When I look back at the last 45 years, I feel the greatest factor in any success I have had, as a university student, diplomat or businessman, has come mainly from being lucky. When Napoleon was asked if he preferred courageous generals or brilliant generals, he replied neither. He preferred lucky generals. So, how do you get lucky? These are seven habits that brought me luck. 1) Be adventurous but do not bet the farm. Every thing that I achieved came from taking risks. I left the comfort of my hometown university to study abroad. I confronted my boss on something that really mattered to me. I quit the company and started out on my own. I lent money to a supplier against very little security, and on and on. These were the moves that brought me the greatest rewards. But in all cases, I could afford to lose. I was not going to be exiled to Elba if I lost. I did not always develop a business plan, or do a detailed ROI analysis. I followed my gut feel, but I knew that I could cope with failure. 2) Start by trusting people. You cannot do it alone. You will only achieve your goals with the help of others: friends and family, colleagues, employers and employees, suppliers and customers. If you are suspicious by nature, or if you like to do everything yourself, your chances of getting lucky are diminished. Because it’s usually others that bring you luck. 3) Play your strong cards. Know your strengths and try to use them. Know your weakness and try to avoid having to use them. Don’t pretend to have strengths that you don’t have. You can develop strengths and overcome weaknesses. But make sure you identify your specific skills, aptitudes, knowledge, and contacts and use them wherever you can. This will increase you chances of getting lucky. 4) Give more than you take. If you want to attract lucky people to your campaign, be prepared to give. You need to go the extra mile for others without worrying too much about keeping score. In my experience the old saying “what goes around comes around” is definitely true in business and in life, and “it” comes around when you least expect it, believe me. 5) Get and stay fit. I am not referring to only to physical fitness. I mean your overall mental, physical and psychological well being. Eat right and stay active. Keep learning and improving yourself. Look on the bright side. Not everything is going to go your way. Believe in your chances of success, even in the face of difficulties. Never deal with tough problems at night when you are tired. Health and energy will bring you luck, and the strength to rebound from reverses. 6) Be a good communicator. You have to communicate who you are and what you want. Work on your language skills. I mean your use of words, your ability to speak and write clearly and simply but forcefully. If you have the time, learn another language. Knowing many languages has greatly increased my luck and business opportunities. In our global village, the importance of languages will only increase. Japanese is now the biggest blogging language on the web! 7) Be true to your craft and trade. An accountant can write a good business plan and do the ROI analysis, but is unlikely to make a good shoemaker. Every start-up, every enterprise, every venture, is based on a craft or specialized field of knowledge. Be true to the Hippocratic Oath of your chosen field of activity. People will know if you are for real and then you will start to get lucky. Give luck a chance to happen! Practice these seven habits. You can start as a student or any time you want, but there are no guarantees.

