DebbieDona

happiness month is every month

Mind Your Thoughts and Get Happy For National Happiness Month!

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A modern living room with a white sectional sofa and large windows.

Is it time to make your happiness pit stop?

 

Can you really have too much happy? There are those who act happy to a point of giddy, they want to make a party out of a disaster and tend to negate other valid emotions. That is not what this celebration is about. August is National Happiness Month and I want to help you find yours. First thing you might consider is what NOT to do. In this article I have shared some things that the unhappy make habit,HABITS OF THE CHRONICALLY UNHAPPY.

Sometimes in order to be happier, we have to do something that isn’t fun, but will result in long happiness. I recently had a client share with me how attending a family reunion as a kid was so boring that it was almost painful for her. Now she is so glad she did, as there are many fond memories and connections from those events. She now drags her daughter to family reunions, kicking and screaming. Although I cannot say that scrubbing my bathroom plumbing is a joy, the end result makes me happy. To be happy in the long-term, we may have to stretch ourselves in the short-term. A willingness to try new things or see old things in new ways may be a prerequisite for lasting happiness.

There has been a lot of research in recent years with regard to happiness. While we tend to believe that we will be happy when we achieve a goal, research has found the opposite. It is the thought of the goal and the work that goes into achieving it that brings us happiness. Although we think winning the lottery will bring us happiness, once again, research says that is a fallacy as well. After three years of winning the lottery, the winner acclimates to the new normal and returns to their previous level of happiness or unhappiness.

So, what is happiness and how do we sustain it? According to Acacia Parks, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hiram College, “The research suggests that happiness is a combination of how satisfied you are with your life (for example, finding meaning in your work) and how good you feel on a day-to-day basis. Both of these are relatively stable–that is, our life changes, and our mood fluctuates, but our general happiness is more genetically determined than anything else. The good news is, with consistent effort, this can be offset. Think of it like you think about weight: if you eat how you want to and are as active as you want to be, your body will settle at a certain weight. But if you eat less than you’d like or exercise more, your weight will adjust accordingly. If that new diet or exercise regimen becomes part of your everyday life, then you’ll stay at this new weight. If you go back to eating and exercising the way you used to, your weight will return to where it started. So it goes, too, with happiness.”

Furthermore, researcher Daniel J. Siegel, MD has concluded that with a daily habit of mindfulness the brain changes in ways that cause us to feel happier and more contented. Being mindful means being more fully aware of what is around us – what we can see, hear, touch and taste. Also, aware of what is happening inside us, our thoughts and our feelings. It’s about learning to observe all this without getting caught up in worrying or ruminating about it. We are then able to choose where we place our focus.

Tips For Making August Your Happiness Month

Notice

So, how do we begin a practice of happiness/mindfulness? Start with noticing your thoughts. What do you place your focus on? Focus on lasting meaning, not momentary feelings. Things that make us feel good in the moment may actually be unhealthy for us, creating guilt, remorse and negative health consequences down the road. All types of addictions fall into this category, as does mindless materialism. If we can focus on building a life in which we act authentically and are guided by our core values we can achieve more lasting happiness. This feeling may not be as intense as a momentary high, but it is deeper and more enduring. When we build authentic relationships and contribute to our family and community, we feel good about ourselves.

Savor

If we deliberately savor the good times, they will be there for us to draw upon in the not so good times. We have become pros at practicing for disaster, yet when it strikes we are no more prepared to handle it then we would have been had we not spent time worrying. Ironically, research shows we can extend our enjoyment of special times by deliberately thinking about them. We need to practice every day to rewire our brains for happiness. This means deliberately focusing attention on the positive parts of our day, such as the morning hug from a loved one, the adorable way our puppy wags her tail when we get home or the magnificent sunset outside our door.

Connect

When we allow our relationships to go onto autopilot, we lose our connections with others. Instead of thinking about what we are going to say next in a conversation, imagine just listening. Open your heart and listen to the feelings behind the words being spoken. This kind of attention will help your friends and loved ones feel that you really care about them and what they have to say. It will also help you to truly understand what they are trying to communicate. When you are focused on the experience of being with others while you are in their presence, you immediately make that quality time.

Give Thanks

There are volumes written on the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. Taking time each day to review the things you are grateful changes the neural pathways of your brain. This will help you overcome the negativity bias you had hardwired into a more positive thought flow, improving your health and sleep! Being thankful fills us with optimism and self-confidence. Gratitude dampens our desires for “more” of everything–and it deepens our relationships with loved ones. And when we express our gratitude to someone, we get kindness and gratitude in return causing immediate increases in happiness and decreases in depressive symptoms.

Breathe

Taking time to breathe deeply and notice your breathes allows the mind and body to slow down and get into synch. We get busy and forget to notice our breathing, yet without breath, there is no life. So take time throughout the day to breathe deep. Feel the air going in and out of the body and notice the feelings that happen in the body when breathing long, slow breathes.

Mind your mind. Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Opening our awareness beyond the narrowness of negativity can help bring back more balance and positivity into the picture. In other words, know what makes you happy and get happy!

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Infographic on effective communication skills and techniques.

Happiness Happens Month

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The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.
Benjamin Franklin

The month of August has been declared Happiness Happens Month by the “Secret Society of Happy People” since 1999. The group defines its mission as “to help people recognize more happiness and encourage them to talk about it”.

The Society has three purposes for this month:

  1. Recognize and express happiness
  2. Listen to others talk about their happiness
  3. Don’t rain on other people’s parades

They also have some fun ideas to help celebrate. Here are a few:

  • wear a pair of silver shades (because happy people always see the silver lining)
  • laugh (laughter is still the best medicine)
  • smile (and the world smiles with you)
  • post on Twitter about what makes you happy, using the hashtag #HappinessHappensyou

The group has a Happiness Happens Month 31 Day Challenge on Facebook. So far, I have been challenged to walk barefoot in the grass, wave at strangers, do something spontaneous and sing out loud to name a few. Even if you haven’t started the month’s challenges, you can join in right where you are and always go back to the beginning next month. After all, once you hop on the happiness train, you are going to want to stay onboard!

Happiness protects your health

I have repeatedly mentioned that I often asked my sons to find a reason to smile and laugh on their way out the door when they were younger. I am glad I did, because even now if I say that, they giggle. Therefore, I have started the day in a happier way! According to studies being done, I was not only encouraging a good mood, but I was helping them remain healthy.

You have most likely heard that getting upset or angry can raise your blood pressure. In fact, in the worst-case scenario, those emotions can lead to a heart attack or stroke. But did you know that positive emotions can lower your blood pressure and risk for cardiovascular disease?

Dr. Barbara Fredrickson researched and found that when stressed people watched a film that left them feeling amused and content, that led to quicker recovery of heart function. She also noted that stressed subjects who smiled while watching a sad movie had a more rapid heart rate recovery. Her thesis is that positive emotions undo the effects of stress and, therefore, protect a person’s health.

There are even more health benefits to being happy. This infographic(created by happify)I found while surfing says it all in a neat package.

A modern living room with a white sectional sofa and large windows.

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Cell Phone Courtesy Month

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July has been named Cell Phone Courtesy Month. According to many, the cell phone is one of the greatest inventions of our time. However, others might disagree. As the cell phone has developed into the smartphone, it’s also one of the greatest distractions.

It’s not just the loud conversations you are forced to listen to or the nerve-jangling sound of a custom ring tone, but even worse in our society today: being ignored due to texting, posting, tweeting, etc. It has become a real danger on the roads, cell phone use is now estimated to be involved in 26 percent of all motor vehicle crashes. The National Safety Council states that an estimated 5 percent of crashes involve texting, while 21 percent involve drivers talking on handheld or hands-free cell phones.

In fact, Broadway Legend and Tony winning actress, Patti LuPone had enough during a performance of “Shows for Days” at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center.  One audience member who was more glued to the texts on her cell phone than to the show being put on in front of her by real, live actors. While doing a scene, LuPone reached down and plucked the phone from the spectator’s hands!

The next day she went on to release this statement:

“We work hard on stage to create a world that is being totally destroyed by a few, rude, self-absorbed and inconsiderate audience members who are controlled by their phones,” she said. “They cannot put them down. When a phone goes off or when a LED screen can be seen in the dark it ruins the experience for everyone else — the majority of the audience at that performance and the actors on stage.

“I am so defeated by this issue that I seriously question whether I want to work on stage anymore,” she added. “Now I’m putting battle gear on over my costume to marshall the audience as well as perform.”

I recently addressed technology addiction and some of the issues involved with all this time spent not engaged in people. Today, I just want to offer some possible changes you can make in order to be a more courteous cell phone user. I promise to make changes as well!

Tips For Achieving Cell Phone Courtesy

  • Be Present

Whether you are in a meeting or just meeting with friends, put down the phone and focus on the people present. I ask my clients to silence their phones, so that we can focus and become fully engaged in the experience of hypnosis.

  • Keep It Private

Do you really need to share the ups and downs of a relationship by arguing over the phone in the middle of a restaurant? Keep your business out of the public arena unless you really want the advice of strangers. After all, if you draw them in, they may feel entitled to comment.

  • Avoid Cell Yell

Whether it is due to the size or the shape of the cell phone, people just seem to yell into them. Forgetting where they are, they become loud and interrupt others. Timo Kopomaa, a social scientist at the University of Technology in Helsinki and author of a study on cellphone behavior has observed that people shout above the ambient noise in public squares, restaurants and post offices as they become engrossed in personal conversations, consequently ”privatizing the public space,” Dr. Kopomaa said. By doing so, he said, they ignore the needs of the nonphoning public, ”denying others the privacy they selfishly appropriate for their own use.”

  • Excuse Yourself

I recently was in a yoga class where someone had the phone and actually took a call! The instructor had to ask them to step outside. If you are expecting a call that you simply can’t miss, then be prepared to leave where you are when it comes in. If you are in a meeting or with friends, let them know in advance you may have to take a call, then respect them enough to leave when it comes.

  • Focus On Driving

When in traffic, keep your eyes and your attention on the road. Don’t make or answer calls when driving in heavy traffic or hazardous conditions. Place calls when your vehicle is not moving, and use a hands-free device to help focus attention on safety. Always make safety your most important call.

 Emily Post has listed her top ten cell phone courtesy practices for better manners. You can visit here to read them. If you think that you might need help putting the phone down, perhaps there is more to it than you thought. You might have a technology addiction. If putting the phone down gives you a sense of loss, perhaps you want to think about getting help. Hypnosis can help you disconnect long enough to refresh and revive yourself.

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stop smoking hypnosis

Technology Addiction Can Be Helped

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When we think of addiction, we tend to think of alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and gambling. We may even think about food as an addiction. There is a new threat to our health and well-being and it is very addictive, it is called technology addiction. It has not as of this writing been recognized as an official disorder, but the recommendations are there and it is (in my opinion) just a matter of time.  According to Dr. Andrew Doan of the U.S. Naval Substance Abuse and Recovery Program in San Diego, “There is no other drug of choice that you can get for the cost of an Internet connection or for free at a WiFi hotspot that’s as addicting as a painkiller.”

Go to any local hang out and notice how people are texting, posting, tweeting, pinning, snapping and any number of other internet interactions, while ignoring the real humans around them.  Social media is only part of the issue. We can stream movies, shop, play games, gamble, find love and even watch porn anywhere we happen to be.  China has taken the step of declaring technology addiction (or more specifically internet addiction) as a top public health threat.  They have rehab centers for addicted teens, the problem is oversight is lacking and some of the methods used are potentially more dangerous than the addiction itself.

There are couples who have said that their relationship broke down one click at a time. It became easier to get lost in the webs than dealing with the issues right in front of them. Becoming absorbed in sports, soaps, reality T.V. or any television programming can also be the escape route from dealing with the real world. I have written before about my concerns with what social media does to our self esteem.  We have a variety of blue boxes and screens that occupy our time, it is important to know where and when to draw the line.

Everyone’s internet use is different. It is possible that you might need to use the internet extensively for your work. Or maybe you rely heavily on social networking sites to keep in touch with faraway family and friends. Spending a lot of time online only becomes a problem when it absorbs too much of your time, causing you to neglect your relationships, your work, school, health and safety. If you keep repeating any compulsive behavior despite the negative consequences in your life, then it’s time to strike a new balance.

Technology Addiction Interferes With Real Living

When these activities begin to interfere with our jobs, our health and our safety we want to stop and consider what we are doing to ourselves. Having sleep issues? Many of my clients who have insomnia will sneak out of the bedroom when they awaken in the middle of the night to check emails. The blue screen will entrap them and take away any hope of returning to a good night’s sleep.

Personally I find the driving while texting to be a huge concern. I can’t even guess the number of times I have watched what I thought was a drunk driver only to pull up at the next light and realize they were in fact a texting driver. It is a bit worrisome when a hair stylist is constantly checking their phones; after all, they hold scissors right at our heads!

If you are noticing that you are avoiding the world and hiding behind a screen, take action. Set time limits for recreational use and stick to those limits. (I am in favor of timers that go off and remind us it is time to walk away.) Get physical so as to get those feel good hormones released into your body. The high of addiction causes those same hormones to be released, so change how it happens. Practice turning everything off during meals, take time to enjoy the meal and anyone you might be sharing it with. Parents need to follow these guidelines when wanting to set limits for their kids. After all, kids learn by observing adults in action.

If the temptation is stronger than your ability to find other activities and you find yourself drawn back to technology, hypnosis can help.  Hypnotherapy can be extremely effective when used to treat addictions and can either be used alone or in conjunction with traditional medical care as part of a treatment plan. After discussing the concerns  with a client we can decide the best combination of hypnotic methods to use in order to assist that individual achieving the goal of rejoining humanity once again.

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Are You Ready For Shark Week?

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It’s Shark Week! Discovery Channel is hosting the annual week of (mis)information about sharks. Don’t get me wrong, there is legitimate information shared, but unfortunately there is also a lot of myth that is shared. This disappoints marine biologists like Ellen Prager. To quote an article posted on npr.org, “Ellen Prager, a marine scientist who has taught at the University of Miami and writes books for children about sharks, says she and her colleagues have a list of things that drive them crazy about Shark Week, such as the emphasis on sharks attacking people and feeding frenzies.”

I too, have a concern. While I am not a shark expert and I do have a healthy respect for sharks, I am of the opinion that the media will forgo fact for the sake of ratings on many occasions. This feeds into fears and phobias. Recent media reports of shark attacks along the coast of North Carolina and Florida have everyone believing that we are in danger practically as we park in the beach parking lots.

About a year ago I was walking along the causeway with a friend when we looked down from a bridge into the waters below. There were sharks swimming around and fishermen on shore trying to catch them. I found this fascinating. My friend couldn’t get away fast enough. Even from this safe distance, she was afraid. Now, unless you believe the ridiculousness of the Sharknado movies, it’s obvious that the sharks were not going to rise up out of the waters, fly above a bridge and bite us. That did not make her reaction any less real to her. The sight of those creatures started her pulse racing more than the fast pace of our walk ever did.

I understand completely how that feels. In the past I had a phobic reaction to snakes as a result of an unfortunate encounter I had with a rattle snake while on a school camping trip. I held onto the sensations and fears for almost 20 years. It wasn’t until I realized how that phobia was holding me back that I was even willing to address it. I offered to help my friend with her shark phobia, but for now, she is not ready to release it.

The problem with holding on to fears that are not rational is that it can lead us to make decisions that are bad for us. For example, a fear of flying can greatly affect a person’s ability to perform their job if air travel is required, the same with fear of driving. I have worked with people who feared public speaking. Imagine that fear being so great that a simple elevator speech in a networking group becomes too much? I had a client who was so phobic about elevators he had to turn down a promotion because it meant he would have to climb 15 flights of stairs. After our working together, he was able to not only take the elevator, he could take the promotion!

If you watch Shark Week…

If you watch Shark Week and all the hype, enjoy. Remember to check facts, to keep aware of the difference between reality and fiction. If there is anything that seems to cause an intense reaction in you, breathe deeply though it. Should you have any phobias that are holding you back, now might be the time to eliminate those sharks from the murky waters of your deeper mind and begin to live freely again.

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American flag against a backdrop of trees.

Fourth Of July Freedom!

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A modern living room with a white sectional sofa and large windows.The Fourth of July is almost here and recipes for everything barbecue and decadent are all over the media. Fourth of July parties are being planned. The fireworks are set for display. In fact, one town near me has already had their fireworks show, so that locals could get in as many shows as possible. I love the anticipation, the joy and the excitement this all brings. More important though is what all of this symbolizes. We are celebrating freedom. The freedom of our country yes, but I believe it is a deeper freedom we want to celebrate.

We are born with a psychological freedom, by that I mean a detachment from labels, styles, failures, possessions, occupations and more. We arrive in this world naked and pure. As we grow, one by one the layers are placed upon us. We learn to “fit in”. We are given labels and uniforms. The purity turns to judgement, the harshest is what we heap on ourselves. We begin to find more and more reasons we don’t measure up, which means we have to work harder at obtaining labels that we believe will free us.

My clients come from all walks of life. Some are wealthier than others, some are more classically beautiful and some are more social. The one thing all of them have in common is that they see themselves as “broken” in some way. Eventually, freedom has been reduced to an impossible label of perfection. If they could only lose more weight, speak more clearly, be a better athlete, then they will be free to be themselves.

I will ask my clients, if you were to have already accomplished your goal, how would you be different? Some will say they will feel better about themselves, others tell me how they will be happier, less fearful or any variety of feelings that freedom brings. I will ask them to imagine how that feels. How it might look if they were free. I want to know what their inner dialogue might sound like if they were free.

Next we take the abstract concept of personal freedom and transform it into something more concrete. I have had clients identify the negative sensations as shapes, colors, textures and even scents. We find where it resides in the body and I will ask them if they can hand what they have just identified over to me. From there, we may shrink it, move it, shred it or even flush it in the commode!

Once the old concept is gone, it is time to fill the space it occupied with the sense of having achieved the goal. Filling themselves with freedom is a lighter and happier experience. We naturally move away from pain towards pleasure. This makes the process of filling the empty space with goodness a natural one. As we practice those feel good moments, they become more and more comfortable and natural to us.

The Fourth of July And Your Freedom

Maybe it is time for you to experience freedom.

You can choose from the list below and declare on this Fourth Of July that you are now free.

I am FREE from:

  • my ego
  • the blame game
  • depression
  • shame
  • pride
  • ego based anger
  • having to justify myself
  • the fear of self-ridicule
  • self-doubt
  • self-damning
  • manipulation of my ego
  • the game of pride or shame
  • the lies of self-esteem
  • the pressure to be something
  • the pressures to become something
  • ego based anxiety
  • having to prove myself

Enjoy your barbecues, parties and celebrations. When you watch the fireworks this year, celebrate true freedom, personal freedom not only this Fourth of July but everyday beyond!

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Let It Go!

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June 23 is Let It Go Day. If you find yourself too busy for fun and the things that really matter to you then maybe there are some time or joy robbers you need to let go.

Let It Go: Clutter

Yes, I know I have said it before, I just can’t repeat it enough. When it comes to clutter, let it go!

Let It Go: Phone Calls

Do not answer calls from unrecognized phone numbers, if it is important there will be a message. Just because a phone rings you are not obligated to answer, especially when it might be a sales call.

Let It Go: Email

Stop checking e-mail constantly, “batch” and check at set times only. Take yourself off of any list that you truly don’t love to read.

Let It Go: Worry

If you waste time worrying about the future, you lose the value of now. Instead, write down what you are concerned about and give yourself permission to come back to it at a later set time. Often you will find things have a way of working themselves out regardless of your fears.

Let It Go: Anger

I think the Buddha summed it up well: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Let It Go: Not Saying No

Taking on too much puts pressure on you and prevents you from living at your best. Not being at your best and most effective means everything takes longer and more of your time is stolen from you. Teach others to value your time by example.

 

Whatever it is that’s been grabbing your gut, your time or your psyche, let it go!

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Glass of ice water held in hand.

Water: The Natural Metabolism Booster

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A modern living room with a white sectional sofa and large windows.Have you been told over and over again when dieting to drink more water? It is often repeated advice, but why? Is there any science behind this or is it one of those often repeated tips based on legend? Even worse could it be an evil plot to sell more toilet paper? I wanted to know and so I checked around. I am happy to report that drinking water is helpful in weight management, in fact, it is a metabolism booster.

According to researchers at the University of Utah, who monitored the metabolic rates of 10 adults as they drank varying amounts of water per day, all of your body’s chemical reactions, including your metabolism, depend on water. The results of the study found that those who drank either eight or twelve 8-ounce glasses of water a day had higher metabolic rates than those who had four. When you are dehydrated, you may be burning up to 2 percent fewer calories.

Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking water (about 17oz) increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy men and women. The boost occurred within 10 minutes but reached a maximum 30-40 minutes after drinking. Over a year, drinking an extra 1.5 liters a day burns around 17,400 calories. Thatadds up to about five pounds a year shed. Studies have also suggested that drinking one or two glasses of water before a meal can fill you up so you naturally eat less, thusfewer calories consumed.

Now you can take this water drinking a step further by adding one of the following three things to your water.

