Gratitude...the magic to a happy and fulfilling life!

Gratitude is, in my opinion, one of the biggest things you can do to change your life.  I am still just scratching the surface of its affect on my life.  Everyone was taught the "magic words" of "Thank You" growing up.  And yes we say it many times a day for various reasons.  But as the quote above states it is more than just saying it.  You have to truly feel it and really mean it.

It is also more than just saying thanks to someone for holding the door, someone bringing you your food, ending a phone conversation with a customer service person, etc.  It is also being thankful that you woke up, that you have a warm bed, that you turn on the faucet and running water comes out, that you are able to read this blog with your eyes, that the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and so on.  I am still working on this concept and it does seem silly at first but I can honestly say that you will start to see the world unfold in a new way.  Now there is SO much to cover about gratitude and I will continue to for as long as this blog is around.  So to start I am just going to suggest this challenge/activity for you that will show you its power...

The next day after you read this, or today if you read this in the morning I want you to consciously go through the entire day saying thank you.  Not just saying it but really thinking about and feeling what you are saying it for.  Start when you wake up, "Thank you for the new day", while your taking a shower "thank you for the hot fresh water", eating breakfast "thank you for this bowl of cereal", at your job "thank you for this job", while your texting a friend "thank you for such a great friend", and so on.  And not only internally think of these things but also go out of your way to say thank you to the people around you.  When you do it though, look them in the eyes and genuinely mean it.  When you take a brief pause in your day to truly stop and say thank you in that deep of a way, you both benefit and you light up that person's day.  I promise you in doing this your day will go amazingly.  I have done this on days and have had traffic lights all change to green, my favorite songs come on the radio, good mail sometimes even with money appear, my coworkers and whole work day going amazing, a friend buying me a meal, great news, etc.  Its very much on level with the law of attraction as well.  If you exude appreciation for what you have around you then the universe has no choice but to manifest more abundance for you!  Now go discover the MAGIC of life!

First 100...Thank You!

I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who is reading my new blog.  It has reached 100 views in a short amount of time.  Gratitude is one of the most important things you can have and use in your life. We will have many posts on this topic, including the next one, because of how important it is.  I set out to do this blog to inspire people and help remind myself of the gift of life.  The biggest thing you can do for me is to continue reading, share in my joy and use these lessons in your life.  Please SHARE this with your friends and family.  Email the link, share on Facebook, Twitter it, talk about it, etc...I look forward to the next 100 views and beyond!

"Is Your Perception Your Reality?"

Every single one of us sees the world in a different way.  Every situation, object, moment, and person is all viewed from our own perspective.  The mere definition of perspective is "one's ideas and facts as known to one."  Meaning that it is something you believe to be true and real despite if they truly are or not.  Now because of this it can cause many problems in our lives.

Think back to a time when you were having a fight with a friend or loved one, a coworker was treating you bad, someone didn't call you back when you thought they should, or you stubbed your toe when you got out of bed and it started off the worst day ever.  Chances are all of these things got blown out of proportion in your head because you formed your own opinions and views about them without actually looking at the situation.  Think about when you date and the person may not initially be showing you the same attention that you are showing them.  Or they may not call or text or ask to hang out as often as you would like.  So you then start to form in your head that they don't like you, you did something wrong, or you get angry at them for not showing you attention.  When in reality they could be interested in you and have other things going on in their life, or may not move as fast as you do.  Same goes with a coworker who is less than pleasant to deal with.  Have you fully taken the time to get to know them or ask them what is going on?  Chances are you just form this image of them and perceive them to be a bitter nasty person who is not worth trying to deal with.  And in turn you become the one that is angry and bitter towards them.  It is as much about changing the way you look at things as it is dealing with the law of attraction.  You will bring about what you think about.

Buddha asks, "Are you sure of your perceptions?"  Consider placing this quote around your house, in your car, in your wallet, etc.  Look at it often to remind yourself to look openly at life.  Many times our perceptions are false.  Many instances of suffering and pain in our lives are born from false perceptions, and some people hold them so close to be truths that they never get rid of them and go through life with great misfortune.  So next time you are faced with a situation you should ask questions, research, examine, explore all angles before assuming.  We all know the classic quote that "when you assume you make an a** out of you and me"!  Don't make life harder than it needs to be and don't bring unneeded suffering upon yourself.

"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is-infinite" - William Blake

Quiet and cleanse your mind.  Realize the amazing infinite possibilities of every situation before making your perception on it.

Anyone can make a new ending...

Today and every new day is just that...a new day.  We all seem to get caught up in the events of our past, whether that be years ago or even yesterday.  When something happens it has already been said and done, no matter what you try to do, it cannot be undone.  You cannot go back and change the past.  Let me say that again.  YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST!

So today I challenge you to look for something in your life that you are dwelling on.  A bad relationship, something you said to a friend, the way you were treated as a kid, something you messed up yesterday at work, etc.  Now we will go later into forgiveness and the power of it, but just to briefly touch on it I want to say this.  By forgiving what someone has done to you or yourself for something you have done, you are not saying that it was ok or that you are going to forget it, you are just saying that you accept that it happened and are ready to move on with your life.  So look at what your dwelling on, realize it happened, learn the lesson, become aware of what it changed in your life or what it brought about, and then...move on.  Start today and make a new ending for yourself.  

Today, in this moment is truly all we really have.  Thinking about the past does nothing but keep those negative emotions and feelings brewing inside you, which in turn takes you away from the gift that is today.  You are then ignoring and are not able to be grateful for what you have now.  The lesson of living in the 'now' is a big one as is showing gratitude at every moment.  Both are topics that we will go into many times in this blog.  When you truly take a moment to stop and see what it is you have now, not what you HAD, but what you HAVE, you will then start to make a new and better ending for yourself.

"The greater the digression the greater the progression"

Many people are under the clouded belief that when times are hard there is no way out.  Or they become so angry with things that they can't understand why this is happening to them.  You have to realize that this is not YOU, it's not changing you as you are at the core.  It is just your life situation at this moment in time.  A flower is still a flower no matter what kind of dirty compost, potting soil, or rocky earth it grows from.  It still makes it through all of those different kinds of weather and growing conditions to become...a flower.

When life seems to be putting you through a rough patch you really need to step back and look at it from a learning standpoint.  You also need to look at it and see why it manifested it self.  Chances are there is some actions or thoughts you had that brought this about.  Remember, what you think about you bring about and only you affect your life and how you deal with it.  We have all heard the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" (and the awesome song by Kelly Clarkson haha).  Well this is basically what this quote is telling us.  Take a second to think back through some rough patches in your life...you're still here right?  You still are living your life and going through your days.  Now look at it even closer and see what has resulted because of it. If you look at it with open mind and heart and with a attitude of gratitude you will see the 'great' that you were launched into.

One of the lessons that Bishop T.D. Jakes spoke about when I attended Life Class was this exact situation.  Many people get bogged down in what is holding them back or that they keep falling on their face.  The bow of life is just pulling you back further and further getting you ready to launch into your greatness, if you would just open up and let it.  Let go and let the lesson and the acceptance wash over you.  You will realize how the pain was good, how you are glad that someone didn't stay there with you through it or that it didn't fall into your lap.  It helped you learn that you don't deserve that person in your life, that you can do this on your own, or the situation was not as bad as you thought.  If this bad time had not happened you may have never found your path or your new situation.  T.D. Jakes said,

 "I have never seen anybody who did extraordinary feats that didn't have extraordinary issues...If you have not been through pains you would not have the burning to do what you want to do...you aim the arrow at where you want to go, but you don't push an arrow you pull it.  And it is the digression that causes the progression...when the arrow is released you can thrust after the thing you are after. The greater the digression the stronger the progression.  What you think is working against you is actually working for you!"

So let that bow pull you back and get ready to launch yourself into an amazing life. Celebrate!

Grasp the steering wheel of your life!

Many people do not realize, or have a hard time understanding, that YOU are the only person that has control over your life.  We are brought up with images, thoughts, outside influences and beliefs of what we should do.  When in reality we can do and become anything we want if we that's what we truly desire. This touches on the law of attraction but also the power of the mind in our lives.  What you think about and focus on in your life is what is going to be manifested in front of you time and time again.

Think about a goal you have in your life.  It can be as big as your job, love life, money or as minute as going to the grocery store to get dinner ingredients or washing your car.  Everything big or small happens because you put some thought to it and decided to focus on doing that.  If you are not getting what you want out of life or not sure what step to take next that is perfectly fine.  The worst thing you can do is to lose focus and give negative energy to the situation.  Law of attraction states that "like attracts like", therefore when you worry, stress, or get angry over something not working out how it should be, you are just attracting more of those negative feelings back to you.  So your job is not ideal right now or not the one you want.  So you are not in a relationship yet or are not in your ideal one.  So it rained today and you did not get to wash your car.  All of these things still happened for a reason.  If you are constantly complaining about your job and going to work with a chip on your shoulder, then the universe has no reason but to keep manifesting a work environment that is bleak and un-fulfilling.  Why not instead look at your job with gratitude and show thanks for even having a job?  Or put into action the steps of looking for a new job.  If you are struggling in a bad relationship then take a step back and look at the things you are grateful for in your partner.  You could be so consumed with everything they do that drives you crazy or is not fitting your image of what they should  be, that the universe is just continuing to bring those situations up because that is all you are focusing on.  If it rained all day and you were unable to wash your car, then be grateful for the rain that the earth needed or that you were able to get other things done in place of washing the car.

All of these situations as well as any other in your life happened for a reason and the affect of them depends on how you react to them.  Take hold of the steering wheel and drive your life in the direction you want it to take.  You can choose to be upset about things going wrong, or your day not going like it should have.  But then really you are just driving your car down a bad road and have no one to blame but yourself!  There are so many lesson in this I could go on forever, but basically just choose the path of gratefulness and positivity, it will literally change the road you take in your life.  Let go of stress and worry and just look at the beauty of your life unfolding in front of you in every way that it was meant to.  I will leave you with a personal quote.  I challenge all of you to look at something in your life, big or small and truly see the affect you had bringing it to you and the way you reacted to it.  It doesn't have to be bad either, you can most certainly bring amazing things in your life and react to them with complete joy and gratitude.  Now drive your car down the highway of life!

"It's OK if you don't know how much more you can handle.  It's fine if you don't know what to do next.  Eventually, you'll let go of how things should be and start to see possibility based on reality.  It's YOUR life, grasp the steering wheel and force yourself to pay attention to where you're going." - Wendy Keller, Author

Marilyn Monroe...Appreciating change and the person you are.

I came across two quotes from Marilyn Monroe this past week, and I fell in love with them.  It was her birthday last week as well, so why not pay a little tribute to her?

"I`m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control, and at times hard to handle, but if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe

Are you truly ok with who you are, flaws and all?  No one is perfect and you cannot expect that unrealistic expectation from anyone else in your life and most importantly not from yourself.  We all have bad days, baggage, dark sides and things that make us different.  But these are part of our character and our humanistic being.  Part of loving your partner, friend, family member, or coworkers is being able to accept them for their good AND bad times.  This means that you are truly seeing them for who they are and not judging them but a blip in their radar.  Loving someone for who they are will not only show that person you truly care for them, but that same love and devotion will come back to you!  I have many flaws and insecurities just like every human being on this planet does, but I also know I am a good person, a great friend, and a devoted partner.  So don't get down on yourself or settle for someone who can't see you fully through your ups and downs.

This is my favorite of the two quotes, because there is so much to it.  First of all everything DOES happen for a reason.  We will get more into that as time goes on, but make no mistake, everything that occurs in your life is a manifestation of your thoughts and actions.  That means the good and the bad.  People change, you change, it's part of life.  You can choose to accept that change and move forward or to step away from it and move in a separate direction.  You will lose friends and lovers in your life because of change.  Some people come into your life for a short time some stay for life, you need to accept both circumstances and take away the lesson and blessing that their presence was in your life.  Things will also go wrong in your life, but it is how you react to them that will make all the difference.  Look at the lesson you learned from it or what you were introduced to because of it.  Again this is something we will go into more detail in another post someday, but know that things may seem to go "wrong" when in fact they are happening because they meant to and needed to.  And finally my favorite part of the quote is the last line.  You may have been in an amazing relationship, had a best friend, lost money or your car broke down, got fired from a job, whatever the circumstance may be.  But what you need to do is look back at those events in the past or if they are happening now and see what better thing they led to.  Maybe you thought your ex was amazing but look at the new people that have came into your life that are showing you a new kind of love or personality, or showing you what you truly need in your next relationship.  Maybe you lost a so called "best friend" for whatever reason, and now you have an even better stronger friendship or are more aware of what you want in a friendship.  Those things are all better situations that have fallen into place because the last one didn't.  Life is all about learning lessons and realizing they are all around us!

Welcome to "Live YOUR Life!"

Welcome to my first ever blog!  I am so excited to embark on this journey with all of you and thank you in advance for your support and patronage.

Years ago I read "The Secret" and immediately fell in love with the concepts and lessons it taught.  However it was nothing I fully focused on or gave enough energy to.  This past year has brought on a lot of personal changes and events that has caused me to go back and look at that book again.  In doing so I also came across "The Power" and "The Magic", also written by "The Secret" author, Rhonda Byrne.  I also was introduced to "Oprah's LifeClass" which is honestly one of the best shows ever put on television.  All of this lead me to yearn for a better understanding of life and what affect I truly have on mine.

In March of 2012 I was given the amazing opportunity of attending a taping of "LifeClass" in St. Louis.  That trip changed my life and set a fire in me that continues to grow.  As this blog goes along I will go further into that trip, the lesson it brought up, as well as others from the series.  Needless to say when I returned from that trip I was hungry for more and have set out on discovering life and how amazing it really is!

I have recently started reading many books regarding living in the present moment, happiness, law of attraction, Buddhism, power of the mind and awareness, etc.  It really has opened my eyes up to just how much YOU are the only one that affects your life...yes, good and bad things all happen to you because of you!  Through this blog I will be sharing quotes, discussions, personal experiences, photos, and more that will show you just how amazing and abundant life can be.  I hope it causes you to look at your life and make the changes you need to make to fully enjoy life!  This quote sums up what this blog intends to convey very well: