A Bird In The Hand…

“Practice being grateful
For what you have.
Gratefulness=Happiness“

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” no matter what side of the fence you are on. Someone will always have more and there will be others who have less. Concentrate on the things you do have. In Colorado we have the most amazing color of blue sky. It’s because the air is less dense at such a high altitude. I never tire of looking at that sky and noticing how beautiful it is. I have gotten in the habit of noticing the amazing things that are around me every day. Don’t just wait for the end of the day to list things you are grateful for, take moments throughout the day to be grateful.

When you are feeling down, that is the best time to think of all the things you are grateful for.

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
~Epictetus

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “A Bird in the Hand”  Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Love Yourself…

“Lift your spirits.
Love yourself and then
send that love out into the world.“

I am pretty sure no one escapes being teased and bullied sometime during their years at school. When I was teased, I at least had a safe place to retreat to everyday. One of the things my Dad always said was “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” We were taught to treat each other with respect. I was lucky. I realize that so many kids never get a break from the abuse. They grow up and never even know how valuable their lives are.

We are lucky in this world of technology to be able to find ways to help us in the healing process. No need to quietly suffer. There are some amazing things on the web. When you come across something that helps you, be sure to take the time to forward it to a friend. What a wonderful way to reach out to someone you know who is hurting. Everyone deserves time out to take care of themselves. I have discovered a few podcasts that are helpful to me. Brene Brown/Unlocking Us, Lewis Howes/The School of Greatness or Good Life Project/Jonathan Fields. You could start there. Also Youtube has many Brene’ Brown interviews. I like Mel Robbins as well. Her Ted Talk has 25 million views. Of course Anthony Robbins is still around and working hard to help us create a better life. All of these people can be found on Youtube in many different interviews. My advice…turn off the news or at least limit the time you spend on it. The news is fear based…who needs that?

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “Love Yourself” Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Let Your Hair Down…

“Be happy. Be yourself”.

It gets easier as you get older to just be yourself. For me it got easier when I had kids. I was so focused on our family and raising the kids that I had little time to worry about what people were thinking or saying about me. Time with them was so precious and they were so much fun. You know what? There will always be those out there ready to criticize you. So when it happens, acknowledge it for what it is, it’s that person out there who is probably unhappy and wants to drag you down as well. Don’t waste your time and energy on them. You have better ways to spend your time.

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “Let Your Hair Down” Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Live In The Moment…

“Slow down, be mindful
&
enjoy life to the fullest.“

One of the most important times to be in the moment…when someone is having a face to face conversation with you. You actually stop and give that person your full attention. You stop thinking about all of the things you should be doing, stop thinking about what your response will be, stop checking your cell phone, don’t let your mind wander. Just be in the moment and get joy out of being with whoever it is, a child, a friend, or your husband. Everyone seems to be living in such a fast paced world. It is time to slow down and enjoy the moment, don’t let so many beautiful, precious moments slip by unnoticed.

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”
~ Amit Ray

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

BUY “Live in the Moment”  Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Stuck In A Rut…

“Make your life more interesting.
Change your routine,
change your life.“

I really am at a great place in my life. I am doing what I want to do. I have always wanted to create art. The problem: The rut I am stuck in is not so bad, but I really need more balance. Life seems to be going by really fast. I need to stop and figure out what things I might be missing in my life. I certainly don’t want to look back and have regrets. Time to mix things up. Nothing big. Just small changes will do. It’s time to make a list of things that would bring more joy into my life, and of course act on those things. Don’t allow yourself to “Get Stuck in a Rut”.

“The less routine the more life.” ~Amos Bronson Alcott

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “Stuck in a Rut” Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Running In Circles…

“Feel like you are getting nowhere fast?
Take time out to relax,
refocus & redirect your energy.“

There are days when I feel so busy, running around all day, exhausted at the end of the day, only to realize: I didn’t get very much accomplished. I have set my goals, they are written down. What is going on? Well..I have slowly allowed many things to creep in and take over my life. Goals have been pushed aside and been replaced by things that come up daily. Some of those things are important and others not so important. I need to be flexible, but not so much that I am not ever going to reach my goals. It is time to rethink my priorities and get back on track.

