is a natural outpouring of respect.

We love anyway. Not in spite of our differences. Not ignoring them either. But we love anyway because in our differences, in stepping toward others, in listening to them and respecting them for who they are without trying to change them, we come closer to creating the more beautiful world.

The change we so desperately long for in this world is possible, but we have to stop waiting for everybody else to show respect for one another, and start leading by example.

Here are a few ways to begin.

5 Ways to Respect Others

#1 - Begin with an open mind.

Be willing to hear opposing opinions-even outrageous ones-and learn about the worldview of people you don't agree with.

A sure way to shut down a conversation before it ever gets started is to express judgment or condescension. But if you are willing to listen, to genuinely hear the other person, conversations take place. Relationships grow.

If your goal is to genuinely show respect to others - even those with whom you disagree - treat each person you encounter with the love and dignity they deserve. Listen to them-not to change their mind, but to learn more about who they are. This will make them feel respected and open more doors to peace than you can imagine.

#2 - Look for common ground.

Every human being is valuable, regardless of their opinions or worldview. Learn to view everyone you encounter through the lens of love, and then look for ways the two of you can connect on a deeper level.

Perhaps the only thing you have in common is that you both have the same number of children, or a love for art, or you like a certain sport or food. Focus there, and before you know it, you'll find common ground in other areas, too.

As your relationship grows and deepens, you might find you are ready for a more open discussion about your differences and how you each came to believe and live the way you do. And that's the goal, isn't it?

#3 - Listen closely.

With the rise of social media, listening has almost become a lost art. It's easy to read a post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, type a response in ALL CAPS and then run away from the discussion.

And it's even harder to listen in person. We hear people speaking, but are we really listening? Or are we just thinking about what we will say next?

Stop thinking about your argument or if you agree or not and instead really focus on what the other person is saying. Pay attention to their emotions and their tone. Try to understand where they're coming from.

Lean forward, and really listen. It's that simple.

#4 - Keep your emotions in check.

Have you ever had a discussion with someone where all they do is talk or yell over you?

What did that accomplish, other than provoking anger or irritation?

Passions run high when it comes to differing beliefs and opinions, but remember-every individual has worth, dignity, and a right to an opinion, even if you don't agree. Don't take it personally. Instead, stay calm. If the conversation is getting too heated and one or both of you aren't able to listen well to the other, take a step back. Press pause until you're ready to engage with love and kindness.

#5 - Seek understanding.

Instead of questioning the validity of the other person's opinions or beliefs, ask questions and be curious.

Genuinely try to understand their position. Even if you never fully agree, at least you will learn something new and make them feel respected. And relationship is built in understanding each other. Agreement doesn't make a relationship. But respecting the other, understanding who they are... that builds connection and trust.

Examples of Respect

Respect Example #1

Through our actions: We can show respect in many ways, not only through conversation. When we travel or go into other people's spaces, we can choose clothing and behaviors that respect that culture. We can read books by people who look differently and believe differently than we do, in order to understand their perspective and experiences. We can try different foods and recipes to learn about new cultures. All of these things help us to grow in understanding and respect for others.

By letting go of a bit of ourselves and taking on a bit of others, we can see first hand what an incredible tool respect can be.

Respect Example #2

By listening: A man named Tarik Mounib recruited a diverse group of individuals and offered them a free trip to Egypt. His hope was that building relationships and connecting with people who live in such a different world everyone involved would learn there is more that holds us together than separates us.

As they listened to each other's stories and life experiences, participants knocked down walls between themselves and connected deeply with one another.

Respect Example #3

By learning: Our world is huge and diverse, but it can still be easy to stay within our own safe circles. Step outside your comfort zone and learn from those who are different than you. Choose authors of a different race, culture, or religion. Visit a mosque or a temple. Attend a cultural festival. Be curious and ask questions.

We learn about someone else's beliefs without taking them as our own. We can engage in a conversation for the purpose of knowing someone's heart, not changing it. We can hold our own faith and theirs in the same space and there is room enough for both.

Respect Example #4

By stepping outside your comfort zone: It's easy to see differences when we're in a new place. But the more time we spend in a new space, the more "different" things start to feel normal. The same is true with people. That neighbor across the street might seem so different, but the more time you spend together, the more you realize you're really not that different after all.Sometimes we're uncomfortable around people who are different from us because, deep down, we realize we're really not different at all.

Look for Ways to Respect Others in Your Circle of Influence

Whether it's the woman behind the checkout counter in the grocery store, a business colleague, or someone you met on the golf course, you can make a difference by showing respect to people, because they're worth it. Every single individual you meet is worthy of love and respect.

How can you step out of your comfort zone this week, and show others love by respecting them, either in conversation or in action?

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Respect Examples: 5 Secrets to Respecting Others

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We live in a world filled with conflict. Opinions and worldviews, likes and dislikes are as varied as the number of humans on this planet. Most of us like to think we're tolerant of people who see the world differently than we do.

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Gatsby's family/upbringing differs from the one he originally describes to Nick by Gatsby describing to Nick that he was just a regular boy doing normal activates like going to school and playing tag with his friends. This is not at all what Gatsby's childhood really was. Gatsby's childhood was full of mischief and terrible environments. What Gatsby's actions/choices as a young man reveal about his character traits and motivations is that Gatsby knows how to persuade the truth. What I mean by this is is Gatsby is very talented when it comes to bending the truth. In "The Great Gatsby", Gatsby is portrayed as very mysterious and difficult to read. A lot of these early suspicions make sense now because of how Gatsby has been raised. In my opinion, I believe that Gatsby does not tell Nick the truth a lot because of how many tough and unthinkable situations Gatsby has been ever since he was a child. Gatsby has also been around a lot of weird people and I feel like that is another reason why Gatsby is the way he is and he doesn't tell the truth. Those are the actions/choices as a young man that reveal Gat about his character traits and motivations

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People strive, throughout life, to build strong personal characters, traits that reflect their purpose, passions, and values. Yet, as people who would like to build a strong character, we find it difficult. The difficulty lies in our resistance to the very circumstances that would lead us to grow.

This article will provide insights into the following questions: How does character differ from conduct? How does personal character lead to the growth of spiritual character? Why is a strong character important? How can we build a strong and lasting character that will have a positive influence on the lives of others as well as our own life?
How does character differ from conduct?
Simply stated, character lies within us, and conduct is action reflecting our inner qualities and level of development. Consider the following quotes by theologian E.M. Bounds:

"Conduct is what we do; character is what we are.

Conduct is the outward life; character is the life unseen, hidden within, yet evidenced by that which is seen.

Conduct is external, seen from without; character is internal--operating within.

Character is the state of the heart; conduct is its outward expression.

Character is the root of the tree; conduct is the fruit it bears."
How does personal character lead to the growth of spiritual character?
Character, as we usually think of it, is a temporary collection of personality traits that we develop during our time on earth. We build character with each choice, and it reflects our deepest values through our actions. Our personality, with all of its brain-stored character traits will end when our physical life is completed.

At the spiritual level, we have a much broader character that can also grow; and, unlike the character of human personality, it can continue to grow stronger eternally. It is by handling the challenges of life in ways that make character strong, that we also grow
stronger spiritually.
Why is a strong character important?
A strong character in daily life is a positive influence upon others. However, our character also influences our own lives, often unseen, moment by moment, for our inner state determines our actions, attitudes, and ultimate growth.

Emerson once wrote, "The force of character is cumulative." He was referring not only to the influence of character upon others, but of the expansion created in one's own spirit-in that "state of the heart" that E. M. Bounds mentioned. The development of personal character allows for the development of spiritual character. Our spiritual character can also become a lasting character if we accept the invitation to learn.
How can we build a strong and lasting character?
Here are ten examples of actions that build a strong and lasting character...

1. Practice patience when those around you are hurried.

2. Act with faith and diligence when others show mistrust or lack of commitment.

3. Be gentle when you meet with cruelty and harsh temperament.

4. Be courteous, even when others do not show courtesy.

5. Give generously to those who have nothing to give.

6. Communicate peace to those who are saddened or anxious.

7. Express gratitude for every experience and person you have known.

8. Act with self-control when dealing with those who are out of control.

9. Be encouraging to those who are discouraged.

10. Act with self-discipline, even when it is difficult to take correct actions.

This list could continue. The necessary actions will be different for each individual and will present some very important feedback for his or her inner work.

These actions may often seem very difficult. Their level of difficulty for each of us is a reflection-for our benefit-of our inner level of character development. The situations in which these actions are called for are those situations we must experience as continuing changes and challenges designed to teach us about ourselves. They invite us to begin to develop traits such as patience, faith, generosity, gratitude, and self-control. As we begin to allow these qualities to unfold within the heart, our conduct will naturally reflect outwardly those inner qualities.

All life experiences invite us to grow in spirit. In each circumstance, God's will is working to teach us about the ultimate state of love from which he created us to be unique individuals. May you experience the peace and love in His gift of a strong and lasting character.

