Attitude of Gratitude

It's easy to look at others and think about all of the blessings they have been given and look at yourself and see your own challenges. No life exists in which there is not some pain and suffering. But when you compare your weaknesses to another's strengths you'll come up short. If you compare what you don't have with what other's have, your life will be filled with unnecessary sorrow. If you are looking for the perfect job, new wardrobe, the next vacation, a love interest or anything outside of yourself to bring joy and happiness -- when those things come, you'll end up looking past them and start looking for the next thing. Focusing on what you don't have will lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

The key to happiness is in having an attitude of gratitude. If you can appreciate and be thankful for the things you do have in your life. If you have hardships, focus on the things you can learn from them. When you get discouraged or depressed, it's hard to remember all of the blessings you do have in your life.

Make a list of everything you're thankful for -- start with 100. They can be small things such as being thankful for rainbows, the smell of flowers, having a baby wrap their tiny fingers around yours, the sound of birds singing, the ability to hear those birds singing, etc. No matter what brings you joy in any way -- write it down! I have my own book of "happy thoughts". They can be small experiences or little things, but once you have them down on paper, when you start feeling like you got the short end of the stick -- pull out your list and think about all of the blessings you DO have. You have the power to control the direction of your mind. Wouldn't you rather focus on the things which will bring contentment and gratitude, rather than focusing on the lack you perceive in your life?

Taking a Break - Time for Renewal

Life is hectic. Life is extremely busy. There is always more to be done than time to do it. So, how do we maintain balance in our busy lives? There are family demands, career demands, physical demands, and more. What comes first? On the days when I feel there are too many things going on, I have a tendency to get into a "stress" mode. My shoulders tense up. My neck gets stiff. I'm not really "enjoying" life but mainly trying to get everything done. Well, as tax deadlines approach, I have found myself in that stress mode. This would be a good day for a visit to a local day spa. Taking a step back from all of the supposedly urgent demands of life, renewing yourself, and getting a little pampering, will raise your spirits, help you gain a new perspective, and also prepare you physically, mentally, and emotionally to meet the demands of the day. So, if you find yourself getting stressed out (and therefore, truly not as productive as you can be) -- take a few hours off, get a massage or a manicure, or do something out in nature. Just a little bit of time can get you back into a productive state of being. Of course, I need to take my own advice -- so off I go!