This blog is dedicated to the premise that if we look for things to be happy about, we will enjoy life more. With all the stuff in daily living that we get faced with, trying to find enjoyment in the day can be challenging. It is my hope that by sharing occasional experiences and commentary with you the reader, you may (if needed) achieve a better sense of finding enjoyment in your day and life as well!
Thanksgiving has come and gone and my son is on his way back to college. I was reminded that he will be returning in three weeks for the Christmas holidays. My daughter is here for a few more days and then she will be returning to Washington, D.C. I really enjoyed having the two of them here at the same time especially now since that will not always be the case. This makes me think of a marquee in front of a church that said " Don't wish for more to be thankful for, be more thankful." I will definitely not be more appreciative of the time when the kids are home.
Earlier today I came across a blog that applies to the positive thinking forum and I was impressed at the wide variety of related topics that were posted in addition to the depth of detail that was provided in the posts. I immediately bookmarked the site for future reference and decided that this was a "must-share" item as well. The name of the website is www.yourpersonaldevelopmenttips.com and the post I read today was titled "7 Easy Steps for Positive Thinking." It's always good to keep some ideas in place to ensure that positive thinking is maintained! I am also going to include this blog on my list of blogs that I follow and will make it a point to be well read on the information that this site provides.
So if you come to a point where you find that life's daily challenges are getting a bit much, by all means take some time to review this site as well as read some of the posts contained within. I am very confident that you will be glad you did.
Today is turning out to be a fabulous day! My son turned 19, my daughter is on her way home for the holidays and the weather is absolutely gorgeous. Later on we will be going down to my sister in law's house for dinner and a family gathering. I couldn't let the day go by without expressing gratitude. Yesterday I came across a great video by Katie Freiling which gives some great advice on how to incorporate gratitude into our daily lives. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks Katie for the great vid!
p.s. If you like this video, take some time to check out Katie's blog at www.katiefreiling.com
This is the title of one of my favorite songs from the Beatles. Looking back, it seems like in general they wrote many happy songs that were fun to listen to. But the focus of my point in this post is that if you put your focus and energy into a goal that you wish to achieve, chances are you will see progress evolve that will put you in the right direction. In Joel Osteen's book "It's Your Time", a favorite phrase of mine that is mentioned is "You're closer than you think."
Where this applies to me is in my current venture of getting established in Internet Marketing. Now when I first started out I did not know anything and I still have much to learn. But what's great is that with steady application and inner desire, things that before were mysteries are now understood and it is fulfilling to know that I am getting to where I want to go. The foundation of this consists of a steadfast desire to succeed and the belief in myself that I will succeed. In my mind, I visualize myself achieving success and I am getting positive results. Now there are two philosophies that I have been in conflict with as time progresses. The first being Wallace Waddles in his book "The Science of Getting Rich" saying that basically in order to get rich you need to do what rich people have done. The second being my lifelong habit of usually wanting to do things my own way. This comes as a result of dealing with people who for some reason I just did not feel comfortable with when it came to following their example.
But isn't it great when we have the option to see what works best for us when it comes to trying out new things? So if you are about to start pursuing a new goal, whatever it is, have a belief in yourself that you will achieve what it is that you are setting out to do. Use affirmations. Make a statement to the effect that you are so grateful that it has already happened. Next, be persistent and don't give up. The goal of course does need to be realistic but with a sound plan and solid belief, chances are that things will work out just fine!
As I was taking a morning walk, I stopped to pick up the latest edition of a weekly magazine that I enjoy perusing through. I came across an article that focused on the topic of gratitude. The article further went on to divide gratitude into three phases; focusing on what we do have, surface level gratitude (external gratitude) and the institution of changes that would result in a deeper, inner sense of gratitude.
By focusing on what we do have and being grateful for it we foster a deeper sense of gratitude. There is always someone who would gladly trade places with us to "be in our shoes". As I am writing this post, I see the fire-engine from the station just down the street driving off to assist someone in need. Whereas before I would be annoyed by the noise of the siren, I now acknowledge to myself that someone will be able to receive help. I look around my home and reinforce my awareness of the gratitude I feel for my family and the things that I have.
Surface level gratitude can be thought of as a momentary pause in our thought process to acknowledge thankfulness for a certain possession or circumstance in our life. After the instantaneous episode of gratitude that has occurred, we go back to the daily routine of our life.
