The Past

 

 Definition:  No longer current; gone by; over

Never let your past experiences harm your future. Your past can't be altered and your future doesn't deserve the punishment. – Unknown

No matter what your age is, if you are carrying around your past in a way that makes you unhappy then it is time to let it go, unburden yourself and be free to live for the moment and for your greater good.

If you think about it, your past can be like a large trunk that you are hauling around on your back. Depending on your life experiences it can be a pretty large trunk.

Can you see yourself under the weight of this, how bent over you are and how if you let go of it you could straighten up and feel light and free and able to move about without any limitation. Just imagine for a moment setting that trunk down and walking away from it. That should bring a spring to your step.

There are so many could haves, should haves along our life experience. There are so many issues that are not happy ones that we can hang on to if we choose to, but what is the point.

There is no going back and undoing or redoing so why not just allow them to be gone and concentrate on what you would like to accomplish from this point on with your life and your emotions.

How about we embrace our now, our present and live life to the fullest. Enjoy all that is good and right and let go of what is over and done with.

We have choice, that is one great thing about us. We can choose to let go and live, or we can choose to embrace what was and be miserable.

The choice is up to you, if you would like to feel better, see things brighter and know that you are on the way to being the best you can be then let go of all that was and hold close all that is right now.

Many Blessing to All!

Sue

What If?

 

What if we just appreciated all that we have and what surrounds us, what if our focus is solely on being happy and joyful for the whole day.

What if when we woke up we decided that we would feel happy and healthy, we would turn our thoughts to something that brings a feeling of goodness and joy, then take that and build on it all day long.

We could look out and appreciate nature, we could look around and appreciate all that we have, we could appreciate our family, our friends any relationship that brings a feeling of happiness to us.

What if you did not turn on the news, read a newspaper, or bring any outside influence into your morning routine?

What if you turned on some music, read a book, meditated, played with your children or your pets, use whatever there is in your home that relaxes you and makes you have a good feeling about yourself and all that is around you.

Our lives are about what makes us happy, we all want that because that is the way we are made. We search for it constantly, so what if we chose to make our thoughts only on what is right in our lives, what if you choose to look for happiness all around you, what if you make the effort not to complain about anything but to see what is right and good in your life.

What if you made the habit to look for only what is right everywhere you are? Instead of finding fault or being impatient, what about taking the time to see what is beautiful around you, what pleases you, then make the effort and enjoy wherever you are and see the good in every one you have contact with.

What if we each practiced this every day to the best of our ability? What kind of world do you suppose we could create?

By shifting your focus to the positive all around you, life becomes a more cheerful, happier experience.  

Here is a visual that you can do to start your day in a happy frame of mind.

Take a few deep breaths…..then close your eyes and bring up a thought, a memory that makes you happy. This can be anything you choose to think of, and then take the good feelings you have with this thought and concentrate on them until your whole body can feel the power it has by doing this.

When you open your eyes, you are feeling very good, happy and in charge of your own well being from the very beginning of the day. Throughout the day you can bring that feeling up if you want to or bring another one up just by using this visualization.

 When we choose positive feelings about our lives and ourselves we are on the way to feeling as good as we possibly can.

My challenge to you this week is to start your day out with the intent to be as happy and as positive as you can manage.

Many Blessings to All!

Sue

 

 

Happy Father's Day!

 

I wish all of you Dad's out there a wonderful Father's Day.

My dad passed away in 1990, he had four children and each one of us adored him. He was very much a family man; he cared for all of us the very best he could.

One of the things that he taught by example and with words was not to care what anybody else thought about you. He always said not everybody was going like you, and that was okay. You did not have to fit in or do everything everyone else did; the most important thing was that you were true to yourself.

He lived his life the way he thought was best for himself and his family, and never tried to be something he wasn't or please other people just to fit in. He loved his own company, he was quite the loner much of the time, enjoyed being with his children, and loved to have fun.

He had quite a few friends that he enjoyed being with when he chose to, had a good time having coffee with them and telling lots of tall tales which resulted in quite a bit of laughter,  most of all he just enjoyed life, doing what he chose to do for a living, and having the attitude don't sweat the small stuff.

