#334

You cannot control much of what happens in your life, but you can control if you let it affect your mood and beliefs. If during tough times you remain confident that what you want is very possible then what you want IS very possible. Life is constantly testing your commitment to snagging your desires. And life's greatest prizes go to those most capable of keeping their eye on the prize!

Are you snagging your desires? 

In order to get what you want, you need to believe in yourself, in your power and be 100% responsible for every aspect of your own life. 

You need to KNOW that living in a state of joy raises your vibration, and therefore, brings you more joy. 

You want to follow your dreams, passions, your heart and believe that anything is possible with you at the helm. It is all up to you, you can be/do whatever you want with your life, you are in charge of your own destiny. 

"If you are confident that what you want will be very possible, then what you want will be very possible."

Just walk your path, pick yourself up when you fall, and keep going. You never know what is around the next corner. Don't let the world or the people in it, get you down. You are your own life partner and you have the power to make your life as wonderful as you want it to be.

Even your darkest hour is only 60 minutes.

#333

You don't ever have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. It doesn't matter whether someone is a relative, romantic interest, employer, childhood friend, or a new acquaintance. You don't have to make room for people who cause you pain or make you feel small. It's one thing if a person owns up to their behaviour and makes an effort to change. But if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries and continues to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go. Danielle Koepke

Sometimes there is just no other way, you can only take so much. You have given the benefit of the doubt, the second change, all your boundaries have been crossed and nothing has changed. It is time.

This is far from the easiest thing you will ever do. You may be annoyed at this person, but you probably still love them. This is what makes it so hard. But believe me, you will feel much better once you have removed yourself. You need to be upfront and tell the person, there is no beating around the bush. Just a short conversation, don't get caught up in an argument, brief and to the point is best. BE KIND. If they don't choose to listen, or get belligerent, you need to take a deep breath, square your shoulders and walk away. Nothing is a better self-esteem builder than standing up for yourself.

This is about you, you don't need this kind of attention, you deserve people around you that respect your feelings and treat you kindly. Don't settle for less, you are worth more than that.

#332

Your job is not to judge.

Your job is not to figure out if someone deserves something.

Your job is to lift the fallen, to restore the broken and to heal the hurting.

Your job is not to judge.... Oh, I know, you don't do that. Really, is that true? Have you ever commented negatively on a style of clothing, or body piercing, tattoos, hairstyle? We all know that you can't judge a book by its cover, and simply looking at someone cannot give you any indication of their character. There appears to be something derogatory to say about everyone and everything.  Snap judgements are made constantly by outward appearance alone, that have no basis whatsoever in fact.

Judgement is a learned response, just as any kind of intolerance; you are not born with this inclination. What you need to do is recognize the tendency and try to avoid voicing your opinion. Although the most damaging, to you, is having the thought in the first place. You are what you think. No one is superior to anyone else. No one has the right to judge someone's appearance, behaviour or choices in life. 

Deciding that someone does or does not deserve something is another attack on their character. It is simply not up to you, you don't know, you cannot decide if someone is worthy. This is another instance of tending to your own business and not worrying about what others are doing, it is not up to you.

There are many other ways to express yourself that will benefit you and anyone you come in contact with. BE KIND. You have a message, you can be an example, you can lift, restore and heal.

Judging a person does not define who they are, it defines who you are

#331

You don't attract well being
It's continuously flowing
You are either letting it in or resisting
Abraham Hicks

Resisting: When you feel there is something you 'should' do, someone else is telling you what you need to do or perhaps it is just something you do not want to do... whether it is good for you or not; you find yourself fighting it tooth and nail... this is resistance. 

There are challenges in every life. There are times when you have no idea what to do with your current situation. Usually, the unsolicited advice givers are following you around with the doom and gloom scenario. Instead of fighting it, it may be the time to simply give it up. You don't know what to do with it anyway, so it should be easy to just hand it over. 

Give it to the Universe and move on with your life. If you really let it go, (I mean, truly let it go, and not take it back) you will be amazed how the situation will right itself quite unexpectedly. We get overwhelmed at times with the number of issues we have on our plate and spend far too much of our precious time worrying about what might happen. Worrying is a waste of your time, just give it time, stand back, and trust.