The process of bringing on an overall, all encompassing sense of gratitude into our lives can be implemented through a series of simple internal changes. The author of the article I read, Marie Harlow describes a "one-sentence formula" to be used in order to become a grateful person: "Think, Speak, and Act like a grateful person does." She goes on to say that when a person does these three things on a consistent basis, that person will be consistently grateful. The changes that come about from this behavior that instills a positive focus will soon begin to evolve.
In my personal experience I have noticed that when I express gratitude for the good things that happen to me, those things just have a natural habit of reoccurring. As I am typing this post, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to do so and am grateful for all the other aspects that are involved with it such as being able to see and having access to a computer as well as the Internet so that I can share this with you. In essence, I try to give thanks for everything!
So if you are ever in a situation where you feel "down in the dumps" about something, be thankful for your awareness of the circumstance and for the possibility of being able to examine your options on what you can do to change it. Thank you Marie Harlow for the nice article that you wrote on the subject of gratitude. If you would like to read Marie's article in it's entirety, click on the following link --->> Read Marie's article!
and go to page 12 (title: Thanksgiving - Why Not Be Grateful Every Day?)
I would like to share with you some news about a blog that I came across and found to be very uplifting. I found out about it from an individual with whom I network with and the website is kelliehosaka.com. Kellie in her blog provides a wide variety of information dealing with such topics as financial education, health & wellness, home business and personal growth. She also includes informative videos that complements the articles in her blog posts. I am currently reviewing her video series dealing with the 8 beliefs that must be changed in order to achieve entrepeneurial success. Earlier this evening I listened to a video dealing with the "quantum leaps" that people undergo to achieve enhanced spiritual and personal growth. Very enlightening! I am looking forward to spending more time reviewing this uplifting blog.
So not only does this blog provide good information on pursuing entrepeneurial success, it provides you with material that gives you a more positive outlook on life as well. You will definitely enjoy reading what Kellie has to share!
It is not all the time that we are able to find those with whom we share common interests. The circumstances contributing to this may be due to not having anything in common with those who you come in close proximity to, or you may be geographically removed from anyone with who you would share a common interest with. But with the miracle of today's Internet technology, it is easy to link up with those who you stand a good chance of having a nice conversation with!
Some of the avenues that are available are forums and blogs. These provide a common "meeting place" that allows people to provide and receive input from other individuals who are joined with you through your common interests. For example, earlier this evening I went to the Google search engine and typed in "positive thinking" + "forums" and later entered "positive thinking" + "blogs". Both search results yielded a mass of related search results dealing with the topic. This can be applied to any topic of interest and will most likely put you in touch with people that you can exchange ideas with. You can think of them as an online clubhouse! Since reference was made to the topic of positive thinking, allow me to post links to some of the sites that I found dealing with this positively wonderful subject!
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg! Isn't it nice to be able to have access to all this information at our fingertips? I would positively say so!
Well after then end of a busy weekend and the onset of Monday, things seemed to get off to a hectic start. I must admit, sometimes I think of the daily routine like when the horses charge past the gates at the beginning of a track race. But in this case, I am not racing against anyone, just driving myself at a pace that is set by me and really has no effect on anyone else. Is it worth the effort? Only I can decide.
This afternoon it was brought to my attention that I would be staying at work an hour longer than I expected and I began to suspect that this was engineered without my having a say so in the matter. During my extra time at work, I was processing some paperwork and committed a clerical error that I would just as soon not have happened. Just as I was getting ready to leave, someone drops off some paperwork that I should have received much sooner. At that point, I was not a happy camper. I vented a bit to my colleagues but quickly realized that what was done was done and it was time to go home. At least the traffic would be better and I was happy that it was still light out. That thought alone made me glad that I could still see the good that was occurring that day.
I arrived home to a dog that was happy to see me and I was relieved to see that I did not have any presents waiting for me after my dog's 6 hour stint in the house without going outside. It then dawned on me that things were a result of how I perceived them to be and that I was the one who could exercise control over that.
So when things seem to take a turn and head south, ask yourself a couple of questions; "How does this serve me"? and "What can I learn from this"? At first it may seem strange and pointless but over the course of time, you may find this philosophy very handy indeed. But then again, you be the one who decides.
So if you ever need to put a little " Zippity doo dah " in your day, just take a look at the following video from the movie "Song of the South" I hope you find it satisfactional!