It is important to please yourself before you please anybody else. If you are very busy worrying about what other people think you are going to be worried a lot. When you realize you stall your own happiness by trying to please others you can take a look at how you could change that to please yourself first. When you adapt the attitude that what you want is important, is valid, and is what makes you feel good, then you are on the path of becoming your own person.

Happiness is the state of mind, so how about everyone takes this week to not worry or care what everybody else thinks, just feel the freedom that this mind set brings you. Who knows, it could become a habit!

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”  ― William W. Purkey

 

Many Blessings to All!

Sue

 

 

 

Fun Seekers

 Definition of fun: a source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure.

How is your fun meter these days? If you think about it for a minute how much fun do you allow in a week's time for yourself?

I believe that life should have fun moments daily. It should be about recognizing what you find fun in your life, things that you enjoy, and then making the effort to bring it to yourself on a constant basis.

Why not I ask? Shouldn't this life be filled with times of pleasure, shouldn't we be laughing and smiling as a part of our day?

How about we let go of the negativity that we might like to hold on to and look at our daily life as an adventure that has great possibilities, having fun being at the top of the list.

I love to have fun filled conversations, whether it is my children, my siblings, nieces or nephews, cousins, or friends. I love conversations that are full of laughter and the sharing of humor that comes with it.

I enjoy doing crafts of all sorts, crocheting is one that totally makes me feel good when I have the chance to sit down and do it. Believe me I make some time for that every day.

I love a good movie, all types of music, and I love to read, (my family will definite attest to the reading part).

What brings fun into your life? What can you do to make a habit that fun things are a part of your daily life? Once you start thinking you will come up with several ways to bring fun into your daily life.

When our frame of mind is about fun, our spirit is light and we are feeling very good about ourselves and all things around us.

My challenge this week is to do fun things every day. They can take an hour, an afternoon, or the whole day. Make the effort to incorporate fun into your daily life and you will see what a difference it will make. Become a fun seeker, let yourself know the lightness of spirit that it will bring you.

Many blessing to all!

Sue

 

 

 

 

 

Kindness

I was wondering this week where has our kindness gone. Have we become so fast paced a society that we have no time for others, are we are so focused on what needs to be done that we cannot take the time to show some type of kindness to each other.

The first step here is to be kind to ourselves. If we have deadlines, or lists, or agendas are they written in stone? Does everything have to be scheduled out so we are acting like robots instead of the beautiful spirits we are? I understand the need for organization because I am somewhat obsessive about that myself, but I know I also need to be flexible and calm to have a balanced way of thinking and feeling.

If we are kind to ourselves, we give ourselves the time we need so that we are not stressed, we forgive ourselves if we make a mistake and we know that we cannot do everything. Give yourself a break once and a while, understand that in this lifetime you need to be happy, joyful, and have fun. Life is really to be enjoyed and the best way to help with this enjoyment is to feel good about yourself, be kind to you and do things that are about you. Prioritize your list, you will find that there are many things that can be put on the back burner while you are smelling the roses in your life. Make a point everyday to do something you enjoy, something that makes you feel good.

The second step would be how kind are you to others? This of course is a habit, of which I am always asking people to note what theirs might be in this area. Are you in the habit of being kind to others when you are out and about, when you are doing business, when you are dining, when you are shopping, actually whenever you are interacting with others.

It takes effort I know as we might think others should have the same agenda as we do and of course do things just like we do, but alas we are made up of unique individuals in this world who have their own way of doing things so we need to adjust a little to that prospect. It would be a boring world if we all thought alike, and of course, some do things slower than others do, or they may be younger than we are and not as adapt at doing things yet.

Could we be more patient, understanding, and kind. Could we take the extra time needed without anger or unkind words? Could we actually go out of our way to make someone else's day a little better through an act of kindness? Softening our attitude towards those we come in contact with, and recognizing them as people just like we are, beautiful spirits who react to a kindness with appreciation.

