How to Start Your Day on a Positive Note, Deal With Stress and Stay Empowered

When you woke up this morning, what was your first thought? That is of course between you and you.How about becoming aware of how you start your day. Won't you then set yourself up to have a better one? Now I know we aren't perfect. So we will have those complete bulldoze days where we just can't pull ourselves out of.However starting with awareness of which direction our thoughts are trailing in, is the beginning to practice changing course.My morning was a little upside down. Some my own fault, some well, lets say you can't control everything. I had to wake up an hour earlier. Keep in mind, the clocks just turned and hour forward, so it's actually 2 hours earlier than usual. My husband was looking for a shirt, I then realized I forgot to pick up the dry cleaning. And believe you me, he loves the traditional pure thick cotton shirts which are a nightmare to iron! Asking him to attempt ironing his shirt will end with him wearing a shirt that looks like he pulled it from the laundry basket. Hence, I swallow the hit of $2 shirt at the dry cleaners.With sleep in my eyes and a drunken walk to the laundry to iron his shirt, I opened the back door for my dog, Pepsi to go and do her business, upon hearing the garbage collection. Low and behold hubby didn't put out the trash. Now I can't go off at him, I have just been at fault forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning!Deep breaths, deep breaths... In and Out, In and out.With a smile on my face I handed him his shirt, when Pepsi came running in covered in mud and... I would rather not say what else, nor describe the stank. She escaped through the back fence. We have a hill/farm land green behind our house. Obviously she made use of the opportunity to roll in the first lovely smell she could find.I swooped her up and plonked her in the tub.My husband and I skipped having breakfast together with all this commotion. He went off to work with an empty tummy. While I run a bath for Pepsi.With the dog clean, I decided to just pause and slow down... my thoughts where of course racing in all directions. Whilst pausing I noticed Pepsi's face. Her ears pulled back, eyes watery, filled with remorse and guilt. I just melted, and smiled...I decided to stop rushing, being late for my meeting is not the end of the world. Trying to rush will just make me clumsy and in turn take longer to finish things and have me turn up at my meeting annoyed, angry and embarrassed for being late. With that mindset you might as well not have the meeting at all. So I postponed my meeting.With some time free'd up I made breakfast and decided to have it outside. I took my time whilst sipping my tea and baking in the light rays of the morning sun. Do you know how much extra time that took? To sip my tea, instead of gulping? A mere 5 minutes.How did I feel after doing so? Relaxed, positive and ready for the day. As if the mornings havoc disappeared!When we find ourselves in a spin, however big or small it may be. Just pause... slow down... it's never as bad as it seems at first instance. The same for your morning. When you are running late, starting to feel that stress and irritation build up. Just pause.Clock Watching won't change it. Being another 5 minutes late won't make a world of difference as you are already running tight on time. But pausing will. It will make you think twice before shouting at the kids when you are to blame for running late. It will stop you from making further clumsy mistakes as you are not thinking clearly. And it will change the path of your day!So next time you find yourself in a morning where one thing after the next goes wrong and your blood start to boil. Do you think you have a few minutes to pause... just slow down and let those feelings go. If it means taking a moment to play your favorite song. Having your morning tea sitting down, sips by sip... instead of gulp by gulp... or taking a moment to give your kids a nice long hug...I guarantee you, your day will change for the better.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Start-Your-Day-on-a-Positive-Note,-Deal-With-Stress-and-Stay-Empowered&id=7544641

How to be HAPPY - strategies to release your endorphins! By Amanda Gore.

Sam Cawthorn - On Loving Your Problems

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life’s about creating yourself.”--George Bernard Shaw

— Sharon Anderson (@sharoncurlyy) March 14, 2013

HIGH SELF VALUING IS THE BEST PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED HIGHER SELF ESTEEM?

Self Esteem is generally thought to embrace two main aspects of ourselves: 1) our competency and 2) our lovability. In a recent national survey, 85% report that they would be helped by increasing their sense of competency & lovability-their self esteem. You’ve probably seen toddlers learning to walk. They plop down, they struggle to pull themselves up, and then waddle onward. No loss of self esteem there, in the “failure” to walk perfectly. (One description of success is to fall down 6 times and get up 7 times.) My point is that it’s natural to feel high self esteem, unless we have been taught that we are ‘not enough.’ The good news is that if we have been taught to have low self esteem, we can also learn the skills to promote high self esteem. Below are 6 of the more obvious signs of the feeling of ‘not good enoughness’ that those 85% wanted to change. 1. Sensitivity to criticism. Although people who feel ‘not good enough’ "know" they have shortcomings, they do not like other people to point these out. They tend to perceive any form of criticism, regardless of how sensitively or constructively it is presented, as a personal attack. 2. Inappropriate response to flattery. This can work two ways. Some people are desperate to hear anything good about themselves and will be constantly fishing for compliments. Others may refuse to listen to anything positive about themselves because it is inconsistent with their own feelings. 3. Hypercritical attitude. People who do not feel good about themselves have trouble feeling good about anyone else. They look hard for the flaws and shortcomings of others to try to convince themselves that they really aren't so bad after all. These people cannot feel intelligent, attractive, competent, and so on, unless they are the most intelligent, attractive and competent person around. 4. Tendency toward blaming. Some people project their perceived weaknesses onto others in order to lessen the pain of feeling inferior. From here, it is only a short step to blaming others for one's failures. 5. Negative feelings about competition. People who feel inferior like to win games and contests every bit as much as anyone else, but they tend to avoid such situations because deep down, they believe they cannot win. And not coming in first is clear evidence of total failure. 6. Tendency toward seclusiveness and timidity. Because people who feel inferior believe that they are not as interesting or intelligent as others, they believe that other people will feel the same way about them. So they tend to avoid social situations, and when they are forced to be with others, they will avoid speaking up because they believe doing so will only provide an embarrassing demonstration of their dullness and stupidity. Whoever coined the expression "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt" provided an apt description of those with low self esteem. Do you see things you’d like to change to improve your self esteem? Is so, you join the 85%. . Dr. Jane Bolton, a marriage and family therapist, master results coach and contemporary psychoanalyst and is dedicated to supporting people in the fullest self expression of their Authentic Selves. This includes Discovery, Understanding, Acceptance, Expression, and Empowerment of the Self. Call 310.838.6363 or visit www.Dr-Jane-Bolton.com

http://www.dr-jane-bolton.com/support-files/higher-self-esteem.pdf

Always be an optimist!!!

“Every thing in life has its ups and downs. When it's up, be thankful and rejoice. When it's down, be strong and pray.”

— Sharon Anderson (@sharoncurlyy) March 3, 2013

Invest in relationships!

The number one thing people want in life - Recognition & Acknowledgement by Amanda Gore

What can I be the world's best at?

I heard a wonderful question recently given to a group. The speaker asked the group to answer this question for themselves … What can I be the world’s best at? I thought to myself that is a cool question, how would I answer it? In pondering it, here is my answer … I can be the worlds best at assisting people to define what matters, what’s meaningful and what makes a difference. What is the one thing that you could be the worlds best at doing? Here is how I look at it, what if I am not? What if I am in the top 100 or the top 1000 or the top 10,000 or even the top 100,000, what difference I have made in that journey, in the pursuit of being world class or worlds best. Wouldn’t it be cool to try? Let me know what you would like to be the worlds best at. Sharon Anderson Improve your life today

Weight Loss Tips for Health and Wellness

Staying healthy and fit is a goal most of us would like to achieve, and even harder, maintain. While there is not a "magic" pill we can take to make this happen (maybe someday), there are some simple and pain-free strategies we can use to help us along the way. Never grocery shop when hungry! EVERY aisle will be a temptation because EVERYTHING seems like it will taste fantastic. Your hunger will encourage you to make selections you normally might not choose. And with that thought in mind, on those nights that you "crave" the junk food; if it is not there, you cannot eat it. Never let yourself get too hungry! Small, healthy snacks throughout the day can actually prevent you from eating as much during your "main" meals. When you are hungry, your body secretes the hormone Ghrelin. This hormone lets your stomach know its hungry; unfortunately, it can take up to 30 minutes for the Ghrelin levels to come down. Imagine all the food you can consume during that half hour! Never skimp on your sleep! Allow an adequate time to sleep to insure your body is getting into the "deep" sleep phase. Having a consistent sleep schedule will help your body prepare for a good night's rest. We need sleep to repair, heal and cope with everyday stress. Never stop exercising! If you are physically able, you need to exercise. Being active, maintaining muscle strength and increasing your endurance, will add energy and health to your life. Never give up on reaching your weight loss and wellness goals! Be realistic. Be prepared to have "one of those" days where you may lose focus... it happens to us all. Just get back on task the next day and move forward. Self control is the best option; however, most of us may need a little help. There are a few safe appetite suppressants on the market today, with little to no risks or side effects. Garcinia Cambodia, Raspberry Ketone, Green Coffee Bean, and Hoodia are just a few of the weight loss supplements available over the counter. If you have medical issues, discuss with your doctor prior to using any weight loss supplement. Keep in mind, an appetite suppressant is not magic; you will need to make your own lifestyle changes with long term goals in mind. Making these few adjustments EVERY DAY could be the solution to years of healthy living and a lifetime of wellness. Remember... it's your life... your health... live well! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7524255