You have the power

It is so easy to make someone happy.  It can be a simple thing like a smile or words of encouragement.  If you go to a store today, say something nice to the cashier to let them know you appreciate them.  Smile at people you see and say hello or have a nice day.  These are things that cost us nothing but can really make a big impact on the person who receives them.

You have incredible power in your words and actions, use that power to improve the world one person at a time.

A little kindness at the perfect time may change someone's life dramatically.  So remember that those who do not seem to "deserve" our kindness actually need it the most!!  All our actions have a ripple effect, let's make it positive.

Begin Each Day With A Grateful Heart

 It really is that simple!  If we start each day with a grateful heart and focus on all that we have to be grateful for, the day will be much better.    It is easy to wake up and think about all the things we "have" to do and all the "problems" we need to fix in our lives but that puts us in problem mode rather than solution mode.

For the next week, wake up and immediately focus on gratitude.  Be thankful that you woke up.  Be thankful for the fact you have somewhere to sleep.  Be thankful for friends and family.  Be thankful for the clothes you have. Be thankful for an indoor bathroom with running water.  Be thankful for the ability to think. Be thankful food you have to eat.  There is so much to be grateful for and we often take it for granted because we are focused on the things we want and don't have.  It's easy to switch the focus.  Try it for a week and let me know what changes you see in your life.  We always get more of what we focus on!!  Let's make it something we actually want :)

Have a magical, grateful day!!

Your presence is a gift to the world!!

Sometimes we thing we have to accomplish certain things before being worthy or respectable.  The truth is that your presence is your gift tot he world.  Remember that every day and allow your true self to shine.

Something Wonderful is about to Happen!!

Too often we worry about what could go wrong.  Today I challenge you to think about all the things that could go right.  Let your imagination go wild.  Have fun.  Imagine outrageously wonderful things happening in your life.  Expect them!  Don't be disappointed if you don't see it immediately.  Know that it is on it's way.  Let me know how this goes and what good things popped up in your experience today!!  Keep it up for a month and see the results.  Wonderful things are on their way to you right now!

Be Happy - That's What Life is All About

I absolutely love this John Lennon quote.  It is so true.  Today, as you go through your day, remember that life is meant to be enjoyed.  Are you enjoying your life?  Are you making choices that make you feel happy?  What can you do differently today to feel good, really good?

I know I am often guilty of looking and planning and getting to my next "achievement" that I forget to enjoy the process.

The perfect example is that I'm doing my first half marathon on Sunday.  Some wise and wonderful friends reminded me to just enjoy the run.  Look around and enjoy the beautiful scenery.  I'll get the finish line but it's more important that I enjoy the process than that I worry about getting it done.  My training has very much focused on getting to x miles during the run.  That's not fun!  If I keep that up, I definitely will not keep up running because it needs to be enjoyable.  In this case, it's especially true for me since I'm not trying to win.  I'm not even trying to be in the top half of of the people who complete it!!  My goal is to complete it so why not slow down and enjoy the process.

When we live life only focusing on the end result, we miss years of fun and enjoyment and happiness!!  That's not the way it needs to be.  It's not the way I want to live my life anymore!!  How about you?  What are you going to do?  You can still set high achievement goals and reach them but please remember to enjoy the process.  Enjoy life.  That's what it's all about!!

Spread Love

"Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." ~ Mother Teresa

I found one of the best ways to have people feel happier after interacting with me is by letting them know how important they are. The way I like to do that is to ask them questions about them.  Give them the opportunity to talk about what is important to them and really listen.  Don't listen with the intention of commenting or responding but listen with the intention of letting them know they are heard.

We are all important and we are all so busy that sometimes we don't spend the time truly connecting to people and seeing what is going on in their life.  Sometimes we leave interactions feeling "unimportant." Genuine interest and concern and listening, along with a glowing smile, will do so much good for the person receiving those gifts.  (The giver benefits, too, since it is in giving that we receive.)