If each of us practiced being kinder how do you think our world would change? If we decided that we would put all anger, impatience, rudeness aside and treated others just as we would like to be treated, wouldn't it be a joy to go out and live among a society like this.

Picture it if you would, kindness spreading all over the human race. People smiling and feeling good about themselves and each other.

This I can imagine, in fact I do every morning. I challenge you to do this for a week, picture society this way and then be as kind as you possibly can be to everyone you come in contact with. I guarantee you will be surprised at the results.

Here is an example: I always tell whoever I am in contact with to have a great day. You will be amazed at the response you get from doing this. Think about it, you have planted the thought of having a great day, you have been kind and if you smile when you are talking to them, you have added even more positive energy to the conversation. This takes so little of your time and it leaves the other person feeling good themselves.

It doesn't take much effort to be kind to others, the way you feel when you are kind is so uplifting, the alternative is feeling unkind which does not make you feel good whatsoever ( at least I hope it doesn't.)

Take this week to practice kindness, to see the good in others you are in contact with, this could be the beginning of a shift in humanity if we all do the best we can to be kind.

Many Blessings to All

Sue

Celebration

 

This weekend should be a celebration of the lives of those who have passed over into the light and who have left with us special memories to treasure whenever we bring them to mind.

These memories are the legacy they have left for us to enjoy and to be mindful that their journey was important; they contributed to the best of their ability to our learning experience about life as well as others who knew them. They were an important part of all that we are and so should be celebrated with love and joy.

Once we let go of the sorrow of their passing and allow wonderful memories of time spent together in joy and happiness, the lightness of spirit that this brings is a true celebration of a beautiful spirit that was a part of our journey here on earth.

I had an uncle killed in World War II at the age of 19.His name was Melvin James Todisco, Jimmy to all who knew him He died before I was born so the only things I knew about him were related through my grandparents and his siblings. Whenever he was talked about, it was with a smile and a very fond memory of the things he accomplished, how he could make you laugh, or several abilities he had. There was always a very loving story told about him whenever he was remembered.

He was a of course not perfect, I am sure that he had his faults as all humans do, but he was remembered for the things that were joyful and happy. The things that made people smile when they thought of him.

This is the real celebration isn't it? The memory of one loved, missed, but still important in the fabric of their lives. The acknowledgment that he left such positive feelings in those lives he touched.

His of course was the supreme sacrifice, his life for his country. There are many of our loved ones who have done the same, they will never be forgotten and always remembered with love and great appreciation.

Whomever you are celebrating this weekend, keep the good memories close to your heart. By going forward and being all that you are to the fullest, you honor their time here with you. When you do this you validate all that they were and the importance of their life to yours.

Celebrate all that they were during their time here.

 

They of course, are watching with infinite love as you progress through the rest of your journey here.

Many Blessing to All!

Sue

Love Yourself

 

When you think of yourself what do you see and feel? Are you happy with who you are and what you are doing, what you have accomplished and where you are headed?

By just reading these questions how do they make you feel?

It is a not very constructive for us to see ourselves in the negative, no matter what our circumstances are. We are unique individuals that have done so much in our life that is positive, we just do not give ourselves the credit we deserve when we take stock of  what we have done and where we have been.

Because we are all unique, there is no one else like us, we should be who we are without exception. Each one of us has something to give, it does not matter if it is being famous or just being kind to our neighbor, we are each gifted in our own way and this should be recognized by looking within ourselves for our achievements, our good points, and our contributions to everyone around us.

One of the most important things to make a habit of is not trying to please everyone we are connected with, before ourselves. In other words, make yourself a priority. What would make you happy, how would you like to do things, what is most important to you.

If you would, take the time to sit down with a paper and pen and write out all the accomplishments you have had over your life span. Go as far back as you want to, even childhood, you will be surprised how many things will come to mind once you start there and work your way forward to the present day. It does not matter if they are large or small accomplishments, if they are important to you, if you feel good about them, write them down. You will find once you start a list it will flow easily and the more you write the better you feel.

This includes all facets of your life:

·        Occupation

·        Marriage

·        Parenting

·        Friendship

·        Education

·        Hobbies

·        Sports

·        Volunteering

The list could be endless once you start thinking of what you have done in your life.

