To Do List

"Life is not one big to-do list."

-Val, Houtson TX

This is a big one! We are not living a big to-do list. We can not live life that way. So many people do though. They have their whole day or life planned out. They don't leave any room for unplanned events. This is not positive thinking, and it actually can cause a decent amount of stress on a person for trying to always accomplish that something by a deadline. We should not put such drastic expectations on ourselves. There should be plenty of flexibility in our lives. We must make time for fun. We can't always stick to our to-do lists.

Don't get me wrong, it is good to be proactive and strive to achieve our goals. But all within reason. I will use myself as an example. I am a stay at home mom, so during my average day I work on keeping our home clean. Sometimes it can be challenging to keep up with. I have a young baby so my time is very limited. Sometimes I will get disappointed in how much I can accomplish. But then I just stop and think how thankful I am to be able to be home with him and spend the time with him. I love being at home. I love my role of "housewife and mother." I always try to keep a positive attitude. I just strive to accomplish a little bit every day. I just do what I can, or what I feel capable of. I don't allow myself to get worked up over something so petty. I also make time for myself. You have to remember to take time for yourself if you want to have a healthy stress level. I take time at least five days a week to exercise. This is something that is good for me and it is helping me get back in shape after my pregnancy. Other things I do to take time out for myself would include reading a good book, taking a nice long shower, talking to a good friend on the phone, or even writing in this blog. There are unlimited things you can do for yourself.

Life should not be on a strict schedule. Life is not a big to-do list. Don't be upset if everything doesn't always work out the way you planned. Trust that life will happen the way it should. Make time for yourself when you need to. Enjoy each and every day.

Exercise

Exercise! I know... it's the word we all hate to hear. Why are we all so inactive anymore? Why don't we exercise and keep our bodies in good physical strength?

It is so greatly accepted to be overweight anymore. Why is that okay? The obesity rate is ridiculously high now. And so is the rate of people who are overweight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. They also state that BMI is calculated from a person's weight and height and provides a reasonable indicator of body fatness and weight categories that may lead to health problems and that obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. USA Today claims that one out of every three adults is now obese. Not just over weight, but obese! They also say that about 34% of U.S. adults, almost 73 million people were obese in 2008. And that was two years ago! Imagine what it is at now! Unreal! What are we becoming? Lazy! We need to take the time to exercise, not only for our physical health but as a stress reliever. And what two reasons could be better than that? Your health is something very important. And stress goes hand and hand with health. When we exercise we are releasing stress. We are keeping our bodies in physical shape. We should want to have reasonably strong muscles and have a good endurance. Why don't we respect our bodies and tend to it the best we can with proper exercise and nutrition? When did exercise stop being fun for us? They have done studies on the fetus in the womb, and have found plenty of their movements to be in patterns. The baby fetus actually practices different exercises in the womb to become strong as it grows. Children love to play and love to run outside.We as adults like to watch TV or get on the computer. Why not get outside and go for a walk, enjoy nature. We just want to sit. I heard a jaw dropping statistic on the radio. They said that Americans sit for 90% of their day. Crazy! Exercise, it is something we dread, something no one wants to do. But we need to! If you start exercising more regularly it will become more natural to you. It is natural to be active. Soon it will become part of your routine, make sure to incorporate it. And hopefully soon you will begin to actually enjoy it. Maybe not so much when you get going, but after each successful workout you will feel good. You will feel success, you have achieved something. It takes effort and you should be proud of yourself when you complete each workout. Then you will begin to push yourself further as you notice your body strengthening. It is a great stress reliever. And you will see the results. And you will feel it. When you are fit, you will feel better and you will be more confident in your body. Soon you will be saying "Wow! That was a great workout!"

There is no reason not to be active and get in shape. Exercise is good for us for so many different reasons. Which reason do you need? Do it as a stress reliever. Do it for your health. Do it for your confidence. Do it for your partner. Do it for your family. Do it for yourself!

