Move your body

Developing and maintaining an active lifestyle is critical in one's overall mental and physical well-being. As such, find fun activities that require you to move.  biking. Walking. Planting flowers. Playing with pets. Running. Exercising. Doing these things are healthy activities that promote an increased heart rate, more oxygen to the lungs and an overall sense of decreased stress and anxiety.  Find that activity that calls you to move your body. Whether it's taking those salsa lessons or strapping up those rollerblades, your body will thank you later. So what are you waiting for? Go! Move your body!

Don't Give Up

You have come this far. There have been setbacks, challenges, obstacles and turbulence in your life. The triumphs may seem small in comparison to all of the things that have taken a toll on you. You didn't give in then and you must not give up now! As difficult as it may be to fathom, it is ok. I am not minimizing your pain or understating how it may be impacting your life. The point I want to get across is you are more complex than your pain and suffering. Having financial difficulties, family problems, emotional challenges, academic concerns, identity battles and other hurdles are aspects of you, not totally you! You are resilient, powerful beyond your own imagination. Thus, I emplore you to, "Don't Give Up!"

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

Sometimes music can provide a sense of relief, comfort and perspective. Music can soothe. It can inspire. It also has healing properties. One of the foremost musicians of the twentieth century, John Coltrane, a saxophonist par excellence, embarked on a mission to heal through music. One of his seminal works, A Love Supreme, was an attempt to discover the "true" meaning of love. This piece, transcendental, inquisitive, hypnotic and loving,  has captivated minds and hearts, while investigating the meaning of A Love Supreme. Feel free to listen to Part 1: Acknowlegement. Enjoy.

http://youtu.be/fth9UUa1Mfw

Quote of the day

 

“It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there’s nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.” – Wayne Dyer

 

Living Boldly

Having a good sense of self-worth and self confidence allows us to live life boldly!  It is important to continuously challenge ourselves to be the best human beings possible. In order to do that, we must be willing to overcome self-doubt and create new possibilities. When we allow ourselves to make mistakes, have failures, we step outside of our comfort zones and step into our boldest selves. It can be a scary proposition to shoot for that goal that you once thought to be unattainable. The self-doubt can be crippling, even  paralyzing to the degree that you will freeze at the thought of pursuing a substantial dream. Living boldly does not mean that you will live a life in absence of self-doubt and fear. What you will come to realize is that despite the fear, you will choose to challenge yourself work through it. It is alright. It is ok. Being bold is beautiful and being beautiful means boldly living a life of meaning. Be bold. Now!

Practicing Calm in the Chaos

Our lives can be infused with many forms of chaos. The tasks and daily chores of life can make our lives feel chaotic, out of order and untenable if we do not properly manage ourselves. Paying bills, doing laundry, working, studying, taking care of family members, reading and responding to emails, grocery shopping, walking the dog, preparing lesson plans, cooking, cleaning, taking the children to practice, driving from work, cutting the grass, organizing, delegating, simply living, can create loads of chaos that makes enjoying the beauty of this moment difficult. Life never stops and the chaos will not either, unless we practice calm in the midst of the chaos. Just like any other activity that we learn to become proficient at, we must practice. Practicing our calm is no different. Practicing calm in the chaos involves taking an intentional approach to understanding our lives. It is taking a moment to "be still" and allowing ourselves the opportunity to observe the noise. It doesn't require us to "turn down" or "turn off" the noise, but it does challenge us to deliberately observe this moment. Let's try it. Take this moment and just be still. Be still. Relax your muscles. Take deep breaths. Just notice. Just notice the thoughts, notice the sounds, notice the chaos, notice the noise. Now, despite the noise, despite the chaos, the thoughts and the sounds, be calm. Just be. Just let things be as they are as you practice. Practicing calm is not something easily achieved. However, through practice, you can develop being calm in the midst of whatever chaos that may be trying to impose itself on you. You. Can. Do. It. 

Have gratitude for the small things

Ever notice the green blades of grass that pad your feet as you walk barefoot in the park? Have you felt the coolness of a summer breeze against your skin? Maybe you have taken a moment to say, "Thank you!" for waking up this morning. If you have done these things, you took a moment of your time to be grateful. Having gratitude demonstrates that no matter what other circumstances that may be affecting you, you are taking the time to be thankful. Despite those turbulent moments that life will have us experience, allowing ourselves to appreciate the small things keeps things in perspective for us. We will be busy in our lives. There will be deadlines to meet, family to spend time with, chores and work that will make our schedules appear to be unmanageable. Even so, it is necessary to have gratitude. This moment in itself is worthy of us being grateful. As such, take a moment or two and have gratitude for something. There is beauty in the small things. Look. Listen. Smell. Taste. Feel. Whatever senses you can deploy, give yourself space and opportunity to give gratitude for those things that seem to be mundane. The birds. The trees. The air. The Sun. Your family. Your friends. Your health. Doing so will keep things in perspective. Try it!

Cultivate your Imagination

We encourage children at a young age to use their imaginations. But what exactly does that mean? We challenge them to see the world (or any world for that matter) as something magical, beautiful, splendid and "out of the box". When most children use their imaginations, they envision themselves flying like birds, using their "super"powers to save cats from trees and swimming underwater to depths unknown. We ask them to use their imaginations to assist in their personal development and creative natures. Once we become adults, our love for imagining and creating should not go away. If anything, we should aspire to cultivate our imaginations to create new possibilities. What are those things that captivate your imagination? What is that "super" power that you possess? It is never too late to imagine that thing that has never been imagined before!

