Tag: Health

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.

THE FENCE

Here is a little story I read on-line that started me thinking on the importance of watching what we say to others.  Not only is it a great story to share with children, but I think a few adults could benefit from it as well.

A young man was always losing his temper.  Finally his mother had enough and told his father something had to be done.  The father took the young man out to the back yard and told him, “son, every time you get upset I want you to pound a nail into this fence” Well, the son thought it was ridiculous, but agreed to give it a try.  The first day he put six nails into the fence. By the end of the week he was down to three.  After two weeks he was happy to report to his father he had not lost his temper one time that day and therefore had not put a single nail into the fence.  “That’s great son.” said the father. “but we can’t have all these nails in this fence, so every time you do something kind for someone I want you to remove one nail”  Well, merely one week later the son, feeling pretty proud of himself, had all the nails removed. His father stared at the fence with him, but did not seem as happy as the young man had hoped.  “What’s wrong dad? I thought you would be proud of me?” asked the young boy.  “Son I am proud of you, but remember whenever you lost your temper in anger you pounded a nail into the fence, that represented the hurt you inflicted on that person”  “Yes dad, but then I did good things for people and I removed all those nails I put in!” Explained the son.  “That’s true son” said the father. “Notice all the holes that were left in the fence. Even though you did good and tried to remove the hurt, a hole or memory of that hurt was still left behind.  You need to remember once words are spoken in anger they cannot be unspoken, even by the kindest of deeds”

This story serves a good point.  Haven’t we all been guilty of saying things in anger we wish we could take back?  Haven’t we even went so far as to apologise to that person and try to make it up to them?  I know I have.  Think of the fence, however, and the emotional scars we leave behind that can never be forgotten.  So let us work on being slow to anger and quick to praise.  Once a nail is driven in, even if taken out, the hole will remain.

GET OFF THE EXERCISE BIKE!!

Exercise is a great stress reliever, health and life improver.  So why would a site dedicated to living a positive rewarding life tell you to get off the exercise bike.  Well I am speaking metaphorically.  I once heard it said “Worrying is like riding an exercise bike, you get really tired, but you do not get anywhere”.  Working with the public affords me a great opportunity to experience a great cross-section of people.  Do you know what I noticed?  People worry far too much.  I found this stat about what people worry about very interesting.

Of all the things that we do worry about

things that never happen 40%

things over and past that can’t be changed 30%

needless worries about our health 12%

petty miscellaneous worries 10%

real legitimate worries 8% Continue reading “GET OFF THE EXERCISE BIKE!!” →

ARE YOU SUCCESSFUL?

For years I always wondered what the secret to success was.  I read books to learn.  Listened to cds, went to seminars and workshops trying to find this elusive piece of inspiration.  Never quite felt that ‘I had it’.  So I began to listen to friends, co-workers and customers who I felt embodied success.  Strangest thing was, a lot of them said they were unsuccessful and searching for the secret to success as well.  It was quite by accident, or perhaps fate, that this all changed.  I stumbled upon this secret when I asked one of these people whom I considered quite successful what I considered a simple question. What is the definition of success?  He looked at me quizzically and replied “you know I don’t really know”.  The fact was, neither did I.  How on earth was I ever to find the secret of success when I didn’t even have a personal definition of what it meant to me.  Ask yourself, what does success mean to you?  Is it being a caring parent?  A loving spouse perhaps?  obtaining a certain income or place in your business?  Although these are all very worthwhile goals they all have one fatal flaw.  After you reach them, then what?  Are you then successful?  Is the game over?

Allow me to share with you the best definition of success I have ever heard.  It was from Earl Nightingale. Long before the movie ‘The Secret” or law of attraction was so in fashion,  Earl was the first person to ever receive a gold record for spoken word.  The piece was called “the Strangest Secret” I encourage you all to check it out.  In it, Mr Nightingale describes success as this  “The progressive realization of a worthy ideal”.  What does this mean exactly?  Well let us take the goal of being a great parent.  If that is your goal and you are working towards it, then by all accounts you are a success.  Now what if you make a mistake?  Well that is part of the journey as well, we learn from our mistakes.  So you are even more of a success.  Let me get a little more personal.  My goal is to have a daily blog that is viewed across the globe (six countries so far) that brings positivity and a rewarding life to all who read it.  I also am working on a book of the same design.  Now does that mean I will only be a success when my book is printed and my blog is read in every country?  Not hardly.  I have my goal and am working toward it,  so now I consider myself a success.

So today think about your goal.  What is your life’s ambition.  Write it down so you can see it every day.  Keep in your mind’s eye as you go about your day.  Know as soon as you do this you are already a success. Soon paths that you never would have seen shall open up and you will be on your way. If you need a little encouragement or a good solid plan I suggest you check out “The Strangest Secret” available at nightingale.com.  Here’s to all of us being a success!

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.

http://www.hopefulspirit.net

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING HAPPY

Since I started this site I have had a few people tell me, “I like what your doing, but I have no time to be happy. I have to pay the pills and make dinner for my kids. I can’t worry about making myself happy. I have to concentrate on what is important”.  That statement surpises me and yet it doesn’t.  A lot of the influences we hear tell us that to worry about ourselves and our own happiness is selfish.  We are taught to  ‘put others before ourselves’.  So why is being happy so important? Why should we spend so much time worrying about what makes us or others happy?  Well we could look at the scientific facts that have been mentioned in the media so often.  A positive attitude helps us live longer,  boost our immune system, heal from injury quicker.  Even if you have no interest in living a longer healthier life, although I am not sure who wouldn’t, happiness is still more important than most of us realize.  It reduces our stress levels and allows us better to face the challenges that always pop up at the most unexpected times.  How often we regret reacting to a mild irritation in a severe way just because our thoughts were already focused on some other trouble.  It leaves hurt feelings and turns another situation from bad to worse.  If we do our best to keep our thoughts focused on the joy that life offers us and adding more to our lives, then we shall see situations as they are.  For those of you that are familiar with the Law of attraction, which states like attracts like.  It should be apparent why being happy is so important.  If you are happy you attract more happiness into your life, if you are unhappy you will be more likely to be faced with negative situations again and again.