It does not matter if you are the CEO of a company or a mom who has stayed home to raise children. There is value in every walk of life and when you are making your list do not let small things be discounted because you have no idea how you have affected someone else's life by the things you have done no matter the size of them.

Once you have your list, and you discover all the things you have done, know that you are of great importance to all that is. You are a successful person in so many ways, and will be successful as you keep going forward knowing how capable you are.

This is your map, your guide if you will, to show yourself you have done good things, you have made a difference in your life and the lives of others. You can achieve what you want to achieve because you have already done it, many times, in many ways if you look at your list.

This list is only about accomplishments and there is not room for anything else on it. If you have, for some reason, thought of a negative time in your life chalk that up to life lessons and nothing more. What did you learn from it and know that it was for a reason that you needed to know it at that time. Let go of anything that does not make you feel the very best you can feel.

Once you start writing good things, the way that you are feel about yourself  makes such a difference in your outlook, changes the way you take stock of yourself and gives you a sense of well-being that should be on going as you can pull out your list or just think of some of the things on it when you need a boost of self appreciation.

It is totally up to us to change how we feel about ourselves; it is a habit to think of achievements and ourselves as successful. Let's make this our goal everyday to take a look at this list of accomplishments and feel good about who we are and what we want in life. What we have done and will do because we are empowered by feeling so good about who we are.

I would challenge you to think of one positive thing about yourself when you wake up in the morning and one more before you go to sleep at night. Make this a habit, as it will then open the path to you thinking positive things about yourself all of the time.

 

 Self Love Visualization

Now that you are sitting comfortably and are relaxed, breathing in and out slowly and easily, you are ready to begin.

As you sit and relax you start to feel and wonderful sense of well-being. You find that this comes as you breathe in and out. Breathing in the feeling of well being and breathing out any self doubt or criticism Take a moment now to just breathe in and out feeling the well being becoming stronger and stronger.

With this well-being comes a gentle feeling of love that starts in the area of your heart. You can feel it as it warms the area of your heart and feels wonderful.

 This feeling of love is now moving through your body filling you in every way with the gentle love of self can when you allow it to, it has always been there, will always be there and you can feel it at the moment.

The more you feel it the stronger it gets and you find that it is now surrounding you, encompassing all of your being.

If you would, see this self-love become a part of you, watch as it attaches itself to your inner being, and feel how wonderful it is to have it around you, through you, and in you.

Just take a look at yourself, you are such a special being, you have done so much, seen so much, and lived so much, there is just so much to love.

Allow this attachment, in which love of self is so great, to stick as if it had adhesive, just let it become a part of you, one of the most important parts, so that it is with you every minute of every day.

Now feel the power that this love brings to you, and know that it is one of the most important things your spirit requires, use it constantly and be joyful that you have made it as strong as you possibly can.

You feel totally that you are very special and that you deserve this love you are giving yourself, you are a wondrous part of the Universe and you are so important to all of us.

Keep this love of self close to your heart where it belongs.

When you are ready, go out and do whatever you need to do with the fantastic knowledge that you are special, unique and quite the contributor to the Universe.

Many blessings to all!

Sue

Happy Mother's Day!

When this day comes around, I always tell my children, of whom I have three, that every day is Mother's Day for me. The reason for that is that they give me such joy every day whether we are contacting each other or I just bring up a memory or two that brings me joy.

Joy of course is the key word here and I choose to think only in that term.

We all have the choice to think of joyful things that have happened to us in our lives regarding our children, and when we do we find that once we start that ball rolling one after another joyful thoughts come to us.

I am sure if you have children, you can think of something that they did whether it was when they were small or grown-up that makes you smile or just laugh out loud.

This can apply even if you do not have children. There are people in your life that have made a joyful impression which you can recall and it makes you feel good and smile. You can bring a happy memory from your own childhood and your mom also. There is joy in those memories too.

Each child is different, therefore they each will accomplish different things and have different goals. That is the beautiful part of the process that we as mom's get, the benefit of all the accomplishments of our children, as they look for different paths.