There is so much in life that we just tolerate. Some of it we have to deal with (taxes, bad weather, traffic). But there’s a good portion of stuff that we tolerate even when we don’t have to. We step around things, overlook irritations, and mindlessly accept energy drains. Perhaps we’ve become so immune to these tolerations that we don’t recognize the negative impact they have on us. Sometimes just recognizing the things we are tolerating in life gives us a renewed sense of hope and energy. If you don’t know what’s pulling you down, it feels impossible to make your life better. Even small changes and shifts with these life tolerations can result in dramatic improvement in your outlook and mood. However, when you address some of your bigger tolerations, you can completely change the course of your life and open doors to a world of happiness and inner peace that you didn’t know existed. Think about the poorest of the poor, living in squalor and despair without the hope of a better future. When they are lucky enough to see the connection between education and life success, they have found a portal to escape poverty and misery. It’s a huge shift. In the same way, we must search for these portals that will allow us to move to the next level of powerful living. Our tolerations are the brambles and vines growing over the portal doorway. We must clear them away to be able to open the door and walk through. Do you want to walk through the portal to a happier life? If so, here are 12 situations that you should never tolerate if you want to live joyfully. See if you recognize yourself in any of these tolerations. If so, now is the time to clear them away. 1. Unhappiness at work. You spend nearly half of your life at your job. If you are unhappy, do you really want to give away that much of your life? Think of the impact it has on your emotional well-being, your health, and your relationships. Think of the opportunities missed for doing something that you love, that is fulfilling. Don’t settle for living this way forever. Find a job that you love. Get more education if necessary. At the least, make changes within your current job to lessen your unhappiness. 2. A Long Commute. A long commute to work by car or public transportation is stressful and empty. Hours in a vehicle adds up to days, months, years wasted in traveling when you could be doing and living. Find a job closer to home, or move closer to your job. Whatever your reason is for this commute, is it really worth the lost time? 3. An Unhealthy Lifestyle. Are you overweight? Do you smoke? Are you sedentary? Do you eat junk? Do you abuse alcohol or other substances? An unhealthy lifestyle leads to an unhappy life. If you feel bad and look bad, you can’t enjoy life. This is your one and only life, and your body is your sacred garment. Take care of it now. 4. Draining Relationships. If there are people in your life who are abusive, demeaning, angry, hurtful, not supportive, unethical, or crazy, it is time to let them go. You may have your reasons for hanging on, but do these reasons really outweigh the negative impact they have on your life? At the very least, find ways to cut back on interactions with these people. 5. A Disordered Living Space. How you live is a reflection of who you are. You don’t need to live in a mansion with lots of stuff, but your living space should reflect the joy, order, and peace you want in your life. It should be clean, orderly, and have some expressions of beauty and warmth. It should feel welcoming to you and to guests in your home. 6. Negativity. It is around us all the time, invading our minds like termites. We hear and see negative ideas and images on the news. Our friends and associates share their negative stories or reactions to life events. We hear negative lyrics in songs or watch violence and abuse in movies or on TV. Before we know it, we feel negative and depressed about our lives. Turn it off. Walk away. Stop listening. Instead watch, read, and listen to uplifting and positive ideas and information. 7. Too Much Stuff. Over the years, we accumulate. We like to buy things. We like to have things. But these things require our time, energy, money, and effort. They lose their shine and we lose our interest. They become a burden — something we have to dust rather than enjoy. Get rid of this stuff and free up time and energy in your life. 8. Financial Problems. The stress and emotional pain caused by financial problems steals your joy and peace in life. Whatever you are doing now or did in the past to cause the problem, do something about it now. Yes, some financial difficulties are unavoidable, but do whatever you can to lessen the stress, even if it means delivering pizzas for a while. If you are over-spending, stop. Sell some things. Very few “things” are worth the stress of money worries. 9. Living Out of Your Integrity. Are you living in alignment with your values? Are you being true to yourself? Do you need to apologize for something or ask for forgiveness? When you are living outside of your integrity, it causes a disruption in your soul and your psyche. It drains your energy, fosters guilt, and saps your self-esteem. Get right with yourself and with others. 10. Living Without Fun. If you life is all duty and work (even if the work is enjoyable), you are living out-of-balance. Fun and relaxation are necessary ingredients for a full and joyful life. By removing some of the other stresses from your life, you can make room for pleasurable activities, travel, and entertainment. The world is your beautiful oyster meant to be enjoyed. 11. Accepting Ignorance and Inertia. We use both of these as excuses not to do something. We talk ourselves into our own inability to accomplish or change because we are afraid. We are afraid it will be hard, we are afraid we might fail, we are afraid it won’t work. You and everyone else knows these are just excuses to avoid. Don’t accept them anymore. Stretch yourself. 12. Lack of Communication. In every single relationship you have, especially your primary relationship, healthy communication is essential to your life happiness. We you aren’t communicating properly with someone, you feel anxious, angry, frustrated, and helpless. Open, honest, loving communication is the number one ingredient for successful relationships. If you don’t know how to communicate in a healthy way, then learn how to and begin to implement these skills. Use the next few minutes to think about one area in your life you are just tolerating. How does this toleration impact your sense of well-being and joy? What is one action you could take today to begin to eliminate this toleration? Even a small change can make a huge shift for the better in your life. Barrie Davenport is a personal and career coach and the founder of Live Bold and Bloom, a blog about bold and fearless living. She is also editor-in- chief of The Daily Brainstorm and author of Discover Your Passion: A Step-by-Step Course for Creating the Life of Your Dreams.

How you feel equals who-you are.And who-you are equals everything that comes to you.

 

Often people believe finding a mate who loves them will be the answer to everything missing in their life experience. They want to find that one person who will, in essence, complete them. And almost without exception, they want that person , right here, right now !
But because we understand the Law of Attraction as we do, we encourage them to easy up a bit on the ''right here, right now''part, for this very important reason: If you insist on choosing a mate right now,that mate will be a Vibrational Match to how you feel right now.
The person who comes right now will be a match to the essence of the person you are right now.
When you are feeling misunderstood or lonely or unloved, you cannot find a mate who will offer anything different to you.
If you have predominantly been noticing the absence of a wonderful relationship , the presence of a wonderful relationship cannot occur.Not right now.
If you are seeking a joyful relationship , you must become joyful first. Asking for a relationship to make you joyful is a backward approach.
If you are seeking a satisfying relationship , you must become satisfied first.
If you are seeking a relationship full of fun and great timing and excitement, you must become full of fun and great timing and excitement, first.
How you feel equals who-you are.And who-you are equals everything that comes to you.The powerful Law of Attraction insists on that.
The most accurate way to assess your chronic Vibrational offering is to pay attention to the relationships you now have.The people who are drawn to you are a perfect reflection of your chronic thoughts, how you are feeling, and your point of attraction. And you have complete control about that.