“Never be in a hurry, do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.
Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
~St Francis De Sales

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “Running in Circles” Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Attitude Adjustment…

“Change your attitude,
change your life.“

They have scientifically proven that smiling sends a message to your brain that you are happy! What a simple pick me up. Research also shows that smiling is contagious, so what do you have to lose? Smile, be happy, others around you will be happier. And yet another bonus…it helps reduce stress. Make it a point throughout your day to smile more.

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “Attitude Adjustment” Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Ride The Wave…

“Conserve your energy.
Go with the flow.”

A hard lesson to learn: There are some things that can’t be controlled no matter how much effort is put into it. There are some changes that you just need to accept, no matter how painful the change is. You need to recognize the feeling of sadness or anger, acknowledge it, but don’t get stuck in the negativity. Consciously replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts as soon as possible. That is a healthier way to use energy.

Solution: Immediately think of something that makes you smile in order to stop the negative thoughts. Perhaps the sound of children laughing, a song that brings you joy, birds in the trees chirping away.

Solution: Mel Robbins suggestion is simple and works every time. Count backwards…’5,4,3,2,1′.

Solution:  Keep an ongoing list of the things you are grateful for. When you find yourself going down that negative thought path, take out that list, read it, soon you will find yourself going down that positive path again.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them…that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~Lao Tzu

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

To BUY “Ride the Wave” Greeting Cards, Postcards, Flexible Magnets, Prints 8×10 CLICK HERE.

Get A Grip…

Don’t set yourself up for failure.
It’s about making better choices, not perfect ones.“

Figure out what foods you are eating that have the most calories. Try replacing them with something healthy you enjoy eating. Do this gradually, one food at a time. Habits are more likely to form if you take your time. Don’t try replacing bad foods with healthy foods you don’t like. Take time to find those healthy foods that taste good to you. Check out websites with healthy recipes. There are plenty of resources out there. Purchase a cookbook with healthy recipes or just check cookbooks out from the library. There are lots of resources out there. Chances are you will eat healthier if you start cooking your own meals. Of course the added bonus is…you’ll save money by eating at home. Cut back on the snacks that are not good for you. That means don’t even bring them into your house. If they are easy to get to, you’ll likely end up eating them. It’s just too tempting!

It’s important not to be hard on yourself. I know it isn’t easy if Oprah continues to struggle with her weight. Just stick to it. Maybe find a friend who wants to make some changes. You can encourage each other and share ideas of what to do to to stay on track.

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

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Feed Your Mind…

I use to read so much when I was growing up. I remember reading Nancy Drew books under the covers with a flashlight when it was lights out for the night. My Mom use to take us to the library so we could read all of the books we wanted. When I first got married we would read books every night. My husband read the book first and then I would read it and then we could discuss it. That was great! We didn’t own a TV, hard to believe that one can survive without a TV, but guess what? You can.

When we had kids we read to them constantly. It was so much fun. When they were old enough I took them to the library. They had an amazing storyteller there. We would listen to her first and then they got to check out books. They would check out about ten books each. When we got to the car they would immediately open the books and start reading. Reading to them and with them would be a big part of our family for many years.

The last few years I have gotten away from reading. I have immersed myself in art. I didn’t want to get into art while raising the kids because I knew it would take too much time away from raising the kids. I knew time with them would go fast and it did.

Now I am looking for balance so I find myself wanting to read again. I wanted to read something light and fun, so I have discovered Nora Ephron’s books. If you are thinking of taking up reading this is a great place to begin.  Another plus, you eat less when you read than when you watch TV. Give it a try.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” ~Joseph Addison

Take time to: INSPIRE, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, & CONNECT with friends.

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