Do you guys know about the Optimist Creed?  It was written over 100 years ago by Christian Larson.  I love it when something so old is completely and totally relevant today…such a classic!  It’s beauty also lies in the fact that this can be used for anything…illness & disease, business, sports, motherhood, fatherhood, relationships, teachers…it’s just a great over all way to live.

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Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

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I think I’ll print this out and add it to my mirror so I can read every morning and night!!

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So it’s been way too long since I’ve made a post!  I could go into my excuses but I’ll spare you.

What I do want to share with you though is this quote from an Abraham Hicks Workshop in NY back in 1997 (13 years ago…seems so long ago when put like that!).

Be easy about this. Be playful about it. Don’t work so hard at it. Let your dominant intent to be to feel good, and if you don’t feel good, then let your dominant intent be to feel relief. Feel your way through it. If you think your way through it, you can get off on all kinds of tangents. If you feel your way through it, you can come quickly to your Core Energy, and when you do that only good can then flow to you.
— Abraham

I just love this!  It’s so simplistic.  We typically try to make things hard, but it really doesn’t have to be.  If we can just connect to how we feel (emotionally & physically), and go for a better feeling or a feeling of relief then everything else will take care of itself.

When our intention is to feel good and we go about our day feeling good, or feeling a sense of relief, then we can be playful.  We can have fun.  We can fully enjoy life!

No matter what, no matter the situation, no matter how stressed or anxious you are, remember you just have to feel good.  So how do you do this when you think your world is crashing in on you?  You think about something or someone that puts a smile on your face.  You listen to your favorite song.  You play a game, or go for a run.  You take a yoga class.  You meditate.  You get a massage, or maybe you give a massage.  You volunteer to help someone less fortunate than you.

When you start to feel your way through your experiences, rather than thinking through them, then you start to move quickly to your core energy.  Abraham said when you do this only good can flow to you.  That’s because your core energy is goodness.  It’s love, light, happiness, peace and positivity.  And when we start to pay attention to how we feel and have the intention of feeling good, then we’ll always be led to our core energy.  We naturally want to feel good.  We naturally do feel good.  Sometimes we just let our mind and reactions take us away from our natural state.  Once we get back to our core energy…we’re feeling good, we’re feeling love and happiness, and good will continue to flow to us.  As the Law of Attraction states, like attracts like.  So the more we’re at our core energy, the more goodness will flow to us.

It’s really an awesome cycle.  One that I definitely want to be in!

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I am so thrilled!  I won 4 tickets to take a ride on Thomas the Train!!  I’m excited for my little guys, but I’m super excited because I actually won something, and super duper excited about how I did it!

It’s a pretty cool story about how it all came about.

I have this video downloaded on my computer and it’s been sitting on my desktop for months and months now (maybe even years), but I hadn’t viewed it.  So last week, I realized it was there (for the 100th time) but this time I decided to check it out.  I had no idea what it was.  So I hit play and began listening to this 83 year old woman named Helene Hadsell (I had to google her to find out who she is!).  She blew me away.  She actually sorta kinda reminded me of my grandmother…Nanny B!  Anyway, she had my full attention.

She is known as the “Winning Sage“.  Her whole life she has been winning contests, sweepstakes, whatever you want to call them…she wins!  Here’s how she does it (and how I did it): S.P.E.C.

S: Select it.  (What is it that you want?  Pick it out.)

P: Project it.  (See yourself with the thing you selected.  How does it feel?  Visualize yourself wearing it, using it, riding on it (Thomas the Train), whatever it is, you have to project it out there.)

E:  Expect it.  (Have complete faith and trust that you will get what you want.)

C:  Collect it.  (It’s yours…go get it!)

This was taken in 2008 when we drove to Rusk, Tx to see Thomas.