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10 Actions that Build a Strong and Lasting Character

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People strive, throughout life, to build strong personal characters, traits that reflect their purpose, passions, and values. Yet, as people who would like to build a strong character, we find it difficult. The difficulty lies in our resistance to the very circumstances that would lead us to grow.

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Something that relates to me in Chapter 5 is commitment. All throughout this chapter, it's more of the same stuff involving Gatsby, Dias, and Nick. What makes this chapter so intriguing is how much Gatsby commits his own time thinking about Daisy and wanting the best for her and going out of his way to provide for Daisy. Gatsby has always been a very motivated character and all I can think about when I think of Jay Gatsby is commitment. Gatsby's dissent has to throw all of those parties and Gatsby doesn't have to commit his time to try to get Daisy to love him. What Gatsby does is nothing short of weird, which is something I know everyone can agree on. Gatsby's desert cares about what anybody thinks of him and it makes everyone else in the book look like fools when they are even thinking of having a chance with Gatsby. Lastly, this chapter relates to commitment in my opinion because Gatsby works hard every single day to be closer and closer to Daisy. Gatsby doesn't think that without committing all of his blood, sweat, and tears to Daisy, he will never ever have a chance with being with her. That is why I think Gatsby is a very committed person to Daisy and that is why I think that commitment relates to Chapter 5.

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"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." ― Albert Einstein

The difficult task people often face is remaining steadfast in the pursuit of their goals.

Life is demanding to say the least.

The capacity to manage ones finances, health, relationships, career and a host of other things makes it arduous at the best of times. It's any wonder we often neglect those things which are important to us.

You might find your relationships fall apart when least expected, your health deteriorates or your finances take a beating. At this point you're perplexed how this all came to pass without seeing the writing on the wall.

Rest assured managing life requires vigilance, dedication and commitment. Afterall, you're only human and from time to time things will slip past you.

The following quote serves as a reminder of the importance of the bigger picture:"Don't sweat the small stuff, because in the end its only small stuff."

The following paragraphs are ways to encourage you to stay committed to your path. Life will continuously test your resolve to see how much you desire your goal.

I often hear the reasons people recount why they gave up. It typically follows this course of dialogue: "It wasn't meant to be," "It wasn't fun anymore," or "Life is all about having fun." The point worth mentioning is our minds have the ability to create any mental state we impose upon it.

Through belief, you create the circumstances for giving up and thus validate it by looking for evidence to substantiate it.

Think about this for a moment.

How many stories or biographies about successful people have you read where the narrative involved smooth sailing or an easy path toward success? Very few I would imagine.

Success requires discipline, hard work, perseverance, tenacity, will, courage and faith. With that in mind, here are some guidelines for persevering with your goals - no matter what life throws at you.

"Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed." ― Paulo Coelho

I've mentioned in previous articles about the importance of establishing sound habits for long term success. You're already in an advantageous position to drawn on your habit making skills.

Many of your current day to day tasks are habitual in nature. You may have started them months or even years ago. Some of them have remained with you since childhood. The key element is to create daily habits that will draw you closer to your goal.

If you're aware of negative habits, replace them with affirmative ones. To illustrate, when I sit down to write or research I find myself wasting time surfing the internet on occasions. I know I'm buying time from the real task at hand - writing an article.

In recent times, I stopped this habit by disabling my internet connection so I could focus on the task at hand. I continued this process for twelve straight days before the NEW habit became ingrained; thus disabling the old negative habit.

I now work unaffected writing with the internet connection active, since I know I won't aimlessly waste time surfing the web. I have solidified the new habit by persisting with it.

Continue your new habit until it becomes second nature - until you have a firm grip on it. Phase out the old habit by replacing it with the NEW, empowering habit.

"Focus on your goals, not your fear. Focus like a laser beam on your goals." ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

I've always been an advocate of being accountable to someone, irrespective of how disciplined I am. Some time ago I used a number of mentors to help me stay focussed.

I gained valuable insight into my work as I had the luxury of having someone else critique me as well as make creative suggestions on areas for improvement.

Being accountable may also entail making declarations of your commitment to those close to you. You might verbally or in writing, declare your intention to achieve a certain goal by a specific date. We're likely to stay focussed on the task at hand since we don't want to disappoint others.

Being accountable allows an impartial observer to assess your work. It is advisable to work with people who have walked your path or who have similar experience. Alternatively someone who is completely unrelated to your interest may also serve as a watchful eye as they offer an unbiased perspective.

"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at." ― Bruce Lee

Depending on the size of the goal, it's advisable to focus on smaller victories that draw you closer to your goal. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon (42km), you might allow a specified period in which to realise the goal.

It might be a ten month project or more in which you undertake smaller goals along the way. Completing your first 10km run and gradually building up to competing in a longer distance event would be a logical progression.

Focussing on smaller victories along the way gives you the self confidence you need to forge ahead. It is self empowering and testament you're on the right path. You might stumble upon setbacks along the way during the pursuit of smaller goals.

These are valuable lessons since they allow you to iron-out the creases before pursuing the larger goal. The opportunity to get it right in the build-up phase is advantageous than getting it wrong when it matters.

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." ― Rabindranath Tagore

Undoubtedly this remains the most challenging aspect of successful goal attainment. What makes some people pursue their goal with vehement desire while others give up when the going gets tough?

This has been my interest for the last few years - studying human behaviour as it relates to success. I've noticed on a personal level and having modelled a number of successful people that there's an insatiable hunger to succeed that is common to both.

Successful people are unrelenting toward the pursuit of their goal. Sure they experience setbacks and failures like everyone else. What sets them apart is the ability to get back on track and learn from their mistakes immediately. It's the ability to do this time and time again until they gain the prize that sets them apart.

You see, successful people believe in themselves. They've developed an inner resolve - an inner dialogue that continually feeds them with successful images, thoughts and beliefs. These inner dialogues have the power to cancel out any external misgivings that arise in the pursuit of their goal.

I invite you to find your inner conviction. Discover the reason for pursuing your goal. Why do you want it? Who will you become once you've attained it? What will life look like when you've reached your goal?

Model the people who've attained a similar goal and pursue it with passion. Successful people are adaptable. They know what they want. They're open and receptive to allowing life to show them the HOWS.

When you develop an undying commitment to achieve a goal, roadblocks and failures are merely speed humps instead of stop signs.

Your goal needs to be so great that it feeds and ignites your soul with purpose and meaning. You embody the goal in every cell of your being so that you become inspired to attain it as opposed to motivated.

To live a remarkable life, it is vital to take consistent action in spite of your fears and doubts. Download your FREE copy of my comprehensive eBook titled: NAVIGATE LIFE and embark upon your journey of greatness today!

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4 Steps To Help You Stay Committed And Inspired To Achieve Your Goals

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"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." ― Albert Einstein The difficult task people often face is remaining steadfast in the pursuit of their goals. Life is demanding to say the least.

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Gatsby explains what the green light stands for in a variety of different ways. Gatsby describes very thoroughly how he and Daisy were supposed to be meaner for each other and how the green light identifies that this is the perfect moment for Gatsby and Daisy to start their passionate relationship. What I think stands beyond what Gatsby thinks the green light is is that green light could mean that it time to go. Obviously, green means go but this could also mean to go do that thing that you have always wanted to do, or go do that crazy thing that you think no one else will do. To simplify this, I think that s green light could just be a sign to get up and go do that one thing that you have wanted to do. The color green reflects Gatsby by the color green shaping Gatsby personally. Gatsby is a one hundred percent go big or go, home guy, every single day, so that is what green reflects about Gatsby in my opinion. The color green has been used for a lot of different things worldwide for generations and the color green has also been used for famous events like the color of a Christmas tree or representing the color of a country. Those are some mere examples of what the color green has represented culturally to the world.

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Where do you look to find the meaning of green? Is it in the pale yellow-green of newly sprouted blade of grass? Can it be found in the dazzling sparkle of an emerald? Or does green's meaning reside in the aromatic depth of a drizzly pine forest? Green inspires and vitalizes us in all its hues.

Meaning Of Green: Explained

Green with envy.

Love is evergreen.

"It's not easy being green."

Green is everywhere. It's the most common color in the natural world, and it's second only to blue as the most common favorite color. It's the color we associate with money, the environment, and aliens, and it's the color of revitalization and rebirth.

Let's break down our understanding of the meaning of green.

Physical Effects

What happens to your body in the presence of green? Your pituitary gland is stimulated. Your muscles are more relaxed, and your blood histamine levels increase, which leads to a decrease in allergy symptoms and dilated blood vessels, aiding in smoother muscle contractions. In short, green is calming, stress-relieving, and-a bit paradoxically-invigorating. It's been shown to improve reading ability and creativity.

Green is calming, stress-relieving, and-a bit paradoxically-invigorating.