Trust

Trust is a very important concept. When we trust, we believe things will be as they are. We have certainty about the world when we trust. Unfortunately, when we fail to trust our instincts, our hearts and intuitions, we can find ourselves in a state of fear and confusion. Each day of our lives will present challenges, confusing situations, uncertainty  and even doubt. Trust your intuitive nature. You have been gifted a power to believe in you. I am not saying that this will be an easy thing to do. I am saying that it is possible! Trust!

Now

Now is the acceptable time to do those things that inspire you to be better. You no longer have to wait for the "perfect" moment or "right" opportunity to present itself. That moment is now. Oftentimes, individuals spend large amounts of time stuck in their past experiences. Others perseverate over the future, which hasn't happened yet. As such, the moment that matters is this moment. Seize it. Embrace it. Face it. Thrive in it and have courage despite your fears. Be great! Now! 

Stay Positive

 

Stay Positive


HOW STAYING POSITIVE HELPS

It's likely our species survived because of our knack for detecting danger. But our worry-filled thoughts can present dangers of their own: Thinking negatively can drag down our moods, our actions and even our health.

Experts say it's worthwhile—and possible—to learn how to think more positively. 

Consider what researchers found about the benefits of staying positive:

  • People who were pessimistic had a nearly 20 percent higher risk of dying over a 30-year period than those who were optimistic
  • People who kept track of their gratitude once a week were more upbeat and had fewer physical complaints than others
  • People who obsessively repeated negative thoughts and behaviors were able to change their unhealthy patterns—and their brain activity actually changed too.

WAYS TO STAY POSITIVE

Foster Optimism

Trying to be optimistic doesn't mean ignoring the uglier sides of life. It just means focusing on the positive as much as possible-and it gets easier with practice.

If you want to pump up your optimism, you might:

  • Write about a positive future. The idea is to envision your goals and dreams come true. Tips include:
    • Write about your great future life. Writing helps you absorb ideas better than just thinking.
    • Set aside time so you can go into detail. Researcher Laura King, PhD, who proved this exercise a great mood booster, assigned 20 minutes on four consecutive days.
    • A variation on this exercise is to imagine positive outcomes in a particularly challenging situation.
  • Search for the silver lining. Looking for the positive in a negative situation may sound sappy, but it can actually show great strength. To find your silver lining, ask yourself: 
  • How have I grown from this situation?
  • Are my relationships stronger now?
  • Have I developed new skills?
  • What am I proud of about the way I handled this situation?

Practice Gratitude

Noticing and appreciating the positives in our lives offers a great mood boost.

To increase your gratefulness, you can:

  • Write a gratitude letter. Researcher Martin Seligman, PhD, asked subjects to write a letter thanking someone who had been particularly kind to them and then deliver it in person. The letter-writers enjoyed impressive positive effects even a month later. 
  • Keep a gratitude journal. Write down anything large or small that makes you smile, including terrific achievements, touching moments and great relationships.
  • Remind yourself to savor. Yes, stop and smell the roses-and look at them and touch them. Do whatever you can to really soak in the lovelier aspects of your life.
  • Share your good news. Studies of people's reactions to positive developments suggest that those who tell a friend about a happy event enjoy it even more.

Avoid Negative Thinking

If you want to feel positive, it pays to decrease the downers in your life. With practice, you can resist worrisome thoughts and perhaps even transform your internal critic into more of a cheering squad.

  • Avoid dwelling on downers. Focusing on negatives isn't just unpleasant, it also can make you less effective in tackling tasks you face. In a study of test-takers, those who fixated on worrisome thoughts performed worse than those who were distracted from their worries. To stifle your obsessing:
    • Ask yourself if the issue is really worth your energy. Will this issue matter in a year, for example?
    • Tell yourself you'll worry about it at a specific time later. Chances are you'll feel better by the appointed time.
    • Instead of just spinning your worry wheels, try a concrete problem-solving exercise.
    • Distract yourself: Go to a movie, pump up some music, find something fun to do.
  • Change unhealthy self-talk. You may have been running negative messages in your head for a long time. But research shows that you can learn to shift your thoughts and that, over time, you can literally change your brain. Consider trying some techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy, which works in part by looking at how changing your thoughts can change your life. Some tips include:
  • Ask yourself if your negative thought is really true. Are you really a terrible mother if you didn't make it to the class play? You're probably involved in innumerable other ways.  
  • Remember any achievements that disprove your insecurity. If you think you'll flop at the office party, remember other social occasions when you were outgoing and confident.
  • Imagine what you'd tell a friend if he was worrying in ways that you are. You'd likely convince him to wait a bit before assuming the worst.
  • Beware of all-or-nothing thinking. Disappointing your girlfriend once doesn't mean you're doomed to disappoint her all the time. 
  • Consider alternative explanations. If your boss hasn't responded to your proposal it could be because he's busy and not because he doesn't like it.

Reviewed by Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, a University of California, Riverside professor and author ofThe How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want (Penguin Press).

The 10 Tools

These proven tools can help you feel stronger and more hopeful. Check out each page for specific, easy-to-follow tips.

  1. Connect with others
  2. Stay positive
  3. Get physically active
  4. Help others
  5. Get enough sleep
  6. Create joy and satisfaction
  7. Eat well
  8. Take care of your spirit
  9. Deal better with hard times
  10. Get professional help if you need it