Be Steadfast In What Stands For Good

If what you desire benefits human dignity, protects human life, and promotes the human spirit, let no one persuade you to do, think or feeling differently. Be steadfast in proclaiming a message that stands for good.

The New Year And You

The New Year And You “HaPpY NeW yEaR!” At the stroke of midnight on January 1st each year these three words seem to bring hope and renewed excitement to millions of the world’s inhabitants. There are some people who each year reach goals, keep targets, and realize their dreams. But what if our goals, resolutions and dreams don’t last longer than a few months, a few days, or perhaps a few measly hours? How can we make this New Year resolute and meaningful without feeling overwhelmed or seemingly setting ourselves up for failure? For many of us, the simple and familiar phrase’ “HaPpY NeW yEaR” somehow encompasses a multitude of happy, inspiring and even larger than life feelings. It can make last year’s disappointments seem like a bad dream rather than a terrible memory. Our goals, resolutions and visions for the future can appear simple, boundless and attainable. We may promise to un-clutter ourselves by cleaning out closets, paying off last year’s bills and organizing paperwork. We may make a resolution to lose weight, be nicer or sign up for a class that might improve our work or social skills. Instead of making an overwhelming list of things that may or may not come to pass, this year make a resolution to make each day work for you! Yesterday’s Mistakes Are Today Rewards We will all make mistakes that can set us back a few steps. Don’t beat yourself up over spilled milk! Treat yourself daily to a playful portion of yesterday’s biggest bloopers! Talk about it. Laugh at it. Learn from it. Change it! There is no better reward than to overcome a misstep! Turn A Sour Attitude Into Great Lemonade No need to dilute a goal or a dream with the first appearance of a bitter moment or a sour attitude. Use the zest of your heart to take out the bitterness in challenging goals, tasks, duties or undertakings. Use the pulp of your spirit to make sweet a vinegary attitude. Add often life giving water and forgiveness to others and to yourself to reduce acidity in your gut and tone of voice. Refer often to your core ingredients and serve up your best year yet! Goals And A Purposeful You We can alter our routine to make time more beneficial. We can modify our reading materials to learn new things. Calendar savings dates in lieu of mindless spending sprees. Choose to say “thank you” instead of “nothing.” Opt for one serving instead of two. Ask, “Could you please” instead of bark, “I need.” Forego complaints and instead compliment. A phone call, a surprise visit, a helping hand, a smile, a hug, and a prayer all have a natural way of making us evolve into better beings. This year should not be about “out with the old and in with the new.” Make this New Year all about being simply “a better you!” “HaPpY NeW yEaR!

Anniversaries

Anniversaries encourage us to remember the past, allow us to compare yesterday to the present, and to make tomorrow a new day to remember.

Something Borrowed: Today I Will Be Happy

Something Borrowed: Today I Will Be Happy It’s a fabulous day and I’m excited to bring to you “something borrowed!” A wonderful quote from Groucho Marx: “Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrive yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” How many happy people do we know! One, two, three? Are you among the cheerful? For many of us it’s a little hard to feel uplifted when we feel rushed, overburdened, overwhelmed, overworked and sometimes overlooked. There are days that it seems everything’s against us. We might feel like there’s too much work and not enough hours, too many chiefs and not enough indians, too many choices and not enough assurances. No matter what we have going on –we have the power to change the depressing downward spiraling feeling that can steal our happy spirit. Take control and set chaos and discouragement straight! Bring life down a few notches – slow your thoughts down- cancel some things on your crowded calendar. Take a break, a day or a vacation to allow your blood pressure to cool off. Give yourself a chance to rejuvenate. Engage in a physical activity that will bring your adrenaline up! Tell dumb jokes until you laugh. Do something! The alternative would be to become depressed, in some cases cry, for other to punch a hole in the wall. Will you be cheerful or punch, cheerful or punch – agggh the answer is cheerful! Be content with whatever you do! Take pleasure in simple things, a sun rise, a quiet morning with no computers, televisions or people! Immerse yourself in creating something new. Begin to write an “attainable bucket list.” Try completing a project or toss one you never wanted to do. Now that’s liberating! You might even stare a mistake in the face and laugh! Why? Because now you’ll know you’d be crazy to ever do that again! We should be happy and blessed that we are capable of holding and consoling a hurting infant when it’s teething even if it’s been 3 months without uninterrupted sleep. Come on – it’s temporary! Be joyful even if we flunked a test, because now we know what it will take to succeed when we raise the bar. We can feel bittersweet and gratified when we can aid a loved one who has suffered hurt or a loss. Fulfilled and blessed to be in a position and physically strong to care for our parents or grandparents who are ill. The giving of our time and home sure beats the alternative of hospice, a stranger or a cold institution. There is even a silver lining when we’ve lost our job because then we’ll be able to see the greatness of God when He puts something more incredible in our lives. All moments of happiness, mediocrity or sadness will pass us with the same timing. We cannot rush time nor can we slow it down. So when life throws you a curve, straight ball, or strikes your arm don’t let it kill your spirit! Be happy where you today and with who you are becoming. Choose to be happy. You have just one day, today that you can count on to raise your spirit. “Yesterday is dead and tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet.” Say it! I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it!

Gold To The Heart

There are many instances in our lives that we miss out on unexpected pleasures, let pass attending happy celebrations, or thoughtlessly overlook a poignant and precious moment in another’s life. Live your life staying connected, compassionate, insightful and prayerful so that you may not be caught off-guard, feel inadequate, gravely unprepared, or seemingly uninterested because of preoccupation with trivial affairs. What you do matters. Your gift of time and presence to others cannot be measured. What you receive in return is gold to the heart.

Living With Purpose

Today introduce yourself to a stranger, offer your hand in charity, smile in the eyes of someone who sees sadness, and praise God for the incredible blessings of this day!

The Benefits of Life, Food and Exercise Diaries

The Benefits of Life, Food and Exercise Diaries If you want a clearer and more accurate picture of your feelings, relationships, food choices, exercise and personal health start a diary. Diaries are helpful for tracking information. Years ago many young girls and women used a diary to journal their feelings. Diaries were once tucked away in the most private of places, most often protected by a lock and key because its contents held their most confidential thoughts. Today, men, women and children can benefit and be more creative with simple diaries of life, food, exercise and personal health. To be most effective and helpful begin to keep a daily diary. Life Diary Documenting your life in a daily diary will allow you to see how often you keep in touch with family and friends. You may realize how often you are angry, happy, or depressed. You might discover that you are bored, watch too much television, or have too much on your plate. You may even discover that you enjoy the quiet time recounting your day, or that you get pleasure from the simple art of writing. Writing a few sentences summarizing your day might turn you into a blogger or short story writer. Of course on the off chance that you find you have no patience for such mundane things make your journaling a checklist, short and to the point. A few minutes each day is all it takes to catch a meaningful and helpful glimpse into your life and habits. Food and Exercise Diaries In the U. S. there continues to be a rise in Americans who are considered obese. Larger portions of food and lack of activity are two chief reasons for obesity. It would behoove every household to keep a family diary of exercise, meals, snacks, deserts, market lists, vitamins, water intake, as well as other fluids such as coffee, soda, power drinks and teas. With obesity comes opportunity for disease to breed. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, strokes, cancer, and depression are all repercussions of bodies damaged by stress, neglected by lack of exercise and/or abused by excessive portions, sugars, fats, and refined carbohydrates. Keeping a diary and making modifications allow you the opportunity to see how making small changes can make a big difference. Proactive Health Diary Keeping a proactive health diary can dramatically alter your life. By journaling your extra nightly walk you might note that your daily blood pressure reading before bed is now lower. You could find that by limiting carbohydrates and sugars that your daily sugar readings are lower throughout the day. The change may be so dramatic that you might talk to your doctor about lowering or removing certain medications from your daily regimen. A life, food, exercise and proactive health diary can enhance, change, and even save your life. You know your body best. Take proper care and set aside time to take care of YOU!