You are meant to be in the flow, not fighting against it. Let go of the struggle and allow the Universe unfold as it should.

#330

Tell everyone you know; "My happiness depends on me, so you're off the hook."  And then demonstrate it. Be happy, no matter what they're doing. Practice feeling good, no matter what. And before you know it, you will not give anyone else responsibility for the way you feel - and then, you'll love them all. Because the only reason you don't love them, is because you're using them as your excuse to not feel good. Abraham-Hicks

It really is all up to you, no one has the power to decide your feelings, only you can do that. Sometimes you may have to fake it until you make it. 

It may come as a surprise to you that you have given up control of your feelings and allowed someone else to dictate your life. You may not have realized that you left yourself out of the equation. BUT, once you realize that you and you alone are responsible for your own happiness, that is the day you set yourself free. 

Happiness is a choice, one you have to make every single day. It doesn't matter what is going on around you, if you decide to be happy, you will be happy. You don't need or want to give anyone else responsibility for how you feel, you don't want to use others as an excuse for your unhappiness. Make a decision that's good for you for a change. Decide to be happy, for you.

For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.

Happiness starts with you, not your relationships, not your job, not your money, but with YOU.

#329

Refuse to be that person that, like so many others is still driving down the same road, years down the line, mournfully longing to go back in time to be given just one more chance to take the road that they know they should have taken because they dismissed all possible, extraordinary signs. It'll never get easier to make the leap and this is your chance, so make the change. Take the road now. - Victoria Erickson

Does this quote resonate with you? Is there a missed opportunity in your past that you regret? Was there a point in time, a small window, that you hesitated and lost? Are you still in the same place you started, driving down the same road? 

There are many reasons why people stay in the safety of their bubble, but it usually comes down to fear. If your safety net was whipped out from under you, what would you do? 

It is never easy to break long-standing patterns, familiarity feels safe. You depend more and more on the limits of your comfort zone as time goes on, which makes it even harder to think about extending your boundaries. 

"It will never get easier to make the leap and this is your chance."

"If you are mournfully longing to go back in time to be given just one more chance to take the road that you knew you should have taken," then it really is time to remedy the situation. No regrets! Face the fear and do it anyway. Fear is only temporary, regret lasts forever.

In the end, we only regret the chances we did not take.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

#328

Bringing mindfulness into my day is easy. All I have to do is watch myself breathe in and breathe out. To be present in what I do. To taste and savour when I eat, to see what I look at and to hear the noises that surround me. All I need to do is to let go. To release everything that is not me, so I am one with the moment.

Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different. 

Enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes. (which it will)

Being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way. (which it won't) James Baraz

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience. www.psychologytoday.com

Being mindful is allowing life to be as it is, not something to change or control. It will help you to see clearly the difference between what is actually happening and the stories you tell yourself. Rather than beating something into submission, it enables you to be more accommodating. 

"Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with intention while letting go of judgement as if your life depends on it." 

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

If you are not fully in the present moment you miss everything. 

#327

Leave nothing but footprints
Take nothing but pictures
Kill nothing but time....

"Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction."

E. O. Wilson

Nature restores mental functioning in the same way that food and water restore our bodies. There is nothing like some time spent in nature to refill your reservoirs. All the pressures of everyday life create stress and frustration, while a walk or run in the forest,  can restore a feeling of well-being and happiness. 

"We often forget that we ARE nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we have lost our connection to ourselves."

Andy Goldsworthy

Walking in the woods, we are overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding us. We could point out the different trees and wildlife, comment on all the moss on the branches, and listen to the singing of the birds or the babbling brook. There is nothing more perfect than nature to just be yourself and simply enjoy. You can actually feel the stress leaving your body as you breathe in the pungent scent of the forest. Nature never goes out of style.

Find somewhere in your area where you can go to shrug of your workday, you could even take the kids and/or bikes. You could all get some exercise, breathe some fresh air and maybe even talk to each other. What a mood elevator at the end of a long hard day. Try it out.

There is no wi-fi in the forest but we promise you'll find a better connection.

