3 Tips to Liberate Yourself From Toxic People By Jack Canfield

When I was a first-year history teacher in a Chicago high school, I quickly stopped going into the teachers’ lounge, which I dubbed the “Ain’t It Awful” Club.

Worse than the haze of cigarette smoke that constantly hung over the room was the cloud of emotional negativity:

“Can you believe what they want us to do now?”

“I got that Simmons kid again this year in math. He’s a holy terror.”

“There is no way you can teach these kids. They are totally out of control!”

... It was a constant stream of negative judgments, criticisms, blaming, and complaining.

I didn’t want to be around that kind of negativity. I knew it would make it so much harder for me to be the positive, life-changing teacher I wanted to be.

Fortunately, I soon discovered a group of dedicated teachers who hung out in the library and ate together in the teachers’ lunchroom. They were passionate about their jobs and believed they could overcome and handle anything that was thrown at them.

I started hanging out with them and implemented every new idea they shared with me – as well as a few more that I picked up from my weekend classes at the University of Chicago.

As a result, the students voted me Teacher of the Year in only my first year of teaching. That never would have happened if I had allowed myself to get sucked into the “Ain’t It Awful” Club!

Don’t let toxic people infect you with their negativity

All of us have to deal with at least a few toxic people in our lifetime.

You know the kind of people I’m talking about...

They’re the ones who are always complaining and blaming others for their circumstances. They judge others, spread negative gossip, and always talk about how bad it is.

They tell you your dreams are impossible and try to dissuade you from believing in and pursuing your goals. They’re constantly trying to bring you back down to their level.

A simple phone conversation or email exchange with them will bring tension, stress, and disorder to the rest of your day.

Sound familiar?

Maybe these toxic people are your coworkers, or your old group of friends from high school. Or maybe they’re your family members.

No matter who they are, they have the power to drain you of the energy, faith, motivation, and self-confidence you need to achieve your goals and create the life of your dreams.

IF you let them, that is.

Here are my three most valuable tips on how to liberate yourself from their negative influence.

Tip 1: Get clear on who the toxic people are – and how they’re holding you back

Make a list of everyone you spend time with on a regular basis— your family members, coworkers, neighbors, friends, people in your civic organization, fellow members of your religious group, and so on.

When you’ve completed your list, go back and put a minus sign (–) next to those people who are always negative, critical, and complaining, and a plus sign (+) next to those who are positive and nurturing.

As you make a decision about each person, you might find that a pattern will begin to form.

Maybe your entire workplace is filled with toxic personalities. Perhaps it’s your friends who nay-say everything you do. Or maybe it’s your family members who constantly put you down and undermine your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Once you identify them, you’ll begin to see how they’ve been influencing your outlook on your life and career – and holding you back from creating the life of your dreams.

Tip 2: Stop spending time with them

You’re better off spending time alone than spending time with people who will hold you back with their victim mentality and their mediocre standards.

I know, it might be easier said than done... especially if those toxic people are your co-workers or family members.

Maybe you don’t feel like you can remove them from your life right now. At the very least, I encourage you to severely decrease the amount of time you spend with them.

And remember, nothing is impossible – it’s always a choice.

If you work in a toxic environment, apply for a different job. Tough market? Upgrade your skills to be a more attractive job candidate.

If your family’s negativity is slowly poisoning you, have an honest talk with them and tell them how their negative words and actions affect you. If they don’t listen to you or honor how you feel, stop spending time with them. It really can be that simple.

You have the power – and the right – to remove people from your life if they constantly attack your sense of self worth and are preventing you from becoming the best possible person you can be.

Tip 3: Surround yourself with positive people

Here is the easiest way to insulate yourself from toxic people: fill your life with positive people instead.

Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, nourishing, and uplifting people who believe in you, encourage you to go after your dreams, and applaud your victories.

Seek out successful people who have already accomplished amazing things in their life. This is one of the most powerful ways to bring more success and happiness into your life – by hanging out with people who inspire you and can give you the support and advice you need to achieve your own success.

Where do you find successful people?

Join a professional association. Attend your professional conferences. Join the Chamber of Commerce or your local country club.

If you’re a young person, join the Young Presidents’ Organization or the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

Volunteer for leadership positions. Join civic groups like Kiwanis, Optimists International, and Rotary International.