Symbolism And Meaning Of Green

Green stands for balance, nature, spring, and rebirth. It's the symbol of prosperity, freshness, and progress. The Green Party in the US is inextricably tied to ecological and progressive causes, and a "greenback" is another term for our paper currency.In Japanese culture, green is associated with eternal life, and it is the sacred color of Islam, representing respect and the prophet Muhammad.

Positive Associations

We associate green with vitality, fresh growth, and wealth. We generally think of it as a balanced, healthy, and youthful. We use green in design for spaces intended to foster creativity and productivity, and we associate green with progress-think about giving a project the "green light".

The color meaning of green is vitality, freshness, growth, wealth, balance, health, & youthfulness.

Negative Associations

What's fascinating is that as positive as most of our associations with green are, it carries particular potent negative connotations as well. Someone who feels sick might look "green around the gills," and certain yellow-gray greens have a distinctly unpleasant, institutional feel to them. We link green with envy and with greed, and even the Mr. Yuck sticker intended to warn children away from potentially hazardous chemicals is a bright, eye-catching green.

Green Chakra Color

Chakras are energy centers within the body that help to regulate all its processes. Each chakra governs specific functions and is represented by one of the seven chakra colors.

Green: The color of the Heart chakra, also known as Anahata. This chakra is located at the center of the chest area and is linked to this entire area, the heart, lungs, circulatory system, and cardiac plexus. The Heart Chakra bridges the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. Opening the Heart chakra allows a person to love more, empathize, and feel compassion. Gemstones that will aid the Heart chakra include emerald, tourmaline, aventurine, malachite, rose quartz, and rhodonite.

Green Birthstone Colors

Green Color Morsels

Only one national flag is a single color. Libya's solid green flag is one-of-a-kind!

In the 1860s, the US government printed new currency. One side of the bills were printed with green ink to prevent counterfeiting since cameras of the day could only take black and white photographs. Paper currency has henceforth been called "greenbacks." In 1929, when the government regularized the size and denomination of its currency, green ink was chosen because it was both plentiful and durable.

The precious gemstone emerald is a member of the beryl family, and what makes a beryl an emerald is the presence of chromium-the source of the brilliant green hue.

In Japan, the name for both blue and green is the same: "ao."

America's first president, George Washington's loved the color green so much that he had used it in both the large and small dining rooms in his Mount Vernon home. The color in the smaller dining room is much more vibrant -"In 1785, the striking verdigris #green paint was added." The guide shares that President Washington was not only fond of this color but believed it was easy on the eye and the best #color to aid in digestion.

Coca-Cola's green-glass container is probably the most famous piece of packaging in American history. In fact, the shape and color of the Coke bottle is so well recognized that it is a registered trademarks of the company. Knowing that you might be surprised to learn that the green hue had nothing to do with a brilliant product packaging plan but happened by chance. Minerals present in the Fern Cliffs sand (Putnam County, IN) used when the bottles were first manufactured provided a greenish tinge to glass. When Coca-Cola began making bottles in other cities the bottles didn't have the same green tinge to the glass. In order to replicate the original Fern Cliffs/Terre Haute effect of glass with a greenish hue Coca-Cola had to add artificial coloring during the manufacturing process.

Turning t he Chicago river a vibrant green to celebrate St. Patrick's day for the past 40+ years is a tradition unique to the "Windy City".

Harrods, the jewel in the crown of London department stores, wouldn't be Harrods without the famous canopy and "Green Man" at the front door acting as a brand ambassadors, opening doors, and greeting shoppers.

Isbar chickens lay green eggs, ranging in color from olive, to mint, to moss!

A " Green Man" is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit.

Green coffee beans contain an enzyme that can turn any blood type into type O - the universal donor.

The creation of the infamous naturally green beverage, ﻿absinthe, goes to the Frenchman Dr. Ordinaire. He crafted a drinkable concoction using local herbs mixed with Artemisia absinthium, or wormwood, to produce an emerald green elixir rumored to cure everything from flatulence to anemia. It gained an international reputation as the drink of choice for artists, writers, and intellectuals.

There are more shades of green than any other color. The inability to distinguish between red and green is the most common form of colorblindness.

Read About the Color Green

Green Words, Phrases And Idioms

Examples of how the meaning of green colors our language:

Get the green light: get approval to move ahead or proceed with a project or task. [See article, Getting the Green Light]

Green corn: the young, tender ears of Indian corn.

Green thumb (US) or Green fingers (UK): an unusual ability to make plants grow.

Green room: a room (in a theater or studio) where performers can relax before or after appearances.

Greenback: a legal-tender note issued by the United States government.

Greener pastures: something newer or better (or perceived to be better), such as a new job.

Green with envy: jealous or envious {See article, Turning Green With Envy}

Greenhorn: novice, trainee, beginner {See article, Greenhorn Meaning }

Green around the gills: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance.

Turn green: to look pale and ill as if you are going to vomit.

Going green: when someone or something makes changes to help protect the environment, or reduces waste or pollution.

Quotes About Color Green

More Intriguing Facts About Green

Green As A Signature Color

A signature color is different than a favorite color although for some people they many be one and the same. It is all in how you express yourself with a color and how consistently you wear it or surround yourself with the color that makes it your signature shade.

Elizabeth Sweetheart - for more than 20 years, she has dressed head to toe in a bright lime green, with hair dyed to match and has become known as "The Green Lady of Brooklyn."

Tommy Greene - The Scot-Irish country publisher and business tycoon has dressed gung-ho green every single day for 42 years. So has his wife, Mary Ellen. Their pea-green house is carpeted, draped, wallpapered, furnished and heavily festooned in green. The same color scheme overwhelms the office of their newspaper business. They even named their daughter Emerald and helped name some of their grandchildren-Kelli, Forest, Hunter, Jade and Matthew JohnDeere according to AmericanProfile.com

Companies & Brands Identified by Green

Cities With Color Names: Green

Here are a few U.S. cities with 'green' in their name:

Song that Feature the Color Green

All the World Is Green - Tom Waits

Blue in Green - Miles Davis

Early Morning Blues and Greens - The Monkees

Evergreen - Barbra Streisand

Evergreen - Switchfoot

Everything's Gone Green - New Order

Forty Shades Of Green - Johnny Cash

From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea - The Cure

Green River - Credence Clearwater Revival

Green Onions - Booker T & The M.Gs

The Grass is Green - Nelly Furtado

Little Green - Joni Mitchell

Green, Green, Grass Of Home - Tom Jones

Color And Our Sense Of Smell: Green

It's not just emotion that makes scent powerful. It's closely tied to your memories, as well. Smell also plays a major role in our ability to taste. When combined with color those connections become even stronger.

The green colored Magic Scents Crayons labeled "Lime" from Binney & Smith Inc. was originally scented to smell like zesty limes. However, after numerous reports that children were "eating" the food-scented crayons the company changed to less tasty options. The scent for the color green became "Eucalyptus."

Lime is a fragrance that is refreshing, uplifting, and purifying. It is an aroma that can be cooling on the hot days of summer.

Green, herbal, coniferous, citrus, fresh ingredients that dominate a perfume or are the heart of the perfume...support mental activity and instigate the creative cognitive process. - Scentbird

Rosemary's fragrance may improve memory. - The Scent Report

Color Taste Connection: Green

There are five basic groups of taste, which send signals to our brain to interpret flavor. However, we also send signals with our eyes before we take a bite and give our taste buds a chance to process the flavor. The color can pre-determine how we perceive the taste and flavor of what we eat

There are two main types of limes - the more common yellowish green limes, officially known as Persian limes, and the much smaller, deeper green (and higher in acidity) Key lime.

Fleshy green spears of asparagus are both succulent and tender and have been considered a delicacy since ancient times.

The hearty structure, fresh appearance, and ease of preparation, combined with its exceptional nutritional value, helped to make broccoli one of the favorite vegetables of American consumers.

Green tea is rapidly gaining popularity in the western world. Its natural aroma and widely acclaimed health benefits make green tea appealing to both the tea lover and the previously non-tea drinker.

The Color Green In The Garden

Green is one of the cooler colors in landscape design and it brings a soothing element to the garden.

Green plants visually recede, helping to make a small space appear larger.

Green is hardly a boring color in the garden. Combining different shades of green--from chartreuse to silvery blue-green--can create an exciting composition. Remember the importance of foliage texture when working with greens. - New York Botanical Garden

Discover More About The Meaning Of Colors

Talk With Us About the Color Green

We'd enjoy knowing what you love about the color green or what you'd like to know about greeen. We love hearing from you and read every comment.

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Meaning Of Green: Color Psychology And Symbolism

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Where do you look to find the meaning of green? Is it in the pale yellow-green of newly sprouted blade of grass? Can it be found in the dazzling sparkle of an emerald? Or does green's meaning reside in the aromatic depth of a drizzly pine forest?

