Quite often the hardest thing about starting any project is knowing where to start and those all to important first steps. In fact, one of my biggest stumbling blocks that I am always working to overcome is getting to far ahead of myself and becoming overwhelmed. So where to begin if you find your life to be in a rather dark place? What if you have never made an effort to consciously live a more positive life? Even if you are just looking for a simple basic step to add to everything you already are trying. Remember different things work for different people. Try as many as you can. This next one comes from a very close source…my mother. As we were discussing ways to be more positive she came up with what I think is an easy and straight forward method to help nurture and develop a positive outlook and bring more joy into your life. The complex tools needed for this task? A pocket-size notebook and a pen. The time required for this project? A few seconds every day for about a week. Here is the game plan. Pick a day, any day, be it Monday, or Sunday or Friday. The day only matters as a start and end point. Now the night before you are going to start make sure you have a pen and paper handy. Put it on a table beside your bed, so you see it first thing in the morning. Now upon waking that day grab your pen and paper and put it in your pocket. Throughout the day whenever something good happens to you write it down. It doesn’t have to be an exact description, just enough to remember what it was. “Traffic good on way to work” would do. This is just for your own viewing so as long as you understand it is all that matters. Repeat this throughout the day as you notice anything positive occurring for you no matter how small or silly it may seem at the time. “Heard a joke and it made me laugh” “Coffee tasted really good” If you forget something at the moment or don’t have time that second, write it when you do. There are no rules and the only one seeing this is you. Now before you retire for the evening, review your list. Try and remember the moments and how you felt. This does two things. One, it will probably do wonders for your dreams that evening. Also, it helps us put life in perspective and shift our attention to the positive. So what happens if you only have one or two things that first day? Nothing. That is beautiful. You stopped to appreciate two beautiful moments in your life. Repeat this for about a week. Note what happens. By focusing on the positive things in life, it helps reduce stress and increase joy. Without getting too much into how the law of attraction works, I would say it would be a safe bet that your list will be longer on day 2, then on day one and longer on day 7 then on day 5. Now you will excuse me I need to go buy a pocket-sized notebook
Category: TOOLS FOR A POSITIVE AND REWARDING LIFE
these are a few items including books, cd’s, games and other items you can use to help the journey to a life filled with happiness and bliss
A NEW USE FOR AN OLD FRIEND…
Anyone who reads this blog or knows me personally knows that I am a big fan of keeping a journal. There are several reasons why. It is a great way to vent. It may be an easier way for someone who has trouble expressing their feelings. It is a great way to gain a little clarity when things seem overwhelming and confusing. All of these are true, but a friend of mine recently gave me a great idea of a new benefit you can gain from writing down your thoughts and feelings. Continue reading “A NEW USE FOR AN OLD FRIEND…”
DAILY EXCITEMENT…
Yesterday we discussed having a ‘big picture’ idea to focus on. We also discussed how you can use both the time leading up to it to build excitement as well as the time following to enjoy all the memories. Today we are going to focus specifically on something you do daily. What is it you ask? That is a great question. Think, what is the one thing you look forward daily that brings you joy and helps make your life a little bit better? Do you take 10 minutes to yourself to enjoy a nice glass of wine and a few pages of a good book? Perhaps you race right from work to pick up the kids from school and then straight home to start dinner so there will be time for homework and still have everyone in bed at a somewhat decent hour. Throw in soccer practice or a Recital or two and just the thought of it makes you crave that glass of wine! Here is a little secret, we all need a daily joy ritual. Time may seem to short as it is, but ask your self one very important question. How long can you keep it up? We even give our cars a break every 3000 miles. I know lots of people I swear go more than that before they stop to take any time to themselves. What would happen to your car if you just kept driving it because you never had time to change the oil? Would it perform at it’s best? Of course not. Neither would we. Tempers become shorter and immune systems become run down. So what to do? Plan time for yourself. If this makes you feel even slightly guilty, think of it as your ‘oil change’. When you return you will be able to help those around you that much better. You may be asking “what can I really do in 5-10 minutes that will make a difference?”. I suggest some form of meditation. Now before you start picturing yourself in a complicated yoga pose, holding a lotus flower, let me reassure you there are plenty of forms of meditation. Even the western scientific world has started to acknowledge the benefits of meditation. Sharper focus, less stress, stronger immune system, more energy, better sleep. With all these benefits you might find yourself finding a little more than five minutes. Still not sure about this meditation thing? I suggest looking into a few books. I’ve read one full of relaxation techniques that only take a minute. Reading and research still sound a bit to stressful for you? There are tons of guided meditation cds and dvd’s you can purchase. Just push play and the rest is done for you. One of the best websites I recommend is brainsync.com they have a cd for almost any person interested in a moment to themselves. After all, with all that running around, don’t you deserve it? Ok, off to find my lotus flower
HOW DO I BEGIN??