So if we are busy focused on our own happiness, what should we bother worrying about others happiness?  Well, recently that was shown to me in a dramatic and tragic way.  A wonderful co-worker of mine took his own life a few days ago.  When such an event happens we are always left with the same questions “how could I not know?”, and “What could I have done?”.  Truth is, most of the time there is nothing we could have done, and no way we would’ve known.  In this case by all accounts this gentleman was filled with good humor and had a real zest for life.  Which stresses the importance even more.  We never know what is going on in someones world.  So consider that when dealing with the cheery lady at the coffee shop, or the grumpy cashier at the grocery store.  We are never sure when someone may need that genuine compliment, or sign of gratitude from us.  How important can happiness be?  It can be a matter of life and death, for both ourselves and those we care about.

A CUSTOMER…AND SOME CHOCOLATE

I recently received a thank you note from the daughter of a customer who passed away.  The note was thanking me for attending her funeral and for always leaving her little pieces of chocolate.  What really got me thinking was the great lengths she went to explain that it was not so much the treats that made her smile, but the fact that somebody felt she was special.  You see this women was in her mid 80’s and her husband had passed some years before.  My first meeting with this fabulous woman was last October when I started at the post office I currently work at.  It is a small and rural town of only a few hundred people and everyone seems to know, well…everyone.  Here comes a long-haired guy from out-of-town, I thought it would take me forever to win them over.  Well in walks this lady and proceeds to tell me she is the Queen of the town.  She asked if I was the ‘new kid they put out there’ and really just proceeded to give me a hard time in general.  She informed me if I wanted to make it in that town, I better be nice and it wouldn’t hurt if I brought chocolate.  So the following day when she came in I was sure to have both milk and dark chocolates, the kind with the little inspirational messages in the wrapper.  From that day forward she would stop in to make sure I was behaving.  The payment for this service?  You guessed it, a small piece of chocolate.  Before her passing of cancer shortly before Christmas we got to have a little chat at the diner across the street where she confessed she worried she gave me to hard of a time at first.  I assured her, that was the best thing that could’ve happened as it made me feel right at home.  I told her how much I worried about fitting in and what a small town would think of me.  She said something I’ll never forget “Always be yourself, if you’re nice people will be able to see that.  If you’re not nice then they will let you know it”.  She passed away only a few days later.  The lesson I took from this on reflection today was something we may forget.  Always be yourself, you never know when you are just what someone needs.  Also, if someone does make your day just by being themselves, thank them. You never know when you may no longer have a chance.

THE DECISION

Ok, so you have decided to start the journey to a positive and rewarding life.  That’s great, but do you realize how important it is as well?  Let me explain.  I know several people who have hard time making decisions mostly out of fear of making the wrong one.  Not only does this lead to inaction and an inability to move your life forward, but it comes at the cost of one of your greatest assets.  Making a decision actually liberates us from lots of stress and worry as to whether or not we are doing the right thing, or on the right path.  Let us take the decision to bring more joy into our lives.  If we make that choice with clear conviction a great deal of our life becomes clear.  Simple test, take any situation in your life, is it making you happy?  If the answer is no it tells you that situation, as it presently stands, will not work in your life.  If the answer is yes, that is an area of your life you should try to grow.  Not only that, but knowing the ‘end game’ allows us to stay focused when the inevitable challenges show up.  If a ship is knocked of course by a storm,  it does not give up and head back to port.  No, it adjusts its course and continues on.  We must be like a ship when the storms of life come calling.  If we find ourselves without joy, we must adjust our course and set sail as soon as possible.  The further we get off course the longer it takes to get back.  So remember to know your destination, have it firmly fixed in your mind. (writing it down may not be such a bad idea either) If you don’t know where you’re heading, you will never get there.

If you make the decision to live a life with more joy and love, you will be amazed at the power you will have over your life.  When life tries to get you down just repeat to yourself “I am determined to live a life of inner peace and joy” or whatever words strike your fancy. Make the decision, that is the first step. The rest is just figuring out how to make it work.

WAKING UP IN NEUTRAL

What kind of day are you going to have today?  About 90% of people will answer that question with “I don’t know” or some form there of.  After all, how do we know if the alarm will go off at the right time?  How traffic will be on the way to work?  What mood the boss will be in?  Simple answer, we don’t.  Then why, day after day to we give the power over to situations?  To often we let circumstances beyond our control dictate how we will feel about our day and to some extent ourselves.  When you stop and think about it, that really is a foolish idea.  So what to do?  Stop ‘waking up in neutral’!  At night when you go to sleep say to yourself, or even better out loud “Tomorrow will be a great day” if anyone asks you why, be honest.  Say “I don’t know, it just will”. Then when you wake up repeat that statement.  Repeat it as often as you can throughout the day, but especially early in the day.  You make the decision how your day is going to go.  Don’t leave it up to others, especially those who may not know or even care how your day goes.  It may surprise you how effective this will be.  Like anything else it may take a while to get used to, but stick with it.  Take back control of your life! Then when the inevitable challenges do arise, you will know that even though the situation may not be exactly to your liking it will still be a good day.  This often separates the happy from the unhappy.  Don’t believe me?  I’ll leave you with this quote from a former first lady.

“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances”

-Martha Washington

So let’s get out there and make it an amazing day!

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.