Today, take an extra few minutes to really listen to the people in your life.  Listen closely to your kids, your partner, your neighbor, and the clerk at the store.  We are all people.  We all have ups and downs.  We all have emotions and hopes and dreams.  We are all connected. Feel that connection and let others know you feel it and they will always walk away happier having connected with another human being.

Would You Rather Be Right or Happy?

A Course in Miracles asks, "Would you rather be right or happy?"  It's really amazing how many people choose right over happy and then wonder why they aren't happy.

Sometimes you are right but you insist everyone else knows you are right rather than being happy and just knowing it yourself.  I see this all the time in work situations but my favorite example is from when my kids were young. They would decide to have a race, and the one who came in second would say that he won. The one who knew he came in first would get so upset and angry because he knew he won and yet his brother insisted that he won. I remember saying, "Did you come in first? Do you know the came in first? Does that mean you won?" Of course the answer would be, "Yes, I won!" Then my response would be, "Then what difference does it make what he says? Why are you getting so upset?"

Too often we search outside of ourselves for recognition rather than just knowing what we know and being happy. Nobody else needs to know what our accomplishments are all the time, we need to just be happy in our own knowing. Of course that does mean we need to recognize and acknowledge ourselves.

The other thing that happens when you insist that you are right (even if you are) is that the other person often becomes defensive and uncooperative.  Hard feelings often emerge. Most times, it doesn't really matter.  There is no need to correct people when they make a mistake, it only makes them feel bad.  (I do recognize there are times when you do need to correct someone if safety is an issue or because you are training them but those happen less often.)

Today, look for the opportunity to choose to be happy!

More smiles

"I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish." ~ Mother Teresa

I know I just wrote about the importance of smiling but I wanted to post again about it.  Smiling has such an amazingly positive impact of others.  It really has the power to change the direction of someone's day and even their life.  It costs nothing.  It has a physical impact of the person smiling, too.  

Who took me up on the challenge to smile at everyone you met the other day?  Who will do it now?  Also, for the ultimate affect, try your most genuine smile.  For everyone you meet, imagine they are you long lost favorite relative or friend.  Imagine that seeing them is the most amazing thing ever.  You can even say, "Hi, it's good to see you!"  Trust me you'll make a difference.

I remember when I was working in Boston and I'd walk down the sidewalk with a big smile on my face and make eye contact with people and acknowledge them as I walked by.  It felt strange when I started doing it and I know a lot of people wondered if I was mentally unstable but... I also know that it made many, many other people smile, too.   I could feel how their smile helped melt some of the stress they were feeling.  That might be even more so for the people who thought I was crazy :-)  The fact is, I felt great, too.  So many people who I saw regularly began to respond as if we were long lost friends.  They knew that they were special and that they made a connection.  That's what we all want and need - connection with others.  So go ahead and make sure you smile at everyone you see today.

Please let me know how it goes!! 

You can make easily make a big difference in this world - all you need to do is smile.

Enjoy Life

Don't be so intent on achieving your goals that you forget to enjoy life!  Goals are super important but too often people move through life trying to make more money and get more "stuff" but they forget to enjoy life.

Every day is a gift and no matter what you have or where you are, you CAN be happy.  Focus on what you do have and you will get more plus you'll be much happier in the process!!

Look around and see the beauty that exists.  Slow down and take a deep breath.  You are alive and you have the power to create your life the way you want it every day.  Be present.  Enjoy!

Let me know what steps you take today to stop and smell the roses!!

Smile

Remember to smile.  Smiling releases chemicals in your brain that actually improve your mood.  In addition to that, smiling at others makes them happy and they tend to smile back which also improves your mood.  The ripple effect of one smile can make a world of difference.

So today, make an effort to smile at everyone you see.  Let me know how you feel and how your day goes!

Forgiveness: The Other F-word

The funny thing about forgiveness is that we often think it's about the other person or situation. Sometimes we also don't want to do it because we know we are right and they are wrong!  The fact is, that's irrelevant to forgiving.  Right and wrong don't come into play with forgiveness. As Louise Hay says, "Forgiveness opens our hearts to self-love."  It in turn opens us up to joy and success.  