Meet Someone

Take the time to meet new people. Don't be afraid to talk to other people. Why are we so afraid to talk to strangers? I mean really, most people are good people just like you and me. We need to take some time every now and then and step out of our comfort zone and just talk to new people.

Socializing with others is good for us. It actually is a stress reliever. We are meant to be a corresponding society. Why do we close ourselves up to most and only open up to only so few? Why are we so afraid to talk to people anymore? Everyone is always on their cell phones texting to each other anymore. No one actually calls you anymore. It's like "Hey, text me." Seems like nobody likes to talk on the phone anymore. Why is that? Why don't we want to hear the other persons voice, response, or expression? Its almost like we are afraid to talk to each other anymore. Just Yesterday I was on my morning walk with my son and there was a guy walking the opposite way as me. As we approached the point where we had to pass each other I smiled toward him. He just walked by with his head down. Didn't even look up, was looking at the ground. He didn't notice me smile, he was too afraid to even look me in the face and make contact. I find that somewhat weird, or maybe sad. But I've noticed it a lot with people. They space themselves out and don't leave themselves open to others. Look at when you go to the DMV, or the doctor's office, or anywhere there is a waiting area. How do people sit? They spread themselves out and give themselves and others as much space as there can be. People will sit every other chair until they fill in. Nobody wants to sit next to someone and be too close to them, or possibly talk to them. Or they will even put their purse or briefcase on a chair next to them as to have others sit elsewhere or make sure they have enough space of their own. It's just interesting. Interesting how we act around each other.

We all have to live here together and the world is only going to get more populated, so shouldn't we make an effort to enjoy each other? Don't be afraid to talk to someone new. Step out of your comfort zone and make a conscience effort to speak to new people. Interact with the world more. It's good for you!

Positive Conversation

We talk to people everyday. We talk with our friends and family mostly, and sometimes strangers. We need to remember to always and only have positive conversation, unless absolutely necessary of course.

This is important if we want to conduct ourselves in a positive manner. If we want to live a positive life then we need to live by it as well. That means we are only talking about positive subjects. Of course there are exceptions, but I am talking about for the most part on a regular basis we can "edit" not only our thoughts but our conversations as well. When we think about what we are talking about then it becomes evident what we are really thinking about. When we have conversation it stems to our thoughts and we are reflecting either positive or negative ideas if we realize it or not. And even more importantly we are spreading around our thoughts through conversation, so we do not need to be distributing any negative energy. Many people like to complain to others, but who really wants to hear that? And it doesn't help either party to hear the grievances. Ask yourself next time you are about to tell someone something that isn't constructive, will it really make me feel better by sharing this? How will the other person feel when I tell them? Will it benefit either of us? Choose your conversation by deciding if it is favorable to both parties involved. Another great outcome of keeping your conversation positive is that people will see you that way. Don't we all want to be the person who always has something good to say? People will view you as an optimistic person. They will want to talk with you and be around you.

Remember our thoughts and words reflect us. Positive thoughts will attract more positive things in your life, and the same with negative thoughts. Let's filter our thoughts and words so that we are positive the majority of the time. Think about what you are sharing with others. Positive conversation is one way we can spread optimism. Try it out!

