When you journey within, you’re never without….

It has been a while….I wanted so badly to keep up with blogging as it has been a good outlet for self-expression, sharing and personal exploration for me.  However, I got busy and let my day to day get the best of me.  The Thought for the day below JUMPED out at me as did some emails I have received from some of you reaching out to me asking what happened to the daily thoughts.  THANK YOU!

I need and want to find more (scratch that) MAKE MORE “me” time – more “sit down with nothing going on around me, no one coming at me – just BE time”.

Who does this in a way it is working for them?  Please Share!

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

Your internal wisdom is the part of you that knows what is true and best for you. Each one of us is born with this gift yet it often gets lost in a sea of external voices, opinions and judgments.

It’s time to recapture this priceless gift!

Make a time and a place when all you have to do is concentrate on yourself – not the children, pets, your boss, your coworkers, your unfinished laundry or your list of errands.

Make this special place a quiet zone and sanctuary. Close your eyes and listen to your thoughts. Be at one with yourself and quietly tap into your internal wisdom.

If this is new to you, be patient. It may take time. But, as you listen carefully, you will gradually come to know that the greatest wisdom is inside your heart.

Today’s Affirmation: I listen to my internal wisdom.

The “Giving” Gift…

I consider my ability to “give” both a blessing and a curse.  I love to give to others and it is so rewarding!  However, sometimes I forget about giving to myself.  I find myself looking for ways to give to those around me; helping them, being there for them, seeing what they need so as to determine if I can fill that need, etc.

Today’s thought for the day helps me cherish the blessing side of my gift.  It also makes me think about being more gracious about giving to that person I sometimes forget about…..me!

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

The Priceless Gifts You Give

by JANE POWELL on MARCH 17, 2012

“Touch hearts with your intangible gifts.”

One of the most treasured gifts of women is the ability to give, without expecting something is return. Such unconditional gifts of the heart, like encouragement, hope, love, a kind word and appreciation, fall into this category.

The glow you get inside when you share these gifts is comparable to nothing else. Your soul becomes filled with a sense of calmness and the burdens of the world seem weightless.

For what we give returns to us, multiplied many times over. So, cast the bread of kindness on the waters of life. Enjoy sharing a moment of selfless affection with someone in need.

That warm glow will always reward you. It comes with the principle of selfless giving.

Today’s Affirmation: I cherish my ability to give and expect nothing in return.

The dreaded “WHAT-IF”….

I am feeling particularly anxious free today, so it is a good day to write about this topic.  First of all, that makes it a unique day.  I am trying to figure out what creates these “anxious free” days for me so I can create more of them.  On the outside some of you may see a calm, ok…maybe not calm, but full of energy, positive, prepared (sometimes over prepared), easy going person (I said SOME of you) :). Well, let me tell you….
Most days, I am angst ridden on the inside about too many trivial, out of my control type thoughts.  I am not saying this makes me a nervous wreck, but it is enough of a distraction that I want to strive for more anxious free days than not.  I want to give my brain more space for the positives (as there is SO much to feel so very positive about).

I worry about the What-Ifs;

• What if  I can’t get this done?
• What if  I run out of time?  / What if  I am not prepared?
• What if  I don’t like how that goes?
• What if  I don’t get that THING right?
• What if  I don’t call that person?  /  What if  that person doesn’t call me?
• What if  I forgot something?  / What if  they forget?
• What if  that person doesn’t like what I have to say?
• What if  I don’t get time to exercise?
• What if  I say no? / What if  I say yes?
• What if  I make this decision?  or that decision?
• …and the list goes on….

I am constantly striving to free my brain from all of those worrisome What-Ifs.  Any tips are welcome for those of you that have found a way to master this one!

Love this quote by Wayne Dyer:

It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there’s nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

Stop Anxious Thoughts

by JANE POWELL on MARCH 6, 2012

“Free yourself from anxiety by chasing away the ‘What-if’s?’”

“What-if?” So many negative thoughts start with these two words. “What if I’m late for work?” “What if I don’t lose weight?” “What if I don’t go to my friends for dinner because I’m too tired?” What if…what if…what…if!

Each anxious thought leads to another anxious thought, and another – only to feed a negative spiral of worry. Before you know it, your heart races, it’s hard to breathe and there’s a knot in your stomach the size of a pot roast.

Catch yourself! Next time you fall in to the “what-if” trap, stop it in its tracks. Turn your thinking in a positive direction. It takes time and consistent practice, but the freedom from anxiety is well worth the effort.

The power of your smile….

Do you ever see people who just seem to always have a smile on their face?  A smile has amazing power; it is most often contagious, it is something understood in every language and people intuitively gravitate towards a smile.
How often is your face in the “Smile” position?  often enough?

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

by JANE POWELL on FEBRUARY 28, 2012

“There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all.”

A smile not only crosses geographic boundaries, it also crosses the boundaries of culture, background, age and beliefs. What’s more, it works the same magic in them all!

A warm smile can make a child feel better, as surely as it can cheer up an oldman. It can soften hearts and firm up commitments. It can mend friendships and break tensions. It can reassure and give support. It can say ‘I love you’ and ‘congratulations.’ It can make deals. It can make friendships. It can make memories or even make your day.

But perhaps, most important of all, a smile can make the world a better place for the person who gives it – you!

©Jane Powell – Meditations for Women

Recall a compliment…

How many times do you shrug off or get all bashful when someone compliments you?