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Something that relates to me about Chapter 4 is choosing which path you want to be on. In Chapter 4, we start to gain a glimpse of why Gatsby is "Gatsby. We all learn that Gatsby was a part of something much bigger, Crime life. This relates to me because I have seen people go down "paths" What I mean by this is that I have literally seen people go through a great path and I have seen people go threw a bad path. A good and a bad path is pretty self-explanatory. I feel like these "paths" relate to me throughout my life is because when you go down a good or bad path, it always explains why you are the way you are. Throughout reading this book, I have seen characters that are on a good and bad path. Gatsby though In my opinion is right in the middle of what path he wants to go on. I honestly feel like Gatsby will choose to be on a good path because I think it would be such a good character development ending for Gatsby because of how weird and self absorbent he is at the beginning of The Great Gatsby. That is what relates to me in Chapter 4.

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Should I study this, or that? Live here, or there? Date this person, or another? The possibilities multiply outwards at a frightening rate.By Neil Hughes

To my great surprise, I've written two books.

The first was non-fiction, and I spent the entire process worrying about making factual errors. I checked and rechecked (and rechecked) everything obsessively. At the very least, I wanted to be able to honestly say that I'd done my best to make sure any information I was sharing was reasonably accurate.

As a means of handling this anxiety, occasionally I mixed in a chapter of flash fiction. This was such a relief! These random chapters about wizards and aliens and talking flowers didn't have the same obligation to be correct - in fiction, I could make up anything I liked.

Idly, I dreamed of someday writing an entire novel... a whole project free from this pressure, a project where there were no rules.

Be careful what you wish for

Of course, it turned out that having no rules was also horrible... just differently horrible.

I'd never anticipated what this complete freedom would feel like when I experienced it for real. It was dizzying. The absence of rules suddenly felt vertiginous, and terrifying.

Should this character go to this place, or that other one? Should they fight, or should they make up? What if the magical shop got burned down? Or trampled by a robot army? Or what if an eloquent snake turned up and played the trumpet?!

"PLEASE, SOMEONE, HELP ME! GIVE ME RULES, I CRAVE STRUCTURE!"

Unfortunately, nobody could give me that structure, mainly because it doesn't exist. Unlike with non-fiction, there's no "right answer" to what a story should be. Changes may make a story better or worse, but - in theory - even a radical genre shift and a sudden talking snake could be made to work.

(That example came to me randomly, but I've just realised that the bestselling book of all time actually begins with a talking snake, so it's certainly not automatically a bad idea...!)

The point is that there's no one story I could write. There's an infinite series of possibilities, even within one, particular story.

Irritatingly, I found myself missing my old frustration of being pressured to find the 'correct' answer. At least there usually was one, and I could generally be sure when I'd found it.

Opposite problems, differing solutions

It's typical that I managed to get frustrated by two opposite problems. While both problems could be solved by simply "not writing a book", let me share the solutions I found assuming you (foolishly) wanted to do such a thing.

The pressure of non-fiction has an obvious solution: patiently plodding on, and being thorough.

The vertigo of fiction also has an obvious solution, but I found it harder: CHOOSE.

The infinite possibility of the blank page is terrifying. So you have to choose something to put in it. A character, a scene, a place, a plot idea... as long as it's something. This is your initial fixed point. From this, you can define everything else. Who else is near this character, or in this place? What happens after that plot point?

A story can't exist without fixed points - at the very least, the hero must start out somewhere, and she must end up somewhere else. Once I fixed some ideas in place, I could be as creative as I liked with the parts in between.

These fixed points aren't "right answers" in the non-fiction sense, but I could treat them as if they were. They made up the essence of the story I was trying to tell.

And this is the crucial difference: unlike non-fiction, fiction isn't universal. War & Peace is no more the "right answer" than Harry Potter.

There are no fixed points in life either

This fear of choosing what happened in my book mirrors the feelings I sometimes have about life.

Should I study this, or that? Live here, or there? Date this person, or another? The possibilities multiply outwards at a frightening rate. And, just like when writing a story, nobody can give us a "right answer."

It's not the right answer to move to New York. It's not the right answer not to. Either choice is just a fixed point on the story we're trying to tell.

Our life would certainly be different if we changed jobs, started a business, studied something else, moved abroad, got married, or any of the other possibilities which lie before us each day.

We can never know for sure which path is the best. There's just the path we choose to take, and the many, many paths which we don't. Whenever I forget this, I become paralysed.

But, hopefully, now I've done this through fiction, I'll be better at doing it for real.
Do you ever look for a 'right answer' in life? What are the fixed points on your story? Share with the community in the comments.
Your Turn

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How to Choose the Right Path When There are SO MANY POSSIBILITIES | Puttylike

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Should I study this, or that? Live here, or there? Date this person, or another? The possibilities multiply outwards at a frightening rate.By Neil Hughes To my great surprise, I've written two books. The first was non-fiction, and I spent the entire process worrying about making factual errors.

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What new information is implied about Gatsby based on who Mr. Wolfsheim is how much of an in some way, Mr. Gatsby was a crime lord? We all learned as readers that Mr. Gatsby is this very mysterious and positive man, but nobody ever knew why he was this way. In Chapter 4, we finally get that closure and understand that Gatsby has had a very mysterious life of crime with Mr. Wolfsheim. This compares/contrasts with the image Gatsby is trying to project to others by Gatsby simply just not saying who he keeps saying he is. In my opinion, I think Gatsby is a liar and not a good person. It is very interesting to think that you know somebody so well and then gets lied to right in front of your face. I thought Gatsby was generally a weird guy who just liked to throw big parties for the fun of it. However, that is not the case. Lastly, just learning about Gatsby as a character and how he is so unique from all of the other characters makes a lot more sense knowing that he was involved in crime life with Meyer Wolfsheim. That is what compares/contrasts with the image Gatsby is trying to project to others.

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Theft: Larceny, Robbery, Embezzlement, False Pretenses

The concept of theft is familiar enough. Less familiar is the way the law has treated various aspects of the act of stealing. Criminal law distinguishes among many different crimes that are popularly known as theft. Many technical words have entered the language-burglary, larceny, robbery-but are often used inaccurately. Brief definitions of the more common terms are discussed here.

The basic crime of stealing personal property is . By its old common-law definition, still in use today, larceny is the wrongful "taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with intent to steal the same."

The separate elements of this offense have given rise to all kinds of difficult cases. Take the theft of fruit, for example, with regard to the essential element of "personal property." If a man walking through an orchard plucks a peach from a tree and eats it, he is not guilty of larceny because he has not taken away personal property (the peach is part of the land, being connected to the tree). But if he picks up a peach lying on the ground, he is guilty of larceny. Or consider the element of "taking" or "carrying away." Sneaking into a movie theater without paying is not an act of larceny (though in most states it is a criminal act). Taking electricity by tapping into the power lines of an electric utility was something that baffled judges late in the nineteenth century because it was not clear whether electricity is a "something" that can be taken. Modern statutes have tended to make clear that electricity can be the object of larceny. Or consider the element of an "intent to steal the same." If you borrow your friend's BMW without his permission in order to go to the grocery store, intending to return it within a few minutes and then do return it, you have not committed larceny. But if you meet another friend at the store who convinces you to take a long joyride with the car and you return hours later, you may have committed larceny.

A particular form of larceny is , which is defined as larceny from a person by means of violence or intimidation.

Larceny involves the taking of property from the possession of another. Suppose that a person legitimately comes to possess the property of another and wrongfully appropriates it-for example, an automobile mechanic entrusted with your car refuses to return it, or a bank teller who is entitled to temporary possession of cash in his drawer takes it home with him. The common law had trouble with such cases because the thief in these cases already had possession; his crime was in assuming ownership. Today, such wrongful conversion, known as embezzlement , has been made a statutory offense in all states.

Statutes against larceny and embezzlement did not cover all the gaps in the law. A conceptual problem arises in the case of one who is tricked into giving up his title to property. In larceny and embezzlement, the thief gains possession or ownership without any consent of the owner or custodian of the property. Suppose, however, that an automobile dealer agrees to take his customer's present car as a trade-in. The customer says that he has full title to the car. In fact, the customer is still paying off an installment loan and the finance company has an interest in the old car. If the finance company repossesses the car, the customer-who got a new car at a discount because of his false representation-cannot be said to have taken the new car by larceny or embezzlement. Nevertheless, he tricked the dealer into selling, and the dealer will have lost the value of the repossessed car. Obviously, the customer is guilty of a criminal act; the statutes outlawing it refer to this trickery as the crime of false pretenses , defined as obtaining ownership of the property of another by making untrue representations of fact with intent to defraud.

A number of problems have arisen in the judicial interpretation of false-pretense statutes. One concerns whether the taking is permanent or only temporary.