Confession time. I have a terrible flaw. When beginning any project I tend to think ten steps in advance. I worry about what will happen months, sometimes years down the road. On several occasions this overwhelms me to the point I fail to even begin. On my road to self discovery I am learning to address and understand that as time goes on. In fact, had I not this blog would not exist. Which, some of you tell me would not be a good thing and I thank you for that.
The point of this confession? Is that I can understand when people tell me that in today’s world it just seems to difficult to achieve, much less maintain a positive outlook. What do they do about all the crabby people they encounter(more on that in another post) or how do they balance being informed without subjecting themselves to the negativity of their local paper or the evening news (also a subject to be addressed later this week) “It seems just to hard and hopeless I don’t even know where to begin” one lady recently told me. Well, thanks to some wise words from a dear old friend I was reminded of a great place that makes it fun and easy to start. One of my favorite books I have read in the last few years. Don’t worry for those of you who do not like to read it is also available on audio book. Even better, there is also a dvd! What is the title of this collection? “The Secret” I’m sure several of you have heard about it, and some of you may have not. personally if you can I recommend picking up all three as there is something to be gained from each different format. If you are not sure, or do not have the time or funds to dedicate to all three I strongly suggest starting with the movie. Imagine sitting down with a big bowl of popcorn, or your other favorite snack, putting in dvd, relaxing on your couch and in a mere two hours you can be on your way to beginning a more positive life. Now the movie is more about the law of attraction, but once you watch it you can see how close the topics of the law of attraction and living a positive life are connected. It also does a fine job of explaining why feeling good is so important and offers suggestions to help you to that end. I encourage you to watch it with at least one other person if you are able as it could become a fun and interesting conversation for years to follow. If you are unable to find a friend to watch it with you feel free to discuss it here with myself or other followers of this site as we are all here to help each other on the path.
A WONDERFUL NEW AVENUE TO JOY…
Every so often I discover new and exciting tools that one can add to your life to increase the amount of joy and light. Here is such an avenue that many of you may enjoy exploring. A good friend of mine is a reiki master and medium. She offers both Reiki sessions. Which for those of you who do not know involves working with the bodies energy to heal and energize. She also offers readings of different kinds. Without explaining it in an incorrect fashion I encourage all of you to take a look at her website and decide for yourself. It might be just what you need! Not to mention she also has rates for parties, so if you wish to bring some friends along you can share your experience with each other. I think exploring every different chance to better our lives is worth a look, so feel free to check out her website and let me know what you think.
INSPIRATION AND ABUNDANCE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR MAILBOX!
I know it takes a little effort to be on the lookout for positivity on a daily basis (it can be a really great habit once you get used to it) so why not have it delivered right to you? As a postal worker I see that almost every cause, hobby and interest has a magazine to go with it. So imagine my excitement when walking through the bookstore I discovered a new publication dedicated to living a more rewarding life! I could not wait to sit down and share it with my readers interested in loving their lives more. The magazine is simply titled “Law of Attraction” and it is filled with ways to feel younger, happier and healthier. As well as tips to increase the amount of Love, prosperity and gratitude in your life. So check out both their website and Facebook page listed here. I am always happy to share any new discovery of things that can increase the quality of our lives and ask you to feel free to do the same!
http://www.LawOfAttractionMag.com
http://www.facebook.com/LawOfAttractionMagazine
Please feel free to let me know what you thought.