So I watch the video, google her to find out who this amazing woman is, and then I decide to go to a site that I frequent called Moms Like Me.  Right there on the home page is a contest to win Thomas tickets.  So of course I enter!  I wanted to take the boys on this awesome train ride.  I saw us riding the train and visualized the reaction on my kids faces when they see it’s a real live Thomas.  I expected to win.  I would have bought tickets, but I just knew I was going to win so I didn’t.  Then yesterday I get an email saying I won and my tickets will be at will call for whatever day I want to go!!

HAHA I would say I can’t believe it, but I can!  I knew I would win.  I did exactly what Helene (my new grandmother, by the way told me to do.

I am just so thrilled by this!  You know, she’s really just using the Law of Attraction to get what she wants.  She never mentioned LOA on the video I viewed or anything that I saw online about her, but that’s exactly what she does.  I just love it!

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Unfortunately the file size is too big for me to post the video.  I really wanted you to watch it, but doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get it on here.  (I’ve been trying to get it to upload for some time now, but my server isn’t allowing me that space…my computer knowledge doesn’t extend beyond that

And as a side note…this picture of my family in front of Thomas was when we drove to Rusk, Tx in 2008.  Since the boys are older now and Miles (my little one) is totally diggin’ Thomas I think this time will be even better!

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STRESS.  A 6 letter word that is used so frequently…”I’m so stressed out”, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.  I’m just stressed right now”.  Really?  Is stress that prevalent in our world today?  I know it is, but sometimes I wonder if it’s just an overused word.  I wonder if sometimes the word stress is used instead of “busy” or “beat”.  Is stress used just because that’s what we’ve been taught or because we hear that word so frequently that we want to be part of the “stress crowd”?  Is it cool to be stressed?  Does being stressed mean we’re successful?

Absolutely NOT!

I rarely use the word to describe myself.  I guess mainly because I just don’t stress.  I may have a lot on my plate, or I may be under a time crunch but I wouldn’t say that I’m stressed.  I just know what I have to do and do my best to get it done.  But really I believe the secret to not being stressed is to believe in well-being, to believe that everything will be okay, to trust that it’ll all work out.  And this is what I do!

When we’re stressed, we’re basically feeling and thinking negative thoughts, our confidence is low (“I can’t do this”), and we’re dreaming up what an awful future we have.  And when we do this, we feel terrible.  We have anxiety and nothing is right.  If we continue this pessimistic view, what we will see is more of the same…more shit to be stressed about!

But it doesn’t have to be this way!  There’s really no need to stress, no matter what your situation is.

To believe in well-being is to be optimistic, and when you have optimism you have hope.  When you change your perspective to seeing the glass half full, it is!

So I’m not saying that you should look at something that is dark and yucky and call it light and shiny.  I’m just saying shift your gaze.  Instead of looking at your problems and stressing over them, look for the solutions.  When you take your focus off what you don’t want and focus on your well-being, then the Universe will bend over backwards to give it to you.

Next time you start to utter the word “stress”, or you feel stressed and overwhelmed just remember to look in another direction.  Think back to the last time you were stressed.  After the stressful situation ended, didn’t everything work out?  You’re still here, you’re still alive, and you have so much to be grateful for.  It really is okay.  No matter what happens, it all works out in the end.  It may not work out like you had planned, but it did work out and may actually even be better than you planned.

Have Faith.  Believe.  Have Hope.  Live Easy.  Now these are cool words!

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I just love Will Smith.  This is an awesome compilation of his wise, wise words!

As I sit here on the eve of a new year I think about all the people making resolutions…lose weight, quit smoking, no caffeine, be nicer, get a good job, work less, work harder, the list goes on.  And then I think about all the people in Feb (or sooner) giving up on those resolutions.  We’ve all done it, right?  We all do it, which is why I don’t make new years resolutions.

I totally respect those that come into the new year with resolutions, and I’m blown away by those that actually follow through…although come to think of it, I can’t recall ever meeting anyone who has.