We can lift our thoughts up. We can greet each day with a smile.

 

Today is a day for you to begin creating a joyous, fulfilling life.
Today is the day to begin to release all your limitations.
Today is the day for you to learn the secrets of life. You can do it.
You can change your life for the better.
You already have the tools within you to do so. These tools are your thoughts and your beliefs.
  Don’t waste your thoughts on blame. No person, place, or thing has any control over your feelings because they don’t think in your mind.
This is also why you really have no control over others—you see, you can’t control their thoughts. No one can control another unless that person gives permission. So you want to be aware of this powerful mind you have. You can take total control over your own thinking. It’s the only thing you’ll ever have total control of. What you choose to think is what you’ll get in life. I’ve chosen to think thoughts of joy and appreciation, and you can, too.
We can learn to think only about all the good in the world. We can lift our thoughts up. We can greet each day with a smile. We can let the world know that we’re happy to be alive. We can express gratitude at every turn. We can love our bodies. We can be our best friends.

Looking for what's right is a life-enhancing choice--a choice that promises peace, contentment, and fulfillment.

It's easy to look for what's wrong.  For most of us, this is our default way of viewing the world.  We are experts at describing in great detail what isn't right about our jobs, our mothers, our relationships, our teachers, our children, our bodies, our government, and our bank accounts.  When we look for what's wrong, we choose to view our lives through the narrowest possible lens, zooming in on the places where our expectations haven't been met, where others have failed to meet our needs, where the world doesn't look the way we have decided it should.  When we're looking for what's wrong, our eyes focus on the negative qualities of others, spotting their weaknesses and their incompetencies.

In addition to immediately shifting our perspective and thus our mood, what this question does is show us that maybe--just maybe--what's wrong is not "over there" with others.  Maybe the problem lives not outside us but rather in our own lenses, the ones through which we choose to view the world.  We can easily argue against this point and say that our spouses are wrong, that our bosses are wrong, and that the waitress who brought the wrong kind of salad dressing is wrong, too.  But what we can be assured of is that if we look for what's wrong in any given situation, we will find it.  And then our experience will be one of disappointment and discontent.

The moment we find something wrong, we automatically point our fingers in blame at the other person or the situation.  It's so easy to find fault.  Finding fault with others is the lazy person's out.  I've done it a million times myself.  I've pointed my finger at others instead of taking responsibility for the reality I see.  I have been guilty of blaming my boss, my boyfriend, my coach, and even my mother for my discontent.  Making others wrong becomes an excuse we use to justify our moods and bad behavior.  By focusing on what's wrong, we avoid taking responsibility. . . .
When we are looking for what's right, we invite life to shower us with all its many gifts.  Looking for what's right opens our hearts and allows us to live in a state of gratitude for what we have.  It lets us appreciate the little things that bless us every day.  It causes us to stop taking for granted the many gifts in our lives.  Just think of all the things we have to be grateful for!
We must all ask ourselves what would happen if we changed the lens through which we view the world.  How would our lives alter if we saw out co-workers as divine beings who are here to impart essential wisdom to us?  What would happen if we listened to our neighbors as though they were the wisest people in the world?  Would they show up any differently than they do right now?  What would be possible if we approached our partners as though their soul purpose was to bring us ecstasy and joy?  What would we hear?  What would we see?  What would be possible?  Looking for what's right is a life-enhancing choice--a choice that promises peace, contentment, and fulfillment.

Most people enter into relationships with an eye toward what they can get out of them, rather than what they can put into them.

''Most people enter into relationships with an eye toward what they can get out of them, rather than what they can put into them.  The purpose of a relationship is to decide what part of yourself you'd like to see "show up," not what part of another you can capture and hold.  The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you; but to have another with whom you might share your completeness.   ''    
When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

“Life is simple. What we give out, we get back.”

The past has no power over us. Even problems have no power over us. Our power lies in the thoughts that we choose to think today. Remember, there are endless opportunities for good before us.
We can think happy thoughts. We can think positive thoughts. We can say, “Yes, I can do it!”  We can think thoughts that make us feel joyous. We can learn to think only about all the good in the world. We can lift our thoughts up. We can greet the day with a smile. We can let the world know that we’re happy to be alive. We can express gratitude at every turn. We can love our bodies. We can be our best friend. By our actions, we’ll be an example for our children. Just by watching us, they’ll learn how to create a happy and fulfilling life.
Our reward is that we get to watch day by day as our lives turn into the most joyous, loving, healthy, prosperous, fabulous experiences. And this will last for all the rest of our days on Earth. So train yourself to think thoughts that make you feel good. That way, you’ll always be creating your life out of joy and in joy. Joy always brings more to be joyous about.
Affirm: I am the only thinker in my mind; and I choose to think joyous, happy, loving, positive thoughts 24/7. I love Life and Life loves me.

Giving your mind and heart a fresh start.

 

“Forgiveness is the key to inner peace because it is the mental technique by which our thoughts are transformed from fear to love.”

 - Marianne Williamson

You do not need to be forgiven by anyone else, only yourself, and even that is truly unnecessary once you accept yourself completely. You will know when you have mastered the art of self-forgiveness. When you are no longer judgmental toward others, you will have forgiven yourself and be on your path of enlightenment.
Releasing judgment of another is actually releasing judgment of yourself. Your need to put others into categories defines you, not them. When you stop doing this, you have forgiven yourself for whatever aspect of yourself you see in them. The more at ease you are with the behavior of others, even if you would not act that way yourself, the more you are at ease with yourself.
Say to yourself, “I’m allowed.” Not because I tell you you are, or because your parents are no longer in charge of you, or because some authority figure granted you permission, but simply because you are lovingly there for yourself. No guilt, no anger, no self-flagellation over things that you consider mistakes. A simple understanding that you do not fail in life, you only produce results, and you have the right to learn and grow from any results that you produce. The word “failure” is itself a judgment, and if you label yourself a failure in any context, you are judging rather than accepting yourself. Self-acceptance will turn into self-love, and when you are filled with self-love, that is what you will have to give away.
Consequently, the willingness to forgive yourself is the necessary step to being in harmony with all of the universal principles. It gives you permission to be whatever you choose. And it gives you the right to self-determination. Everything that you have done is over, regardless of your opinion about it. It simply is. Try to simply be. The past is over, and everything you did got you to the point that you are at right at this moment. Everything had to happen exactly as it did, without any exceptions in order for you to be here, reading these words in the exact location in which you find yourself right now. You needed to do it all, and all you have to do, to really learn this lesson of forgiveness, is to allow that thought in and lovingly forgive yourself. Receive the lesson from it and be in harmony with yourself and everyone that you encounter. The more peaceful you are with that idea, and the more willing you are to be gentle with yourself, the more you will find forgiveness your way of life. Which means the more you will find acceptance, which is the absence of the need to forgive, as your way of life.

Find Something Every Day to Be Positive About.

 

Every day, be full of awareness of the beauty around you.
Be full of gratitude for friends and family,
for the goodness you find in others,
for your health and all you're capable of.
be full of acceptance of yourself and others-
without conditions or judging,
knowing that differences and changes make life interesting.
Appreciate the gifts of laughter and fun in your life,
and find contentment in knowing that you can always control
your ability to look on the bright side.

Truth is here, inspiration is here, love is here, peace is here, help is here, because you are here.

 

The fear that something is missing in you is what leads you to search somewhere else for happiness. You overlook what is already “here” as you chase after “there”; you miss the “sacred now” as you ponder your “next step”; you forget to be grateful for what “is” as you prey after “more.” You search, struggle, and strive, but you never arrive because you can’t get past the thought that something is missing.
Can you see that all your pain comes from the belief that your source of happiness is outside you? This single misperception—this little fear—is what feeds your mental junk, your learned unworthiness, and your “not good enough” stuff. Notice how all your thoughts of fear and lack are reversed the moment you accept that every piece of universal joy rests already in your heart. Feel this, now.
Do you see this?
Your two physical eyes see bits of things. They see bits of the color spectrum, bits of the landscape, bits of the ocean, bits of the sky. They see bits of you and bits of me. But they do not see the big picture. It is only when you look with the heart that you can begin to comprehend the possibility of true wholeness, true beauty, and true oneness.
Imagine whatever you want is here right now. What do you want? Wisdom? It’s already here. Peace? It’s already here.
Inspiration? It’s here already. It’s all here, because you are. This is the big picture. This is what your Unconditioned Self sees.
You are what you seek. This means that whatever joy you hoped “to get” after you found your true partner, got the dream job, bought the ideal home, and earned the right money is already in you! When you search for love, joy, power, money, Heaven, and God; you are really searching for the experience of your Unconditioned Self that is unencumbered by fear, separation, and lack.
You are not here to find happiness; you are here to extend it. You are inspiration-packed, wisdom-infused, made with love, and blessed with joy. And so is everyone else. To be free all you have to do is make yourself wholly available to what is already inside you. Real healing is giving up your resistance to your Unconditioned Self.
Here is some graffiti for the soul. “I am what I seek.” Write it up and stick it in your wallet. Truth is here, inspiration is here, love is here, peace is here, help is here, because you are here. Truth is a pathless land, and happiness is a journey without distance.

Be positive,and don't give up.

There is good in life every day.
take a few minutes to distract yourself
from your concerns-
long enough to draw strength from a tree
or to find pleasure in a bird's song.
Return a smile;
realize that life is a series of levels,
cycles of ups and downs-
some easy, some challenging.
Through it all, you will learn;
you will grow strong in faith;
you will mature in understanding.
The difficult times are often
the best teachers, and there is
good to be found in every situations.
Reach for the good.
Be positive,and don't give up. 

By acknowledging your positive past and releasing your negative past - you can make room for a beautiful future .

''Forgiveness means letting go of a hurtful situation
and moving on with your own happiness.'' Amanda Ford
The act of forgiveness is a necessary and truly transformational process.You must be willing to forgive any person or situation that has caused you pain , and release them .
By hanging on to old negative thoughts and emotions you are only harming yourself and attracting even more negative energy.
It's been said that when you are unwilling to forgive someone it's like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to get sick ! So , just bless the person or the situation and wish them well. Forgive them , let them go , and be willing to forgive yourself as well , if need be.
By acknowledging your positive past and releasing your negative past - you can make room for a beautiful future .
True forgiveness is extremely cathartic - it will cleanse you and set you free. It is an incredible powerful process , one that will immediately shift you from a place of pain and anger to a higher vibrational frequency of love.

You are the force that’s creating everything in existence.

You can become a better reflection of life by changing the language you speak. You can change the way you deliver a message, the way you communicate with yourself and with other people.
Now a simple question for you. I want you to understand the question, but don’t allow that voice in your head to answer the question. Just allow these words to go directly into your heart, where you can feel the meaning and intent behind the words. This is the question: What kind of messenger are you?
If you tell me what kind of dream you’re creating for yourself, I will tell you what kind of messenger you are. How do you treat yourself? Are you kind to yourself? Do you even like yourself? Do you respect yourself? Do you respect other people? How do you feel about yourself? Are you proud of yourself? Are you happy with yourself? Is there any drama or injustice in your dream? Does your dream have a judge and a victim? Is it a dream of predators, a dream of violence? If so, your dream is distorting your message. The judge, the victim, and all those voices in your head are distorting everything.
Right now, you’re delivering a message to yourself and to everyone around you. You’re always delivering a message, and you’re always receiving a message from one mind to another mind. What is the message that you are delivering in this world? Is the message impeccable? Just observe the messages that you deliver. Are the words that you’re speaking coming from the truth, or are they coming from the voice of knowledge, the tyrant, the big judge? Who’s delivering the message? Is it the real you?
What really matters is to be what you really are—to be authentic, to enjoy life, to be love. And not the symbol of love that humans have distorted, but real love—the feeling you can’t put into words, the love that is the result of being what you really are.
Always remember, you are the force that’s creating everything in existence. You are the force that opens a flower and moves the clouds, and the earth, and the stars, and the galaxies. Whatever your message, love yourself anyway, because of what you are, because you respect what you are.
Once you have awareness, you cannot claim innocence anymore. You know exactly what you’re doing, and whatever you’re doing is still perfect, but now it’s your decision; it’s your choice. Now the question becomes: What kind of message do you choose to deliver? Is it truth or is it lies? Is it love or is it fear? My choice is to deliver a message of truth and love. What is yours?

Raise your consciousness to one of acceptance.

 

View every experience as a GIFT. If you look back at occurrences in your life, you can easily see how even the worst situations you experienced in your life ended up teaching you invaluable lessons and therefore ended up putting you in the perfect place for your continuing development. When you view every experience, the good, the bad, and the ugly as a GIFT, life flows more like a gentle, inspiring breeze.
 Suspend judgment. This world is laden with judgment, irresponsibility,​ and finger pointing. One judges another to feel less guilty about one’s own misgivings. Judgment energy is dense, dark, and heavy. On the other hand, unconditional acceptance is light, free, and accepting. Let go of judging and criticizing yourself and others. Everyone is on a different path, and some appear to be further ahead on their path than others. Neither path is better nor worse than another. Raise your consciousness to one of acceptance.
Live each day as though it were your last. If today was your last known day in this lifetime, with what type of people would you surround yourself? What would you say to the people you care about? What personal gifts would you make sure you imparted to humanity and the earth? Live each day as if it was your last, and you will be living in a state of light, love and unconditional contribution.

To detach from other people’s negative emotions:

To detach from other people’s negative emotions:

• First, ask yourself: Is the feeling mine or someone else’s? It could be both. If the emotion such as fear or anger is yours, gently confront what’s causing it on your own or with professional help. If not, try to pinpoint the obvious generator. For instance, if you’ve just watched a comedy, yet you came home from the movie theater feeling blue, you may have incorporated the depression of the people sitting beside you; in close proximity, energy fields overlap. The same is true with going to a mall or a packed concert.
• When possible, distance yourself from the suspected source. Move at least 20 feet away; see if you feel relief. Don’t err on the side of not wanting to offend strangers. In a public place, don’t hesitate to change seats if you feel a sense of depression imposing on you. 
• For a few minutes, center yourself by concentrating on your breath: This connects you to your essence. Keep exhaling negativity, inhaling calm. This helps to ground yourself and purify fear or other difficult emotions. Visualize negativity as gray fog lifting from your body, and hope as golden light entering. This can yield quick results.
• Negative emotions such as fear frequently lodge in your emotional center at the solar plexus. Place your palm there as you keep sending loving-kindness to that area to flush stress out. For long-standing depression or anxiety, use this method daily to strengthen this center. It’s comforting and builds a sense of safety and optimism. 
• Shield yourself. A handy form of protection many people use, including healers with trying patients, involves visualizing an envelope of white light (or any color you feel imparts power) around your entire body. Think of it as a shield that blocks out negativity or physical discomfort but allows what’s positive to filter in.
• Look for positive people and situations. Call a friend who sees the good in others. Spend time with a colleague who affirms the bright side of things. Listen to hopeful people. Hear the faith they have in themselves and others. Also relish hopeful words, songs, and art forms. Hope is contagious and it will lift your mood.

Keep practicing these strategies. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you’re on emotional overload. With strategies to cope, you can have quicker retorts to stressful situations, feel safer, and your sensitivities can blossom.

19 Somethings to Say to Children.

1.  I love you!  There is nothing that will make me stop loving you.  Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.
2.  You are amazing!  I look at you with wonder!  Not just at what you can do, but who you are.  There is no one like you.  No one!
3.  It's all right to cry.  People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely.  Big people cry too.  I do.
4.  You've made a mistake.  That was wrong.  People make mistakes.  I do.  Is it something we can fix?  What can we do?  It's all over.  You can start fresh.  I know you are sorry.  I forgive you.
5.  You did the right thing.  That was scary or hard.  Even though it wasn't easy, you did it.  I am proud of you; you should be too.
6.  I'm sorry.  Forgive me.  I made a mistake.
7.  You can change your mind.  It's good to decide, but it is also fine to change.

8.  What a great idea!  You were really thinking!  How did you come up with that?  Tell me more.  Your mind is clever!

9.  That was kind.  You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person.  That must make you feel good inside.  Thank you!
10.  I have a surprise for you.  It's not your birthday.  It's for no reason at all.  Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.
11.  I can wait.  We have time.  You don't have to hurry this time.
12.  What would you like to do?  It's your turn to pick.  You have great ideas.  It's important to follow your special interests.
13.  Tell me about it.  I'd like to hear more.  And then what happened?  I'll listen.
14.  I'm right here.  I won't leave without saying good-bye.  I am watching you.  I am listening to you.
15.  Please and Thank You.  These are important words.  If I forget to use them, will you remind me?
16.  I missed you.  I think about you when we are not together!
17.  Just try.  A little bit.  One taste, one step.  You might like it.  Let's see.  I'll help you if you need it.  I think you can do it.
18.  I'll help you.  I heard you call me, here I am.  How can I help you?  If we both work together, we can get this done.  I know you can do it by yourself, but I'm glad to help since you asked.
19.  What do you wish for?  Even if it's not yet time for birthday candles and we don't have a wishbone, it's still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about.

Treat yourself as you would treat someone you really loved.

''You have within you all of the strength and wisdom you could
ever need.  Never doubt that.  Never fear to draw upon it. '' Susan Santucci
There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout:
This is me damn it!  I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel,
love the way I love!  I am a whole complex package.  Take me. . . or leave me.
Accept me--or walk away!  Do not try to make me feel like less of a person,
just because I don't fit your idea of who I should be and don't try to change
me to fit your mold.  If I need to change, I alone will make that decision.
When you are strong enough to love yourself 100%, good and bad--
you will be amazed at the opportunities that life presents you.

Be gentle and kind and patient with yourself.

Take full responsibility for your life.
Stop blaming others.
See yourself as the cause of what happens to you.
Do things you like to do.
Don't stay in a job you don't like.
Participate in life at the highest level you can.
Stop terrorising yourself with your thoughts.
Be gentle and kind and patient with yourself.
Give yourself the simple pleasures of life abundantly.
Wear clothes you feel good in, get a massage etc.
Watch what you say. Avoid self put-downs.
Stop being critical of yourself and others.
Take care of your body.
Give it exercise and good food.
Be willing to create a life-style that generates and nourishes self-esteem.
Associate with others with high esteem.
Acknowledge yourself frequently.
Keep a diary of your successes and accomplishments.
Avoid comparing yourself with others.
Remember that it's who we are, not what we do, that's important
Give yourself permission to do nothing periodically.
Schedule time by yourself.
Frequently take deep breaths.
Discover the benefit and pleasure of breathing fully.
Eat first class frequently.
Don't look at the right side of the menu.
Stop trying to change others.
Focus your attention on being the way you want others to be.
Look into a mirror regularly
and say "I love you, I really love you".
Stop feeling guilty and saying "I'm sorry".
See mistakes as valuable lessons and avoid judging yourself.
Consciously generate positive thoughts and feelings of self-love
in place of old thoughts of inadequacy.
Be willing to laugh at yourself and at life.
Stop taking yourself so seriously.
Accept compliments from others without embarrassment.
Don't invalidate their positive thoughts and feelings about you.
Be kind to your mind.
Don't hate yourself for having negative thoughts.
Gently change your thoughts.
Keep your awareness and your thoughts focussed in present time
instead of living in the past or future.
Acknowledge others frequently.
Tell them what you like and appreciate in them.
Invest money in yourself.
Go to seminars, workshops and courses that develop your talents.
Make a list of 10 things
you love doing and do them frequently.
Treat yourself as you would treat someone you really loved.
Praise yourself.

Take a day and sit down and think.

Feeling connected to the natural world connects us to the rhythms of life.  Get away!  Any way you can.  Walk, drive, take a train or hop on a bus to a peaceful place where you can enjoy the beauty of nature.  In the winter, I go skiing with my husband, and while I'm not that anxious to navigate my way down some steep and winding slopes, I love taking the ski lift up to the majestic mountaintop.  I am awed when I behold the magnificence that God has created all around us.  God's glory is everywhere:  in a field of weeds and wildflowers; in the stillness of the woods with the trees arching over us; in a crystal lake lapping softly at the shore; in the rustling of leaves, the scamper of little animals.
If you can't escape to the country, you can still sit at your window and watch the sky.  You can watch the rain and the snow.  You can visit a nearby park and watch the foliage change with each season.  You can turn your face toward the warmth of the sun or feel a gentle breeze whisper against your skin.  You can wonder at the changing patterns of light in a summer sky, and feel the brisk tingle of snowflakes in a winter storm.  Revel in the knowledge that your senses are finely attuned to these sensations of the natural world.  By staying in tune with nature, you nourish the eternal spirit within, you come back to the center of life and to the awareness that God is everywhere present at each moment in time.
Our beloved poet and sage Maya Angelou believes that every few weeks we should take a day off to do absolutely nothing.  "What we really have to do is take a day and sit down and think," she shared in a recent interview.  "The world is not going to end or fall apart.  Jobs won't be lost.  Kids will not run crazy in one day.  Lovers won't stop speaking to you.  Husbands and wives are not going to disappear.  Just take that one day and think.  Don't read.  Don't write.  No television, no radio, no distractions.  Sit down and think. . . . Go sit in a church, or in the park, or take a long walk and think.  Call it a healing day."
How wise Maya Angelou is.  A healing day, a day just to sit and think, a day in which you become still and experience each precious moment of time.  By learning to stay centered in the moment, we put ourselves in charge.  We experience the joy of living, the wonder in each breath.  If we take control of the world within ourselves, no circumstance outside us will have its way with us.  When we live moment to moment, we place ourselves at the center of life, where infinite wisdom abides, rather than on the periphery, where things are forever changing and we are susceptible to the vagaries of the world.  It is in our awareness each moment of our oneness with God that our inner peace and greatest strength lie.

Ultimately, happiness, gratitude, a feeling of satisfaction is a choice.