The Longer I Live

"The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

And what a beautiful quote. But isn't it the truth? It seems like now that I am older I appreciate the Earth more. All of the wonders such as the oceans and all of their creatures, the trees and the plants, all the different animal species, the different seasons, everything this earth has to offer is just so beautiful. Nature is such a wonderful gift. It is something we can enjoy everyday. Every time I see the mountains out here I look at them in amazement, living in Colorado has been such a wonderful experience. The mountains are just so beautiful. But I also love going back to Michigan to see all the green! Green everything, plants and trees, there is just so much life. And the woods and the lakes. A whole different kind of beauty. The last time I was in Michigan I had to stop and listen and just appreciate what I was hearing. It was so neat to hear again, it had been so long. It was the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees. I couldn't remember how long it had been since I had heard the wind blowing through the trees. And I just loved it. But isn't that kind of sad? It had been so long since I had actually been able to observe nature in that way. When I lived there I took that for granted, never even thought twice about it. But now that I don't hear it, how beautiful it is when I do. But now I have different things of nature to appreciate such as the Rocky Mountains which are wooded and are usually accompanied by streams flowing along them. Very beautiful as well. And the sunsets! I don't think I have ever seen more beautiful sunsets. When the sun sets here, it drops right down into the mountains. So amazing beautiful. The colors are so vibrant. But I do agree with the quote from the beginning. Life does get more beautiful with age. I think as we get older we learn to appreciate things more. I think we also realize that life is fleeting. We tend to look at things different. I know I do. I can't believe that I am almost twenty-five years old. Now of course I know that isn't old at all.... but for me!? I don't feel twenty-five years old. Where has all that time gone? Has is really been six years since I graduated high school? I've been married and divorced. And I presently have a family, I have a son now. Amazing. Amazing how fast life comes and goes. Hard to believe sometimes. And then it just makes me wonder. How does my mom feel about where she is in life? How does my grandpa view the world? Or others for that matter. We can only imagine until we get there, to that age.

Well hopefully, life is beautiful to you and hopefully you can appreciate everything this world has to offer. Don't take it for granted, who knows how long it will be there, or even how long you will be here. Life is a wonderful experience we should treasure everyday as well as enjoy and appreciate the many gifts we have been given.

Patience

Patience is necessary if you want to achieve anything. Patience is a virtue that we don't see too much anymore as a society. We all want everything right now. We live in the fast food, fast lane, in and out, on the go, convenience of this world. Nobody has time anymore. What has happened? Either we have gotten ourselves so busy in life to where we can't take some time out to do these things or we have become lazy and stopped earning, doing, or making something. We need to slow down and look at the big picture.

What are we missing out on? What would we gain if we practiced more patience in our lives? Well for starters if we slowed down a bit and took some time out to do the things we enjoy then we would first of all notice a difference in our stress level. When we relax and take our time on something without being rushed, then we are more likely to do a better job, and possibly even enjoy the task we are doing. So our stress level goes down when we practice patience. We would also see the benefits of what we are working on. One example may be taking the time to make a home cooked meal. A real meal. So many people now are regularly eating out. Several times a week many are going to a restaurant of some sort and having their meals. Although it is fun to go out and the food always tastes great, the food is not usually a healthy choice. Honestly, how many of us can actually say that we choose the healthy foods when we go out? Maybe... a little bit here and there or you may have a vegetable on the side of your main course. And then we get into the issue being that, even the foods we think are the healthy choice are not always because of the way they were processed or cooked. But anyway, if we were patient and planned out our meal at home and cooked it our self then we would benefit from the health factors. And not only that, we will feel good about our choice and the fact that we took the time to make that meal. We should feel proud of our self for every accomplishment. Another great example would be making a gift or a card instead of buying one. Yes, it is going to take time and effort to do that, but just imagine how much more special that gift will be. Imagine how much more it would mean to a person to know that you spent your time and energy on making them something nice. Get creative and have some fun. There are so many other unlimited possibilities we can practice with. Some other examples could include waiting in line at the grocery store, heck even letting someone with less items go ahead of you, being tolerant and polite to that person who is obviously new to the job, trying to empathise with others when they make mistakes, or even driving in bad traffic situation are all more ways we can work on being more patient.

Patience. We all could practice a little more patience in our lives. There are so many examples we can practice with every day. We all want others to be patient with us, so we need to in turn practice the deed ourselves. What goes around comes around. Wouldn't things be so much better and more pleasant if everyone was patient and kind?

Love

Love is not love until you give it away.


Love is a word that gets thrown around a lot. But what does it really mean to love? To love someone is something special. And not just romantic love, but any kind of love. They say love is the most powerful force. So what does love really mean? If you really love someone what are you willing to do for them? How do you show them?

