Archive for Positive Thinking
Positive Attitude – Claim Your Joy
Posted by: | CommentsIs it easier to be stressed, anxious and discordant rather than being happy, peaceful and zen?
Just from observation and life experience, it appears to me that most people gravitate toward disorder in their lives. They find themselves caught up in the negative aspects of human existence.
To be calm, serene, in the flow of exuberance and joy often seems to take substantially more effort.
And I can’t figure out why that is.
Yet it has been my own life experience as well, stemming from what I learned during my childhood. Children learn what they live — and personally, I lived with plenty of negativity. Discord and drama were rampant in my household. Of course, we did manage to have some fun in between, and I did consider my mother to be a nurturing woman. But both my mother and father thought that yelling and a raised voice were the only parental way to get things done and let their authority be known.
So for a good part of my life, I fell into the trap of perceiving turmoil and commotion as the norm. What follows from that sort of norm unfortunately is much unhappiness.
It took quite a bit of growing up and my path of holistic healing that brought me to a more enlightened way of looking at life. I finally began to realize that maybe — just maybe — that joy was part of the purpose of life, a part that we are all worthy of.
Yes, I am saying that you DESERVE to be joyful. It is your right. And if you can authentically claim it, you will realize how powerful you are and will become better aligned with your soul/life path.
Of course, I am not saying that your joy should come at the expense of another. As you are pursuing and delighting in your joy, make sure that the component of compassion flows within you. Allow yourself to find delight and satisfaction in the joy of others. If you can do that, then your own sense of fulfillment, your own sense of being in the stream of harmony, light and abundance will increase.
Know that you CAN leave negative patterns behind, that you can reach for higher-vibration, uplifting thoughts. When you grasp and embrace this concept, your life will make an immense shift for the better.
And yes, we all are guilty of falling back into negative patterns once awhile. For doing so just seems to be a part of the human experience. Staying in those patterns can be our emotional downfall. Remain keen and observant, and try to catch yourself before you fall too far. Then gently lift yourself up into that sweet perspective of joy. Because you CAN do it — and the result is exhilarating…
Affirmations:
- I know that I can choose my attitude — so I strive for a positive one!
- I am a powerful life creator and choose to stay in the flow of optimistic, uplifting thoughts.
- An outlook of joy comes naturally to me.
Positive Attitude – Do Others Influence Your Sense of Self Esteem?
Posted by: | CommentsDo you feel authentically good about who you are at your heart and soul level? Is your self-esteem strong and joyful? Does your sense of self worth emanate from deep within your core essence — or do you allow the opinion and subjective views of others to determine how you perceive yourself?
Everyone has a very unique way of perceiving themselves and most of us are influenced by the thoughts, deeds and opinions of all those who surround us — family, friends, coworkers, etc. Those that surround you should absolutely be supportive, caring, kind and encouraging — nothing less than that is acceptable. However, in reality, that is rarely the case.
But being confident about who you are and your life path are essential to feel fulfilled, successful, balanced and compassionate — a state of being that most of us aspire to. Honestly, how many times have you made a statement such as: “She made me feel inadequate” or “He made me feel unworthy and bad about myself.” We have all been there.
To move forward, you need to accept total responsibility for your life, your actions and your emotions. Nobody can or should MAKE you feel anything. Your response and reactions to others determines what you feel. Decide that you will respond to challenging people and their opinions with strength and a powerful sense of self that will let their negativity roll off.
Many people feel the need to control others (I was raised in such a family environment) and do not understand the importance of letting go, being supportive and permitting others to grow, flourish and follow their own radiant inner light and unique life path. All of us are entitled to expand and grow as individuals, and as soulful beings as well.
It is critically important to hold on to the knowing that your inner light, which is your own unique and complex personality, should always shine through in a genuine, caring way. Remain as peaceful and non-reactive to challenging personalities as possible. And really do put your best foot forward to work on this. However, if it gets to the point that a person tries to consistently suppress your light, sometimes it is necessary to step back or away for your own overall sense of well being. So always assess the situation with gentle and careful observation, striving to be as nonjudgmental as possible.
Those most enlightened people in your life will do their very best to enhance your light, your spirit and will vibrate in a very highly joyful and loving way. They will buoyantly support your self-confidence. You will always feel “good enough” in their presence without having to work at it or pretend you are someone you are not.
So find your inner confidence, connect with the inner YOU and let your brilliant light be a beacon for others as well, inspiring them to also feel confident and “good enough” as you interact with them on a daily basis. And remember to express sincere appreciation to those who are loving, compassionate and supportive to you…
Affirmations:
- I approach each day with confidence and the self assurance to make decisions and choices that are healthy, wise and joyful for me.
- I know in my heart that I am worthy of love, prosperity and success.
- I strive to remain calm and non-reactive in situations that involve challenging personalities.
Positive Attitude – Appreciating Each Moment of Your Life
Posted by: | CommentsAnother day, another routine, maybe almost exactly the same as yesterday? Are you stuck in the rut of taking your life for granted? Do feelings of appreciation come to you often — or come to you rarely?
An early morning email from a wonderful, compassionate woman who has been quite inspirational to me has been a wake-up call, reminding me how precious a “normal” existence is. This woman has been suffering from an unusual condition involving her spinal fluid and has been bedridden for a half year now. Still she continues to do her inspirational tele-calls from her bed, reaching out her kindness and compassion to others in her internet community despite her own extreme physical challenges. Though it appeared she was healing, she has experienced a major setback and will be going in to the hospital for another surgical procedure. (Some of her symptoms are excruciating headaches and vision loss .) She is only in her early forties.
Another acquaintance of mine was recently hit by a van while she was walking in the street and was quite injured. Fortunately, after much medical care and rehabilitation, she is recovering.
I don’t share these stories for a “gloom and doom” effect. I share them for a “wake up and smell the beautiful fragrance of your life” effect.
Life truly does bring us along a road of many twists and turns, and sometimes we are never sure what we will find when we round the next curve. But that doesn’t mean we have to be filled with fear-based thoughts along our journey. We shouldn’t hide from living, and cower away, afraid of what could happen.
On the contrary, I am encouraging you to go out and live your life — and live it with grand appreciation! Life is a magnificent gift, and we should choose to treat and acknowledge it as such.
Embracing appreciation with a deep reverence for the beauty of our individual lives is probably the most joyful and productive thing one can do. Learn to bask in the clarity and exhilaration of each moment. Oh yes, some moments are definitely better than others. But as we make a conscientious effort to bring in more optimistic thought patterns, it becomes easier to find the precious good in our everyday experiences. Particularly the very simple ones — such as times spent with family, friends and even our cherished pets. Or times we spend connecting with nature.
Make an effort to greet each day with some form of appreciation. Bringing in the feelings of gratitude early in the morning can jump-start your day to be more positive, more productive, more inspired! And closing the day in the evening by just mentally revisiting those best moments of your day with authentic gratitude can be quite powerful.
It is said that those who are able to live their lives in a state of appreciation are generally happier and more fulfilled.
So what can you do, personally, to bring more thoughts and sensations of appreciation into your own reality? Give it some thought, and start now to begin to tap into that wellspring of appreciation that I do believe resides within each of our hearts. Let it flow forth… and enrich your life!
Affirmations:
- I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned along this journey called Life.
- I strive to let appreciation fill my heart and my senses… and know that my life is better for it.
- Embracing the concept and practice of appreciation brings joy, abundance, inspiration and fulfillment.
Self Empowerment – Confidence Along Your Own Particular Life Path
Posted by: | CommentsAre you joyful and enthusiastic about where you are heading? Or perhaps you are just accepting, and sort of moving blindly along, not sure if the direction aligns with your true “calling”? Or, are you possibly just plodding through each day, filled with uncertainty?
There is a wide range of potential attitudes toward’s one’s life. Of course, the optimum is feeling genuinely happy, vital and self-assured about your own path, invigorated and knowing that you are living your soul’s calling. Knowing that you are doing exactly what you are meant to do, and are where you are meant to be.
A young woman recently shared with me that although she was basically joyful with her work, she had a nagging feeling that she should have been or done more. And where did this feeling come from? Of all things, a recent visit to a psychic — a woman who she must have paid for a reading, but who spouted only negativity. This so-called psychic had shaken her confidence, informing her that she should be in a different career entirely, and should have done many things quite differently.
I was appalled at this destructive reading as it was detrimental to this young lady who placed sincere emphasis on what the psychic had to say. So I encouraged this woman to forget about the reading and suggested she focus on moving ahead with her life. “Do you like what you’re doing?” I questioned her. She assured me that she does, and she had put quite a bit of studying and practice into her vocation to get to the point where she is today.
I know that many people place too much credence on the negative remarks of others — and these others aren’t necessarily psychics; they can be one’s friend or family member who might need some lessons in tact and supportiveness.
Personally, I believe that we are pretty much where we need to be on our live path. Not everyone is completely content — that is the usual human condition. But I feel it is important to trust that as we move along our road of both self-discovery and life experience, we retain a clear understanding about the direction we need to follow. And often, we come to the figurative fork in the road and must make some personal decisions about which way to turn. And if you are truly not content with where you are, then you can always make a shift in another direction.
Embracing your path with confidence is essential for peace of mind. As I always say, tune into your own innate sense of self-guidance that lies within for assistance with what steps you need to take. If you are feeling strong and positive about your goals and plans, then you can easily let the remarks of “naysayers” roll off and not effect your self-assurance.
Not everyone is going to be your champion, and it’s key to understand that. That is why you need to be your own best and focused champion. Have confidence and insight into your own desires and wishes. And you may need to work on striving to ignore or be non-reactive toward those who cast obstacles in your path.
Yes, everyone wants to be passionate about their particular life path, but it is not always possible to maintain a high level of this as we move along our day-to-day schedules. If you can hold on to an overall sense of optimism in your heart, greet each day with even a little enthusiasm, then your life path will surely unfold in a gentle, welcoming, uplifting way. Be confident of this. Be sure of this. And don’t listen to psychics who tell you otherwise.
Affirmations:
- I feel genuinely confident that I am aligned with my life path as I move forward each day.
- Tapping in to my innate sense of self-assurance helps me overcome obstacles that I may encounter.
- I gravitate toward those who are supportive and encouraging about my life choices, plans and goals.
Friendship – Cherish and Nurture Those Who Are Close to You
Posted by: | CommentsAdditionally, we all have acquaintances, those who lives touch ours, brush against our reality, but who do not impact us so closely.
And of course, we all experience a range of relationships that span the gamut in between those two ends of the spectrum.
The challenge is to balance it all out, to acknowledge and cherish all of the above in the best and most sincere way possible. Clarity, contact and communication are what I think of as the “Three C’s” of a healthy friendship. These three aspects also need to be offered in an authentically caring, supportive and nurturing manner.
Most essentially, these need to be offered in a non-judgmental way, which is, perhaps the most difficult perspective to cultivate. Over the years, I have been learning to infuse my friendships with as much of this perspective as I can muster.
However, this doesn’t mean sitting back and accepting unhealthy or uncaring treatment from certain “friends” who may not always have your best interests at heart.
In the last few years, I have “lost” a few long term friendships which I never expected to be gone from my life. They were painful losses, but in the long-run, appear to have resulted in a healthier and less stressful aspect of my life experience. These were profound life lessons for me, and helped me understand how important it is to cherish, nurture and support those healthy friendships. I have also begun to distinguish between what I personally need from a friendship in order for it to be a strong, happy and beneficial bond.
Most everyone is familiar with the classification of “fair weather” friends — those who only stay with us when we are in a joyful, optimistic or positive stage of our life. These kind of friends seem to suddenly and conveniently disappear when challenges arise for us.
But I have also experienced that there are “foul weather” friends — those who might gravitate toward taking charge of us in our misery, drama or tragedy. They may feel the extreme need to be needed, thrusting themselves into that role of caretaker or life manager. They often DO serve a genuine role in assisting us through the hard times. However, when the turbulence is over for us, giving rise to more radiant days, these friends seem to suddenly relegate themselves to the background of our lives — or become completely absent.
The very bottom line is that friendships have to be genuinely sharing — an exchange and flow of emotions, talk and genuine concern (yes, even LOVE) for each other.
Anyone who is in a friendship that does not encompass these essential facets will feel slighted and even taken advantage of.
So it is important we set conscious intentions to feed and nurture those friendships that lovingly surround us in order to maintain them and help them grow.
Here are seven basic suggestions:
- Connect in person. In this age of a million technical communication devices, it is still key to connect face to face. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that a blitz of text messages will do the trick. Spend quality and pleasurable time with those who are close with you. And do this regularly — or as often as both your schedules will allow.