The wonderful thing about that is how uplifted we feel when we do this. We warm up and we bring such a wonderful feeling inside of our being. Once you get started with one thought of what they did to make you smile or make you proud then another thought come and another and you are smiling there aren't you?

Joy is what we all want in our lives. We want to feel good and to think of happy times, to hold close to us what we have experienced that is right, that is blissful, and to keep that thought process continually so that we have a lighter spirit and a brighter outlook.

I know that for some there may have been bumpy roads with your children, but I am sure that if you concentrate you can find that there were more good times to be remembered.

When we discuss our children, let's do so with the most positive stories and affirmations that they are valuable to us, that they are important and how much they mean to our lives. If we make a practice of thinking of them in the most positive of terms, life gets better because we are now thinking in the most upbeat way.

Let us all try as hard as we can to let go of any negative issues that we may have repeated about things our children have done, and concentrate on their goodness, their love, and the accomplishments they have achieved no matter how big or small.

I was going to give examples of my own children who range in their thirties and forties, who have made me laugh just this week, but decided I would just let them slide since it is Mother's Day and all.

Let's be the examples of unconditional love, by doing that we can hand down to our children a sense of love that is so important to all of us.

From the toddler to the middle age adult they are doing positive things all of the time. Look for those, talk about them, and you will know a feeling of great satisfaction. You will find that you then see them in this light all of the time.

Here is a visualization to bring joy to the center of your being, to feel good all over and to bring to you a happy thought whenever you need one. It can be applied to any relationship you want to use it for just put anyone of anything you want to in your thoughts while visualizing.

 

Visualizing  Joy

Take several deep breaths. Breathe in and out slowly feeling yourself relaxing as you do this.

Now that you feel relaxed, bring up a memory that makes you feel good. It can be one of a child, spouse, parent, or any place you have been. It might be on a vacation, doing a hobby, or a special event.

Whatever you choose is just right for you.

Now that you have that thought, that memory firmly there in your mind, and you are feeling joyful and happy, focus on that feeling if you would.

Feel it in the very center of your chest. It is such a good feeling, the more you focus on it the stronger it gets.

Picture it if you would this remarkable feeling as a loving warm light that is inside your body bringing you now a feeling of well-being, of love. 

This light that is in the center of your chest gets brighter and brighter.

This is joy manifesting itself within you, bringing to you the feeling of happiness that you have experienced in your life.

As the feeling of joy becomes stronger and stronger, feel it as it moves throughout your body bringing to you such a wonderful wave of well-being and of pure happiness.

Just take a moment, bask in this feeling, it is your right and your natural response to what you truly want to feel like.  Stay as long as you like here in this joyful place you have created.

You now know how to bring up this wonderful feeling of joy and to spread it throughout your body so that you are feeling joy at its most powerful.

We are joyful creatures, we laugh, we can be silly and we love to feel happy.

Use this visualization whenever you need to bring joy into your life. Use it frequently and you will find that it becomes a very central part of who you really are. A being that is bright, beautiful, and joyful.

Many blessing to all.

Sue

Life Issues

Do you have one or several for that matter that consume your thoughts? By consuming I mean you continually have these unhappy and unsettling thoughts on a continual basis?

This issue or issues could be from your childhood, a setback in your life, a heartbreak, a health issue, any type of family problem (whew! That made me tired just writing that all of that.) I think you get the point I am trying to make here.

The issue that came immediately to your mind when you read this would be the foremost one for you.

Do you feel compelled to explain it to lots of people? Even more so, have you been explaining it for years? The unhappiness it has caused you, the suffering you have gone through, the hurt, the…….well you get the picture there don't you?

Believe me I know what I am talking about here as I have been guilty of this myself over the years. I had to just stop in order to see what was happy around me.

Do you find that when you are recanting the issue that more unhappy thoughts come up and you add them to your story? In other words do you find that one unhappy memory after another comes flooding into your thoughts therefore your conversation? It is kind of like a hole in a levee that is just leaking water until it breaks and then there is a no stopping the flood.