SIMPLE IS THE BEST
Often I am asked what is the easiest way to bring a more positive outlook into your life. I stress doing little things everyday until they become a habit is one of my favorite ways to start. To that end, a good friend brought to my attention another great thing I recommend printing out and placing on the bathroom mirror, next to the coffee maker or wherever you will see it everyday. Try reading this simple 5 line mantra every morning. ideally you should try to feel the emotional truth behind each statement, however even reading it will change the outlook on the day. Again, like all of the tools offered here, I recommend reading it first thing in the morning and last thing before you fall asleep as this when the mind is most susceptible to suggestion. This mantra is from a book by Catherine Ponder a great author I suggest looking into.
I AM health, strength, peace, happiness and prosperity
I AM strong, well, vital
I AM beautiful, peaceful, poised
I AM eternally youthful
I AM happy and free
Now try reading those five lines first thing every morning, and last thing every evening. It should take all of 1 minute, what could be quicker and easier than that? Try it for 21 days and notice what happens when you start to remove years of negative programing. Trust me, you will not want to stop.
A HAPPY CD
This little project takes a few minutes, but to be honest can offer years of rewards. Everyone, no matter how positive or enlightened has a bad day. Just the other day I was informed my job may be eliminated. It happens, sometimes outside circumstances throw us for a loop. What to do then? There are steps we can take to ‘soften the blow’ of these less than cheery days. Working with either your gratitude journal, or vision board is far more effective when you are in a positive state of mind. So I strongly suggest in being proactive and having several tools ready for days when we are just not on top of our game, for whatever reason.
Music has a strong influence over how we think and feel. Everyone has different tastes. In fact, my sister and I regularly debate the merits of different musical artists. Weather you like rock or country, jazz or hip-hop, there are songs we all enjoy dancing to and that make us feel happy and alive. Now I’m not talking about just songs like “Don’t worry, be happy” although if that works for you, use it. One of my favorite is “Toes” by Zac Brown as it makes me think of a tropical vacation. Whatever your taste, take time to compile a list of all the songs that inspire you. This can be done in an afternoon or over several days. Then either burn them all onto a cd, or add a playlist to your favorite mp3 player. My only caution is to avoid songs that contain angry or negative lyrics. Not to say that music does not have merit, I certainly find some to be great for working out to, but in this case keep it happy and uplifting. Then when sad, angry or anxious feelings come knocking, as they do for us all, you have an hour or so of music that can alter your state. Now I am not saying this will fix or even change whatever is the cause of your feelings, but it can but you into a better state to deal with them. Combine this with some of the other tools we have listed or that are yet to come and you will conquer whatever life will throw at you! Stay strong, stay positive my friends!
VISION BOARDS
One of the main complaints I hear when discussing how to make the lives of those around us, not to mention our own, more positive and rewarding is the effort it takes. After all, in this age of job uncertainty and just trying to ‘make ends meet’ who has the extra time to worry about happiness. My first response is usually to point out that focusing on surviving will keep you in a constant state of just barely getting by. After all it has been proven what we focus on is what we attract, so why not focus on your dreams? I do not wish to discount this concern though. During the holidays especially it can seem we have 25 hours worth of things scheduled in a day. So I am always on the lookout for ways to make achieving a positive life easier and almost automatic. Here is something even better, this one can actually be fun! It’s something you can do with your spouse or even with the kids! Continue reading “VISION BOARDS”
THE OPTIMIST CREED
Quite often I am asked if there are any “quick fixes” for starting or maintaining a positive rewarding life, well here is something I believe can truly help. First published in 1912 in a book titled “Your Forces and How to Use Them” I encourage everyone to print this off and read it every morning upon waking, and every night before retiring to start and end the day on a good note, with good focus.
THE OPTIMIST CREED
Promise yourself…
to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the bestl.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deads.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
weather you take a line a day or try to do it all, this is a great tool to help us all remain positive and bring light and love to the world!
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 