Volunteer to serve with other leaders in your church, temple, or mosque. Attend lectures, symposia, courses, seminars, clinics, camps, and retreats taught by those who have already achieved what you want to achieve.

Your life will be so rich you won’t have any time to spend with toxic people!

And who knows? Maybe your success will inspire those negative people in your life to aim higher in their own lives as well.

A great place to find a tribe of supportive, encouraging people

One surefire way to meet more positive, inspiring, and motivated people is to attend a personal development event such as Breakthrough to Success – a five-day event I hold at a luxury oasis in the Arizona desert every August.

So many participants say they found their “tribe” at Breakthrough to Success – life-long friends who encourage, support, and motivate each other as they continue on the path to creating their ideal life.

Muhammadu Buhari Sworn In As President Of Nigeria

Nigeria’s new President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in on Friday, becoming the first opposition figure to win a presidential election in the country’s recent history.

The inauguration ceremony took place at the Eagle Square, Abuja, and had in attendance several African heads of state as well as Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who led the U.S. delegation to the ceremony in a demonstration of the Obama administration’s readiness to strengthen ties between Nigeria and the United States.

Buhari, 72, a former military ruler, takes over from Goodluck Jonathan, who has ruled Africa’s most populous country since May 2010. Buhari defeated Jonathan in the last presidential elections by 15.4 million votes to 12.9 million.

Buhari has a tough task ahead of him. Among other things, he will have to tackle insurgency from Boko Haram militants and stamp out corruption which escalated to unprecedented levels during Jonathan’s tenure. He also faces economic problems; falling oil prices have significantly slashed Nigeria’s revenues, and Buhari will have to find new ways to diversify the country’s economy to reduce its huge dependence on oil exports.

FIFA Corruption Scandal: What Happens Next?

The unprecedented twin investigations into FIFA have demonstrated that the opaque organization is subject to the law, not above it.

The Swiss are looking into the controversial 2018 and 2022 World Cup soccer bids, which awarded the games to Russia and Qatar respectively.

The Americans have outlined a case that sounds like a mafia movie script, with allegations of fraud, racketeering and money laundering over a period of more than 20 years. Several senior FIFA officials are among the defendants facing extradition from Europe, South America and the Caribbean.

"This really is the World Cup of fraud," said Richard Weber, head of the IRS Criminal Investigation division.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with 240 million people regularly playing the game, according to FIFA's own estimate. Even in a nation like the United States, traditionally considered indifferent to soccer, interest is growing. More Americans watched last year's U.S.-Portugal World Cup game than watched the 2014 NBA Finals or the 2013 baseball World Series.

The bombshell announcement of the U.S. indictments was met with the sense that somebody was finally doing something substantial about the corruption allegations that have dogged soccer's global gatekeeper for years.

"We could make a case that this is the biggest sports bust in history today," USA Today Sports columnist Christine Brennan told CNN. "This is historic. This is monumental."

So, what comes next in the investigations?

Here are some of the key questions:

What will happen with the extraditions?

Seven of the 14 defendants wanted by U.S. officials were arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday, said U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The majority of them are contesting extradition to the United States, according to Swiss authorities.

The battle is set to play out in Swiss courts.

"I think there's a very good chance there will be extradition," said CNN legal analyst Paul Callan. Although he noted that Swiss authorities refused to extradite filmmaker Roman Polanski to the United States in 2010. Polanski's case is still rumbling on in the Swiss courts.

"There are always outs under these extradition treaties," Callan said.

Extradition proceedings have also begun in Argentina and Trinidad and Tobago for defendants named in the U.S. indictment.

Are there more arrests in the pipeline?

U.S. law enforcement officials say they're not done yet.

The indictment unsealed Wednesday "is the beginning of our work, not the end" of an effort to rid global soccer of corruption, said Kelly Currie, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

The people indicted Wednesday were all linked to soccer in the Americas, but it was unclear where the investigation might focus next and whom it might target.

Swiss authorities, meanwhile, are conducting their own investigation into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The Swiss aren't as far along in their investigation as the Americans, but officials say they suspect criminal mismanagement and money laundering took place during the selection process.

Authorities raided FIFA's head office in Zurich on Wednesday, seizing electronic data and documents. Police plan to question 10 members of FIFA's executive committee who took part in voting in 2010 on the World Cup bids.