#326

Much of the pain in life comes from having a life plan that you've fallen in love with and when it doesn't work out, you become angry that you now have to pursue a new life plan. If you want to tame your inner demons, you must not become too attached to any particular life plan, and remain open to there being an even better, happier life plan.

Expectations: noun - a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.

- a belief that someone will or should achieve something.

Expectations are the root of all heartache." William Shakespeare

Many people put expectations on their relationships, but even worse, they often put them on themselves. This can be much harder to accept when you feel that you have let yourself down. Projecting into the future often creates suffering in one form or another. If you have the belief that you should accomplish certain goals or positions within a designated time period (ie. a life plan) you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. 

You have no way of foretelling the future. You are simply adding extra stress to your life trying to keep up with your self-imposed goals. It doesn't hurt to move outside your comfort zone or strive for the next rung on the ladder, but if you are to are too attached to the goal, it could harm your health and/or relationships. 

"Doing your best is more important than being the best." Zig Ziglar 

You don't want to become too attached to future results, life is about living in the moment...it is all you really have. Everything in moderation. Don't be so hard on yourself, try to enjoy the life you have, be open to there being a better, happier life plan.

#325

"Energy is the currency of the universe. When you 'pay' attention to something you buy that experience. So when you allow your consciousness to focus on someone or something that annoys you, you feed it your energy, and it reciprocates the experience of being annoyed. Be selective in your focus because your attention feeds the energy of it and keeps it alive, not just within you, but in the collective consciousness as well."

Emily Maroutian

Everything in our universe is energy

The Law of Attraction: Demonstrates how we create the things, events and people that come into our lives. Our thoughts, feelings, words and actions produce energies which, in turn attract like energies. Negative energies attract negative energies and positive energies attract positive energies.

The Law of Vibration: Everything in the Universe moves, vibrates and travels in circular patterns, the same principles of vibration in the physical world apply to our thoughts, feelings, desires and wills in the Etheric world. Each sound, thing and even thought has its own vibrational frequency, unique unto itself.

The energy that you 'put out' is very important, it will determine what you receive. If you are putting out negative vibrations, you will receive more of the same, that is also important. In order to have the kind of life you desire you want positive energy being sent out into the universe.  You are what you think. Be selective in your focus .... because your attention feeds the energy of it and keeps it alive, not just within you, but in the collective consciousness as well. So if you are feeling down, you are vibrating with a low energy. The collective consciousness feels it, the Universe feels it and the physical world feels it. 

"Change your thoughts, change your life." Wayne Dyer

Heal the earth and everything on it by healing yourself. 

#324

"The person who trusts can relax into existence. The person who cannot trust remains tense, remains anxious, afraid." Osho

We all enter the world perfect and whole, and we remain perfect and whole. It rarely appears that way because life steps in, buttons are installed, issues are implanted and we end up a hot mess. This leaves many with trust issues. 

Trust issues originate from role models in childhood being unreliable, violent, or absent. You soon learn that you can't trust or rely on anyone. This feeling is perpetuated if you have experienced broken trust in a relationship or were let down by someone you cared for. Lack of trust will be detrimental to relationships throughout the rest of your life and could hold you back from experiencing true joy and fulfillment.  

Hurt people hurt people. Those who have been hurt in the past often hurt other people in a dysfunctional form of self-protection. When you live with the mindset that something may be taken away from you or that you need to be in control of everything, you endure fear daily.

It is critical to not let past hurts dictate present relationships. "You may not be able to control what happens to you, but you can control what happens within you." (Sue Augustine) It will begin with being honest with yourself, facing your fears and working on letting them go. Trust is vital to a healthy relationship, beginning with yourself. You are not the person you were ten years ago, or even last week. By now you know that accepting life as it is and releasing negativity will create a calm and peaceful life.

#323

Anything that annoys you is teaching you patience. Anyone who abandons you is teaching you how to stand up on your own two feet. Anything that angers you is teaching you forgiveness and compassion. Anything that has power over you is teaching you how to take you power back. Anything you hate is teaching you unconditional love. Anything you fear is teaching you courage to overcome your fear. Anything you can't control is teaching you how to let go. Jackson Kiddard

This is a significant and comprehensive list of why particular people enter your life. Everyone is here for everyone else, as well as their own growth. We all have a job to do. Because we are all connected, each of us is a teacher AND a student. So when something significant happens in your life, it is a lesson. There is always something on the flip side. This person is teaching you what you need to know at this point in your journey.

