Decorate Your Space

Choose your environments carefully. The places you go. Environments can be a place of stress. Large busy buildings, back to back traffic, dangerous areas of town, someone's dirty messy house, loud noises. All these things just add stress to the body. Make sure your house, or where ever you are staying is beautiful and relaxing. A place that you want to be, or enjoy coming home to. 
 The way you arrange your house furnishings and your decorations makes a difference.  It should flow easily. Does it feel relaxing and comfortable to you?

 They say clutter is a subconscious stress. Things all around us make us feel confined and not at ease. Even the colors in your space set a mood as well as the pictures on the walls. Make sure everything around you makes you feel good and happy, relaxed and at peace.

I love candles and incense. It sets a calming mood. It sets an atmosphere. I light my candles on a regular basis. In the evenings. Its calm, warm, and relaxing. I also love having plants throughout my house too. They are a beautiful green display of life. Bring life inside your home. Bring nature in your home however you can. Nature has it's own balance. Plants, water, rocks. It brings you back to nature when you look at it. It is good for the soul. 

May your house display your love and your personality. I am really into metaphysical subjects. I love astrology, palm reading, tarot, hand writing analysis, runes, the elements, you name it... I also believe in guardian angels. so I have different themes going on. I also have a romance and love theme. They say its almost like making little shrines or alters for the things that you love and appreciate. So I have angels, love and romance, metaphysical, and nature. These are all objects that I love and appreciate, so when I go into my bedroom I see those things. I am reminded everyday when I see these decorations, and I am grateful when I look upon what I love. Specifically choosing what I appreciate. It is a great way to remind yourself about the joys of life and what makes it so special. Its hard to be in a bad mood when you are surrounded by the things you love. Choose thy love, love thy choice.

Make sure your house is a very special, comfortable, and loving environment for you.What are some of the things that you love and appreciate?

The Journey is the Destination

"When it comes to being happy, the journey is the destination."

"Chicken Soup for the Soul - 101 Inspirational Stories about Finding Your Purpose, Passion, and Joy." by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark

Life is meant to be simple. We are the ones who make it so complicated. Our purpose in life is simply to love and experience joy in all its perspectives.We should always strive to do what makes us feel happy. There is no set purpose for each of us. As we grow we make choices and decisions, and hopefully we choose what is best for us.

Some people spend their lives trying to figure out why we are here, and what our purpose is. Hopefully each of us will find what truly makes us happy, for that is the real goal in life. Each one of us is a unique individual who has different interests, preferences, and goals. There is no right or wrong answer. There isn't a career or goal that is better than another. We all need each other for the world to go round. And that is why diversity is so important. The central idea is to accept others for who they choose to be, and in turn love ourselves for who we are. Variety in life is what makes things exciting. 

There are so many different people who all have different dreams. But everything comes down to one central idea, which simply is the idea that 'the journey is the destination.' This reminds us to enjoy all the simple things in our lives, day in and day out. We shouldn't rush through life focusing so hard to be at a certain point. Each goal, and each step of the way is part of our experience. Some people are so focused on being somewhere else in life, that they miss out on many things right in front of them. I want a better car, a better career, a bigger house...etc. There is always something more, always another want. We will never stop wanting something new. We will always have a new goal. Once we grasp this, I think that we can slow down a bit and realize that we are just fine as we are. Yes, some of those other things would be nice, but when we realize we don't need it to be happy then we are in better place. Everything we want is possible if we believe, but patience is the key. It will come to us, one step at a time.

The journey is the destination. Appreciate where you are in life. There are so many reasons to be thankful. Enjoy each and every step in life. We will get there. Just be patient, and trust that life has its way of working things out. Enjoy your life journey.

Make it Count

"It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years."

-Abraham Lincoln

This saying is kind of like saying, make the most out of each and every day. It doesn't matter how young or old you are. Just make a point to enjoy each day as it comes. Live your life to its fullest and do what you enjoy.

What do you want to achieve in life? What are some of your life goals? What are some things you want to see or experience? These are all things we should consider. How important are these goals to us? And what can we do to help achieve them? We all have different dreams and motivations. But most importantly, what are our priorities? Are you incorporating your dreams into your daily thoughts? Anything is possible if we only believe. Just don't ever give up. Keep striving. Keep reaching. And believe that it is on its way. One step at a time.

