Over the past few months, I've had my fair share of trials and triumphs. The trials have definitely overpowered the triumphs and it has taken a toll on my happiness. Well, it was until I started reading a book called "The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself". I'm only on chapter five but it's opened my eyes to a new way of living. So when the shit hits the fan, I want you to try 5 things to step outside of yourself.
1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
Deep breathing has the ability to create a tranquil state of being, cultivating a positive connection between the mind and body. When you have a positive connection between the mind & body, only then will you be able to look at things in a positive light.
Stress and anxiety stimulate a nervous system called your Parasympathetic Nervous System, which causes spikes in cortisol & adrenaline. When stress & anxiety are prolonged, these neurotransmitters remain elevated, which can damage the body! Deep breathing slows the heart rate, expands the lungs and relaxes the muscles, signaling to the body that the time of fight or flight-triggering by the sympathetic nervous system - is over.
It's also important that if you want to lose weight, to de-stress your life. When the body is stressed, it will want to burn glycogen instead of fat, but when exercise causes deep breathing, the relaxation response is triggered that encourages the body to burn fat!
It's VITAL to stop, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and step outside the situation.
2. Go on a walk.
Don't stop walking until you have cleared your mind! Walking is not only a way to de-stress, but it's also a good way to stay in shape! There is research reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that states walking 30 minutes a day boosted the moods in depressed patients faster than antidepressants! How can that be? Walking releases natural painkilling endorphins to the body - one of the emotional benefits of exercise. Studies done at CSU Long Beach showed that the more steps people take during the day, the better their moods were.
[It also serves as meditation. Here's a video tutorial of how to start walking mediation by my dear friend Erica: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpGeHkbhP8A and make sure to check out her blog at http://pukerainbows.posterous.com/. She's ben on a journey to lose weight and she's done an AMAZING job! Go check out her journey!]
3. Stop the inner chatter.
Have you ever tried to go to sleep but your mind is racing thousands of miles an hour rambling about nonsense? Everything that is on your mind that you are stressed about, anxious about, sad about, happy about; it all runs through your head while you lie awake screaming inside to shut up. The funny thing is, it never will until you realize who that voice actually is. It's your insecurity.
How can we turn down or off our inner voice? I like to use a power phrase when things seem to not work in my favor. I like to say "I choose." Like it or not, life is not happening TO you - it's happening WITH you. We will never be without problems but we can choose how we respond to them. The bottom line? You call the shots. Reminding yourself of that can make it easier to choose happiness.
4. RELAX.
Now that you have quieted your inner voice, RELAX! Take a trip to a comedy club, watch a romantic comedy or a comedy film, call a friend you haven't talked to in ages and catch up, go shopping, do anything that relaxes you!
5. Think through the event that happened.
All you have to do is take a step back when shit hits the fan. Let's say that you lost your job. There's rent to pay, food to buy, new clothing lines that are coming out with the PERFECT style, and everything seems to be falling apart around you. What should you do? Stop, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, go on a walk if you need to clear your mind, and list 10 things you are grateful to have RIGHT NOW in your life. The sun could be shining. You still have all of your senses! You still have a roof over your head. There are clothes in your closet. CLEAN running water. etc!
After making the list, then you can think clearly. It's time to change the way you react to things. Life is going to be full of experiences, the important part is how you react to them. There's always 2 sides to a story. It's what story you are choosing to believe.
What good can come out of losing your job? Let me tell you. You find other things to focus your energy on. I thought my world was going to end because I was working in the film industry and I lost my job. I was doing freelance work until I was deemed disabled and unfit to do production assistant/coordinator work. I was very upset since it's such a competitive field but I did everything I listed here and say opportunity. I'm now focusing my energy on my writing! I have been employed by a website to blog 4-8 stories a day! On top of that, I have started 2 blogs that I update religiously. I can work anywhere, I can travel in the near future without worrying about saving up for the period of missed work/missed wages, and I can make my own schedule!
I tied a lasso to the fan and I'm on the ride right now. Life isn't about HOW to get from point A to point B. It's about the journey that we are on. Your dreams will come true. I can tell you that for a fact. I just can't tell you HOW it's going to manifest. That's for The Universe to figure out with you. I never would have thought I was good enough to get paid to write, but I am!
Want to know my overall dream? To get paid to work where ever I wanted to and have time to travel. That was my dream. Of course I want to produce films as well but I focused on working from home since I was out of work. It manifested and I'm on top of the world. It all works out in the end. If it doesn't, it's clearly not the end.
Go chase your dreams. Enjoy your journey. Believe.
Light, Love, and Blessings!
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Understand The Power Of The Holidays
Days six, seven, and eight have come and gone. You best believe that I have been focusing my attention towards truly living in gratitude. It hasn't been an easy journey because it seems like once one thing is good to go, another thing will come and try to break me down.
Well, today is the end of that. The holidays are about love, health, joy, friends, and family. Nobody wants to hear about why life isn't going a certain way, especially if they aren't around every day. They want to hear about what is going RIGHT in their loved one's life.
Today's lesson is on understanding the power of the holidays and focusing on viewing it through the eyes of a child. I have had many talks with people trying to understand how I can step outside and see the world as if it were the first day I was seeing it. Or how I could stay so happy when I don't have much.
What is the power and how do the holidays have anything to do with this? That's easy. Every year, I look forward to all of the Christmas movies that come out. This year, my favorite to date is "Rise of the Guardians" that just came out today. It brings all of the characters that children believe in; Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, and Jack Frost. In the movie, the children believe in them whole heartedly except for Jack Frost. They just thought it was mother nature that just gave them their snow days instead of Jack Frost. No one could see Jack even if he was standing right in front of them but if Santa or The Tooth Fairy stood in front of them, they could see them. Why? Because they believed in them. When the darkness came and everyone stopped believing that the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny existed, they became invisible.
I won't give away the ending but this is the reason why I love the holidays. People take time off of work to be with their families. (If they are able to have time off because I know many people still have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. I used to be one of them.) They are surrounded by families and children that believe in Santa. What most people lose along the way is their wonderment for life so we surround ourselves around children who still have wonderment.
How do we lose our wonderment? We become to busy with life. People work endless hours to provide for their families getting paid less than $8/hour because they feel like they have to. I've had to take part time and full time jobs that I didn't want to be able to survive. It usually isn't doing what we love so we slowly start to see dreams fade and the bills pile up. Some people have bigger dreams than others but that doesn't make them more important. The dream that becoming an architect is just as important as wanting to be an actor, teacher, garbage man, astronaut, etc. We lose the fact that we CAN become anything we want. We feel like we can't get out of this rat race because we aren't making enough or aren't happy enough but if we had more we would be happy.
That's where people get it wrong. You can't be happy with more no matter how much you think you would be. There isn't one straight path to accomplish a dream. It's never going to happen the same way twice. You could follow the same path but your dream is different than someone else that's doing what you want to do. What you do is talk to them. Learn from their mistakes, learn how they took steps to get to where they are, and then take action.
What's so special about the holidays is that people start believing in the magic of The Universe. Adults feel the magic but as soon as January 1st hits, they lose it. Children never lose the wonderment in their eyes until they start hearing things like "Santa isn't real" and "You HAVE to go to college to be somebody in this world". The non-magic-believers ruin it for many. People start making excuses why they can't do something instead of fighting for it and end up like everyone else before them. This is the time to break free of that, no matter what your age is!
I'm here to tell you, everything you've been told about Santa, The Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, Jack Frost, it's all true! Maybe not the characters that has become what we tend to believe in but the MAGIC is what is real. Why do people always come together on Thanksgiving? To give thanks. Imagine if people took the time every day to tell people how much they mean, to eat a good meal with the fancy decor, or even just to say thank you for everything we have in our lives right now!
Can't pay all of your bills this month? Be thankful that bills are still being paid and you aren't on the streets. If a cell phone gets disconnected, be thankful for the time you will gain from not staring at Facebook all day or be thankful when you can re-connect it again. Life is beautiful and we need to take the time to look at it through the eyes of children. With eyes wide open and a loose jaw that hangs down most of the time because you can't believe your eyes. That $1.75 you spend on a coca-cola. Be thankful you get to have your thirst quenched by such a decadent delight! When food appears on your plate tonight, stop and give thanks for the blessings you DO have.
This year, instead of complaining that your dreams haven't come true or that you're not where you want to be financially... give thanks for what you have. Make it your goal in 2013 to say at least 1 thing you are grateful for on a daily basis. Just 1. There's plenty to be thankful for. I'll list 10 right now. (Current time: 4:04PM)
1. I am grateful for the sandwich that I just ate to replenish my energy and to sustain my life for another day!
2. I am so grateful and thankful for the music I'm listening to on my laptop while I'm writing this blog! It keeps me focused and centered.
3. I am grateful for the sun that warms up the town I live in so I'm not sitting in an ice box!
4. I am so grateful for how festive the apartment I live in is for our Thanksgiving dinner with friends and my California family.
5. I am very grateful to be enjoying good friends and family in Big Bear, CA this weekend. It's going to be a blast and I'll be able to focus on my lessons for 2013!
6. I am thankful and grateful for being able to see clearly without having to use glasses or contacts! The world is so beautiful and I'm blessed to see it so clearly.
7. I am grateful for the animals in my life that reassure me that everything is going to be okay and when I need a reminder, they snuggle next to me.
8. I am grateful for my wonderful girlfriend, Malia. She's an amazing person and I'm so fortunate to have her in my life. She's taught me many things about life and I love who I've become since having her in my life.
9. I am grateful for the kitchen appliances we have in our apartment that allow us to cook healthy foods that bless our bodies with nutrients.
10. I am so very grateful for being able to go support a friend at her stand up event tonight. Not everyone gets to have the freedom like we do!
(End time: 4:09PM)
The number of things to be grateful for is endless. Thank you to my organs that continue to work so I don't have to remember to pump my heart consistently. I don't have to think about how my body works, it just works. That's millions of blessings in just my body.
Remember, there's always something to be grateful for and just like a coin, there is always something good that comes with the bad. Just don't ever stop believing in the power that The Universe provides. You have a dream? Go chase it. Don't let a little pebble stop you from climbing the mountain. Just don't lose the faith that one day it will come true, otherwise, you'll lose sight of it anyway.
Always believe.
Light, Love, and Blessings.
Well, today is the end of that. The holidays are about love, health, joy, friends, and family. Nobody wants to hear about why life isn't going a certain way, especially if they aren't around every day. They want to hear about what is going RIGHT in their loved one's life.
Today's lesson is on understanding the power of the holidays and focusing on viewing it through the eyes of a child. I have had many talks with people trying to understand how I can step outside and see the world as if it were the first day I was seeing it. Or how I could stay so happy when I don't have much.
What is the power and how do the holidays have anything to do with this? That's easy. Every year, I look forward to all of the Christmas movies that come out. This year, my favorite to date is "Rise of the Guardians" that just came out today. It brings all of the characters that children believe in; Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, and Jack Frost. In the movie, the children believe in them whole heartedly except for Jack Frost. They just thought it was mother nature that just gave them their snow days instead of Jack Frost. No one could see Jack even if he was standing right in front of them but if Santa or The Tooth Fairy stood in front of them, they could see them. Why? Because they believed in them. When the darkness came and everyone stopped believing that the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny existed, they became invisible.
I won't give away the ending but this is the reason why I love the holidays. People take time off of work to be with their families. (If they are able to have time off because I know many people still have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. I used to be one of them.) They are surrounded by families and children that believe in Santa. What most people lose along the way is their wonderment for life so we surround ourselves around children who still have wonderment.
How do we lose our wonderment? We become to busy with life. People work endless hours to provide for their families getting paid less than $8/hour because they feel like they have to. I've had to take part time and full time jobs that I didn't want to be able to survive. It usually isn't doing what we love so we slowly start to see dreams fade and the bills pile up. Some people have bigger dreams than others but that doesn't make them more important. The dream that becoming an architect is just as important as wanting to be an actor, teacher, garbage man, astronaut, etc. We lose the fact that we CAN become anything we want. We feel like we can't get out of this rat race because we aren't making enough or aren't happy enough but if we had more we would be happy.
That's where people get it wrong. You can't be happy with more no matter how much you think you would be. There isn't one straight path to accomplish a dream. It's never going to happen the same way twice. You could follow the same path but your dream is different than someone else that's doing what you want to do. What you do is talk to them. Learn from their mistakes, learn how they took steps to get to where they are, and then take action.
What's so special about the holidays is that people start believing in the magic of The Universe. Adults feel the magic but as soon as January 1st hits, they lose it. Children never lose the wonderment in their eyes until they start hearing things like "Santa isn't real" and "You HAVE to go to college to be somebody in this world". The non-magic-believers ruin it for many. People start making excuses why they can't do something instead of fighting for it and end up like everyone else before them. This is the time to break free of that, no matter what your age is!
I'm here to tell you, everything you've been told about Santa, The Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, Jack Frost, it's all true! Maybe not the characters that has become what we tend to believe in but the MAGIC is what is real. Why do people always come together on Thanksgiving? To give thanks. Imagine if people took the time every day to tell people how much they mean, to eat a good meal with the fancy decor, or even just to say thank you for everything we have in our lives right now!
Can't pay all of your bills this month? Be thankful that bills are still being paid and you aren't on the streets. If a cell phone gets disconnected, be thankful for the time you will gain from not staring at Facebook all day or be thankful when you can re-connect it again. Life is beautiful and we need to take the time to look at it through the eyes of children. With eyes wide open and a loose jaw that hangs down most of the time because you can't believe your eyes. That $1.75 you spend on a coca-cola. Be thankful you get to have your thirst quenched by such a decadent delight! When food appears on your plate tonight, stop and give thanks for the blessings you DO have.
This year, instead of complaining that your dreams haven't come true or that you're not where you want to be financially... give thanks for what you have. Make it your goal in 2013 to say at least 1 thing you are grateful for on a daily basis. Just 1. There's plenty to be thankful for. I'll list 10 right now. (Current time: 4:04PM)
1. I am grateful for the sandwich that I just ate to replenish my energy and to sustain my life for another day!
2. I am so grateful and thankful for the music I'm listening to on my laptop while I'm writing this blog! It keeps me focused and centered.
3. I am grateful for the sun that warms up the town I live in so I'm not sitting in an ice box!
4. I am so grateful for how festive the apartment I live in is for our Thanksgiving dinner with friends and my California family.
5. I am very grateful to be enjoying good friends and family in Big Bear, CA this weekend. It's going to be a blast and I'll be able to focus on my lessons for 2013!
6. I am thankful and grateful for being able to see clearly without having to use glasses or contacts! The world is so beautiful and I'm blessed to see it so clearly.
7. I am grateful for the animals in my life that reassure me that everything is going to be okay and when I need a reminder, they snuggle next to me.
8. I am grateful for my wonderful girlfriend, Malia. She's an amazing person and I'm so fortunate to have her in my life. She's taught me many things about life and I love who I've become since having her in my life.
9. I am grateful for the kitchen appliances we have in our apartment that allow us to cook healthy foods that bless our bodies with nutrients.
10. I am so very grateful for being able to go support a friend at her stand up event tonight. Not everyone gets to have the freedom like we do!
(End time: 4:09PM)
The number of things to be grateful for is endless. Thank you to my organs that continue to work so I don't have to remember to pump my heart consistently. I don't have to think about how my body works, it just works. That's millions of blessings in just my body.
Remember, there's always something to be grateful for and just like a coin, there is always something good that comes with the bad. Just don't ever stop believing in the power that The Universe provides. You have a dream? Go chase it. Don't let a little pebble stop you from climbing the mountain. Just don't lose the faith that one day it will come true, otherwise, you'll lose sight of it anyway.
Always believe.
Light, Love, and Blessings.
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