The case of State v. Mills shows the subtle questions that can be presented and the dangers inherent in committing "a little fraud." In the Mills case, the claim was that a mortgage instrument dealing with one parcel of land was used instead for another. This is a false representation of fact. Suppose, by contrast, that a person misrepresents his state of mind: "I will pay you back tomorrow," he says, knowing full well that he does not intend to. Can such a misrepresentation amount to false pretenses punishable as a criminal offense? In most jurisdictions it cannot. A false-pretense violation relates to a past event or existing fact, not to a statement of intention. If it were otherwise, anyone failing to pay a debt might find himself facing criminal prosecution, and business would be less prone to take risks.

The problem of proving intent is especially difficult when a person has availed himself of the services of another without paying. A common example is someone leaving a restaurant without paying for the meal. In most states, this is specifically defined in the statutes as theft of services.

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The concept of theft is familiar enough. Less familiar is the way the law has treated various aspects of the act of stealing. Criminal law distinguishes among many different crimes that are popularly known as theft. Many technical words have entered the language-burglary, larceny, robbery-but are often used inaccurately.

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What Jordan’s take is on car accidents is that she does not like them. Jordan has seen and experienced car crashes before and she does not like seeing people get into them as well. What people say about Jordan as a character overall is how rude and arrogant she is. People do not respect Jordans personality because it is very snarky and impolite. Jordans personality is also very disloyal due to her suspect relationship with Nick. The two characters truly do have feelings for each other but Jordan was never respectful with Nick in the first place. Jordan has also cheated on Nick with someone at her golf tournament. Nick for some reason also does not want to leave Jordan because he sees something in her that nobody else does. What this implies about Jordans social class is that she is a simple middle class woman who only cares about herself. Jordan is also a middle class person because of how she was raised. Her motives and personality have a way of reaching people like Nick. Lastly, I think that Jordan has a lot of karma coming her way. In my opinion, I think that certain characters are not  able to "pass" in more than one social class.

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Nothing is more painful for a young girl than being ostracized at school or excluded from a party. In fact, sound social connections are vital for the healthy development of pre-teen and teen girls.

But sometimes that need for social interaction is made more challenging or painful by a covert type of bullying commonly known as "mean girl behavior." It's important that parents and educators know how to identify when girls are using these mean girl behaviors and when to intervene before the bullying escalates.

What Is a Mean Girl?

In 2002, bullying expert Rosalind Wiseman wrote the book "Queen Bees and Wannabes,"which brought attention to the ways in which pre-teen and teen girls tend to bully one another. In her book, Wiseman described how some girls can be bullied or teased mercilessly by other girls for wearing the wrong outfit or for dating the wrong person.

She also highlighted how some girls are branded with a reputation they cannot shake or pressured into conforming to a group or risk being kicked out-all of which are subtle forms of bullying known as "mean girl behavior" or relational aggression.

Later, Wiseman's book inspired the movie Mean Girls, which helped emphasize that this often under-recognized type of bullying is an issue. The movie also provided viewers with a dramatization of the ways in which some girls form cliques, climb the social ladder, and use relational aggression to bully and control others.

Since then, many bullying experts have used the phrase "mean girls" as a way to identify relational aggression because the term is more recognizable to the general public.

Overview of Mean Behavior

When it comes to bullying, social scientists have discovered that typically boys and girls bully in different ways. For instance, boys tend to use physical bullying more frequently while girls may tend to engage in relational aggression.

In fact, one study found that it's particularly important to be aware of mean behavior in girls because it tends to negatively impact girls more than it does boys. Additionally, they discovered that girls who gossip, try to ruin relationships, and exclude others show very low levels of empathy and concern for others, as well as adjustment problems.﻿﻿﻿﻿

Meanwhile, being bullied by a mean girl (or boy) is a kind of social torment that often exists without parents and teachers even noticing. This mean behavior may include tactics like backbiting, ostracizing, rumor-spreading, and manipulation, which can cause serious psychological harm to their targets.﻿﻿﻿﻿ The result often leaves those targeted feeling bewildered and upset with no clear understanding of why they were being victimized.

In addition to in-person bullying, "mean girls" also engage in cyberbullying. They target others online using gossip, harassment, hurtful comments, and even slut-shaming. Those who are being targeted or excluded also are hurt when pictures of events and social activities that they were left out of are posted on social media. In the past, this information may not have always been on their radar.

Relational Aggression

There are a number of reasons why kids engage in relational aggression including everything from climbing the social ladder to peer pressure. And yet, adults often don't recognize that this behavior is even taking place because it easily flies under the radar. What's more, some adults may think being mean is not a significant issue and believe that experiencing it will build resilience.

But research has shown the effects of bullying can be devastating and long-lasting-even for mean girls.﻿﻿﻿ For instance, girls who are relationally aggressive may use control and manipulation to accomplish what they want, which can lead to long-term unhappiness and even depression.

Moreover, girls who use mean behavior tend to set high standards for themselves and others. This trend toward perfectionism can even lead to addictive behaviors and even eating disorders.

What to Look For

To spot mean behavior, observe how a girl interacts with other girls, and pay attention to signs that reveal how she feels about herself. Girls who are hard on themselves may have a tendency to be just as hard on other people. Here are the top six warning signs that a girl is engaging in mean girl behavior.

Struggles With Envy

When it comes to mean behavior, envy is often at the root of the issue. Whether it's clothes, looks, boyfriends, or even grades, girls who engage in mean behavior are often willing to go to great lengths to come out on top. This may include attempting to ruin another person's credibility or even hurting the person they are envious of.

For instance, girls who struggle with envy and mean behaviors may spread rumors, boycott another girl's parties, talk behind her back, or even take steps to destroy her relationships and grades. Overall, girls who use mean behavior often struggle to acknowledge anything good about other people due to envy.

Appearance-Focused

Mean girls are often overly concerned with appearance. They may place a high priority on their clothing, their make-up, and even their weight. Likewise, they may zero in on these things in others, pointing out everything from acne and weight gain to clothing choices and hairstyles.

Mean girls may even withhold kindness and friendship from anyone who does not meet their physical standards. These behaviors are sometimes motivated by a sense of insecurity-they may fear that if the people they surround themselves with are less than perfect, people will realize that they are less than perfect as well.

Status-Focused

Even though they may not act like it, mean girls care a great deal about what others think of them. They consider how everything looks to others from where they live and how they dress to what car they drive and who they date. If these things are less than desirable, they will find a way to cover them up.

It is not uncommon for a mean girl to befriend someone based on the belief that the person can help them improve their status. Additionally, those who engage in mean behaviors tend to bully others who threaten their status.

For instance, if they perceive another girl as a threat to their status or popularity, they may use relational aggression and other mean behaviors to attempt to eliminate the threat she poses.

Troubles With Friendship

One surefire way educators and parents can spot a mean girl is to look at how she relates to other girls. If she is regularly in little skirmishes with other girls or is surrounded by drama, there may be more to it than just normal conflict.

Mean girls are often labeled " frenemies" by their peers because of their tendency to engage in hurtful behaviors. In fact, even people they claim to be friends with may become targets. Girls who regularly engage in mean behavior may cause others to wonder what they say when they're not around. There is a tremendous lack of trust when it comes to relating with girls who use mean behaviors.

Belonging to a Clique

Mean girls usually have an exclusive group of friends that they do everything with. Once the group is established, it's rare that they invite others to be part of their friend group. Consequently, their friend group may appear to outsiders like a clique simply because it is so hard for other people to be accepted by the group.

Issues With Control

Many mean girls demonstrate controlling behaviors. In their relationships, they often emerge as the ones in charge. As a result, other girls follow their lead because they are afraid of being forced out of the group or becoming a target. Given the difficult position they find themselves in, some girls will do anything to maintain their status within the group including becoming bullies themselves.

To these girls, what others in the group think and say is a priority to them. They are especially concerned about what the leader says. Because these girls do not speak up, they are just as guilty of mean behavior as the leader of the group. They allow fear of losing their status in the group dictate their actions.

A Word From Verywell

Unfortunately, mean behavior has become a pervasive part of middle school and high school for many girls-and it can even continue into college and adulthood. So it's important that educators and parents identify mean behavior and address it head-on.

Expecting kids to work it out is not effective when it comes to bullying behaviors. Remember: Bullying almost always involves a power imbalance. So, those on the receiving end often feel powerless to make the bullying stop. They need your support in order to navigate this difficult experience-even when the bullying is limited to mean behaviors.

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Understanding the Mean Girl Phenomenon by Looking for the Signs

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Nothing is more painful for a young girl than being ostracized at school or excluded from a party. In fact, sound social connections are vital for the healthy development of pre-teen and teen girls. But sometimes that need for social interaction is made more challenging or painful by a covert type of bullying commonly known as "mean girl behavior."