If you love someone then you are willing to put the other person's needs or wants before yours, which isn't always easy. That is what it means by love is not love until you give it away. Some examples of giving love away may include giving gifts, helping a loved one catch up on chores, cooking a meal for others, donating to a good cause, or even giving up your last cookie to your significant other. And that can be really hard to do sometimes! Sometimes it really is hard to be selfless and put someone else before you. I think if everyone practiced selflessness a little more than we would see a big change in this world. Imagine if everyone chipped in, if everyone did a little extra, or gave of themselves to help others.

Of course there are limits to giving and being unselfish. We do have to draw the line somewhere because unfortunately there are people who will take advantage of a person or situation. Sadly, some people will allow us to keep on giving and will continue to receive whatever they can. We need to be able to recognize when this is happening. Hopefully it is not something we find regularly, but it does happen. When we notice we are giving and giving of ourselves and nothing is appreciated then we need to cut ourselves off from that person and persist elsewhere. We do not need to be taken advantage of.

What goes around comes around and we need to be sure we are doing our best at being a truly good person. When we extend our love out to others then it will come back to us. Love is a wonderful emotion to have and to share. Let's contribute to this world by giving our love.

Determination

Determination is a very powerful force that we all have inside of us. It is the strength that keeps us going when things get tough. Determination is also key to positive thinking.

Failure in people is caused more by lack of determination than lack of talent.When we are determined to have something, or to make something happen, then it is more likely to come about rather than non-believing, or giving up. When we have something put in our minds, and we set a goal, then we are more likely to achieve this ambition. It is so important for us to be motivated and determined to reach our goals. How do we do that? We set our minds and keep focus on our purpose, and do not forget how bad we want it. If we want something really bad, then we will try almost anything to get it. We will try different ways and different approaches. How bad do you want it?  Determination means continuing on regardless the obstacles. Everything is not always going to be easy. With determination we will reach our goals. Determination brings us to our wishes. If we continue to think positively and believe, then with determination we will soon find what we have been looking for.

Some great examples of determination were the inventions of electricity and then the light bulb. I'm sure we have all heard the stories. How many times did it take those men to get their invention right? Did they get it on the first try? No way! They tried hundreds of times to get it right! And just imagine where we would be if they gave up on their ideas. Some of the greatest inventions took many tries to get them right. So let's remember that when we don't always succeed on the first try. It is possible, and it can happen. We just have to believe and have the determination not to give up.

Don't let set backs get you down. Don't let complications hold us back from getting what we want. Continue forward and don't give up. Believe in yourself and have faith in the universe that your needs and wants will be provided. Determination means never giving up.

The Real You

Let people see the real you. One of the best ways to free ourselves is by being ourselves. Why is it so hard to be ourselves around others? Why are people so worried about impressing others? Why can't we just be the person that we are?

We are all unique in our own ways. There are so many characteristics that make a person.  And that is what makes us all so interesting and fun. There are so many kinds of different people, and its our differences that makes us unique and beautiful. Enjoy who you are, and enjoy what makes you diverse. Unfortunately as a civilization we are doing the opposite and trying to be all the same. We have a set idle image of what is appropriate to society and it becomes the trend. Why can't we all just be who we are?

We should be who we are, and honest about the things we are passionate about. Let our real personalities shine. We don't need to censor ourselves for the public. We need to show who we are by expressing ourselves in whatever means necessary. It is important to put our real selves out there because we do not want people in our lives who attract otherwise. If someone doesn't appreciate the real you, then you really do not need there company after all. Why spend time with those who are expecting something other than yourself? If someone then sees the real you and likes you for who you are then you know that they are a genuine friend or companion. And those are the people that we need to find in life. Those are the people who are always there for you, even when things get rough. They are the person who takes the time to be your friend, not only when its convenient. Family members and friends are the people who will be there when you really need someone. In all reality, all we need are a few good friends. The friends who love and enjoy the real you.

So be yourself, share your personality with the world and see what kind of people you attract your way. Being the real you is freeing yourself. Don't be scared to show who you are.