Metabolism Booster #1: Citrus Fruit

Adding citrus fruit to your water can speed up the fat burning process and help you feel more energized. Lemons and oranges in particular are a great source of Vitamin C and assist in fat burning. This is because the metabolic process of transporting fatty acids within the cell and mobilizing them to be used as energy requires vitamin C as a co-factor. That means that loading up on vitamin C can naturally increase fat burning. Add 3 – 4 slices of lemon or orange to your water to get that boost of vitamin C and help use fat as energy.

Metabolism Booster #2: Cucumbers

Flush out your system and your metabolism by drinking glasses of cucumber water. The natural diuretic effects of this vegetable containing potassium and vitamins A and C, flushes out toxins and revs up your metabolism. Add 6 – 8 slices of cucumber to a pitcher of water and refill your glass for a cool, refreshing drink!

Metabolism Booster # 4: Cayenne Pepper

While spicy water may not sound tasty, give it a chance. Research suggests that the capsaicin found in cayenne pepper can boost your metabolism shortly after ingesting it and may even make you feel fuller. Cayenne on it’s own may not seem appealing, so try mixing a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper with sliced strawberries and blueberries. It is surprisingly sweet, calorie torching and a pick me up with a kick!

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Bright sunflowers with a Mother's Day quote by Robert A. Heinlein.

Throw Away Your Head Trash!

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I just had the best yoga class ever! It wasn’t actually the yoga that made it that way, although I do love the practice. It was who was in attendance. There is a gentleman, actually the husband of the instructor, who I have always thought was a fun and kind man. Well, the last time I saw him, he was quite ill. He asked me to help him with hypnosis, which I gladly did. I haven’t seen him since, although his wife kept me updated on his progress.

The hypnosis we did was directed at the stress resulting from his diagnosis and also going through the treatments he had to endure in order to find his way back to recovery. I recorded the sessions and gave him those as well as others I had that were appropriate. His wife said they listened to them daily through the whole process.

I couldn’t help myself, I hugged him hard! He smiled, so did his wife. As I was leaving the class, he stopped me and told me that he uses the advice I gave him every day. I had to ask, what advice? He said that he does a daily purge of his head trash. He imagines a trash can that he fills up with the stuff that has been rolling around in his thoughts and then dumps it in an incinerator to be burned and left as ashes.

Head Trash

I did tell him to do that, I often suggest that to my clients. It just hit home when he said it, how important a practice that is. The stuff that rolls around in our heads can interfere with our peace, especially when facing something that seems to be larger than we are, that is head trash. It humbled me that here was this person who had just faced a huge personal challenge saying that my suggestion was making a difference in how he was living. It made me realize how important our words and actions are. If I speak it, I want to be sure and live it.

There are challenges in all our lives. I do my best to keep mine under control, but truth be told, I am human. I have moments of feeling frail. This wonderful man just reminded me to throw that stuff away! I also have found that for me, when it seems like my head trash is getting too full, it is time for me to look around at how I can help someone else. Whether it is through organized volunteerism or just doing a favor for a friend. If my focus becomes how to help facilitate a change for another, change happens in me.

I recently met with a client who has been in the helping profession. She left her job for health reasons and instead of feeling better, like she thought she would, she found herself experiencing the blues. Furthermore, because she was blue, her eating was bad. She was eating carbs and sugars and had put about 20 pounds on. She had stopped going to the gym as well.

The first thing we did was to put all the head trash into one of those trash bins. Every “I can’t” got thrown away. Next, we threw out the excuses she had created.  We threw away her attachments to past hurts and slights. I could sense her relief at being done with all of that. But what to do with all that empty space? We decided to fill it with her favorite color light and allow that light to shine on all of her good qualities; her caring, her determination and her competence for starters. She has reported back to me that she is now throwing away stuff in her home as well as in her mind and she feels so much better!

Imagine your trash can, what would you put into it? What are you ready to be done with? Are you filled with “I cant’s” or excuses? Maybe it isn’t even your own stuff to hold on to? Are you carrying around other people’s stuff, such as gossip, jealousy or pettiness?  If it is holding you back or weighing you down, this may be the time to consider throwing it away.

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Delicious cupcakes topped with creamy frosting and crumbled nuts.

An oldie, but a goodie! A song of gratitude

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At the end of my yoga class today this song played. It reminded me of this video that I had put together six years ago. I still feel the same about my life and gratitude, so I thought it might be fun to post again!

 

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