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Something that relates to me about Chapter 3 is growth. Growth is a very misconstrued thing that people tend to forget about. Growth happens to everyone around the world. Some people might like Growth, and others might not like it as much as others. In chapter 3 Nick is trying to see that Jordan is this really cool and really nice person when in reality she is nothing but a fake person who is manipulating him. Situations like this mean that you have to grow out of that relationship. This also relates to me about growth because of how myself has grown as a person throughout my life. I have grown mentally and physically whether I was ready to or not. Growth is very important because we can learn from our mistakes and we can learn how to be better people as well. Growth can also affect someone's life in a good way and/or in a bad way. For example, you could have a lot of friends where you live and everything in life could be going great for you but then, you have to move out of nowhere. Another example of growth can be how you didn't know how to ride a bike at all your first time riding it, but then over time you learn more and more how to ride that bike and you finally know how to ride that bike better than anyone else. All in all, growth can be a weird thing, but you have to go through it to be who you are today. That is how Growth relates to Chapter 3 in my opinion.

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Growth may be hard. But it doesn't have to be complicated. Simplicity is my philosophy as a licensed family therapist and life coach. In order for me to understand something, I need to (as my friends say) "John-Kim-It." I need to (as I say) put things into a shot glass, to serve them up in the simplest possible form. And since psychology and the therapeutic process can be quite dense and complicated, I had to come up with my own concepts and language in order to truly help others.

So when people ask what I do for a living, I often tell them I help others build safe containers for themselves - a healthy psychological space to promote personal growth.

Here, I'll elaborate: If you think of the "container" as that space we hold all of our baggage, I believe most of us have cracked containers. The metaphor is a bit mixed but bear with me. Cracks come from abusive relationships, dysfunctional families, our life experiences (situational or relational), that have caused us some version of trauma or pain. And since no child enters adulthood totally pure, we all have cracks.

It doesn't matter what you're going through - a painful breakup, struggling with an addiction, or fighting an eating disorder. Building yourself a safe container for your emotions, thoughts, experiences, and so on will always allow you to maneuver through life easier. It will protect you and promote growth.

Here are the three steps to building yourself a brand new container, which will promote your growth no matter what you're going through:
Step 1: Realize that every part of growing necessitates transparency.
This is the foundation of everything. Practicing transparency means being vulnerable and honest, and accepting your story. You have to honest, especially with yourself. Practicing transparency means complete honesty in where you're at, what you're struggling with, and the courage to chase that string down to find out why.

This leads to the second half of practicing transparency: accepting your story. Most people want to rip out chapters; they spend their days regretting and wishing things didn't happen the way they did. But this keeps you stuck in what could have been instead of what can be. The more you accept your story, the more transparent you will be. And the more you practice transparency, the richer your growth.
Step 2: Create a stance for yourself, and firmly plant your feet there.
This means that you must have non-negotiables, boundaries, things you will not allow into your life. Non-negotiables are also things you are no longer willing to negotiate about yourself because they crack your container and stunt your growth.

Most people negotiate more than they realize. Then you wake up one day and wonder why you're so unhappy.

So let's do a quick experiment. Take out a piece of paper. Make columns for each part of your life. Friends, work, family, and your relationship or your last relationship. In the columns, write down all the things you have been negotiating. Really think about this. Your standards? Your passions? Your truth? Your voice? Your worth? And what were the consequences? How did these sacrifices impact the quality of your life and beliefs you have about yourself?

Sometimes, I think that growth is about "a reunion with your true self," more than anything else. You must reconnect with that part of you that you stuffed into a hope-chest and locked up when life happened and got in the way. And by "life," I mean death, divorce, a breakup, transition, anything that forced you to grow up fast, to put yourself aside to take care of someone else or others.

These kinds of experiences can lead you to disconnect from your true self, so you really never got to know him/her. The action step here is to allow this new relationship and mindset to play out in your thinking but more importantly behavior in your everyday life.
Step 3: Build that container.
As we start practicing transparency and creating a stance, we start to build ourselves a brand new container. We start to pull from a different place. But we don't just build our container once, and it's done. We must keep building and rebuilding it. It's a continuous practice, and as we do it, we get stronger and more skillful.

Once you have built yourself a safer container, you can work on your fitness, nutrition, spirituality, and everything else that will add to building a better life and maneuvering at a higher potential.

- Angry
Get my DAILY TEXTS; and if you want to be a life coach, check out JRNI COACHING.

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How to Grow as a Person, No Matter What You're Going Through

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Growth may be hard. But it doesn't have to be complicated. Simplicity is my philosophy as a licensed family therapist and life coach. In order for me to understand something, I need to (as my friends say) "John-Kim-It." I need to (as I say) put things into a shot glass, to serve them up in the simplest possible form.

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In this very detailed chapter I have found out a lot about East Egg, West Egg, Valley of Ashes, and New York City. These locations are very unique and/or very dreadful for all the characters in the book in some way, shape, or form. For example, the Valley of Ashes is in the middle of West Egg and New York City. The Valley of Ashes is where people dump the Ashes and Trash from all around New York City. New York City is a unique and Powerful City with places that people can only dream of in my opinion. West Egg is a place where the new and more wealthier citizens around New York City live around at. East Egg is the exact opposite if West Egg and is very poor and old fashioned in how people can make money there. The Character that is associated with West Egg is Jay Gatsby. The Charcters that are associated with East Egg are Tom Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy. The Character that is mostly associated with the Valley of Ashes is Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. Lastly, the Characters that are associated with New York City are all of the Characters are in The Great Gatsby. One Character that changed in different settings in my opinion was Tom Buchanan. Tom throughout Chapter 2 learned a little more about himself than he would've liked to in Chapter 2. Tom in East Egg was a very dedicated and hard working person who had big dreams for his life. However, when Tom went over to West Egg he slowly turned into a different person. Tom was being arrogant and distrustful to the people that he loved. The significance that I find in the connections about Tom was when he was very polite to his Wife Daisy in East Egg and now Tom is very disrespectful to his Wife Daisy in West Egg now.

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The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg

Doctor T. J. Eckleburg is the previous owner of an abandoned billboard featuring a giant pair of eyes, faded by sun and weather. They look out over the valley of ashes, which represents corruption (explained in further detail farther down the page). The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are God's eyes, observing his own lack of consideration by the people of the 20's. God's absence from peoples thoughts is brought to the reader's attention at roughly the climax of the book. His one honorable mention comes from the grief-stricken Wilson. When Wilson sees the eyes of Eckleburg on the morning following the night of his wife's death, he announces, to no one in particular, that "God sees everything."

The houses of characters in The Great Gatsby represent the characteristics of their inhabitants. The Buchanans' house, beautiful on the outside yet ever-changing on the inside, represents Daisy and Tom's relationship: while they appear to be in love in front of guests, for a short time at least, Tom changes partners between Daisy and Myrtle (this is the ever-changing inside part).
Gatsby's mansion, gigantic and ostentatious, is symbolic of Gatsby's lifestyle and how it came to be. The American Dream, to Gatsby, is the acquisition of money and goods which, in theory, will lead to a happier life. Gatsby's thinking is fatally flawed (literally) because while he has achieved unlimited material wealth, all he really wanted was Daisy. His quest to rekindle his love with Daisy, however, will end with a case of misinformation that leaves Gatsby dead.
George Wilson is also quite accurately represented by his accommodations. The leader of a simple life, George Wilson is stuck in poverty just like his house in the middle of the valley of ashes. Like his place of dwelling before the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg, George is fully aware of God's observation of everything.

Characters

The characters in Fitzgerald's novel are symbolic of different aspects of the corruption of the 1920's. Many are included here, but not all. Almost every character in the book can be related to an event in the 20's or in Fitzgerald's life.
Jay Gatsby, the main character, is symbolic of the inevitable destruction that accompanies quick and illegitimately earned wealth. Gatsby has achieved the American Dream but has failed to achieve his own.
George Wilson represents the few, the proud, the God-fearing. In an age of godlessness, Wilson still acknowledges His presence, even in his time of grief. Awareness of the Almighty, however, is not enough to live a successful and happy life. As a result, Wilson is always stuck in the valley of ashes and thus poverty.
Meyer Wolfsheim, like the valley of ashes, represents corruption and the violation of all that is sacred. While he is introduced to the reader by Gatsby, Jay does not seem to have a particular fondness of Meyer (and Nick certainly does not).
Nick Carraway, tucked nicely away in his modest house rented for eighty dollars per month, represents a clear and unbiased view of the 1920's. This is the reason why Carraway is the narrorator.
Daisy Buchanan has more of a connection to Fitzgerald's life than the 1920's. Daisy, Gatsby's love of the past who turned him down because of his low social status, represents Zelda, who turned down Fitzgerald initially because of his low social status. Gatsby purpose for obtaining wealth, like Fitzgerald, is to try to win back his love.

