to go through a grieving process in which you will mourn the loss of your loved ones. During this time, you will also begin to start putting things into perspective —things that were once of great importance to you will suddenly appear trivial in comparison to what has just happened. When you gain this type of clarity, you will experience a massive improvement in the area of time management and focus because you will realize that life is too short, and following your dreams and achieving your goals are the most important things to you. Now instead of spending all your time gossiping and watching TV, you will put your time to productive use and channel your energy into something worthwhile. At this point, self-discipline will get easier because you will get into the habit of focusing on the things that are going to help you achieve your goals. There are some people who achieve a lifelong goal or dream in memory of a loved one. Some people find the inspiration to do extraordinary things at the worst moments in their lives. Losing a partner or family member to illness or a tragic accident can prompt this type of reaction in someone. A common example is someone who typically spends their life in front of the TV suddenly turning into a health and fitness fanatic so they can run a marathon to help raise money for a charity focused on raising money to fight the cancer that took the life of a friend or a loved one. Although they had no athletic ability whatsoever, doing something to raise positive awareness to prevent this type of tragedy taking place for others causes people to put their priorities in order. If you’ve got creative goals, for example, you want to become a better artist or write a novel, you’ll be encouraged to know that research suggests that negative circumstances can be a powerful driving force to get you to your final destination. A study conducted by Ghent University monitored the emotions and daily habits of 102 full-time creative professionals. The researchers found that participants were most productive on the days when they were not in the best of moods. Therefore, the evidence suggests that negative energy can be transformed into creative output. If you are the creative type, the next time you feel sad, angry, or distressed, immerse yourself in writing, music, art, or something of a similar nature. How To UsE SHAME TO YOUR ADVANTAGE Shame is another negative emotion that holds us back from going after what we want and engaging with the world. It is also important to mention here that shame and guilt are not the same—guilt is normal and healthy. When you have done something to offend someone or your actions are not lining up with your