- Stay in touch between actual visits. Sometimes nothing beats that old-fashioned phone call with a good friend, just catching up with what is happening in both your lives. And of course, emails and text messages here are a perfectly wonderful way to say a quick hello or give an update. Even using Facebook or Twitter to give brief updates to friends is a newer and far-reaching way to get messages out to a group of friends.
- Be bold and confident enough to share true sentiments and emotions. A friend will understand just where you are coming from and be supportive through all emotions, scenarios and challenges.
- Be a good listener — and a good ASKER. Cultivate the skill of listening patiently. And afterward or in between, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification, for more information about what your friend is feeling or how they may want to approach a challenge in their life. Everyone loves having focused attention on themselves, will know that you are listening — and will appreciate this.
- Express appreciation verbally. Let your friend know how much they mean to you in whatever way you are most comfortable. With a really close friend, you may be able to say “I love you.” On some verbal level, let the friend know that you DO cherish the bond. If a friend has gone over and above what you have expected, tell them so, gratefully.
- Let your actions speak for your commitment to the bond. Go the extra mile, particularly for a friend who is down or facing life hurdles – send a bouquet of flowers, a card (even an eCard) or make an in-person visit to help out, cook a meal or lend a shoulder to cry on — whatever will be helpful to a friend in need. Remember birthdays and anniversaries too!
- Know that friendships can ebb and flow over the years, and be understanding of this. If a relationship is truly unhealthy and severely negative, you will sense it and feel it in your heart. And if it continues in a prolonged way, you can always let it go as diplomatically as possible.
Friends exist at every level. I treasure my friendships — the full range of them — from those who are close in-person friends to those whose lovely and uplifting energies I have connected with on Facebook and the internet. Be open to all new friendships and possibilities. Let your life unfold with a heartfelt desire to joyfully connect with others who resonate with you, as this will definitely enhance your journey!
Affirmations:
- I gratefully cherish all the close and caring friendships that warm my life.
- I make the time and effort to express appreciation to my friends, and I feel joyful!
- It is easy for me to listen patiently and supportively to others and I know that I will receive the same attention.
Law of Attraction – Keeping Focused on What You Wish to Manifest
Posted by: | CommentsHow is the good old Law of Attraction (LOA to those who are well-versed in this principle) working for you personally? Are you manifesting at least some of those magnificent desires that bloom in the wellspring of your inner thoughts and dreams?
When I get a bit off-track myself, my daughter (who is in her late twenties) admonishes me, “The Secret, Mom — use The Secret thinking.” Which of course refers to the movie that ignited the general public’s interest in this amazing universal law. Though I happily engage in LOA thinking often, it is certainly not 100% or anywhere near that much. My daughter can be very wise beyond her years at times and she professes that LOA thinking has enriched her own life dramatically.
It can enrich anyone’s life if you are ready to release limiting beliefs and embrace this powerful form of positive thinking.
Those times when you can sit in a meditation — or a peaceful state of anticipation — and realistically conjure up those visions of what you genuinely want to appear in your life need to happen frequently in order to bring the required attention to what you wish to create.
However, the first big step is to DECIDE what you do wish to create, and you must get profoundly clear on this. Being indecisive or wishy-washy (that is an old term, but fits here) is not going to move you in the right direction. You have to be specific in what you want.
Some of the well-known motivational teachers state that you must be extremely specific. For instance, if you want financial abundance, you should not just request “Show me the money” or “Bring me great riches.” Instead, say “I intend to manifest $10,000.00 by next month” or “next week,” whatever time frame you relate to.
But personally, I find that when I sit with an open heart and mind, and embrace the richness and abundance of the Universe, that abundance does seem to magnetically flow in. For me personally, this involves working with very powerful affirmations. And I find that though I am not always specific, I am quite clear on the emotions that I am feeling as I embrace the joyful sensations of what it would be like to already have what I am wishing for.
But the key is to really believe — and be in that state of receptiveness. You may need to experiment and find what feels right for you. Maybe that classic “vision board” resonates, where you paste up photos of what you are intending to attract. Or watching short inspirational videos that make you feel a rush of exhilaration and eagerness for what you are intending to manifest. Or just going within, and taking ten minutes to meditate on your wishes and goals. Try to capture very realistic mind pictures of what your manifested dreams will look like.
Part of this LOA equation is being able to focus. This means brushing aside distractions and really concentrating. Placing all your energy into the envisioning. And it means taking time every day to call forth that which you yearn to bring into your life experience.
And I do firmly believe it works.
For I find that when I have been lax with LOA thinking, my days become more stressful, less optimistic and I feel somehow diverted from my life path. So consistent thinking and making time to envision are essential.
However if you merely sit around and imagine all day, there is no guarantee that anything much will happen. You DO need to back it up with some real ACTION steps. But begin with the clear vision of your goal, and define exactly what you want and where you wish to go with it. Know you must take inspired action, but also know that if your heart is in it, you don’t have to do ALL the calculating about how to make it happen. Trust that if it aligns with your overall highest good, then the wise Universe will figure out exactly how to bring forth your desire in a way that is uniquely amazing and fulfilling for you.
Affirmations:
- I use my senses and inner guidance to clearly envision that which I wish to manifest.
- I am receptive to all the good, joy, and abundance that flows from a loving, supportive Universe.
- Each day, I awake with clear, optimistic intentions and take inspired action steps toward these goals.
The Vibration of Love – Your Core Essence
Posted by: | Comments“Love is the answer and love is the way
Love is in knowing just what to do and what to say
Love is the reason, love is the why
And love is in heaven right here on earth and peace inside.” ~John Denver
Do you find yourself more often in the powerful vibration of love, as in “heaven right here on Earth and peace inside” as the song says? Or are you constantly challenged by fear-based beliefs?
Some people live their life in a state of worry, chaos and disconnection. They may not enjoy living in that place (“worry” is not an exit on the highway that anyone would willfully choose) but perhaps they lack the awareness of their power and capability of making other choices. They don’t realize that there is an alternative to negative thought patterns. They remain stuck.
I do believe that some individuals are comfortable being the eternal victim. (“Nobody loves me” or “everything bad always happens to me.”) Joyful moments are rare, and their lives are in a perpetual downturn.
It’s certainly easy to be a victim, to walk in the shadows and cling to the known discomfort of limiting beliefs.
Sometimes it takes a personal crisis — even a small one — to shift one’s perspective. Sometimes it is a quick and amazing epiphany. And often it just happens over time, or in response to the influence of someone or something else, or from pursuing new spiritual paths and studies.
Awakening of consciousness goes hand in hand with letting in the very light of love. Learning to turn away from the shadows and step into the light of our core essence allows those very shadows to dissolve behind us and fade into our past.
And it’s never too late to wake up to the realization that one can go from victim mentality to that of joyful, loving creator. Love is merely letting go of fear.
So today, in this moment, acknowledge that you are a being of love, one that comes from love. Tune in to the love that is strong in your heart. If you are already on the lively, exhilarating path of illumination, then re-affirm your steps along this road. We all have moments of weakness, as our human-ness sometimes causes us to have episodes of disconnection. Our lights feel dimmed. That’s perfectly normal. It’s okay to experience your human range of emotions, even while reaching for your soulful range of goodness, compassion, and understanding.
I do firmly believe that part of our life here in this physical plane is to learn how to truly experience and express love in human form — love in all kinds of relationships and on all levels including love of our planet and its creatures.
Extend the reach of your love. This extends the reach of your light. And it will brighten not only your life, but the lives of many others in a magnificent ripple effect.
Affirmations:
- I tune in to the love that exists deep within my heart, for love is my core essence.
- Compassion, tolerance, patience and understanding are qualities that I cultivate within myself.
- I allow the brilliant light of love to emanate from within and flow out to those around me.
Law of Attraction – Being in the Vibration of Joy – A Personal Experience
Posted by: | CommentsIt had begun in the morning, when I’d had a session with healing client. After the table session, we began speaking about being in the mindset of joy and how important it is to be in the present moment in a feel-good way. I say “we” began speaking, but it was really me. Suddenly I felt myself going into a joyful “rant” if there is such a thing — reciting all my favorite points and methods about my belief in free will and free choice and how it is better to make the conscious effort to choose positive thoughts. I spoke about The Law of Attraction, though I didn’t call it that, but just tied it in to focusing on positive aspects and attracting positive flow into one’s life.
The more I spoke about joy, the better I felt and I had this electrical surge of happiness just stream through me in one of those moments. And I found that my joyful feeling was contagious as my client began to smile and I could see her eyes light up, as if yes, she truly “got it.”
However, suddenly realizing that I had rambled on for awhile, I quickly stopped in my tracks, and apologized, “I’m sorry for the long speech.” But my client simply nodded and said “I liked the speech. I can use the encouragement.”
The explosion of joy within me during the session and then the “speech” stayed with me, more than I even realized… and showed up in very simple, but unexpected ways throughout the afternoon.
I had errands to run and I prepared myself for the most crowded, busiest of parking lots of the places I would be stopping at. After all, it was just after Christmas and right before New Year’s, so as I pulled my car into the first small, crowded shopping center, it appeared that there were lines of cars, no available spots to park, and other cars impatiently waiting. But somehow, as I pulled up close to the store where I needed to go, an SUV pulled right out in front of me, opening up a primo space that I pulled straight into — voila — like magic!
Next, I had to do a food shopping and I knew the supermarket lot would be like a circus, especially since the weather was so gorgeous and unseasonably warm. But again, even with the overwhelming number of vehicles, as I pulled up closer to the store, a car pulled right out, leaving an excellent spot for me!
The store was packed, but somehow my shopping just flowed as I happily wound myself through the aisles and around the clutter of many people’s shopping carts — in an unusually radiant and upbeat frame of mind! The appetizing counter — always a lengthy ordeal of taking a number and waiting, waiting, waiting — was like a dream. As I approached, a worker behind the counter looked straight at me and said “May I help you?” I couldn’t believe it — no wait — even though it appeared that there were quite a number of people up at the counter.
And even at the checkout counter, everything flowed smoothly and quickly.
What an amazing and pleasant shopping experience! Now I wonder how it would have played out had I not been in the attitude of exquisite joy that morning. I probably would have been bemoaning the fact that I couldn’t find parking anywhere…
Which just reinforces that lovely “Law of Attraction” thinking — the better we feel, the better it gets and life moves along more easily and harmoniously.
Affirmations:
- I bask in the mindset of joy, let it fill my heart and senses — and anticipate optimistic outcomes!
- I delight in simple pleasures and by focusing on them energetically, attract more of the same into my life experience.
- I adopt an outlook of positivity and expect things to go right for me!
Positive Thinking – Setting Goals that Align with Your Life Path
Posted by: | CommentsNew Year… New Moment… New Energy…
We are finally here in glorious 2012!
Though many of us feel instinctively that this is a special year, a happening year, a year of consciousness awakening and a year of dramatic SHIFT, most of us have no idea exactly how the energy of this much-anticipated annum will play out.
So we need to just sit tight, be open to exciting change and infinite opportunities and possibilities. Of course, by that I don’t mean to just sit there and only think about the upcoming year. You need to visualize, prioritize, “goal-ize” (I don’t think that’s a real word, but you get my meaning) and take some inspired ACTION! And if you put it together in that way, taking step-by-step forward movements, results will actualize in a quantum way!
But you have to believe in yourself and believe in your dreams. Set goals that are feel-good ones for yourself. Any doubtful or not-sure kind of plans are not going to manifest. We all seem to know that “Law of Attraction” principle, yet we still find it a challenge to set goals that feel joyfully right for us, ones that truly align with our life path and soul calling. Ones that magnetize our desires and draw them directly to us.
Though you have likely heard some of these suggestions before, I share them again here:
- First, celebrate your accomplishments and highlights of the previous year. When we spend some upbeat, feel-good time celebrating what we’ve done right or positive, it gets us in the high vibration of inspired joy. It is from that place that we can move ahead to create what we want in the new year.
- Commit your goals to paper. It is an established fact that those who write their plans down are more likely to manifest their goals and dreams. And do it with enthusiasm!
- Use your imagination to really feel what it will be like to attain and enjoy your success. This is where strong visualization comes in. Really immerse yourself in what it is you wish to create or bring into your life. Some people swear by “vision boards.” Do what feels right for you.
- Write some powerful positive affirmations that are meaningful for you. Say them regularly and get into the energy of what they actually represent.
- Take each larger goal and “chunk it down,” into smaller sections, to quote the highly successful Jack Canfield. Nothing is too daunting if we divide it into smaller, easier steps. So even if you tentatively place one foot in front of the other, you WILL get where you want to go if you keep moving forward, even slowly.