Forgiveness doesn't mean the other person was right or justified or that their behavior is acceptable and should be condoned.  Forgiveness is about letting go of the anger and the resentment which live inside you.  It's like the old saying that resentment is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die.  It doesn't work that way - you are the one affected and resentment and unforgiveness eat away at you every day whether you realize it or not.  They take away your joy and your life.  

The past is over and it only exists now in our minds.  Yet we let it keep tormenting us on a daily basis.  It's time to let go.  It's time to forgive everyone who has done anything to hurt you.  You can start by just affirming, "I am willing to forgive _________."  It also sometimes helps to remember that no one hurts another person if they aren't hurting inside.  While that doesn't make it right, perhaps we can have understanding and compassion.  

It's also important to forgive ourselves. Sometimes we feel bad because we yelled at someone or we didn't do something we said we were going to do.  It happens, it's part of being human.  We need to let it go.  We need to forgive ourselves and love ourselves unconditionally. When possible, it's great to apologize if we feel bad about something or to make it up to someone if we can.  But either way, you must forgive yourself.  When we feel bad about anything, we are more likely to do things that make us feel bad again.  

Your assignment today is to think of someone who you need to forgive and start the process.  Remember, this is about you, not them.  They don't necessarily even need to know you are forgiving them.  If the situation is such that you want to tell them and that will help you and not cause any issues then by all means you can.  The most important part of the exercise is to forgive.  Feel what you need to feel about person and the situation and then let it go.  It's important that we acknowledge our feelings.  Allow them because they are important but then release them so you can move on and live freely.

As always, I welcome your feedback and would love to hear about your successes and challenges with forgiveness.  It is a wonderful teacher if we are open to its lessons!

Happiness

"There can be no happiness where there is fear, apprehension, or dread." ~ Florence Scovel Shinn

It seems like an obvious statement but how can we expect to be happy when we are afraid of the future or afraid to go after what we really want?  Where does all this fear come from?  It comes from past conditioning but the past has no power over us unless we give it power.  The only power we have is in the present moment.  We can't change the past, the future hasn't arrived yet, so the only time we have is right now!!  Let's drop the fear, apprehension, and dread and allow faith and happiness to take over.  We'll feel so much better and we'll actually take more focused action on our goals when we are in that state of happiness.

Join me today and allow happiness to take over :)  It is a choice and it is an inside job which means our happiness in independent of our circumstances and those around us.  We can choose happiness now.  Who's with me??

Follow Your Dreams

Are you living a life you love?  

Are you passionately pursuing your dreams?  

Have you given up on your dreams?  

If your life isn't everything you want it to be, now is the time to turn it around!!
Don't wait another minute.  Write down your dreams - visualize them as if they have already come true and start taking steps in that direction!!  You deserve to have a life that makes your heart sing!!  You deserve to be happy!!  Follow your dreams and know that you can do anything you put your mind to.  You don't have to know how it will happen.  You just have to be open to the possibility of it and it will begin to fall into place.  Make sure you are clear about what you want and expect it.  You will find the right steps to take.  You will reach your goal and the sooner start, the sooner you'll get there!!

Please let me know what your dream is and what steps you will take today to move in that direction!!

The Time Is Now

I did it!!  I completed my first timed 10K today!!  I did a 10K today in 1:28:39 :)  I know to avid runners that may not be a super fast time but I am very excited.  I completed it. I wouldn't get swept at Disney :)  and that's really what is most important to me. 

One of the things I think about is how important it is to be happy with our own progress and where we are right now.  We can't start somewhere that we aren't :)  I know I'm not alone in thinking that it would be so much easier to run if I weighed less and in the past that has prevented me from starting.  How silly is that?  how human is that?  We all do it in certain circumstances.  We compare ourselves to others and how well they do something but you know what - they didn't start there.  And we have to start where we are.  If I'm in Boston and want to go to LA, I can't start in Phoenix.  I need to start where I am.  The same goes for any of our goals.  It doesn't matter where we are, we can get to our destination if we accept where we are and take action to get where we want to go.  