1. Be grateful
Create a sense of gratitude for what you have, for what is working, for what is wonderful and sweet in your life.  A morning or evening gratitude list, written each day, can do wonders for helping you feel grateful.
2. Take care of yourself
Identify the small things in life that make you feel good, and do one daily.  A short walk, a few minutes of writing in your journal, a short meditation, watching the sunset.  Whatever reminds you that you are a human being and not a human doing will improve your outlook on life.
3. Be creative
Creativity and self-expression generate happiness.  Schedule some creative time each day, even if it's just a few minutes of writing, painting, sculpting, etc.
4. Move
Moving our bodies generates feel-good hormones called endorphins.  Move a little every day to stay happy.
5. Get someone to take care of you
It feels good to be taken care of, even in small ways.  Get a massage, a manicure, someone to carry your groceries, launder your clothes, or fix something for you.
6. Read inspirational material
It helps to be reminded of positive thoughts and positive attitudes.  Get a small book of positive, inspirational thoughts and keep it by your desk.  Read one or two thoughts each day.
7. Contribute
Stand up for something that matters to you.  Contributing, making a difference feels good.  It boosts your self-esteem, your gratitude and feeling of well being.
8. Get some time
I know this one is hard, especially if you are a single parent.  But if you are determined, you can find some time every day to just be.  Make sure you do this - it will make a big difference in your ability to be happy.
9. Be in nature
Nature rejuvenates and restores the human spirit.  Whether your brand of nature is mountains or the ocean, give yourself the gift of visiting it frequently.
10. Be happy
No matter how many wonderful things you do to create a positive, happy, satisfied life, you could still end up unhappy.  Ultimately, happiness, gratitude, a feeling of satisfaction is a choice.  People often do not choose happiness.  Many feel refusing to be happy will somehow get them what whey want, like a child holding his breath.  Holding your breath will not get your what you want.  It is happiness that attracts.

How we start our day is often how we live our lives.

How we start our day is often how we live our lives.
What do you say when you first look in the bathroom mirror? What do you say when you take a shower? What do you say when you get dressed? How do you leave your house for work? Do you just run out or do you say something nice. And what do you do when you get into the car. Do you slam the door and growl that you have to go to work?
I would like you to start your day tomorrow with an affirmation. When you first wake up and open your eyes, here are some affirmations you can say:
Good morning, bed. Thank you for being so comfortable, I love you.
Darling (your name), this will be a blessed day.
I am a gift to the world.
There are great experiences coming my way today.
Life loves me!
And when you get up and look in the bathroom mirror, I’d like you to say these affirmations:
Good morning Darling. I love you. 
We are having a great day today.
You are a magnet for miracles.
You have time for everything you need to do.
You look great today.
An affirmation is a beginning point. It opens the way. You are saying to your subconscious mind: I am taking responsibility. I am aware that there is something I can do to change.
If you continue to say the affirmation, either you will be ready to let whatever it is go, and the affirmation will become true; or it will open a new avenue to you.
Open your eyes. Open the door. Take the first step. Say these affirmations tomorrow morning. Say them for the entire week. See how you can change your life by a single thought.
Let’s affirm: Every thought I think is creating my future.

Which thoughts and old beliefs do I need to let go of?

Which thoughts and old beliefs do I need to let go of?

When you’re dealing with something that can’t be changed, you have choices.
You can choose to struggle, battle, and cling, and remain stuck—stuck in an unfavorable situation, with negative feelings. Or,  you can choose to accept the situation, let go of negative thoughts about it, and open up to a change in direction.
First ask yourself: Will any amount of thinking, forcing, or coaxing alter my situation? If the answer is no, accept that fact. Without acceptance, you’ll continue to fight, resist, and struggle, which will erode your joy and energy. On the other hand, accepting the situation for what it is and choosing to go with the flow will bring tranquility, peace, and lightness.
Next, ask yourself: Which thoughts and old beliefs do I need to let go of? Let go of any thoughts about the situation that are causing upsetting feelings; such as impatience, jealousy, fear, or anger. One way to do this is to trust that out of every situation, good will come. When you choose to believe that good will come out of every experience, you’ll soon discover that perceived obstacles are really blessings in disguise. Sometimes these obstacles serve to nudge you in a new direction—one that will open up your world to magnificent experiences. Sometimes they help you become a stronger, better, and wiser you. Take all the positives you can out of each experience and choose to leave the negative feelings behind.
Finally, ask yourself: In which new direction would I like to head? It’s important to understand that going with the flow doesn’t mean you drift aimlessly and allow the tide to determine where in your life you’ll end up. It’s fulfilling to decide where you want to go and then take the steps to get there.
By Denise Marek.