Will the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups be moved?

That still seems unlikely at this point.

FIFA has already announced the results of its own investigation into the bidding process for the two competitions, saying it found no corruption and had no reason to reopen the bidding process. (Although Michael Garcia, the American lawyer who led the investigation, said FIFA's public summary of his report was "incomplete and erroneous.")

FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio said Wednesday that the two World Cups would go ahead as planned despite the Swiss investigation.

Holding the 2022 World Cup in the desert emirate of Qatar has already drawn criticism over the treatment of the migrant workers laboring to build the stadiums for the competition.

Officials have also had to change the dates of the tournament to the winter to avoid Qatar's sweltering summer heat, raising potential scheduling headaches for other soccer competitions around the world.

Qatar beat the United States and several other nations in the bidding for the 2022 World Cup. Australia, one of the other countries to lose out, has been outspoken in its criticism of the tournament dates being switched.

Will FIFA's big election go ahead this week?

The arrests of the FIFA officials in Zurich were rich in dramatic timing. They took place as representatives of the world soccer body's member associations were congregating in the city ahead of the organization's annual congress Friday.

The FIFA gathering, which this year includes a presidential election, appeared to have helped U.S. authorities by enabling them to have a large number of the defendants rounded up in the same extradition-friendly country.

The announcement of the U.S. and Swiss investigations prompted the executive committee of UEFA, European soccer's governing body, to call for the congress to be postponed and election to be held at some point in the next six months.

UEFA leaders said European soccer associations would have to "consider carefully if they should even attend this Congress" and would be holding a meeting Thursday to "decide on what further steps need to be taken to protect the game of football."

But FIFA's De Gregorio insisted Wednesday that the congress was sticking to its agenda.

The question is whether any of the other members or confederations will follow UEFA's lead.

Is Sepp Blatter going to win yet again?

Despite the scandal rocking FIFA, its incumbent president, who's held the top job for the past 17 years, appears set to maintain his grip on power.

Bookmakers still have him as firm favorite to defeat his only remaining challenger, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, and secure a fifth term.

Blatter is not one of those arrested or facing charges from U.S. authorities, but he was among those investigated.

Asked if the U.S. investigation had cleared Blatter, Lynch said, "I'm not able to comment further on Mr. Blatter's status." Officials said earlier Wednesday that the investigation into Blatter's possible involvement continues.

Blatter is "calm" and "fully cooperative" with the Swiss investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, De Gregorio said.

"He is not a happy man, he is not saying, 'Everything's cool,'" but he is glad the process is taking place because it is good for the organization, De Gregorio said.

Ali said Wednesday that FIFA needs leadership "that accepts responsibility for its actions and does not pass blame. Leadership that restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world."

How are FIFA's lucrative sponsors going to respond?

Some of the biggest corporate names associated with soccer have alreadyspoken out.

In a strongly worded statement late Wednesday, Visa called on the world's premier soccer organization to "take swift and immediate steps" to clean up its act.

"It is important that FIFA makes changes now," Visa said. "Should FIFA fail to do so, we have informed them that we will reassess our sponsorship."

Earlier, another major sponsor, Coca-Cola, said the "controversy has tarnished the mission and ideals of the FIFA World Cup." The company said it has "repeatedly expressed our concerns about these serious allegations."

Other multimillion dollar sponsors, including Adidas, McDonalds and Budweiser's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, also issued statements saying they were in contact with FIFA.

But it remains to be seen if any of them would go as far as severing ties.

 Culled from CNN.

Fuel Scarcity: Nigerian Economy Grounded As Communication Companies, Banks, Others Shut Offices

As Nigerians continue to suffer under the current acute fuel scarcity, Telecommunication giants like Airtel, MTN and Etisalat have shot down their operations in certain areas across the country.

As a follow up to this development, Etisalat has issued a statement, saying its services will be disrupted as a result of the continuous fuel scarcity been experienced in the country.The statement released on Monday notified its customers of a possible disruption of service, adding that management is working to ensure that the current problem is abated on time.

The statement further appealed to affected customers to bear with management of Etisalat over the development.

Relatively, in a text message to its customer, Airtel, another telecommunication network whose service is currently been affected by the fuel scarcity, appealed for understanding on the part of the customers, while assuring them that efforts are on to turn the situation around.

In its message to customers, Airtel says, “Dear Valued Customer, this is to inform you that due to nationwide fuel crisis, our services may experience some strain. We are doing everything possible to manage the situation. Thank you for understanding.”

MTN Nigerian has equally notified it’s subscribers of a major disruption of its network if the situation continues unabated.

Commercial banks in the country are also closing offices. The first to announce the development is Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB. In its announcement, it said that its branches will close at 1pm beginning from Monday across the country.

Also affected are airline operators that have temporarily put their operations on hold due to unavailability of aviation fuel.

Culled from Dailypost.ng

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NASA: Big Antarctica Ice Shelf Is Disintegrating

A huge section of Antarctica’s ice shelf is rapidly thawing, according to a just-released study by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The loss of ice from polar caps is slowly but steadily raising the level of the Earth’s oceans, scientists say. They predict it will be only a few years before the Larsen B Ice Shelf – at 1,600 square kilometers or almost 618 square miles – completely disengages from the ground and breaks into hundreds of icebergs.

Two-thirds of the 10,000 year-old shelf is already gone, said Ala Khazendar, the study’s lead scientist. "This is a clear indication of the enormity of changes that are taking place in the Antarctic Peninsula and elsewhere in Antarctica," he said.

Ice shelves are giant frozen platforms that hang over the edges of the Antarctica continent, supported by ocean water below. The largest of them is almost as big as France.

Khazendar said three glaciers that supply the Larsen B shelf with ice are thinning and gaining speed.

"From our study, now we know that these glaciers are flowing faster and most likely they are putting more ice into the ocean," said Khazendar, who led a team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Using sophisticated airborne instruments, including radar, scientists already have noticed new cracks in the ice that were not there when they submitted their findings nine months ago.

The disintegration is “happening fast and it's just a matter of years,” Khazendar said.

 Culled from Voice Of America.

Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi: My Goals Were More 'Beautiful'

In Diego Maradona's world, he's still number one.

Asked by CNN anchor Becky Anderson to pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as to who is the world's top footballer, Argentina's former World Cup winner emphatically endorsed the Barcelona star -- but quickly worked himself into the conversation.

"The thing is, my goals were more beautiful," insisted Maradona.

However, even Maradona, who led Argentina to victory over West Germany in the 1986 World Cup final, was forced to concede the 27-year-old Messi is trumping him in the goalscoring stakes.

Messi is "killing it with his goals," admitted the 54-year-old -- a nod to Messi's prolific career scoring record of 328 and counting for Barcelona and Argentina, far outweighing Maradona's own tally of 293 for club and country.

Messi's tally includes 53 goals scored so far this season, including two in a 3-0 drubbing over Bayern Munich last week in the first leg of their European Champions League tie. Barcelona advanced to the final on Tuesday with a 5-3 aggregate score after the away leg.

Messi's performances in those two games prompted Bayern's coach Pep Guardiola to describe the diminutive forward as "the best player of all time."

Both Messi and Maradona were often the smallest men on the pitch and each wore the blue and white stripes of their country along with the unmistakable maroon of the famous Catalan club.

Quizzed as whether it is Messi's goals or his style that make him great, Maradona offered a compromise: Messi might be scoring more goals, but it's the former Napoli star who had more flair.

"I think that I had my own style from the very beginning," said the man famously known for his "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. "And that is the point in which I could be better than Messi."

According to Maradona, Messi is still "finding his own style," adding: "Most likely he will find it very soon."

Maradona coached Messi at the 2010 World Cup but his contract was not renewed following Argentina's 4-0 quarterfinal defeat to Germany.

Three years ago, Maradona was sacked by United Arab Emirates club Al-Wasl after only 14 months in charge.

He arrived in Dubai on a lucrative contract in May 2011, but could only manage to take Al-Wasl to eighth place in the 12-team UAE Pro-League -- which resulted in the club's board resigning.

Maradona was not given the chance to continue his two-year tenure by the new board.

He is one of the greatest players in soccer history, having helped Napoli win two Italian league titles after a difficult two-year stay at Barcelona -- both clubs signed him for world-record fees.

But his career was marred by controversy over drug use -- he was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for ephedrine -- and he suffered from subsequent health problems.

Culled from CNN.