As I’ve grown over the years I’ve learned the value of the present moment and how every moment is a brand new one and it’s okay to start over at any moment, so January 1 doesn’t really mean much to me other than it’s another moment!

So with that in mind, here’s my very simplistic intention for this moment, the next, the next and the next moment:  TO FEEL GOOD AND TO HAVE THOUGHTS THAT FEEL GOOD!  I truly believe that if in every moment I can feel good, then all will be well.  I will have anything and everything that I want and I will be living my dream life.  Period.  It’s that simple.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how I will feel good when something bad is happening and how feeling good will bring me anything and everything I want.  Let me explain — if something bad is happening it’s really just my perception of whether it’s good or bad, so if I can perceive it to be good, or at least see a bright side, then I’ll feel better.  Does that make sense??  AND, as you know I’m a HUGE believer in the Law of Attraction so the better I feel, the more things I’ll attract into my experience to feel good about, and I won’t be having “bad” things come into my life!

So there you have it.  My intention now, on Jan. 1, or any other day, any other moment is to feel good.  Wanna join me?

Happy New Year, Everyone!

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We all get crazy busy with the holidays, right?  Remember this:

Just do your best to keep yourself in balance. One of the first things that causes Energy misalignment, is asking or demanding too much of yourself in terms of time and effort. In other words, you just cannot burn the candle at both ends, so that you are physically tired, and then expect yourself to have a cheerful attitude. So, the rule of thumb has to be: “I’m going to be very, very, very happy, and then do everything I have time to do after that.”

This is from Abraham (Ester & Jerry Hicks) at an LOA workshop in 2005.

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This is such a great affirmation.  The entire thing is probably a bit too long to memorize, but just the beginning of it is pure greatness!  This is by Ester & Jerry Hicks.

Life Will Always Be Working Out For Me. . .

I like understanding that things are always evolving, and while there are many things that could be better where I am, it is not really a problem because “where I am” is constantly changing to something better. I like knowing that as I look for the best things around me where I am, those things become more prevalent in my experience.  It is fun to know that things are always working out for me, and as I watch for the evidence of that . . . I see more evidence of that every day.

Life Will Always Be Working Out For Me!

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Day 21.

I can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since I started this challenge.  Life goes by way too fast, which is why there’s no point in stressing, worrying, doubting, complaining, etc.  It’s all a complete waste of time.  Just think how different your life would be without doing all those things.  How different would your life be if you enjoyed every moment…if you took in all the little things that life offers you at that moment (good and “bad”) and were just totally grateful for it?  That’s what this challenge has helped me realize.

I’m understanding that what I consider problems or issues or stress or crazy situations is just my perspective of it.  When I shift my perspective to a more positive one, I get different results.  If I just shift my perspective to a grateful one, it changes the entire circumstance.

This challenge has made me feel better, and I’m so grateful for that because I know that feeling good is what it’s all about.  Don’t we all just want to feel good?  Doesn’t our life basically boil down to that one statement…I want to feel good!

When I would get irritated with toys strung all over the house, I would think how grateful we are to have all these toys.  When I want to honk & cuss at the car in front of me for not going fast enough, I would think how grateful I am for being safe and how grateful I am that I get to go wherever it is that I was headed.  When I had to make a choice, I was grateful that I get to make a choice and that I have options.  When I didn’t feel like making dinner, I was grateful that I had food to make, that I had a house to cook it in and clean dishes and gas to heat it.

This feels good!

This gratitude challenge has made me stop, take the time, and write about my gratitude.  I’m so thankful I did.  It puts things in perspective.  I realize more and more everyday just how great I have it, just how great my life is.  It has given me peace, and allows me to just relax and take it all in…to enjoy the now moment.

This feels good!

As you know (or maybe you don’t), I’m a HUGE believer in the Law of Attraction, where like attracts like.  When I have a feeling of appreciation it’s an energy that I radiate.  That energy is drawing to itself more energy of the same quality, so more things are coming into my experience for me to be appreciative of.