There is something going on here, something bigger than all of us. Life is not all it seems. Things take place that are beyond our comprehension, and suddenly you are in the middle of  'something.' When that 'something' is over, you are a different person, and grateful for the experience. Don't you find it amazing how the right person/teacher is always there at the right time? Have you not wondered how all this is orchestrated? Everything is set up for your growth, that is the reason you are here. 

Think back on your life... have you had a surprising recovery, a near miss accident, a larger-than-life dilemma, that quite inexplicably corrected itself? Maybe it wasn't how you thought it would look, but nonetheless, everything was resolved with a lesson learned. Everyone you have ever met has a purpose in your life. Pay attention to the next person that seems to come to you out of nowhere, you never know.

#322

One of the big differences between sad people and happy people is that sad people become 'negative evidence collectors,' dutifully looking for AWFUL things, people, events to put into a mental folder labeled "PROOF LIFE IS AWFUL."

Happy people are 'positive evidence collectors,' constantly looking for AWESOME things, people, events to put into a mental folder labeled "PROOF LIFE IS AWESOME." Because happy people collect AWESOME not AWFUL stuff they notice and attract more AWESOME stuff, thereby filling up their mental folders with lots of happy evidence that LIFE IS INDEED AWESOME.

How true! Have you noticed that fearful people do just that? They have a list as long as your arm filled with reasons why not to do something. Their collection of don't do is totally awe inspiring, they have obviously spent considerable time researching and accumulating all this information to prove their point. LIFE IS AWFUL! I feel that if they want to live in Negativeville it is their choice, but really, imagine making a list entitled anti-everything. That's commitment, AND it releases them from any obligation to do that particular thing or anything different or new. Amazing!

Now the happy people.... I'm of the opinion that you are basically happy or you are not. I know people can act happy, or try to be happy, or look on the bright side etc., but to actually BE happy, you need to FEEL it at the source. Happy people would naturally be drawn to inspirational things, people and events that perpetuate their happiness. They LIVE there, they have done their inner work and emulate peace, love and happiness

If you think that the world is an AWFUL place, it WILL be. AND if you think the world is an AWESOME place it also WILL be. You are in charge, you can change your destiny. You decide how you want to live.

#321

When people make you feel unwanted, don't leave to make them feel sad or guilty, they won't. Sometimes you have to be strong for yourself. What's meant to be will end up good and what's not - won't. Love is worth fighting for, but sometimes you can't be the only one fighting. At times, people need to fight for you. If they don't you just have to move on and realize what you gave them was more than they were willing to give you and more than they deserve.

So there you are. Again it is about you loving yourself, AND accepting what is. 

If you love yourself, you will not put up with disrespect from anyone. If someone is making you feel bad about yourself, the only thing you can do is move on. You cannot change them and they will continue to make you feel bad as long as you allow it. You can't be the only one that is trying to make things work. You have done your best, and you deserve someone that is giving their best to you.

As for accepting what is...accept the things you cannot change or control. Otherwise, you are simply fretting about something you can do nothing about. Letting go is difficult, but eventually you have to save yourself. You did just fine before this person came into your life and you will do just fine without them. Don't settle. Don't break for someone who won't bend for you.

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve you get even less than you settle for." Maureen Dowd

#320

"Don't worry about how slowly you feel you're heading to your dreams, or how many roadblocks you find, or detours you need to take, you're still cruising far ahead of everyone who's too afraid to even try." Karen Salmansohn

Have you ever noticed how the people that think they know what is best for you, the ones that give their unwanted advice so freely, are the very people that have never put themselves 'out there' at all. 

And yet, there they are telling you the ins and outs of your dreams. Hopefully, you can turn a deaf ear to the 'Doubting Thomas' and continue on your journey. They have fear attached to the direction you are going, it is not about you. You will never convince them to join you, that's a fact, so you need to be strong enough to go it alone. And that is okay.