If walking is all you can do - do it!!  You don't need to be able to run. If you want to run, you'll get there.  If you choose to keep walking, that's fine, too.  There is no need to compare to others - we never come out exactly equal because no two people are exactly alike with all the same experiences and reactions.  It's just the way it is!!

So if you don't have a regular exercise routine, will you get out there today and start moving? Remember to listen to your body and do what you can do.  Tomorrow you'll be able to do a little more and the next day, even more than that.  

Please let me know how it goes.  Smile, be happy, and focus on all you have and have accomplished and more will come!!  Patience :)

Believe In Yourself

How often do we look for the answers to life's challenges outside of ourselves?  I believe that is one of the reasons that I read so many self-help books - to find the answers I've been looking for.  But the truth is all the answers we need are inside us.  We have them, we just need to quiet our minds and listen.  I remember the first time you could ask God, Source, the Universe for help or answers through prayers but to hear the answers you must meditate or quiet your mind.  It makes so much sense.

What is all comes down to is believing in ourselves and our power.  We all have it.  The only difference is that some of us accept it and allow it and others of us don't believe enough in ourselves to even try to truly listen for the answers.  I challenge each one of us to allow our power to shine through.  Our power is our light and it is a good thing.  People who use "power" to control or hurt others are not really using their power - that's a lack of self-esteem and true self-confidence.  We don't need to be afraid of our power, we need to own it and allow it to flow freely through us every day.  It will inevitably benefit us and everyone around us.  Believe in yourself.  I do.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  You are an amazing person who can have the life you dream of and you can make a positive difference in the world every day!!  

Make today amazing!!  Believe in yourself.  Go share your light and your power with the world and see how things begin to change for the better every day!!

Running In The Rain

Okay, today I really felt like I was starting my training. When I left the house to start my run it was only 29°

and there was some snow and slush on the ground.  But I did it. I got out there and I just started running. I know part of it is because I want to support my son in his goal to have 5000 miles logged into Saucony's Run4Good app during the month of December 2013. It's for a wonderful cause and I'm very excited to meet that goal, although I can't do it just myself. But in addition to that am very excited to really start to take care of myself and to lose the extra weight and to train for the marathon that I'm planning to run in 2015. I'm still feeling very excited and motivated from my friend Mayra's book which will be available on Amazon on December 12, 2013. I'm also excited by the challenge that I signed up for to run 14 races in the year 2014. And I'm excited to put to use all the information I've gained through all my certificate programs but haven't applied. Now is the time! I'm going to include all of you on my journey. For the first time in my life I'm going to acknowledge out loud that I don't always practice what I teach.  I'm going to acknowledge that I'm obese. It's kind of a funny thing, because it's not as if people can't notice that but I never wanted to admit it. Granted I think I also have so many kind friends who tell me I don't look 80 pounds overweight.  Perhaps they are just thinking I only look 75 pounds overweight ;). Actually I am fortunate to have the extra weight evenly distributed so I have been able to deny the problem all these years!  But now is the time to recognize it and change it.  I also hope to help others who struggle with their weight.  For those who need to learn about basic nutrition and lifestyle choices, I've got that down.  I'm also got the emotional "reasons" down to help recognize those and most importantly I'm learning to release everything that holds me back and help others do the same!  We are all in this together and I love you!  Please let me know how I can support you in your journey.

Simple Steps To Overcome Holiday Challenges

I have always found it so ironic that the times of the year that "should be" the happiest often bring the most stress.  The fact is the holidays can be very stressful for many of us. Because of the additional stress and also the abundance of delicious (yet unhealthy) food, people tend to overeat. There are lots of ways to ensure this doesn't happen.

1.Meditate.
It's important for us to ground ourselves to be in the right state of mind before we are in stressful situations. I recommend meditating every day of the year but especially around holidays. Being stressed out often tends to have us overeat or make poor food choices.

2. Get plenty of sleep.
We need eight hours of sleep a night. When we don't get enough sleep, it negatively affects our mood, our metabolism, our memory, our energy, and our immune system.  It is common for us to eat in order to try to get more energy. When we do that, we often overeat or make poor food choices. (Do you see a trend starting here?)