The Valley of Ashes

The valley of ashes lies halfway between West Egg and New York City. It is a "fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens..." The valley of ashes represents the corruption and social decay that came with the lavish and careless lifestyles of the rich during the 1920's. Those who live in the valley of ashes, including the Wilsons, are stuck in poverty. The valley of ashes is the location of Myrtle Wilson's death, indicating its sinister ambiance. This is the only geographical location in the book that suffers from poverty and it is the result of those living in the Eggs and New York City.

New York City

What happens in New York City, stays in New York City. And what does happen? Drinking, sex scandals, criminal activities involving Gatsby, and more drinking. New York City is symbolic of immorality and carelessness. Indeed, in the 1920's NYC was exactly what it symbolizes in Fitzgerald's book. When they are in the city, the actions of the characters are executed without any consideration of consequences. New York City is also the setting where the reader is first introduced to Meyer Wolfsheim who also represents immortality; this strengthens and confirms both Wolfsheim's and NYC's symbolic meaning.

East Egg and West Egg

East and West Egg are the residential neighborhoods of the rich. While they both represent wealth, they are not at all the same; in fact, they represent two different kinds of wealth: East Egg represents old wealth, aristocracy, and high social class. West Egg represents the new wealth, the quick and easy money earned unlawfully during the Roaring 20's, and the destruction and guilt that accompanies the illegitimate money. Although those who live in the West Egg are super wealthy (excluding Nick), they do not have the high social status that the East Eggers have inherited with their money. Gatsby lives in West Egg but aspires to live in, literally reaches forward from his lawn toward, East Egg.

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Symbolism and Motifs in The Great Gatsby

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Doctor T. J. Eckleburg is the previous owner of an abandoned billboard featuring a giant pair of eyes, faded by sun and weather. They look out over the valley of ashes, which represents corruption (explained in further detail farther down the page).

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During Chapter 2 I was finding out very quickly that this chapter was relating to some people I used to interact with. Throughout Chapter 2 the main point was change. As a teenager everything is changing. This Chapter reminded me that change can be a god thing and a and thing. For example, you can describe 4 different people and who they used to be when you met them. Eventually, you would explain to someone how these 4 people chawed and how you noticed these changes that those four people didn't even realize. Another factor of change can be what you notice around you as you are growing up. When your a child you just listen to your parents and do as they say like every child should. As you start to grow up, you realize that that playground you used to play on changed colors, or that ice cream place you used to eat at all the time closed down. Lastly, change happens in everybody lives. It can breed opportunity and create great things mentally and physically. All in All, In Chapter 2 all of these characters are changing and its only the beginning of where these characters will end up at by the end.

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"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden." ~Johann Von Goethe
When my first love died suddenly, my life changed dramatically and permanently. Barely 22 at the time, I had no coping skills and no support system. I couldn't anticipate how deep sorrow would render me completely devastated and heartbroken.

As a result, I engaged in extremely self-destructive behavior. I believed I was going "with the flow," but in truth I did so many reckless things that I'm surprised that I survived. I didn't know how to deal with my anguish in any other way.
Because life was obviously unpredictable, I decided to stop making plans. I didn't know what it meant to be responsible for my choices or how to be emotionally healthy. Many years were spent in a foggy haze of grief, depression, and anger.
Slowly, over time, I turned my life around. I engaged in therapy, recovery work, and spiritual exploration. I studied everything I could on personal growth. I learned to identify and express my feelings appropriately.

Ultimately, I decided to make plans again, with the intimate knowledge that things could always change in the blink of an eye.

Of course, there will always be events that are out of my control, but at the same time, I can choose my reaction. Now, I actively seek ways to maintain my peace of mind and serenity.

I've learned to accept that change is a part of life and a process that cannot be avoided. Some changes are easier to accept than others, but the decisions about how to cope with those changes are mine.

To change is to transform, alter, modify or shift; these are behaviors that I've integrated into my life in order to survive emotionally.
Growth requires action. Think of a seed. The potential to grow is there but nothing happens until that seed is planted and watered.
My desire to grow arose from recognizing the difference between where I was and where I wanted to be. Internal changes came from an aspiration within for things to be different and a desire to cultivate new behaviors. I chose to transform the dark and tangled garden of my life.

Internal change requires a distinct set of skills. These skills are not difficult to learn but do require a shift in thinking and behavior.

Here are thirteen suggestions for managing the ebb and flow of changes around you.

1. Recognize that change is part of the fabric of our lives.

Just as the seasons change, so do we. Some changes we can choose, others we do not.

2. Clear your mind.

Develop awareness of the changes that occur around you. Notice the natural changes that take place in every day life.

3. Establish a quality of purpose, a goal or some objective to be reached.

Start small. Practice making minor changes in order to build confidence.

4. Imagine the elation of manifesting your intentions.

Visualize what you want to create in as much detail as possible, then release it. Allow change to flow naturally without force.

5. Trust your intuition.

There is a deep well of inner wisdom within you. This innate sense of wisdom will guide you.

6. Identify your fears about change, whether it is the fear of failure or the fear of success.

Perhaps it's the fear of not doing anything or the fear of doing something new that prevents you from changing. In any case, you deserve to be successful.

7. Remember that change requires courage.

It is the ability to act in spite of feeling insecure or uncertain. Ask for support and allow yourself to receive it.

8. Take a loving and gentle approach.

Don't beat yourself up if you don't succeed instantly. Change requires consistency and persistent action.

9. Be curious.

Try experimenting with new foods, listening to new music, varying your route to work, or shopping at a different store. Question whether or not you are acting out of habit and investigate new behaviors.

10. Expect to feel uncomfortable with what's unfamiliar.

Anticipate resistance. Give yourself permission to feel weird.

11. Consider healing activities that will enhance your senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Make a list of things you like to do to relax. Take a walk, write in your journal, or drink a cup of tea.

12. Listen to your self-talk.

The words you say to yourself need to come from your heart, where wisdom and compassion live. Say all the things you want and need to hear.

13. Create incentives and rewards for changing.

Evaluate what motivates you. Generate enthusiasm by celebrating along the way.

You will discover that you have strength you don't know you possess until you need it. Cultivate your skills so that when you do need to cope with a major change, you will be able to stay as emotionally healthy as possible. You'll be relieved that you created good habits for managing change.

May joy fill your days.

May you be happy.

See a typo or inaccuracy? Please contact us so we can fix it!

Did you enjoy this post? Please share the wisdom :)

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13 Ways to Change When Life Changes Around You

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"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden." ~Johann Von Goethe When my first love died suddenly, my life changed dramatically and permanently. Barely 22 at the time, I had no coping skills and no support system. I couldn't anticipate how deep sorrow would render me completely devastated and heartbroken.

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Throughout this chapter, I was very impressed with how this book started off with great character depth and origin on Nick Caraway. Chapter 1 starts off from a narrating point of view from Nick Caraway. Nick numerous times throughout the chapter explains how his family raised him and how he developed skills from his parents, " Most of the confidences were unsought--frequently I have feigned sleep, preoccupation, or a hostile levity when I realized by some unmistakable sign that an intimate revelation was quivering on the horizon; for the intimate revelations of young men, or at least the terms in which they express them, are usually plagiaristic and marred by obvious suppressions". This chapter also brought attention to where Nicks's future is leading to. Nicks's plans were to head East, and everybody in his circle supported him. Nick was also describing how he served in WW1. During Chapter 1 Nick also explains how he used to live and was originally from the Midwest. The Midwest was very special for Nick because it was where he learned everything he needed to know to become a hard-working and self-motivated individual. Lastly, I was very fond of how Nick handles himself in difficult situations. There are not a lot of people who have Nick's frame of mind in terms of perspective.

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When you're on your creative grind, it's important to get your hands dirty, make mistakes, and get lost in your work. This helps you develop your style, find your voice, and carve your niche. That, in turn, attracts commissions and people to your artistic mission and vision.

Jon Contino is someone who's been doing cool shit before it was cool and unapologetically pours themselves into their work.

Jon's a designer, letterer, illustrator, and branding sorcerer hailing from New York who conjures up dope work for massive brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and AT&T through his Contino Studio Agency.
Today, Jon and I peel back the layers of:

What branding is and isn't

His illustration process and humbling backstory

Creating good work that's true to yourself

Being a design sponge outside of the internet

Turning flaws into strengths and more

If you need a boost to go the extra mile in showing your true self in your work, then this episode was made for you.

connect with jon contino

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Jon Contino on The Secret to Producing Good Work is Being Yourself - Perspective-Collective

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When you're on your creative grind, it's important to get your hands dirty, make mistakes, and get lost in your work. This helps you develop your style, find your voice, and carve your niche. That, in turn, attracts commissions and people to your artistic mission and vision.

