I wonder what it is that sparks the first interest in wanting to improve your life?

All through your Life you plod along, going with the flow, and then one day it suddenly doesn't seem 'enough' any more.

The catalyst can be anything from a "Final Notice' bill to a near fatal car accident.

It is that sudden 'snapping' feeling, that seems to lift a veil from your eyes. You begin to see the potential around you.

You begin to wonder how come others can have the life they have and you keep on struggling along, barely making the ends even see each other, never mind the meeting bit.

I heard something the other day that gave me a kick in the pants.

This person said that envy is a profound 'brick to the head - sign'. A sign that you need to do something, NOW.

When you envy someone you need to stop and remove the self-pity prop.

They have what they have, because they've worked hard enough to deserve what they have. You can have whatever it is you desire, if you are willing to do the work that is required.

So the key is to take responsibility for your experience of Life.

Stop sitting there feeling sorry for yourself and get up and do what is required, otherwise you'll be wallowing until you do.

Taking responsibility for your experience of Life will empower you to truly live the life you are meant to.

No more 'pity talk'. Stop and analyze everything that happens to you, every moment of the day.

If someone cut you up at a traffic light and it was your fault, acknowledge the error, apologize and carry on. If it wasn't your fault, take it as a lesson that you need to be extra vigilant at traffic lights in order to stay safe. As Napoleon Hill says, 'There is the seed of greater or equivalent benefit in every situation'.

Stop and see what it is you are to learn from the situation. The difference between a man who loses his job and becomes a couch potato, and a man who goes out and starts his own business with the redundancy money, is their responsibility for their attitude to life.

When you consciously take control of what you are thinking, feeling and experiencing, you have the key to empowerment.

Instead of looking at a days work as drudgery, look at it as a means to getting one step closer to your goals.

See doing the ironing as a blessing rather than a curse. How you may ask? Well, give thanks that you have a roof over your head, clothes to protect you from the cold and are healthy enough to go about you business wearing your ironed clothes (find the blessings in your particular circumstances). Suddenly the act of ironing becomes a 'giving thanks' exercise rather than a dreaded chore.

Find a place where you can stand and look up at the sky. Notice what the clouds look like, how fast they're moving, what an array of colors there are, listen for birds and feel the wind on your face. Marvel at the mechanics of the world that go on around you every day - and stop to notice them.

In short. Stop - take notice - and take responsibility for the path of YOUR Life!

Lisa van den Berg is the author of