No two journeys are the same, we all have specific lessons. We have all had unique experiences that dictate our reactions. We don't know anyone else's direction, nor do they know ours. This is why you need to turn a deaf ear, no one really knows your destiny. You will go where you need to go and do what you need to do regardless. As for whether someone is trying or they aren't, we don't really know that either. We really don't know where others ARE in their lives. It's just another reminder to do your own thing, mind your business, no judgement, no assumptions. Simply live your own life, at your own pace.

"No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you must cross the river of life. There may be countless trails and bridges and demigods who would gladly carry you across, but only at the price of pawning and forgoing yourself. There is one path in the world that none can walk but you. Where does it lead? Don’t ask, walk!" - Nietzsche

#319

"All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past and not enough presence." 

Eckhart Tolle

Live for today, the present, here and now... that's all you have. You will enjoy a more peaceful existence if you don't project to the future or dwell in the past. You cannot change anything that has already happened, so you are just causing yourself distress by living there. Take a visit to your past and clear out all the cobwebs, and relieve yourself of all negative energy. Then move forward.  As for your future, you have no way of knowing what that will bring and it's too stressful an existence to attempt to control it. Control is an illusion.

"Today is a new day. It is a day you have never seen before and a day you will never see again. Stop telling yourself the 'same crap, different day' lie! How many days has that lie stolen from you? Seize the wonder and uniqueness of today! Recognize that throughout this beautiful day, you have an incredible amount of opportunities to move in the direction you want to go."  Dr. Steve Maraboli

If we are being realistic, we have to recognize that today, this moment, right now is all we have. It's all the heartache or joy that it is. You can't extend it, once it passes, it's over. Everything up until this moment has passed, and everything beyond this moment is yet to come. This is it! Fill your boots, enjoy your time, fill it up, use it up, it will never come again. 

Live your life. Take chances, be crazy, don't wait, because right now is the oldest you've ever been and the youngest you'll ever be again.

#318

If there must be madness and time crunches and chaos in your life, then let there be chaos.

But find the strength and stillness to be the eye inside the storm.

These things are happening around you; nothing is happening to you.

Nothing is happening TO you, everything happens FOR you. It is happening as a part of the lessons you are here to learn. Your only job is to accept what happens and move forward. 

F.Y.I. You don't have to attend every argument that you are invited to. 

Sometimes you need to disregard what is going on around you. Work on finding peace within, and the outside influences become less compelling. You will find you are able to keep your peace no matter what is going on around you. Leave everyone to sort out their own messes, and remain focused on your own life. Stay in the eye of the storm.

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.” Epictetus 

You are in charge of your own life and you can live it however you wish. If you want peace, have peace. You don't need to seek it anywhere. You don't need to climb to the top of a mountain and meditate. It is already within you. 

#317

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinion drown our your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."  Steve Jobs

Follow your own intuition, not someone else's idea of what's right for you. No one knows what is best for you, except you. 

"You can trust your hunches, they are usually based on facts that you have filed away, just below conscious level." 

Dr. Joyce Brothers 

As you learn to trust your instincts, the more powerful you will become. Intuition literally means learning from within. Most of us were not taught to use this sense, but all of us recognize that 'gut' feeling. Learn to trust your inner feeling and it become stronger. Avoid going against your better judgement or getting talked into things that don't feel right.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." Steve Jobs

#316

Why? Because some people are just terrible human beings, and terrible people do terrible things. If you're racking your brain trying to understand it, it just means you're not on of those terrible people.

If you have ever been involved with someone that is rude, aggressive or even abusive; it is always a brain drain trying to reason it out. When you are attacked verbally or emotionally, you spend a great deal of time trying to figure out how someone could talk to you in like that. They do it because they do. The fact is no one has the right to talk to anyone like that. Nor do they have the right to abuse any living thing. It is unacceptable. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, it just means that you don't have to put up with it.

You are worth more than that. There is no need to figure out why they are like they are, you only need to stay away from them. As it states above, if you are trying to understand it, it just means you're not one of those terrible people. 

This is a self-esteem issue for both parties. The one dishing out the abuse as well as the one accepting it. If you really cared about yourself you would never tolerate someone who did not. You deserve someone that loves and respects you, don't settle, don't make room for people that cause you pain or make you feel small.