October Recap

Out of all of the challenges I have undertaken, I feel that this one has had the largest impact on my life.  The positive changes that have occurred are hard to ignore and have become a very welcome change, one that I will continue to pursue from here on out.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Week 3: Receiving Blessings from the Universe

I have to say that I have really enjoyed this month's challenge.  There are of course some keys to positive thinking, one of which is being fully aware of your thoughts and feelings at all times.  Negativity seems to be innate in the human psyche in that we tend to see the bad things in life, career, financial situation, health, etc.  Changing those thoughts into positive ones takes real dedication and awareness.  Something as simple and as fleeting as wishing you looked like him, or had her job can swing a negative thought toward your own appearance or career without you being aware.
While I may not be the most consistent when it comes to following the assignments I give myself, I am doing a very good job of becoming aware of my negative thoughts and turning them around by thinking about something just as positive in my life.  To date, the Universe has certainly given me some good rewards for my hard work.  I found a check that had been accidentally stashed away and I won a $1 off a lottery ticket.  While it may not amount to much, it is still money that I was previously unaware was waiting to come to me, and with my positive thinking I was able to allow it to come my way.  Positive thinking has allowed me to be more motivated in accomplish tasks around my house that I have in the past put off, and now because they are complete I get to enjoy them -but I won't chide myself for not completing them earlier, I'm just happy they are done and I have more time to spend with my family because of it.

If you decide to try positive thinking for a month, do not become discouraged if you don't win the lottery, or lose a ton of weight, or sudden get offered your dream job; it could be that there are obstacles unknown to you that need to be removed before your desires can truly become your own reality.  Take note of even the smallest positive changes in your life and stop long enough to be grateful for them.  There's truth in the saying "stop and smell the roses" sometimes it is the little things in life that can make the biggest positive changes.

Thank you!  Have a Blessed day!  May the Universe grant you your deepest wishes!

week 2: Momentum is Key

You must be wondering -how does one come up with 10 different things to be thankful for each and every day?  Really it is rather simple, not easy by any means -but simple, and there are plenty of things to be thankful for and yes I do repeat the very important ones.  Gratitude doesn't have to be only about the big things in life such as your job, the house you live in, or your relationships; it can be about the little things like the air you breathe, the food you eat, the fact that you made it home safe on a particularly stressful day.  Be thankful for the sunshine, for your fellow human-being, the birds, the bees, the trees, and the rain.  If you can see it, smell it, touch it, or taste it be thankful for your senses.  Finding things to be thankful of is not the hard part.  The hard part is not losing momentum, to keep the positive ball rolling in the right direction; stopping to smell the roses is nice, but when you have a task to accomplish (such as being thankful for 300 things in 30 days) you don't want to stop to long to admire the fragrance.

1. I am thankful for my internet, because it allows me to share my thoughts and ideas with many people. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
2. I am thankful for my computer, because it stores all of my works and is part of my many connections to the world.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
3. I am thankful for the music that uplifts my soul, because it helps me to come up with things to be thankful for.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
4. I am thankful for Rhonda Byrne for sharing all the wonderful Secrets that have been passed down from great minds, because their teachings allow me to become a better person.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
5. I am thankful for my education, because it has given me a foundation upon which my understanding grows.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
6. I am thankful for my teachers, because they come from some of the most unlikely places and have the most wonderful lessons to teach.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
7. I am thankful for the higher power (how ever it is called), because I was blessed to live in this time and in this place to experience the good times and the bad and to learn from those experiences.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
8. I am thankful for the technology that continues to advance, because its advancement may one day truly benefit mankind.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
9. I am thankful for language, because through language I can express my deepest feelings, desires, hopes, and dreams.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
10. I am thankful for my friends and family, because they are supportive of my endeavors and celebrate my accomplishments.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Lesson 2

Find a rock, something that you can easily hold in the palm of your hand.  It can be smooth, or rough, sparkly or dull -it's appearance does not matter as long as you feel as though you can have a connection with it.  At the end of every day pick up your rock and think of one thing -the best thing- that happened during your day and be thankful for that one thing.  Whether it was the fact that you actually had a lunch at work, didn't lose your car keys, or received that promotion.  Hold it tightly and with all your heart be thankful.  Place that rock at your bedside where you will be able to see it every morning when you wake and be able to hold it before you sleep.  This will be your Gratitude Rock.  Showing gratitude for daily events keeps your spirits lifted and (the idea is) will continue to bring better events into your life.

Change your thoughts and you can change your life.  What are you thankful for today?

Positivity Track!

October must be Positive Awareness month along with all the other national insert-your-cause-here awareness!  Maybe it has to do with the change in weather from bright, warm, sunny days to the cooler and sometimes downright crisp transition into winter.  Spirits, I guess, must be on a down ward spin as we prepare ourselves for an emotional hibernation.  What ever the cause or reason for magazines to put in blurbs of how-tos or full on articles about positive thinking it coincides perfectly with my challenge for this month.

In my one and only magazine subscription, Prevention Magazine, there is a one page blurb "4 Moves to Feel Happier."  In a nutshell here are the points (and really there are 5):

1. Dress for success with a "happy" wardrobe -choose colors you associate with being happy, upbeat, and positive.
2. Improve gratitude with a thank you -write to someone who has supported you in some way that really impacted your life, letting them know that their actions really mattered.
3. Elicit the help of strangers to improve enthusiasm -surrounding yourself with an energetic crowd (i.e. a sporting event) can help you push through motivational blocks later on.
4. Improve optimism with an open door -We all remember the lost opportunity, try and remember those opportunities gained by losing that one.
5. Curiosity is the road to knowledge -ever wonder about something?  Dig deeper to find out more and then share with friends and family.

Bolster your mood today!  Try one a day for a week or all of them every day, see how you can change your attitude -not just about the upcoming winter hibernation, but about life, about yourself, and those that you love.  Most of all have fun.  Make a leaf pile to jump in.  Build a fort in the living room (even if you don't have children).  Bake some homemade goodies (from scratch) to bring back those warm childhood memories -and, it makes the house smell nice.

Resource:

Trespicio, Terri (Nov 2012). 4 Moves to Feel Happier.  Prevention, vol 64 (no. 11). pg 30.

Week 1 -10 Things to be Grateful For

I have to admit that within the first three days I was already feeling the changes, even if those changes were just in my own point of view of the world.  Any change for the better, more positive, is always good.  I'll give you the first lesson here, which is done at the start of every day.  While each day has a theme the first lesson is repeated and can be how ever you want as long as you follow these simple directions:

Think of 10 things you are thankful for

What are your reasons for being thankful?

Say thank you 3 times

Feel your gratitude deep within you

Here's mine for today to give you an example:

1. I am truly blessed to have my son, because he is the love of my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
2. I am so happy and grateful for my health, because it allows me to be in this beautiful world.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
3. I am truly grateful for my friends, because they bring joy to my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
4. With all my heart thank you for my home, because it shelters those that I love.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
5. I am grateful for the trees, because they clean the air and provide oxygen to breathe.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
6. I am truly blessed to have my job, because it allows me to help others.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
7. I am so happy and grateful for my car, because it provides me with a safe and quick way to travel.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
8. I am truly grateful for my pets, because they love me unconditionally.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
9. With all my heart thank you for the good organic food that is available, because pure food keeps my body, mind, and spirit healthy and happy.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
10. I am grateful to my readers, because they come back to me even when my life gets too busy to write. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Article: Thoughts Control our World

A very interesting article -just a bit more on why we need to be careful on what we think not just about ourselves but on other's and the world.  Gratitude even about the little things can make a dramatic change in how we think.


http://docakilah.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/your-thoughts-create-your-world-patrol-your-mind/

Full of Gratitude

Have you ever read Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret"?  If not, she has recently published a third book. The Secret was followed by The Power, and now to round out the trilogy she has published The Magic. If these titles seem unfamiliar, I highly recommend finding and reading them.  While borrowing them from your local library is awesome, these I would say should be purchased.  Read and re-read, take notes in the margins, underline passages that speak to your soul.

If you have read any one of these books you will know that the underlying theme is one of Gratitude. To be thankful is possibly the most important thing any one of us can be; and not just at Thanks Giving. Gratitude is something that needs to be expressed every day and for everything. Gratitude can change your life and only in the best way possible. It's hard to be grateful for the negative things in life after all. In her newest book, not only does she expound upon the importance of Gratitude, but she has daily lessons to teach you how to bring more Gratitude and the positive changes it creates into your life.

For the month of October, I will be attempting to work my way through all of her lessons.  I have already started posting quotes on my main blog and on Facebook and Twitter found under Health is Spiritual.

I have a lot of wonderful things to be grateful for; an will be expressing that Gratitude publicly, verbally, and personally for the next 30 days. Join me and find your greatness with Gratitude!

www.healthisspiritual.blogspot.com for quotes and other displays of gratitude.