This feels good!

The challenge ends today, but I will never stop being grateful.  I will continue to write in my gratitude journal, and I will continue to be open to receive more good things in my life.

WOW – THIS FEELS GOOD!

(And thank you so, so much to everyone that reads my blog!)

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Okay, so I’ve totally slacked on this.  I could easily just blog about my excuses as to why, but I’ll spare you.  Plus, it doesn’t matter.  So, what I’ve done is list the assignments in the 21 day gratitude challenge for the days that I slacked, plus today’s.

Day 16 – Stand in front of the mirror for five minutes and focus on at least five things that you love about yourself. Write them down in your journal.

5 minutes, really?  This was not as easy as it sounds.  Fortunately, it didn’t say stand naked for 5 minutes!!  Looking at myself in the mirror for 5 minutes…I interpretted that to mean “what are the 5 things physically that you love about yourself”.

1.  My hair

2.  My arms

3.  My ass

4.  My complexion

5.  My stomach

I’m truly grateful for these physical attributes, but more than that I’m grateful that my body is healthy, strong, and functions properly (without me knowing how it all works!).

Day 17 – Write about something you feel grateful for in your life today.

This was last Saturday and that day I had lots to be grateful for.  I taught a yoga class that morning.  I hung out with my niece & nephew, enjoyed some gorgeous weather, and had Max’s 4th birthday party.  I could go on and on, but I’d like to just focus on one thing this day.   I’m so, so thankful for the students that show up every week and allow me to guide them in their yoga practice.  They are extremely dedicated students and I’m inspired by them every week!  I’ve been teaching this group of students for many, many years now (I could figure out exactly how many, but it’s late! ) and I’m so thankful to have them in my life.  I learn so much from them.  They are great people, and I really do appreciate them.

Day 18 – For the past three days, you have focused on appreciating what makes you unique. Write about all the things that make you so lovable. Take a moment to appreciate your personal style, talents and charm.

I think what makes me “so lovable” is that I don’t take myself too seriously.  I have a great sense of humor.  I’m completely easy going and don’t get bothered by what others say or do.  I listen more than I talk, and for the most part I like everyone.  And ya know what??  I love all that stuff about myself.  I’m really thankful that I’m this way.  I haven’t always been all these things, but as I’ve grown I’ve really come to love myself more and more.  Thank you for this.  I think it’s a fantastic feeling!

Day 19 – Have confidence in the all the choices you have made today and be grateful for being able to believe in
yourself.

I’m grateful that I believe in myself.  It takes work and I’m glad that I work on it!  I, like you, have doubts.  I really try to identify those doubts, and doubt my doubts.  Sometimes it easily works and others not so much, but I do recognize that it’s all me; that I’m the one that holds myself back, that gets in my own way.  And for that I’m grateful.  I’m grateful that it’s in my hands, and I have control over it.  My confidence and belief in myself starts with me and ends with me.  I’m grateful for the awareness, the pep talks that I give myself, and for the choices I make.

Day 20 – As The Challenge winds down, write a thank you note to yourself. Thank yourself for taking the time to stop and focus on all the little things for which you feel grateful.

Dear Self,

I’m really glad I did this challenge.  Thank you so much for taking the time each day to be aware, to be grateful and to be challenged.  I have been reminded to appreciate the little things and the big things.  My eyes have been opened to just how great I have it.  I have an awesome life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I’m thankful that this challenge was brought to my attention, and that I’ve inspired others to take the challenge as well.  I’m thankful that on those days that I didn’t feel like actually blogging about my gratitude, or didn’t have time that I didn’t quit.  It never once entered my mind to quit.  Thank you!

I’m thankful that I’ve put myself out here, so to speak, and have been more exposed.  It has made me open up in ways that I would have normally kept to myself in a personal gratitude journal.

I’m thankful for the way this challenge has made me feel, and I’m so glad and grateful I did it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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