Find your joy today

Sometimes we get so caught up in thinking about and planning for what we want (and don't have yet) that we forget to focus on how good our lives are right now.  This focus on what we don't have sometimes can deplete our joy.  So right now, I want you to make a list of the good things in your life.  Don't forget the simple things we take for granted - a roof over our head, clothes to wear, shoes for our feet, a bed to sleep in, heat in the colder months, indoor plumbing, laundry machines, food to eat, loved ones, and simply being alive!   Go on from there and spend 5 minutes reviewing the list every day and feel gratitude for what is going well in your life.  This will definitely increase your level of joy.

That doesn't mean you need to stop working on your goals and other things you would like, it means enjoy life while you do it.  The funny thing is, the more we are grateful and enjoy what we have, the easier life becomes.  We reach our goals faster and enjoy the process more.

Have a blessed, magical day!!  Please comment below on how good things really are for you and how you feel after creating your list!

Peace

Sometimes we just try too hard.  We forget that we are truly perfect the way we are.  Not perfect in the way most people think of it - but perfect in the true sense.  We will change and we will grow but we are exactly where and who we are supposed to be.  So take a deep breath and just relax.  Just Be!!

Enjoy

Make the most of everyday

Expect miracles

For some of us, it's that time of year when we think about miracles.  I've been thinking about how amazing life is, and how everything is truly a miracle.  I'm ready to spend more time expecting miracles.  Remembering that life is out to support me in my endeavors.  How about you???

Just for today, expect great things to happen for you.  See the beauty in nature.  See the beauty in other people.  See the beauty in yourself.  You are amazing!  You are pure love at your core and you deserve the best.  You deserve miracles and today is the day to allow those miracles to appear in your life!!

Let me know all the great things that do happen!!

Laugh - it's good for you!

Oh my... it's been forever since I've been out here.  I've been doing some amazing inner work and I'm learning new skills to help others with.  But today, I want to remind everyone to laugh.

Laughing is important on so many levels.  It is great for you physically.  It can offer a great workout if you laugh long enough.  It is great for the stomach muscles.  It helps to move stale air out of your lungs and bring in new air which is essential for physical well-being and healing!!

And not to be ignored... it feels great!!  It is good for the soul.  Allow yourself a good laugh.  In fact, go out of your way to make yourself laugh.  Laugh for no reason.  Feel silly - that's good.  You are adding cheer to your life and the whole world with your laughter and silliness!!  Enjoy!

Allow yourself to shine

It's kind of funny when you think about the fact that we stop ourselves from doing what we love to do because we're afraid of making a mistake. If we just have fun and be creative, there really are no mistakes. Sometimes we won't like the outcome but all we have to do is try again. Today I challenge you to go out and be creative do something that you love to do and have fun!

Today is a new day

It's easy to get caught up in the same ol', same ol' every day BUT each day is a brand new beginning.  It's a chance to start all over and pursue all your dreams!  It's a chance to choose happiness.  It's a chance to look for the good in your life.  It's a chance to begin a gratitude journal and focus on all the things you have now, are experiencing now, or have ever had that made you happy.  Life is made up of all our experiences and we are programmed to look at the one's that aren't working to try to fix them.  However, the reality is that if we focus on what isn't working, we get more of the same.  If we focus on what is working, we get more things that are working as well as fresh ideas and ways to fix what isn't!!

Today is a new day!!  Make the most of it.  Treat people with love and kindness and you'll see it come right back at you!!  Practice compassion and know that if you see someone being less than nice, it's only because they are hurting inside.  Silently send them love and you will actually make a difference even if you don't see it.  Remember that all people have feelings and emotions and just want love and kindness in their lives.  We are all same at the core even though our experiences have us act and think differently.  But deep down, we are the same.

Today is a new day!!  Be kind to yourself.  Watch your internal dialogue and turn it around whenever it is not loving and supportive!! Remember to laugh and allow joy to flow freely in your thoughts and your life.

Today is a new day!  It's time to realize that we can achieve all our goals and they actually manifest more quickly when we also remember to be of service to others.  Helping someone who needs it benefits us as much as it benefits them.

Today is a new day!!  It's time to allow our dreams to come true!!

Namaste!!

What's Life About?

Sometimes we get so caught up in achieving more and more that we lose sight of what's really important.  Life is a journey.  Take time today to stop and smell the roses.  Enjoy your life!!

Remember that your life is made of all the little things that happen every day.  It's not only about the achievements.  Just don't let it pass you by!!  Enjoy every moment along the way.

Take a break today and just enjoy the moment.

Let me know how it goes and what you took the time to enjoy today!!

Never give up on your dreams!!

Love

Today I ask you to just take 5 minutes and think about how you can show love to yourself and others.  What random acts of kindness can you do?  How can you show compassion and understanding to others? How can you use what you are passionate about to be of service to others?

Think about it and take action.  Do something, even if it is small, and let me know how it made you feel?

Patience - yep, again!

I know I talk about the importance of patience a lot but it's what I need to work on and I know I'm not alone.  So often we get discouraged if things don't go exactly the way we want when we want.  Let's put a stop to that today :)

If you have a goal, it may take time to achieve that.  As you may know, I have recently taken up running.  Okay, some people would call what I do wogging.  A combination of walking and jogging but I will get better every time I get out there as long as I'm consistent and keep at it. It's easy to get discouraged and say, I can't do a marathon that will take me forever and I don't have the patience to walk it - and perhaps not the muscle strength (however, walking is a lot easier than running!)  I am basing that on my present physical condition.  But guess what, I can change that IF I have patience!!  

The same goes for any goal - weight loss is a great example, too.  Often people look at a 1 pound weight loss as nothing when they have 80 more pounds to lose but the fact is, it's a step in the right direction and with every step - no matter how small - you are getting closer to your goals!!

So my goals for today are to really ask myself what I can do for me today to bring me joy and get me closer to my goals and then listen!  Often we ask the question but when we don't have an immediate answer, we stop listening!

Take time today to be patient with yourself and take note of any progress you have made toward your goals.  It doesn't matter how small.  Write it down and celebrate yourself.  Take another action step in the right direction and applaud your courage and determination.

Enjoy your day.  Be patient and trust that all is well and you can do anything!!

Make it fun

How often do you "not feel like" exercise?  Do you ever not feel like having fun?  Most likely not - or rarely when you are very tired and really should sleep.  But when we think we have to "workout", notice the word work in there.  I think we should rename it "funout" :) It's time to get moving in a fun way.  If you aren't moving think of ways to make it fun.  Here are some ideas and I'd love to get others:

1. Go for a walk with a friend or friends.
2. Go for a walk by yourself in nature.
3. Go swimming - join a Y or someplace with an indoor pool during the winter.
4. Go for a hike.
5. Go on an active vacation.
6. Chase your kids around.
7. Go to a laughter yoga class - all you do is laugh!!  It doesn't get any better than that.
8. Go skiing or skating.
9. Play frisbee.
10. Get some fun active games for the Wii or XBox Kinect.  (I often laugh in addition to the movement!)
11. Go for a walk with your dog.

I welcome your suggestions as well - but remember, it doesn't have to be work to be a workout.  Make it fun so you'll want to do it every day or at least several days per week!!

And give yourself credit for all your movements - don't think it doesn't count because you enjoyed it!!  It absolutely does count and that's really one of the points!!  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  Please share your experiences with me.

10 Easy Ideas for Relaxation

When was the last time you really relaxed?  Is your mind constantly busy?  Do you ever just take time to relax and do nothing?  I don't mean do mindless activity like watch TV or sit on Facebook!  Those are not mind quieting and often, believe it or not, add to stress.  Not always and that depends on you but sometimes. Here are some ideas for relieving stress and opening yourself up to more creativity.

1. Meditate - just do it.  Guided relaxation, quieting your mind, mindfulness, following your breath, mantra.  If you don't know a lot about mediation, I'll do another blog on that.  In the meantime - you can just go to YouTube.  You'll find lots.  You don't have to even do this for a long time.  You can do a couple of minutes several times a day.  It really works!!

2. Exercise - get moving but not too hard.  If you are doing anaerobic exercise (where you can't carry on a conversation), you are actually adding to your stress level because it releases cortisol, the stress hormone.

3. Yoga.  Yes, this is exercise but I give it a category of it's own when it comes to stress relief because it is so effective.

4. Laugh - laughing is amazing for your body.  It helps reduce stress and heal on all levels.

5. Connect more.  This is really best done in person and really connecting.  Connecting on the computer really keeps us isolated since we are often alone there. Allow yourself to be with people and really be vulnerable and be a true friend.  Release judgement and connect. Every one of us is alike in many ways.  We all need love and we all have feelings and emotions.

6. Hug more.  We all need physical contact to thrive.  Hugging has so many benefits and it doesn't cost a thing! Shoot for 12 hugs minimum each day.

7. Forgive.  Forgive others and yourself.  You have to let go of anything that may have hurt you so that you can move on and that means forgiving others and yourself.  Forgiving is not condoning and is instrumental to your health.  If it seems like a stretch, start with the affirmation, "I am willing to begin to forgive."

8. Music - listen to music that makes you feel good.

9. Smile.  Smiling alone (even if you don't feel like it) releases chemicals in the brain that combat the stress hormones.  Often when a smile is returned, it makes us feel even better and further reduces our stress levels.

10. Take a relaxing bath.  Not a shower but a bath.  Allow the warm water to relax all your muscles.  Maybe turn off the lights and light some candles.  This goes perfectly with listening to relaxing music or a guided meditation.  Add some lavender and Epsom salt to make it a detox bath.  Enjoy.


If you do something special for yourself everyday, you'll notice the difference.  Let me know how it goes!!

Dream Big

What would you do if you knew that you couldn't fail?  What do you really dream of having, being, or doing?  Not just what you think is doable or attainable but what do you really want - what is your big dream?  Do you have a big dream?

Today, I want to suggest that we all create a vision of what our ideal life would look like.  What do you really want and why?  This is not something you need to share, especially in the beginning if it seems too big.  But eventually you absolutely want to share your BIG dreams with someone and anyone who may be able to help you attain it and who will be supportive.

Don't let anyone tell you that your dream is not attainable because we can really do anything if we believe in ourselves, we take steps in the right direction, and we keep at it until we get there.  It's important to listen to feedback along the way to make sure you are headed in the right direction and it's important to re-evaluate from time to time to make sure your goals and dreams haven't changed.  By that I do NOT mean give up on them but sometimes our passions shift and what was once important to us is no longer very important.  Spend your energy pursuing the big dreams that really make you happy and your life will be spend in joy!!

Patience

So today is a "rest" day on the schedule.  My plan was to just walk.  Here's what came up for me today... I want to put in lots of miles for "Team Dylan" and, physically, I can walk forever (well, a long distance!) but... I find that I'm not patient when it comes to walking for many miles.  (I was thinking of putting in 7-8 miles today.) I just want to hurry up and finish because I have so many other things to do.  I haven't started my Christmas shopping. I need to work on my books and develop a marketing plan.  I need to complete the three certificates I am working toward.  I want to offer some classes and need to plan those.  The list goes on and on... So at first I was thinking that I just really need to work on walking faster so that I can finish quickly but then it occurred to me that the real issue is learning to be patient.  Learning to slow down and just enjoy the journey.  Learning to focus on one thing at a time.  Learning to be kind and gentle with myself. Does any of that sound like you?

In today's society, we are all "stressed out" and trying to do 20 things at once while thinking about our endless to-do list.  The thing that we lose sight of, is that we will always have things to do. Once we complete what we already had on our list then something else will come up to take its place. That's what life is all about. We need to learn to enjoy it and not try and finish our to do list because what's left when we have nothing to do? Really, do you want to have absolutely nothing to do?  Personally, I want to be around for a long time and have a lot to keep me busy.  We also have to remember that we choose our to-do list!!  It may not always seem like it when we have work to do to pay the bills but, we do have a choice.  Always.  We choose what jobs we take.  We choose how much money we need to make to support our choice of a lifestyle.  We choose whether or not to have children and then how we want to raise them and what we want to do with them.  No one else makes those choices for us - they may influence us but it's our choice to let them.  So I think, I really need to learn to be patient and just enjoy what I'm choosing to do.

The holidays are often extremely difficult and stressful for people and sometimes that is because they feel "obligated" to do things that they don't really want to do.  I have grown to have tons of respect for everyone who has learned to fill "obligations" in a way that still honors their own needs.  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  I am a huge proponent for being kind to others and being of service to others but I have come to realize that when we don't honor ourselves, the gesture is empty and we really are doing a disservice to everyone.  That was really hard for me to recognize since I've always been one to put others' needs before my own.  Many moms do that but I started when I was about 2!!  Literally.  When I was 5 my nickname at home was "Grandma" because I was trying to take of everyone else.  That's not a bad thing but I lost sight of my own needs and that is what causes a lot of stress.

Anyway, back to the importance of patience.  Many people who have weight to lose also give up based on a lack of patience.  I know I just want to be my desired weight but guess what, it took 40 years to get to this weight and it's not going to go away overnight! We need to enjoy the journey. We need to have fun. We need to accept what is. In short, we need to have patience. And with that,  I'm going to walk for 8 miles and let it take however long it takes.