Think about a compliment you recently received that you appreciated….
What was it? From whom did it come?

Here is a recent one for me…

A friend told me I looked so very refreshed and bright.  These days, that felt really good to hear!

 

 

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

Why You Need to Accept Compliments

by JANE POWELL on JANUARY 31, 2012

“Accept praise.”

Sometimes the hardest thing to hear and to accept is a compliment. We tend to be guarded, possibly because we have been hurt by words in the past. We fight the urge to believe the praise; it simply can’t be true.

The truth is compliments should be embraced and welcomed. They’re an intangible gift,

a confirmation of a job well done. Others may see great changes happening to you and they want to let you know. Respond with a smile and a simple “thank you.”

You deserve to be flattered, so accept it, and enjoy it!

Today’s Affirmation: I deserve to complimented and accept them with ease.

T4D…Don’t forget to celebrate!

How many times do you have something wonderful happen, you maybe smile or feel happy for the moment and then quickly leap into the next thing…whatever that may be…forgetting about that wonderful thing that happened?
We need to be better at celebrating those little wonderful things in our day or the things we accomplish – big or small…EVERY step of the way!

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

 

Never Ever Give Up!

by JANE POWELL on JANUARY 11, 2012

“Small victories are worth celebrating.”

We’re a results oriented society, so we tend to hold off celebrations until we’ve reached our final goal. But the truth is that every day holds wonderful successes and important victories. I’m talking about celebrating progress.

Progress can be realizing mini-goals that lead to your ultimate goal, or it can be something more subtle or unexpected, something that happens that has meaning for you. For example, perhaps you were blamed for something at work that was not your fault. Instead of remaining quiet, you confidently stood your ground. Maybe you received a compliment and were surprised by how good it made you feel.

The really wonderful thing about moments like these are that they can happen anytime and sometimes when you least expect them. They can also turn everything around. Just when you begin to second guess yourself, you’re reminded of your progress.

Don’t give up. You are making progress!

Today’s Affirmation: I celebrate small victories.

New Beginnings

 

 

 

 

 

“You must begin wherever you are.” – Jack Boland

I had a fantastic holiday season; filled with family and friends. However, I have never been so ready for the holidays to be over! I am craving routine and am excited (and optimistic) about pursuing my goals.

This year’s focus will be all about health & happiness.  I haven’t quite figured out what I need to do to achieve these goals, but am satisfied with just knowing what they are right now!!

So one more quote to keep me inspired: “Beginnings are wonderful things – they’re free, they’re full of possibilities, and everyone gets a new one every day.” – Unknown

T4D…Why Not Just Do It?

How many things have you thought about doing and then let yourself be talked right out of it by yours truly?  We so often find so many reasons to NOT do something before we try or even before we think about the good reasons to do it.

Shout out to Maria today for doing some major things in her life that a few years ago, she would have talked herself out of….way to go Maria!

What are you NOT moving forward on (for the many reasons you have told yourself)?

Remember – I don’t believe curiosity ever killed any cat!

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

Cure for Fearing the Unknown

by JANE POWELL on DECEMBER 19, 2011

“Stop fearing the unknown and move forward.”

Do these sound familiar? “I’m too old to do something new.” “I won’t be any good at it.” “People will laugh.”  Are these the kinds of things you tell yourself when opportunity strikes?  When you determine the result or the outcome before you even start, you have already considered rejection or failure.  And, when this happens, it’s easy to come up with excuses for not even trying.

The secret is to disconnect the outcome from the process. This is when you release the fear and give yourself the opportunity for success.

Think about it, you cannot possibly know the outcome before you try. Nobody can! So, trust yourself and get out there and do it.

Today’s Affirmation: I give myself opportunity for success by disconnecting the outcome from the process.

I don’t think curiosity killed any cat….

Did you know…

“Curiosity killed the cat” is a proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. A less frequently-seen rejoinder to “curiosity killed the cat” is “satisfaction brought it back”.  The original form of the proverb, now little used, was “Care killed the cat”. In this instance, “care” was defined as “worry” or “sorrow.” (Thanks Wikipedia)

I believe ..

• to be curious is to be willing to explore…
• to explore is to learn…
• to learn is to grow!

How curious are you?

cu·ri·os·i·ty[kyoor-ee-os-i-tee]

The desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness.

T4D…Admiration vs Jealousy

Do you ever find yourself admiring something about another person and then immediately going inside to judge yourself? Why is it we so often compare ourselves to others with such a critical eye?

We are all so very unique and blessed with so many characteristics and talents that differentiate us from each other!  To reflect on a thought from months ago; Let’s be a bit more gentle with ourselves and acknowledge our great qualities more often!

Inspired by Jane Powell…. 

Never Be Jealous Again

by JANE POWELL on DECEMBER 5, 2011

“Jealousy is an emotion we can live without.”  When you are jealous of someone else, your positive attitude suffers.

When tempted to compare yourself to a woman who is more beautiful or successful than most, you have a choice. You can choose

to admire her fine attributes or let the green-eyed monster have its way. If you choose jealousy, you will become negative, learn to doubt yourself and cultivate both fear and anger. But, when you choose admiration, you nurture an inner awe and wonder, which is too often lost as children grow into adults.Turn jealousy into admiration. Stop comparing yourself to those with wonderful qualities. Replace negative feelings with appreciation and admiration, and appreciation of your own great qualities will grow!

Today’s Affirmation: When comparing myself to others, I choose admiration rather than jealousy.