- Cultivate an attitude of perseverance! Know that some things will materialize fast and furiously — in a good way! But other things will take longer, so be sure to be in the mindset to stay the course. Tap in to your inner guidance system to bring up your personal strength and ability to persevere.
- Call a lifeline! Absolutely get some help if you feel guided to. This can be in the form of a friend, family member, counselor, life coach, etc. Just make sure it is someone who can be truly supportive and encouraging to you, someone who can help keep you motivated and focused.
So as we move into 2012, leave behind what hasn’t worked for you, what doesn’t feel right or uplifting to you, and get in the energy of the powerful shift that is in the air! Embrace the newness of the year. Inhale the breath of beginning brand new from the blank, waiting canvas of your life. And know — just know — that you are going to create the reality you desire!
Affirmations:
- I set intentions and goals that resonate with my heart, mind and spirit.
- I cultivate an attitude of perseverance to help me through trying times.
- I enjoy the support and motivation I receive from loving family members and close friends.
Life Balance – Keeping Your Cool During the Busy Holiday Season
Posted by: | CommentsIf this season is supposed to be about peace and love, why is it that the hectic pace of life at this time of the year often leaves us feeling anything but peaceful and loving?
Balancing all the relationships in our lives, keeping our cool about our work life, trying to retain harmony within our over-scheduled days, refraining from getting caught up in the frenzy of all our blinking electronic devices that seem to make demands on us — these combine to create a substantial challenge in our everyday lives. And then add in all the increased holiday demands…
So how do we cope, and prevent ourselves from getting the stressed-out, burned-out holiday blues? Here are some suggestions:
• Put your main focus on the “big important stuff” meaning spending time with family and friends. This lovely up-close-and-personal time is so key, because isn’t love and caring an essential element of the season? So be sure to spend peaceful, unhurried time with those you love. Having fun and sharing heartfelt celebration with your circle of family and friends should be the priority on the list!
• Calendar everything! This time management skill is extra important as your calendar gets busier and fuller. Write it all down, and if you need to, add those alarm reminders on your internet calendar or smartphone for those things you may tend to forget. Those little alerts can be quite helpful!
• Make efficient to-do lists. Some people love these and some hate them. But the bottom line is keeping everything jumbled in your head can be quite difficult. So be sure to spend just a little time each day (or the night before) prioritizing and itemizing your daily tasks. If you know it is written down, even if it is nowhere near to being done, you at least have a sense of being organized about it and know that it will not slip through the cracks of your memory.
• Delegate as much as possible. Anytime a spouse, partner, child, parent, relative or friend can assume the responsibility of a certain task, let them. No need to be a holiday superhero and do everything yourself.
• Run errands that are in close geographical proximity. Try to divide your time up well and group those errands together — this conserves both time and gasoline.
• Focus on the now. Never underestimate the power of living in the moment! When your life is over-full, your thoughts and plans tend to get jumbled, disjointed and distracted. And you feel stressed out. By reigning in your focus and being truly present, you will feel more joyful with a greater sense of serenity and fulfillment.
• Practice authentic gratitude. If you have let this slip by, now is as good a time as any to bring this to the forefront. Consciously strive to be in appreciation of the many blessings that surround you — and verbalize your feelings to others. Aside from the obvious – showing gratitude to those close to you, go the extra mile and practice some random gratitude. (for instance, give extra praise or appreciation to your hairstylist, the person who holds the door open for you, the pleasant cashier at the supermarket, etc.) The recipients will be happily surprised and radiant. Gratitude will leave you feeling joyful!
• Make time, make time, make time for yourself! (Got the message?) Consistently doing and running and caring for others (such as buying loads of holiday gifts for just about everyone) can be more fatiguing than fun at times. Make sure to take time to nurture yourself — a special lunch or dinner out, a massage (or a Reiki session,) catching up with an old friend, a night out at the movies, or just getting zen with a relaxing meditation — give yourself the gift of something you personally enjoy.
So don’t over-schedule, focus on what’s meaningful — and be sure to have a loving, warm and magical holiday season!
Affirmations:
- I look forward to the holiday season with joyful anticipation and childlike wonder.
- By staying focused on the now moment, I feel happier, more centered and more peaceful.
- I make it a priority to spend fun and loving times with my close family and friends.