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Throughout Chapter 1 I noticed very small but powerful which was Mental Toughness. We as readers understood what it took to put ourselves in a successful position. However, nobody talks about the behind-the-scenes and the " Mental Toughness" that it really takes to put yourself in a successful position. In Chapter 1, I got a lot of origins and real passionate information on who Nick really is and what his goals are as a human being. The mind-space that you have to have to not only be a part of World War 1 but survive it takes a lot of Mental Toughness. Nick shows a lot of "Mental Toughness" in my opinion, " Instead of being the warm center of the world, the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe--so I decided to go East and learn the bond business". Also, I was very impressed to see how Disciplined Nick was throughout Chapter 1. Nick's family bloodline " The Caraways" has a very detailed and eye-opening origin. Nick also knew what he wanted to do in his life. A lot of people in his life tried to stop him from doing what he loves, but he never stopped believing in himself.

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"The first and best victory is to conquer self." ~ PLATO

Learning to effectively lead yourself and others all comes down to discipline. Happiness, success, and fulfillment stem from focus and self-control. It may be hard to believe when you're facing an all-you-can-eat buffet, the prospect of making a quick buck, or the lazy lure of sleeping in versus getting on the Peloton, but studies show that people with self-discipline are happier. Why? Because with discipline and self-control we actually accomplish more of the goals we truly care about. Self-discipline is the bridge between goals defined and goals accomplished.

Chapter Eight of my new book - Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way To An Extraordinary Life - is titled 'Win More Through Discipline And Accountability.' People with a higher degree of self-control spend less time debating whether to indulge in behaviors and activities that don't align with their values or goals. They are more decisive. They don't let impulses or feelings dictate their choices. They are the architects of their own beliefs and the actions they take to achieve a desired outcome. As a result, they aren't as easily distracted by temptation and tend to feel more satisfied with their lives.

"You have power over your mind-not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." ~ MARCUS AURELIUS

There are specific strategies you can execute to learn self-discipline and gain the willpower to live a happier, more fulfilling life. If you are looking to take control of your habits and choices, here are the eight most powerful things you can do to master self-discipline-which is imperative for life beyond your comfort zone-and maybe even redefining "extraordinary."
STEP ONE: Know your strengths and weaknesses.
We all have weaknesses. Whether they're the desire for alcohol, tobacco, unhealthy food, obsession over social media, or the video game Fortnite (what the heck is with this game by the way?!), they have a similar effect on us. Weaknesses don't just come in the form of areas where we lack self-control either. We all have our strong suits and the stuff we kind of stink at. For example, I don't care for having difficult conversations, lengthy paperwork that involves digging up old documents I never saved in the first place, holding my temper when someone is shooting at me, or calling into automated phone systems. And therefore, I used to actively (or purposefully) avoid these activities. Now, I strive to tackle them head-on-or I delegate them to others. (Never forget about the subtle art of delegation!)

Self-awareness is a powerful tool for comfort zone expansion, but it requires constant focus and acknowledging your shortcomings, whatever they may be. I suffered from bad allergies and asthma growing up and had terrible eyesight. Those were some significant weaknesses when considering becoming a Navy SEAL. But so what? I trained hard to improve my lung function and used money I'd saved for LASIK eye surgery. Too often people either try to pretend their vulnerabilities don't exist or they succumb to them with a fixed mindset, throwing their hands up in defeat and saying, "Oh well." Know your strengths, but more importantly, own up to your flaws. You can't overcome them until you do.
STEP TWO: Remove temptations.
"I can resist anything except temptation." ~ OSCAR WILDE

Like the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." It may seem silly, but this phrase offers powerful advice. By simply removing the biggest temptations from your environment, you will greatly improve your self-discipline. When I decided I was going to pursue the lofty goal of becoming a SEAL, everything in my life had to change. If you want to eat healthier, toss the junk food in the trash. Want to drink less? Throw out the booze. If you want to enhance your productivity at work, improve the management of your To-Do's, turn off social media notifications and silence your cell phone. Prioritize and execute.

The fewer distractions you have, the more focused you will be on accomplishing your goals. Set yourself up for success by ditching bad influences.
STEP THREE: Set clear goals and have an execution plan.
If you hope to achieve greater degrees of self-discipline, you must have a clear vision of what you hope to accomplish, just like any goal. You must also have an understanding of what success means to you. After all, if you don't know where you are going, it's easy to lose your way or get sidetracked. Remember to prioritize. At TakingPoint Leadership, when we work with our corporate clients on strategic planning, execution, and organizational transformation, we remind them that having ten priorities translates to no priorities.

A clear plan outlines each time-bound step you must take to reach your goals. Create a mantra to keep yourself focused. Successful people use this technique to stay on track, emotionally connect to their mission, and establish a clear finish line.
STEP FOUR: Practice daily diligence.
We aren't born with self-discipline; it's a learned behavior. And just like any other skill you want to master, it requires daily practice and repetition. It must become habitual. But the effort and focus that self-discipline requires can be draining. As time passes, it can become more and more difficult to keep your willpower in check. The bigger the temptation or decision, the more challenging it can feel to tackle other tasks that also require self-control.

So, work on building your self-discipline through daily diligence in a given area associated with a goal. This goes back to step three. In order to practice daily diligence, you must have a plan. Put it on your calendar, your to-do list, tattoo it on the back of your eyelids - whatever works best for you. With practice, anyone can push the boundaries of their comfort zone every day.
STEP FIVE: Create new habits and rituals.
Acquiring self-discipline and working to instill a new habit can feel daunting at first, especially if you focus on the entire task at hand. To avoid feeling intimidated, keep it simple. Break your goal into small, doable steps. Instead of trying to change everything at once, focus on doing one thing consistently and master self-discipline with that goal in mind.

As we say in the SEAL Teams, " Eat the elephant one bite at a time."

If you're trying to get in shape but don't exercise regularly (or ever), start by working out ten or fifteen minutes a day. If you're trying to achieve better sleep habits, start by going to bed thirty minutes earlier each night. If you want to eat healthier, change your grocery shopping habits and prep meals ahead of time. Take baby steps. Eventually, when your mindset and behavior starts to shift, you can add more goals to your list.
STEP SIX: Change your perception about willpower.
If you believe you have a limited amount of willpower, you probably won't surpass those limits. As I mentioned previously, studies show that willpower can deplete over time. But what about changing that perception? The SEAL candidate who believes they probably won't make it through training won't succeed. Why assume our will to win can only take us so far?

When we embrace the mindset of unlimited willpower, we continue to grow, achieve more, and develop mental toughness. It's the same philosophy as setting "stretch" goals. In short, our internal conceptions about willpower and self-control can determine how disciplined we are. If you can remove these subconscious obstacles and truly believe you can do it, then you will give yourself an extra boost of motivation toward making those goals a reality.
STEP SEVEN: Give yourself a backup plan.
In the SEAL Teams, we always have contingency plans. Psychologists use a technique to boost willpower called "implementation intention." That's when you give yourself a plan to deal with a potentially difficult situation you know you will likely face. To be clear, I am not referring to a backup plan under the auspices that you'll probably fail at Plan A.

Let's say you aspire to become a trapeze expert, but tell yourself, "Well, I'm probably not going to excel at this, so chances are I'll be sticking with miniature golf." That's a lame backup plan wrapped in mediocrity. We are talking about contingencies for intentional course correction, not planning for failure. So be bold and keep moving forward. Going in with a plan will help give you the mindset and self-control necessary for the situation. You will also save energy by not having to make a sudden decision based on your emotional state.
STEP SEVEN: Find trusted coaches or mentors.
The development of expertise requires coaches who are capable of giving constructive, even painful, feedback. Real experts are extremely motivated students who seek out such feedback. They're also skilled at understanding when and if a coach or mentor's advice doesn't work for them.

The elite performers I've known and worked with always knew what they were doing right while concentrating on what they were doing wrong. They deliberately picked unsentimental coaches who would challenge them and drive them to higher levels of performance. The best coaches also identify aspects of your performance that will need to be improved at your next level of skill and aid you in preparation.
STEP EIGHT: Forgive yourself and move forward.
Even with all our best intentions and well laid plans, we sometimes fall short. It happens. You will have ups and downs, great successes and dismal failures. The key is to keep going. A very close SEAL buddy of mine has had a lifelong dream of not just serving in the SEAL Teams but also making it to our tier one special missions unit. He has every qualification this unit could possibly want, but for some reason they didn't select him on his first application attempt. Did he wallow in sorrow? Not for one second. He immediately developed a plan to request even more "schools," train even harder, and he transferred to a different SEAL Team for a better chance to get picked up next time. Easy day.

If you stumble, find the root cause by asking the five WHY's and move on. Don't let yourself get wrapped up in guilt, anger, or frustration, because these emotions will only drag you further down and impede future progress.

Learn from your missteps and forgive yourself. Then get your head back in the game and violently execute. Good luck!

... Read More

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8 Powerful Ways To Cultivate Extreme Self-Discipline

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"The first and best victory is to conquer self." ~ PLATO Learning to effectively lead yourself and others all comes down to discipline. Happiness, success, and fulfillment stem from focus and self-control.