Fill your mind with positive thoughts...

and be grateful for all the small blessings we take for granted every day! We so forget to appreciate all that is given to us without asking!

To walk, to talk, to have food on the table, to love, to be able to love, to breathe
freely and enhance your life in doing so, even to be able to use an indoor toilet!

Sounds silly, but take away the "small" blessings and our lives would echo with so
much less joy than we have now.

And remember.....DWELL on positive things. Pay attention to anything that will feed your mind with WHO you want to be, and WHAT you want out of this life. Drop the negative and push away nasty garbage that is fed to us daily.

The following is just a small blurb from an email I received this morning. I think it is worth posting:

"Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life, for better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched - they must be felt with the heart ~ Helen Keller
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God."

CREATE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Sometimes being still is the best to manage it all

To the right of this brief post is a blue sky and cloud for you. I was going to the market after a rain and the sky was so blue and the cloud so white - I felt like I
needed to snap it......it might never happen again! ENJOY!

Money that isn't there

When you are stretching to meet the demands financially, when you have unexpected expense, when you just can't figure out what you are going to do.......

Take a breath! Say a prayer. Take another breath.

You know, you can only do the best that you can. Circumstances change momentarily.
One moment I had a bit of money coming in....the next, I broke my tooth ($750.00),
have to pay a prepayment penalty ($2,800.00), have to pay back money ($400.00) the
state overpaid my hubby on unemployment last winter.....and so forth and so on!

That is lots of money for unexpected expense (THIS WEEK!). So you know what I did when I found out?

I took a breath! Said a prayer, maybe it was 20 prayers. Took another breath and thought, "Doing the best we can. It will all work out somehow. Not going to let money destroy our lives. Won't do it!"

I feel better. Truly. Try the techniques. PRACTICE them as we are creatures of habit and will get into the habit of thinking in positive terms.

Have a wonderful weekend no matter what! Love on somebody. Enjoy your life!
Your health will be better for it, your family will, and you will feel better about it all. HONEST.

Urgent for all parents!

www.ToyRecall.biz is just one site to check. Mattel is recalling millions of toys that are potentially deadly for the little ones. You've probably heard, but just in case,
please check this out for the safety of your children!

Wasn't going to post, but our children are so helpless and dependent on our decisions...protect them, and God bless them!

Whatever you are doing right now............

TAKE A 60 SECOND BREAK TO REFRESH AND REGENERATE!
Sit back from the desk. Take a deep breath inhaling though the nose, and exhaling through the mouth. Do it again and think: "Whatever my challenge, I will approach it refreshed in one minute, knowing I will do the best I can."

Take another breath. This time as you exhale, visualize all the negative thoughts you may harbor, and all the past anger or disapointment you may feel - flying out your fingertips into oblivion.

Now stretch your arms up overhead, clasping your hands together, as you lean back in your chair slightly. Put your hands behind your head and gently lift the head elongating, the neck and holding the weight of your head in your hands. Release.

Wiggle your toes and fingers and take another breath! Point your toes away from you. Press the heels away from you. Do this several times.

Roll your wrists one direction, then the opposite direction. Now blink your eyes several times.

If you NEED to use the restroom DON'T HOLD IT AND WAIT! THAT IS TERRIBLE FOR YOUR BODY. GO NOW.

Other wise, one more mindful breath and smile (No particular reason - it just feels good.) You could do this maybe once an hour. That's only 8 times in 8 hours....only 8 minutes. You are worth it and you will be better for it!

I won't be posting for a couple of days, so in the meantime - ENJOY your work, enjoy your play, and PLEASE enjoy each moment of every day. Time is accelerating - make it precious time!

Truth that does not waiver

“The relation that exists between the mind and body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death....

Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul.”

Ellen G. White
1827-1915

Tale of Two Wolves

The first exercise I teach, regardless if I am teaching high intensity aerobics, low-key exercise, relaxation, or even dance....is to EXERCISE THE MIND. These two short tales go hand
in hand with using our brains and finding magic can happen to each of us, if we just EXERCISE our powers and believe! CREATE a wonderful weekend! I care:) Thank you for sharing my sweet spiritual friend and sister - Lynn.


-Native American-

A grandfather was telling his grandson, "There is a conflict
inside of me and in every one of us. Two wolves live within me.

One wolf is jealous, angry, covetous, rude, disrespectful,
lazy, unkind, resentful. The other wolf is kind, loving,
grateful, compassionate, happy, helpful. They are battling
within each of us"

The grandson asks, "Which one will win?"
The grandfather thoughtfully answers, "The one you feed."
**************************************************************
Tale of unknown origin

A man who had been traveling a long way approaches the
gate to a small village. Sitting outside the gate is an
old, wrinkled woman.The man asks the woman "What kind of
people will I find here in this village?"

The woman answers "What kind of people did you find in
the last village you were in?" The man said, "They were
terrible people. Greedy, obnoxious, hateful, rude,
Thieves all of them. It was awful." "You will find the same
sort of people here then" she answered. And the man hung his
head, turned around and walked away.

Later that day another man who had also been traveling a
long way approaches the same gate to the same village
and sees the same old woman sitting outside the
gate. He asks, "What kind of people will I find in this
village?"

The woman in turns asks, "What kind of people did you
find in the last village you lived?" He said "They were
wonderful people! Kind, generous, thoughtful, helpful, loving
people. I hated having to leave."
The woman looked at the man and answered

"Then you will find the same sort of people here."
And the man happily walked through the gate into the
village.

Which wolf do you feed daily? What expectations of people
do you have?

How to handle UNEXPECTED expense!

SAME OLD TECHNIQUE (but always effective).
First TAKE A BREATH.

One thing I have learned in this life is that just when the bills are paid and you might have a few dollars extra - SOMETHING jumps in to grab those bills!

It is exhausting, discouraging, makes us angry, and unfair! BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

Are you going to let money problems RUIN your life, your relationships, your family?
DON'T YOU DO IT! This too shall pass.

Whatever the problem a resolve will come if you maintain your cool. Remember, it's just one of those circumstances that happens and you STILL have the CHOICE of how to respond.

Here's an example: Yesterday I attended a workshop I could little afford. I am trying to create a business that is successful on the internet. They provided lunch, and just before the part I really wanted to hear, I bit down on a piece of uncooked rice and totally broke my tooth.

I had to excuse myself, go to the dentist, and was told "You need a crown. That will be $800.00 please!"

I took a breath. ALLOWED myself to be sad and discouraged for a few moments, and then took another breath. I arranged for payments, called my husband and told him I felt badly about the cost. He teased me for a minute and said, "Gosh you are expensive!" I responded by "But I'm worth it, huh?" He agreed. (Phew, got him fooled:).

Then I returned to the seminar. (Of course I didn't smile my normal big mouth smile...it looks terrible:). This morning I am so glad I picked a positive response.
You know life is going to hand you troubles year after year. That doesn't mean you have to CHOKE on them and ruin the MOMENTS of EACH DAY. All we have are these moments.

Happiness or another bill? I CHOOSE HAPPINESS....no matter what the cost!

Have a wonderful day. I care!

Is your neck tired and stiff?

I love input from those who are also in the field of making us healthier
and stronger! Here's one I think works beautifully!

Try this:
"Breathe and sigh often, as you rest your left palm on your right shoulder.
Pull down from your shoulder to your breastbone (sternum) as your
fingers sink into those muscles.

Repeat 3 times. Switch sides and repeat."

It works and it feels wonderful and is soooooo good for you!
Thanks Lynn, you sweet little angel!

No matter how stressful your day may appear....

REMEMBER: We only have the moment we are in right now! Can't change the past, only
can dream of the future, but what we have is HERE and NOW.

Use your moments with love and compassion. Be forgiving of others and take many of the tasks that seem so important - lightly, with confidence that you can only do so much, and with a sense of humor.

My love and prayers to those lost spirits in Minnesota, and those around the world....
and my love too, goes to families who must learn to go forth and survive.

CREATE your life from this moment forth!

Electronic devices and STRESS!

I read that the average American has at least 26 electronic devices between their home and place of employment, and they are literally DRIVING US CRAZY!

Yes, they are wonderful and helpful. But in all honesty, haven't you sometimes felt
like picking up your computer and throwing it? Haven't you cussed when the cell cut you off from an important conversation, or someone in traffic cut you off because they were busy using their hands to talk on their cell phone?

We all have endured STRESS caused by one of our electronic devices at one time or another. As wonderful as they are, we CANNOTallow an electronic "object" to control our emotions and our lives!

Here are a few tips to help when you feel like flushing one of these things down the toilet. (80% of respondents in a recent survey confessed to at least cursing out loud at a machine!)

1. Reboot and relax. Stop for a moment and drop your shoulders. I will guarantee under stress that they go up. When they do you limit circulation to the brain - and the brain needs 50% more oxygen to function optimally. So think, drop the shoulders, take a breath and remember you are restoring the flow of oxygen and blood so you can be calmer and think clearly.

2. When we stare at computers we deprive our eyes of tears. We blink less and our eyes become tired and dryer. When we age our eyes are dryer anyway, so this isn't good. Stop. Every 20 minutes or so look away from the screen for 20-30 seconds.
Blink your eyes a few times. You can even rub your fingers together until they are warm, close your eyes and place them on the lids. This will feel great and help to relax them.

3. Stop typing once in a while. Your hands take a beating. Shake them. Stretch them. Do a bit of self massage. Breathe into them. They work hard for you ALL day, not just at the computer!

4. TURN OFF THE CELL PHONE in the car! Cell phone use is the cause of many accidents. Cell phones are terrific for emergency use, or something that is critically important. But think. What did you do before adding this device to your life.

Probably no business while driving. No "emotions" caused by conversations. No
anger from other drivers because you aren't paying attention. Turn off the phone!
TAKE A MINI-VACATION........listen to your favorite music! Think, plan, just enjoy the drive if you can.

Okay, that's it for now. CREATE a beautiful day and remember: It's YOUR LIFE!
Save it, use it wisely, remember to laugh and smile. I care!