It's the life in your years that matter. So what are you doing today to make the most out of your life? Start by examining your goals, and then make necessary changes. This life is meant to be fun and exciting, and it can be if we surround ourselves with the things we love. Let's all choose to make the most out of each and every day.

Today I am Living

"Today I am living, and my heart sings with joy for the days that follow."

-Angela Sayers

Today I am living. And that is all I can ask for. Each day is new. Each day is a gift to us. There is so much we can do and accomplish in just one day. Every morning when we wake we should give thanks for having just one more day. Each and every day we are blessed to be alive. Being alive is truly the most amazing gift.

As each morning comes along do we regret getting up? Are we angry that the alarm clock is going off and that we have to get up and go to work? Remember we choose our attitude. Instead being annoyed or frustrated, we should stop and think how lucky we are to have another day of life. Give thanks for the day. Give thanks for your health. And instead of complaining about work, we should be thankful that we even have a job. According to Google statistics our American unemployment rate is at 8.3 percent. Now that may not seem too high, but when we look at the American population of 311,591,917 people then that means there are roughly 2,586,129 people without work! That is a lot of people! So quit complaining already and be thankful! And that is only one reason to be thankful. There are so many other reasons. But just being alive should be enough. We are alive and can choose to do whatever we please in the day that we have. So today my heart sings with joy. Thank you for one more day!

Each and every day is a gift we should cherish. Who knows when it will be our last? Who knows when our time is up? Will we will wake up tomorrow? Give thanks every day. Make a habit out of it. First thing in the morning before you even get out of bed. Be truly thankful for the opportunity of a new day. And always make the most of it. Appreciate every little thing. Give thanks for each new day, for today I am living.

Connections

Stress release can be very simple if we allow it. We release stress by having fun and doing things we enjoy, all the things that make you feel good. What makes you happy? The things that make you happy are the things that will keep you alive! We must always make time for the things we love and enjoy.

There are many ways we can release stress by doing the things we love. What are some of the things you enjoy doing? What are some of your hobbies? I love to play board games, make candles, and do scrap booking. Some people enjoy playing sports or video games. Many women like to go shopping. Watching movies, playing an instrument, or even just listening to music are other great ways of relaxing and dissolving stress from life. Any sort of creative process where you are actually making something with your own two hands is great for the mind and a perfect way to ease stress from your life. Pottery, drawing, painting, and carpentry are all wonderful ways of expressing creativity. Horseback riding, bicycling, or hiking are great ways to get outside and appreciate nature. There are so many options.We need to find things and activities that we really enjoy, and make time for them regularly in our lives.

Another very important area we should focus on is making time for our friends. This may seem like a simple idea ,but how many of us make time for our friends on a regular basis? So many times we get caught up in our daily lives with work and children and new relationships we tend to put our friends on the back burner. They are there for us when we need them, but how about all that time in between? Do we talk to them only when we need something or have a problem? Or do we show them that we appreciate them in our lives?

As humans we are naturally social animals. Just like animals in the wild, we have our own packs, our own herd that we belong to. The people in our lives are not here by mistake. Everyone in our lives make an impact on us; they influence us. We need to appreciate our friends and realize what a true blessing they are in our lives. It's not always easy to come across a true friend; a real friend who is there because they want to be. Because they see what's inside of you, the real you. The friends who are there through thick and thin, no matter what happens. Those are the friends we need to make time for. We need to show these friends that we appreciate them by keeping in contact with them on a regular basis. When is the last time you had lunch with your good friend? Did you remember their birthday?

When we love and appreciate our friends then we are creating more joy, in both our own life and theirs. It feels good. And when we feel good then we are releasing the built up stress in our lives. Keep in touch with old friends. It's good for your health.

 "Foster connections - There is no question it is the connections with others that bring richness to our lives. Strong social connections and shared experiences create the foundation on which happiness can thrive. Pick up the phone; email an old friend."

"Chicken Soup for the Soul - Find Your Happiness. 101 Inspirational Stories about Finding your Purpose, Passion, and Joy." by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark