Silver Linings

In every moment of your day and life there is positivity.  There is always a silver lining to every situation and moment.  You just need to look for them.

It may seem impossible when things are going bad.  Whether you are battling cancer, going through a divorce, losing your job, etc there is STILL always a silver lining.  You need to look for it in little things.  If you are having a hard time seeing positive from your negative then start small.  It may be the sound of a bird chirping, the feeling of your sheets when you slip into bed after a long day, a bite of your favorite food, a day without any bills in the mail.  You need to find things that bring joy, even if little things, to you.

By starting to look for and notice the little things in life, not only will you begin to appreciate life more, you will also start to see larger things and how they connect.  You will start to slow down and notice life around you.  It is a big key to life.  You will open up your heart and mind by simply stopping to notice all the good around you.  And by thinking about and focusing on the positive you will notice that you start to feel better.  What you focus on and think about is what you bring about.  So focus and think about the good in life and you will bring good to your life.

Disney's Lessons for Happines: Final Day

Today is Day 12, the final day for "Disney's Lessons for Happiness" and we end with one of Walt's most famous quotes.

We all need to remember that nothing is impossible.  No idea or dream is so big that it cannot happen.  You are the only roadblock to getting what you want. Where there is a will there is a way.  Meaning if you have the drive and want it to happen, you can make it happen.  You may have to work, but only you can stop yourself.  It's fun to do something that you once thought was impossible because it gives you such a sense of power and strength.  Think of how great you feel after doing something you were afraid to do or something you thought you would never see the end of.  It is great right?  So remember that feeling and remember that it did happen.

Everyday do the impossible, because it is possible.

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 11

Believe with unwavering faith and positivity that what you want to happen will happen.  Believe that no matter the obstacle, no matter the naysayers, no matter the struggles, it will happen if you want it to.  Don't question how, don't question when or with whom...just believe.  It will happen for the right reason, at the right time, with the right person...

Don't use words like if, maybe, or might...use will, when, must...believe!

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 10

No matter what you are going through, who is treating you badly, how bad your life may seem at any moment, it is important to never lose your happiness.  Life is still full of wonders and magic no matter what is going on.  You choose how you react to any situation, so that means you choose how you act and feel.  No thing and no person has control over you, except you!

If you feel you lost your "zest" for life, then the only person that can change that is you.  Rediscover how amazing life is and as another famous quote from Walt Disney says, "Keep Moving Forward!"

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 9

Money doesn't buy happiness, Money is the root of all evil, etc...we have all heard those.  Money should not be the end goal and result of what you are trying to achieve.  Happiness and personal satisfaction are what is going to bring you the most joy in life.  You need to let the provision chase you, not the other way around.  When you do what you were meant to do and what you want to do in life, success and money will follow.  Let the actual act of what you are doing make you excited and happy, not what you will get from it monetarily.

This can be applied in so many ways and angles.  You may have also heard the phase 'love what you do' or had someone ask you 'what would you do for work even if you didn't get paid?'  Those phrases are meant to help you focus in on your purpose.  What would you do in life just for the pure joy of it, even if that meant not getting paid?  I can tell you there is probably something that brings you joy that you do no matter what the outcome is.  But that simply the idea of act of doing it makes you happy means that you don't necessarily have to get rewarded for doing it.

What excites you?

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 8

Peter Pan is the ultimate image of never growing up.  We all have those moments in life that we want to escape reality and go back to the innocence of childhood.  And the funny thing is that you don't have to.  You can live life with that magical view of life.  You can see the world from a child's eyes and you will understand and see so much more than before.

Life is full of magic, happiness, opportunities, and adventures.  It is also is a world of differences and that is what makes the world special.  The more you realize that, the more you realize that you have to be yourself.  You have to not care about what others think about you.  It is better to be unique than to be the same.  Be different and don't be afraid to be a kid, whether 9 or 99.

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 7

Walt had it right with this quote.  And even more special was that his first live-action movie ever was "Treasure Island".  Nowadays in the world of technology, movies, video games, tv shows, etc we don't always see the world through the pages of books as much as we used to.  That is not to say that we don't read books, but I don't feel that we read them as often as we should.  How many times do you hear, "the book was better than the movie"?  Pretty much every time!  So it is true that the world inside books is more rich, full, and special than what is transferred into a tv show or movie.

Share books with your friends and family.  Let them see the world of imagination that it can open.  Books help you use your imagination.  They help you visualize things for yourself and create a space of your own.  Don't keep that treasure locked up...take time to sit down and escape in a book. 

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 6

While visualization, believing, positive thinking and faith are all a part of making things happen in your life, you still have to take action and find that moment to make the change.  The only way to start something is to do it.  You still have to act and do things that are in line with what you want.  You can say you want something, cry about it, sing about it, tell your friends about it, but you still have to do it.  It sounds so simple but it is a step that can be often missed.

If what you want is not happening then you may need to step back and look at what you are DOING about it.  If you want a new job are you just sitting around hoping it comes to you, or are you out there job hunting, are you changing your routines as if you had a job, are you practicing interviews?  That is just an example, but all valid things you need to think about.  Your actions have to be in line with your thoughts.  The more you have acting towards what you want, the sooner and more easily it will come to you.

Get out there, stop talking and DO IT!

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 5

This is one of the most "Disney" quotes from Walt.  We have talked about fear and how it can control us.  We are the ones that choose if we avoid or conquer our fears.  And when we do conquer them we are able to see that it wasn't something impossible and made us a stronger person.  You never know what can happen if you don't try.

Most of the concerns about what you fear are totally made up in your head and never happen.  The fear about the thing you fear is usually worse then actually just doing it.   When you have a dream to accomplish something it is not about what can go wrong but what you are going to do make that dream come true.  Dreams come true if you believe they will come true.  Try and you will make it.  It make take a few tries but it will happen.  You can't achieve a dream if you don't believe in it.  So keep dreaming and wishing upon a star.

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 4

Never give up, don't quit, quitting is for losers...we have all heard those sayings.  But how many times have you wanted to throw in the towel and done it because it was just too hard or you didn't see any possible way that it was going to happen?  Chances are we all have at some point in life.  However, you never know if something is possible or not unless you do it and try.  You never know if something will fail unless you try it first.  You can't win if you don't play.

Things may seem like they are shrouded with mistake after disappointment after failure, but that still doesn't mean you should quit.  When something is meant to be it will happen when it is supposed to, with who it is supposed to, for the right reason.  And sometimes it may just mean that you need to go about what you are trying to achieve in a different way.  The first few ways you try may not work, but that does not mean there is no way to make it work.  Take the lesson from it and try again.

Never say never and don't quit unless you are planning on losing.

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 3

Personally I think it is very important to never lose the child that is inside us all.  Being a child at heart may be seen by some as negative because you are "immature".  However, being immature is not the same as being a child at heart.  

When you look at the world through a child's eyes you see the world as the innocent, happy, and magical place that it is.  Disney has been bringing us child like wonder and magic for years and I truly believe that is why it has such a mass appeal.  Young and Old alike love Disney movies, parks, characters and music.  That is because it brings us all to a place of fantasy and happiness.  You enter a world that makes you smile, feel good, and joy.  Why would you not want to feel that way?

Never forget to step back and enjoy the little things in life and never be too old to have fun.

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 2

This is a pretty simple statement for life.  Don't add more stress or drama to your life.  Life is only as difficult as you make it.  Remember you decide how and what you do to react to anything that is done or said to you.

Live your life with laughter, dreams, and imagination.  Those things all bring happiness to you and those around.  They are something that regardless or age or experiences we all love and can relate to.  They are something you can share with anyone and brighten their day with.  It's fun to dream and imagine things, that is essentially visualization.  Which as we have talked about before, when you visualize good things you bring good things.  Also laughter is a positive emotion, which helps you to remain in a positive state of energy.

So Imagine, Believe, Dream, Laugh, Pretend, Play, Smile and enjoy life!

Disney's Lessons for Happiness: Day 1

This quote is very similar to the lesson taught in "Repositioning Yourself to the Next Level".  You must never become stagnate in your life and be okay with mediocre.  You deserve and are capable of more.

In life you must constantly strive to move forward.  Move forward from bad and good times to challenge yourself and open up new experiences.  Without doing this you may never be exposed to something that could change your life and show you what you are capable of.  By opening new doors and having a curious mind you will grow and go down new paths.

Don't go backwards into the past and try to change or relive it...keep moving forward.

Disney's Lessons for Happiness

Our next feature on "Live YOUR Life" blog will be of some amazing quotes from one of the greatest men alive, Walt Disney.  They will feature lessons of how to live a more happy and fulfilling life.

I love all things Disney and love the happiness and magic that it continues to bring to the world.  I don't know why it took me so long to do this feature, but I am looking forward to sharing it with you.

Make sure that you "LIKE" our Facebook page to get the most up to date posts and great quotes and pictures to share with your friends and family.

Believe in the hero in you...

I recently finished "Hero" by Rhonda Byrne.  It is her 4th book and delivers a similar message of "The Secret" and "The Power".  It is much shorter and to the point but still helps to drive home the message that you are in control of your life and you determine how much and what you achieve.

Inside each of us is a hero.  You have to know and believe that you can do whatever you want.  Only you will stop yourself from doing that one thing you have always wanted to.  Fear of failure can hold you back from truly experiencing life as well as realizing your potential.  The hero that inside of you doesn't wonder if something will happen it knows it will happen.  When you have a dream you simply have to believe that it will happen.  Do not wonder when, if, and how it will happen.  Instead just continue to focus on it, visualize it, speak about it, and continue to do things that keep you in line with it.

Now you may fall here and there but one of the most powerful things you can realize is that those falls happen for a reason.  And just like any mistake or failure in life, there is a reason or lesson for it.  You may need to go through 10 interviews before getting your dream job because maybe you truly weren't ready yet and those interviews helped to prep you for the final one.  Maybe you had to get second place in a race or contest so that you can go back and work even harder the next time because the hero in you knows that you can.

Don't wonder, just know!

Believe and Achieve

Never put your energy into how, when, or if something will happen.  The only thing you need to focus on it that it WILL happen.  You need to believe and you will achieve.

Through the Law of Attraction the universe will attract people and circumstances to you that will result in the thing you want.  As long as you believe it will all you heart and soul and never let doubt enter in.  If you truly believe something will happen and fill your life with positivity towards the thing you most want as well as being grateful for all around you, then the universe will present more abundance to you.

Acknowledge and recognize the people and events that take place as something that is happening for a reason.  Even if it may seem like a set back or not something that should happen, it has a reason.  Things happen to ensure us that we are on the right path or to knock us back on the path.  So look for the reason in everything that happens and know that there IS a reason it was presented to you.

Focus on what you want and believe it and it will present itself to you.

The Glass of Water

I came across this really great story a few weeks ago.  I do not know the original source, as I think it is one of those things that gets passed around in many different forms.  But if you do know where it came from please let me know and I will gladly credit it.

This is a really great story for how important it is not to hold on to things.  Stress, anger, negativity, and worry all weigh and become a lot of extra "weight" to carry around.

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” Remember to put the glass down."

Think about what you are holding onto now and tell yourself to "put the glass down."

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Final Day

We end our tribute to Nelson Mandela with what is my favorite quote of his.  It is a true statement of how important it is that you not only surround yourself with positivity but that you spread it to others.  We were born to be happy, loving, content people.  We were not born to hate and be negative.

Spreading hate only brings more hate, so spreading love only brings more love.  Which sounds better to you?  

It is also important to teach love to others.  Be a model of love and positivity.  Be a model of gratitude and compassion.  It will rub off on others.  People can only learn to hate by seeing examples of it and reasons from others.  Don't be that person that is always angry and show hatred.  Be the person that looks for and recognizes the good in the situation.

Love comes naturally, so live your life with love.

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Day 6

To have courage in life does not mean that you do not have any fear.  Fear is something that drives us and challenges us in life.  It pushes us to try new things and test our limits.  When you take that challenge and push yourself to try new things you then triumph over it.

When you avoid the things that give you fear you are actually feeding into the fear more.  As spoken about in one of our past blog entries, "Fear", you are actually better of trying the thing that you are afraid of.  By doing so you then know what the result is.  If you never try you will never know.  And in most cases it is actually not as scary as you thought it would be.  The mind tends to go to the worst case scenario and in many times focus on things that would never even happen.

Live your life by just doing just that, live it!  You can always look back and learn from it and say 'I shouldn't have done that'.

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Day 5

You were put on this earth and given this life for a reason.  You have a passion and purpose and are meant to spend your life doing that.  You need to live your life to the fullest and expect nothing less.  If you don't expect and want the best for yourself and just settle for what you have then you are going to get a life that is less than what you are capable for.

Challenge yourself to always step up to the next level once you realize you have achieved what you are working for.  Always push yourself to get all you can out of life and to live it to its fullest potential.  Do not settle for less and Live Your Life!

Day 4: The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela

In order to live a life that is free of pain, despair, unhappiness, and negativity you need to free yourself of all those things.  And while this quote is mostly referring to his fight for the freedom of all people not just himself, it has other meaning as well.  If you go through life with total respect and desire to celebrate the differences in others you will gain freedom and love in your own life.

When you judge people by their differences, make fun of their desires and goals in life, or stop others from being or getting what they want you are in fact blocking your own freedom.  We have learned before that one of the best ways to be happy is to make others happy.  Joy rises in us when we see the joy in others.  Think of how much better it would be to just be happy and grateful for all the differences among us in life rather than judge and spread hate against it.  Those who wish hate on others are simply reflecting their own personal judgments of themselves onto others.  Spread love and free the world, don't chain it up in negativity.

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Day 3

No matter what circumstances are thrown at you, you can achieve greatness and success.  You were meant for greatness and success.  This is very similar to my favorite Bishop TD Jakes lesson regarding the bow and arrow, "the greater the digression the greater the progression."  An arrow has to be pulled back in order to be thrust forward.  When life pulls you back it is simply getting ready to push you into the greatness you deserve.

And when finding your purpose in life or when aiming for success it is your passion that drives it.  It would be hard to find someone who has achieved success without struggle, setbacks, and bumps in the road.  But what kept them going was passion.  If you remain focused on the thing that burns the passion inside of you and stay determined that no matter what it will happen, then you will achieve that which you aim for.

Find and recognize your passion and that will lead you to your purpose which will lead you to success.