Monthly Archives: November 2015

The Art of Gratitude

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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a great time to really focus on being with family and counting our blessings. Being thankful has become a  daily practice for me and has lifted my life in so many ways.

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I woke up the morning of thanksgiving  feeling grateful for the people in my life. I felt the need to reach out and send messages to friends who bring love and happiness into my life. I wanted them to know just how much they mean to me. I tend to do this often because I think it’s important to tell the ones we love how we feel about them. I then started cleaning my house, preparing for our thanksgiving feast. My husband always does the cooking. This year my 9-year-old prepared dessert all by herself. Her Chocolate lava cakes were delicious. Again, I felt thankful to have such a great human being as my husband and such a wonderful daughter. I also felt thankful to have my parents, my aunt, one of my siblings and my cousin come by to share our thanksgiving meal. I thought about my loved ones who are no longer in this world. I thanked God for the ones who are still with me. I choose to focus on what or who I have.

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I choose to live a life of gratitude. That means I want to experience life to the fullest. I’ve learned that it’s important to live my life being grateful for what I have. It’s a choice I make which in turn brings me to a place of peacefulness and happiness.

So how do I do it? It’s not easy but it’s pretty straight forward.

  • I take part in activities that bring me joy.
  • I read inspirational articles and sit in contemplation every day.
  • I spend time with people I love who want to spend time with me.
  • I stay away from negative people. They bring me down and spread negative energy.
  • I  just focus on what I have, not what I don’t have..

Being thankful for what you have is one of the simplest and easiest ways to lift your mood. To give your motivation a jolt and to live a happier life. No matter who you are, where you live in the world or if today is Thanksgiving or just a Thursday in your life. Ask yourself these two questions..

  • What are 3 things I can be thankful for in my life today?
  • Who are 3 people I can be thankful to have in my life and why?

If you don’t come up with 3 people and 3 things each day then that is OK. One thing or person is great too. But if you can, try to not repeat yourself too often. Instead, think of more people and things to be grateful for, day by day, expand your thankful view of your world.

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Express your thankfulness to the people who matter to you. This will make their lives happier. And as their faces light up with a smile you’ll feel happier too. Look towards yourself too. You are important and valuable, appreciate that. Ask yourself what are 3 things I can be thankful for about myself? It could be that you were a good friend and impacted someone else’s life. You helped bring a smile to your mother’s face or gave a much-needed hug to your sister.

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Be thankful for the things you may take for granted. Like a roof over your head and a warm home. The fact that you don’t have to go hungry. And that you have loving family members and wonderful friends. Start or end your day with thankfulness. Make it a habit that sticks, find a regular time for it in your day.

For me, writing down what I am grateful day each day helps me continue to be thankful. It just takes a small commitment to see the positive impact on your life.

I’m thankful that you have spent time reading my blog. I hope it helps you become more grateful for all that you have.

 

How to get yourself out of a funk

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We all have times when we get into a funk and feel sad. Now that the weather has changed I already feel a change in my mood. It’s a bit chilly but that doesn’t really bother me. What really gets me is how quickly it becomes dark.  For the past fifteen years I’ve had an issue with getting enough sleep. It started when I was working the morning shift at News 12. I was unable to sleep until about 10 or 11 pm and I had to be at work by 3am which meant I had to wake up at 2am! This gave me about two or three hours to sleep.

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After ending a decade of working the morning shift I still have trouble getting enough sleep. I fall asleep at around 2am and wake up exhausted at 7. Five hours of sleep has really affected me and I realize that this has to change. That’s one way that I can help myself feel more healthy both physically and mentally. Yet, it continues to be an uphill battle.

To feel emotionally well we have to balance everything in life. Here are some things that help me.

  • Get at least 8 hours of sleep (I’m working on this.)
  • Eat more nutritiously, eliminate all processed foods and sugar.
  • Make time to focus on yourself, read, spend time alone doing something you enjoy.
  • Acknowledge negative emotions but then release them.
  • Journal every day. The idea is that you write freehand first thing in the morning every day for about 20 minutes. It doesn’t matter what you write, just put down whatever comes to your mind. This has an incredibly clarifying and freeing effect.
  • Create something. Using the artistic/ intuitive parts of your brain can help you bring an understanding to the parts of your life that you can’t logically understand.
  • Spend your energy in a positive way. Work on a project you’ve been meaning to finish, clean out your closet. Getting rid of clutter can help you shift your own energy
  • Try getting a massage every month or as much as you can. It can be extremely helpful as you navigate life changes and difficult situations. Releasing tensions in your body helps in also letting go of tensions and anxieties in your mind.
  • Learn to meditate. It’s an amazing mind-body exercise to help you release stress and restore internal balance.
  • Give to others. When you begin to feel sorry for yourself, make a point of doing something kind for someone else.  This will take your mind off of your own issues and open the world up to you just a bit.
  • Keep a gratitude journal, it can rewire your brain for happiness when you focus on what you have to be grateful about.
  • Get outside for some fresh air and a walk in nature. This really helps bring you closer to your source.
  • Play, yes I said play. Take time to just have fun with your children, do cartwheels, or watch funny movies. Laugh, do whatever activity that makes you happy.

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Having periods of happiness and unhappiness is a part of life. Know that it’s normal and everyone goes through it at some point. Know that it’s a normal part of life. There is nothing wrong with you. It’s important to have times of reflection to make the changes you need to progress in life. Give yourself plenty of grace, and reach out and ask for help when you need it. Don’t just suffer in silence,  do something to help yourself out of the funk. If you find yourself feeling down for long periods of time it’s a good idea to reach out to a professional for help.

I hope these tips help you keep your life happy and balanced. How do you keep the blues at bay in your life? Please don’t hesitate to share.