Here is a question for you, how do you feel when you are bringing up all of this unhappiness when you are talking about your issue? What does your heart feel like when you are telling someone or just thinking about your injustice? Do you get angry again, do you feel sad and unhappy just by relating what was wrong?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you would let go of these unhappy thoughts and feelings? What would it take to let go of this habit of carrying around this large part of you that wants to be happy but can't because you are too busy reliving the past issues in your life?

The past could be 50 years ago or yesterday. It does not matter. The fact is when you carry around bitterness and anger you are really hurting the beautiful spirit that you are.

I will give you a visual here that you can read and then close your eyes and use it to let go of something that makes you unhappy.

When you do this I would then challenge you to make a very determined effort to stop when you are about to relate that story again, and choose to break the habit of repeating it. Once you have let it go, and allowed some peace to come to yourself then by not discussing it you will have erased it completely.

If you give yourself a chance and reflect, you could possibly see something positive that came from your experience.

Here is a visualization that will help you to let go. Take three or four deep breaths to relax yourself first and then picture whatever instance you want to get rid of.

Balloons

Picture if you would an empty box, this box can by any type, shape, material you want it to be. 

Whatever issue you want to let go of put inside of the box. See it as it fits perfectly and is ready to be sealed in. Now seal this box in a way that will be permanent. However you seal it take your time so that it is permanently and securely closed in.

Now if you would picture a huge bunch of balloons waiting for you. These balloons are special as they can carry anything, they are filled with a substance that withstands weight and weather, and they will be able to carry your box without a problem. Now attach them to your box with the heavy rope that is there with them.

Once you have your box all secured just let it go and watch as it lifts into the air, your balloons catch the wind and sail up into the shy. They are going higher and higher and as they do you feel lighter and lighter. You watch as the balloons get smaller and smaller until they are only a dot and then they are gone.

You will feel a lightness of spirit and you will also feel a healing deep inside of you. It is warm and you know that you are better for letting go and allowing peace into your heart and mind.

Let this week be one of renewing your spirit with good thoughts and very happy feelings.

Blessing to All

Sue

It is good to be back blogging! Life got in the way for a bit, but now I am back even more passionate about using everyday to think and feel the most positive uplifting way that we can.

To know the great power that we each possess and to use it to bring to ourselves the most fulfilling outcomes we want in your lives.

I ask you to take a moment and think about how you start your day. From the first time you open your eyes in the morning and proceed to begin what lies ahead of you for the next 24 hours.

It is important to map out a thought process that brings us the best possible feelings we can have for the day ahead.

If you think about it our life is our road map. We do have hills and valleys, we do have high points and low points. We can actually take a look back at where we have been and see just where we have travelled and where the high and low points have been.

So the idea here is to start the day mapping out how you want your day to go. When you wake up, just be thankful that you did! Then take some deep cleansing breaths that help you to relax into the day ahead.

Focus on what is good about the morning, look for those things around you and notice any joyful thing that is happening. It might be as small as a bird singing or as large as laughter somewhere around you. Look for the beauty outside your window, look for and appreciate all that surrounds you that makes you feel good just admiring it. Be thankful for all that you have.

Bring up something that makes you smile, that brings such heartfelt joy that you smile.

If you have on the news switch it over to some type of music that you like, that lifts your spirit.

Focus on how good you feel, even if it is only your little finger that does.  Zero in on what feels the best in your body and allow that good feeling to spread all through you.

Imagine your day going smoothly in all areas of your life. Make these visuals as fulfilling as possible, seeing and feeling just how you would like situations in your life to be.

Let go of all that is negative about issues you are facing, do not let them interfere with how you are feeling. Picture them being resolved if they need resolution.

You are a powerful being and you control this wonderful thought process you have been gifted with. Let those thoughts start your entire day with a feeling of goodness, joy and the knowing that you are surrounded by so many things that are positive, joyful and can make you feel really good if you allow it into your being and if you make the constant effort to see and feel all of these things in the morning when you start your day.

Guess what! You will start to see them everywhere you are throughout the day and that can only be a good thing!

Many blessing to you all!

Sue