3. Get plenty of exercise.
Exercise is important because of the obvious fact that we just need to move our bodies. It also helps us to eat less and make better food choices because we know how hard we worked to burn some calories :-) Exercise is also a great stress reliever as long as it's done at a cardiovascular rate. If you're exercising too hard, it is sometimes counterproductive and produces cortisol, the stress hormone, and that leads to holding weight on and feeling stressed.

4. Bring a healthy dish to parties.
This guarantees that you will have something delicious to eat and it helps other people have a healthy choices well.

5. Remember to be grateful.
When we are feeling stressed, it is easy to lose sight (or at least not focus on) all the things we have to be grateful for.  (Ironic at Thanksgiving but totally part of human nature.)

6. Be gentle with yourself.
Why are we so hard on ourselves? Remember that you always do the best you can in every situation. That doesn't mean that you can't do better next time. That also doesn't mean that you wouldn't do something different if you could do it again. But at that moment, you did the best you can could. We are all changing and we're all growing and improving AND we need to love ourselves exactly as we are!! :-)

Enjoy the holidays because you deserve the best!! Do what makes you happy!!

Are You Using Meditation To Be Healthy, Whole, and Happy?

Research has shown that meditation has many benefits.  In one eight-week meditation program, the study participants showed improved mood as well as decreased anxiety, tension, and fatigue.  Researchers also used brain scans which revealed improvements in blood flow in areas of the brain that control memory, implying that meditation can improve memory and prevent memory loss. Meditation has been shown to

create new neural circuits in our brain which allows us to use more of our brain.

Meditation also decreases blood pressure, pulse rate, the stress hormone, cortisol, and inflammatory substances.  It's also linked to a decrease in diabetes and heart disease!  If that's not enough, there is evidence that it decreases and sometimes eliminates chronic pain.  Yes, people who have been in pain for years without any relief may find it with meditation.

It has also been linked to greater success and life satisfaction!  What are you waiting for?

There are many different types of meditation and all seem to be beneficial.  My suggestion is to find the one, or ones, that work best for you and integrate them into your daily routine.  If you have never meditated before, have fun and experiment with different types.  Personally, when I am feeling most stressed and unable to easily quiet my mind I like guided imagery meditations.  They can lead anywhere you need to go!!

Don't forget that yoga and tai chi are forms of meditation, too.  Walking can be a form of meditation, too, if you really bring yourself into the present moment and focus on the now.  If you find your mind wandering just bring it back to your breathing or the feeling and rhythm of your feet on the ground.  Enjoy the surroundings and relax.  Listen to your breathing.

Looking at the pictures I picked, I just want to also state that meditation can be done anywhere and in any position.  You may enjoy being outside at sunrise or sunset but you can close your office door and sit at your desk and meditate mid-day if you want,  You can meditate while laying in bed.  Whatever works for you!

As always, please be gentle with yourself.  If your mind reverts to stressful thoughts, thank them for trying to help you and release them.  We are trained to think of the future and dwell in the past, a meditation practice will help bring those thoughts into the present.  It is a practice that we need to do regularly to change old thought patterns.  I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Have fun and be heathy, whole, and happy!

What Does Healthy Mean To You?

I love reading people's definitions of "healthy".  There is no right or wrong answer but I personally think sometimes people are settling for less than they deserve. When I think of being healthy, it goes way beyond just physical health. Being healthy incorporates our relationships, our attitude, our mental health, our self-love, our spiritual life, and our activities.

Often we get caught up in our long to-do list and don't take time to think about what is important to us. When I am in that state, I don't even think about taking good care of myself.  It's easy to stop and pick up fast food for me and my family and move on to the next activity.  I've come to realize that I need to plan for that frenzied feeling and determine the best option for feeding myself and my family.  I also need to slow down.  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  When we are not enjoying it, we aren't at optimal health.

So today, take a deep breath and just be in the moment.  Do this several times throughout the day.  It might only take 10 seconds each time.  We owe it to ourselves to at least start there.