Make Your Own Luck

It is quite possible to make your own luck by seeking things that will lead you to happiness, success, and fulfillment. Take the initiative - don't wait for things to just fall into your lap, because you'll end up wasting all of your precious time.

Energize Yourself!

photo source

Yoga Jason Crandell - Jason Crandell: Energizing Sequence

Posted using ShareThis

Here is a link to the yoga sequence I did this morning- I found it under the word, "Energizing," which seemed right for waking up on a Tuesday morning. And energizing it was!
May I just add that I love my new little cell phone, which woke me up gently this morning so I had time to do yoga (I can't use alarm clocks because their sound is usually too jarring, I'm so pissed when one wakes me up, that I just go back to bed).

4 Great Things:

1. When someone holds the door for you, even when they have to wait extra long

2. When someone compliments your hair/outfit

3. Finding change in a soda machine left by the last person

4. When a stranger is friendly- says hi and asks how you are doing, and shows they care

I really think that the majority of the joy in our lives comes from doing things for others, and I KNOW that we are all capable of doing these random acts of kindness for other people. So try it out! I bet it will not only make someone else's day, but make yours as well. :)

Never Regret

Truth

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend, or a meaningful day.” ~Dalai Lama

Get Dressed

photo source

If you're like me, you save the best stuff in your closet for those good days. Days you know are going to be important or special. Or days you wake up, catch your reflection in the mirror, and are like, "I look good." The problem is, those days don't come around very often (unfortunately!). So today, dress your best- doll yourself up like today is going to be awesome. Because you know, it might. It is Friday, after all.

Give an Uncomfortably Long Hug

"...we cannot survive without human affection." - Dalai Lama

Sometimes the most uncomfortable moments are the ones that make the biggest difference. Maybe it'd be easiest to pretend someone else's problems aren't as obvious as they really are. People struggle all the time and have to cope by themselves because no one else is brave enough to step into that potentially uncomfortable zone of letting the other person know that we're not all that different. The next time you notice someone who seems real down on themselves, step over that boundary, I know it would make a world of a difference if that person were me.

So go ahead, go out into the world and give an uncomfortably long hug! :)

(and I'm thinking it will help YOU also, more than you know)

Click!

photo source

Here's some inspiration I could use (Amy has been exceptional about applying this advice lately): Go ahead and take pictures of your own. If you don't have a camera, borrow one. Take some good ones too. Feature them on your blogs. Share them with your friends. Heck, take pictures with your friends. Many a time, I've turned an uninteresting moment into a fun and memorable one by slipping out my camera and taking photos. Take pictures of yourself, your food, your home, your knickknacks (if you have any), anything! Bonne chance!

Chew Your Food!

Envision a yoga-type session while reading the following - the room is dark, there is peaceful music playing, and there is an instructor with an extremely soothing voice. But instead of doing yoga, we're eating a meal!

Close your eyes.

Challenge yourself to identify everything you are tasting individually.

shrimp...rice...salt...butter...garlic...

Which ingredient stimulates your nose?

Describe it with adjectives.

fishy...chewy...tart...

Notice the texture.

grainy...wet...slippery...

How does it feel rolling around in your mouth?

Now, try to imagine "what it would taste like if..."

Open your eyes.

Do this for your whole meal.

I guarantee you will finish feeling 100% more satisfied than you would have otherwise.

Happy Masticating! :)

Those Things You Need to Take Care of Tomorrow?

photo source

Take care of them Today.
You'll have extra time tomorrow to wake up or whatever else.
[maybe even time for that thing you didn't know when you would have time for]
One little favor for yourself.

Why yes, I did compose this post ahead of time.

Oh, Mona...

Laughter is proven to not only make you feel happier, but relieves your stress, works out your diaphram, abs, and shoulders (not to mention your heart), AND it's a distraction from any negative emotions you have.

Basically all around, it is GOOD for you.

How to incorporate laughter into your life:

Laugh by yourself - watch a funny movie or read The Onion; instead of complaining about life's frustrations, try to laugh about them - if something is so frustrating or depressing it's ridiculous, realize you could look back on it and laugh, so why wait? Laugh about it now.

Laugh with others - do something silly and outrageous with someone else, laughing is contagious; the more they laugh the more you will too!

Fake it til you make it - even fake laughter can have the positive affects listed above, so fake an evil laugh and eventually it will probably turn in to a real one! ;)

Start Dreaming

photo source

We can't make our dreams come true until we've dreamed them up.
Pluck a dream from your imagination, and go with it.
There's no better time than now.

Simple Put,

Let us rise up and be thankful; for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

Buddha

See Things

photo source

We're always looking at things, while thinking completely unrelated thoughts. Today, quiet your mind and really see things. Focus on what you're seeing. Make your thoughts relate to what your eyes are resting on.

Puzzle Time!

Fact: your brain needs exericise as much as the rest of your body does! So what better way to start off the morning than with a little mind-jog??

I'm talking puzzles. CLICK HERE! Mine only took me 7 minutes and 35 seconds. Can you do better?

Be "Childish"

photo source

No; I don't mean throw tantrums until you get what you want, or shake off responsibilities (even though, for a day, it might be nice).

I mean, be fascinated by the world around you. Be curious, and playful. Use that energy you've been storing so long for Lord-knows-what! There is SO MUCH you don't know; even about the things you are around every day. Discover these things. Try to look at things from a child's perspective. It'll give you a new look at life.

For every negative thought and complaint you have today, challenge yourself to follow it up with two positive ones. Such as "I have so much crap to do today ugh!... but at least it is a beautiful day and I feel healthy!"

It might very well brighten your mood :) Good luck!

{You know...}

words added by Heidi Rose, original picture from here.

Today how about we...

How about we all just take the day off? Readjust your busy schedules and free up your day, take a breather and just enjoy the calm.

TGIF!

photo source
Make the most of your Friday. You can do anything.

Let's practice...

DSC00670, originally uploaded by krillamy.

Following through. It's great to think of all the stuff you want to do, but when it comes to actually doing it... let's face it, we get lazy! So let's all practice the simple task of following through together! Pick something (it doesn't matter what it is - could be looking in the mirror and finding something to compliment yourself about, or smiling at everyone you see in the morning), and do it for the next 4 days. (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday). It doesn't matter so much what your doing or how simple it is, just so you make sure to make time to do it, and be consistent! A great thing to do would be to blog about what you did, if you followed through, and the result of doing so! (i.e. how did it make you feel - accomplished? happy? repetitive?)

Hopefully, after starting small and practicing following through on things, it will become more natural to just go for whatever you want to do but never before made time for. (This is also a great way to refine your self-discipline). Let's step it up one level, people! :)

Mr LeNez

photo source

I hope you all caught that Pushing Daisies reference. And is anyone else excited about the new season being out on DVD? You should be.

TODAY I want you to make a list of your favorite smells.
Maybe there's only one. Maybe you have ten. Write it down.

Here are some of mine:
1. Pumpkin pie
2. My basement
3. Stone after it rains
4. Dryer sheets
5. Coffee
6. My stuffed animals

Once you've got that, keep it on your mind. Put a special effort into smelling at least one of these things today. It's sure to life your mood. :)

-Heidi

POST-IT!

One of my worst traits is being late, in all ways possible - missing deadlines, due-dates, and being unable to be early to any events.

But I will not just accept this about myself, I will strive to do better always! So, I put together this huge calendar on my wall right next to my desk/work area so that I can easily see first of all what day it is, and secondly what I have going on that day, what assignments are due, when I work, what deadlines are coming up, etc, so I can plan ahead. I can write things down in my planner all I want, but where am I supposed to write "check your planner"? So, this is my very in-the-face solution!

Wall Calendar!, originally uploaded by krillamy.

My challenge to you is to identify a bad trait of yours that you would like to improve upon, and find a solution to help yourself do better, just like I did! (And I will continue to use this method to tackle other not-so-great traits!)

Bonus Points if you blog about your bad trait & your plan of action! (Pictures are very welcome!) Comment & post a link back to your blog here!

It's a Holiday!

Get off your computer and go have some fun. Don't come back until tomorrow. Eat something. Play a game. Go outside. Shake off that routine.

And remember: I believe in you.

Some things to think about

The end!, originally uploaded by ucumari.

“"If you are not big enough to lose, you are not big enough to win.”

Walter Reuther

“Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.”

Unknown

“Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn't spend half our time wishing.”

Unknown

“One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”

Andre Gide

“When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'”

Sydney Harris

“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”

Abraham Lincoln

“If you're going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now.”

Marie Osmond

What Better Way to Spend a Saturday

How often do your friends ask you to do do something nice for them? Most of the time, those people who are there for us the most don't ask for anything in return.

Today, do nice things (thoughtful little favors) for the people you care about. Let them know you appreciate them, even if they won't notice it right away.

Happy Friday!

Teddies

p.s.
Between you and Me, we could use a dose of cuteness around here.
I knew you would understand.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

p.s.

Breakin' all the rules

There's definitely something to be said about doing your own thing!

My Advice To You

*

Relax. Nothing is so serious, except for perhaps
the suffering of a loved one. That being said, hear this:
If this is the case, the one you love would
never
want you to be suffering as a result of their own.
Compassion is never out of place,
and still we must remember
to take care of ourselves.
{for our own sakes, and the sakes of our loved ones}

Fare well.