Monday Motivation

mo·ti·va·tion

ˌmōdəˈvāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

   "escape can be a strong motivation for travel"

   synonyms:

   motive, motivating force, incentive, stimulus,stimulation, inspiration, inducement, incitement,spur, reason; informalcarrot "his motivation was financial"

   • the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

     "keep staff up to date and maintain interest and motivation"

     synonyms:

     enthusiasm, drive, ambition, initiative,determination, enterprise; informalget-up-and-go "keep up the staff's motivation"

Motivation is having the desire to get things done...it is the difference between waking up early to get your workout in and staying in your pajamas all day and playing on the computer. (Trust me, I have done that, LOL!)

How do you get the motivation to get things done?  Are there certain things that you can do to be motivated?

These are the things that have helped me when I have struggled with a lack of motivation:

1. Be positive

• Focus on the positive rather than beating yourself up. Use apps that will provide you with daily inspirational quotes and/or positive affirmations.  One that I like is http://www.sparkpeople.com/app/inspirational-quote-of-the-day.asp
• Surround yourself with uplifting people who sincerely want you to succeed!
• Join a community that offers positive support and motivation. One site that I really love is SparkPeople. www.sparkpeople.com  It is one of the largest online communities that offers free nutritional plans, tracking, articles, videos and tons of resources. There is an online community and teams to help you achieve your health and wellness goals.

2. Set realistic goals.  Goals should be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Results-driven
• Time-bound

3. Be consistent. Consistency is the difference between success and failure.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  ~ Will Durant

4.  Be tech-savvy.  Use tools, apps, and other gadgets to help you reach your goals, provide motivation, and help you be consistent.

Activity trackers - I love my new Misfit Shine. I looked at other activity trackers, but decided on this one because it is waterproof (up to 30m) so I can use it during water aerobics, and also loved the range of accessories that you can get for it. I can wear it on my wrist like a watch, or clip it onto my clothes or shoes wear it in my pocket, or purchase a locket to wear it around my neck.  I can change out the watchband by purchasing a steel mesh or leather band or even get one the new bling accessories since they have partnered with Swarovski. I purchased mine from Amazon and it was cheaper than on the official site.  You can also buy at Best Buy and other retailers.
https://store.misfit.com/products/misfit-shine?gclid=Cj0KEQjw4NmvBRCRp_yu2bzal4YBEiQAWfjpJno-6efvZBjf7mbWfGu3p335i_Fvl7KGCMmOW5MsPsQaAqpK8P8HAQ

https://store.misfit.com/products/sw-slake-set?gclid=Cj0KEQjw4NmvBRCRp_yu2bzal4YBEiQAWfjpJj2B0sKO58fuvtyr9sJSofCX5ydOQpNFcm-zwjbcE7gaAlg78P8HAQ

Other popular activity trackers to check out: Fitbit, Jawbone, Garmin. Choose the one that fits your lifestyle!  Each of the trackers has a phone app.

Charity Miles - I love earning money for charity while I'm getting in my workouts!

http://www.charitymiles.org/

Human - An activity tracker that inspires you to move 30 minutes or more each day. You can form clubs with friends and family to inspire each other to move more.http://human.co/

Goal Setting tools:
Coach.me (Formerly called Lift)is a free app that is like a coach that goes everywhere with you to help achieve any goal, change any habit or learn a new skill. You can set reminders for each of your goals to help build consistency! https://www.coach.me/

Other helpful apps:

My Fitness Pal - https://www.myfitnesspal.com/  Use it to track nutrition and exercise
SparkPeople mobile apps- http://www.sparkpeople.com/mobile-apps.asp
I particularly like the inspirational quotes and recipe apps.

Believe in yourself!  You can do it!

Transitions

It has been a while since I've last posted. Just a quick update to let you know what has been going on in my life the last several months....it's been a period of transitions. This past April was a year since the passing of my mom. That was the hardest transition for me of all and throughout this past year I have really struggled through a haze of grief and sadness. During the spring I was busy enjoying the last few months with my daughter and all the busy-ness surrounding high school graduation. The summer flew by in a blur of shopping for dorm room decorations and supplies and one last family beach trip. Since the summer started, there were more transitions....

1) In July I went back to work and am currently working at St. Vincent's One Nineteen in the spa.  I am working PRN in the spa as a licensed massage therapist and really love my job! I work with a great team of therapists and have the best clients!

2) I officially joined the empty nest club when our youngest left for college in August. I'm STILL adjusting to this change in my life. All I can say right now is that it sure is quiet around here and I have a lot more time on my hands these days. Hopefully I will get used to my little empty nest someday.

3) I joined Young Living as a wholesale member and have been having such fun using essential oils! I have been interested in aromatherapy and essential oils for quite a while, but I have just fallen in love with Young Living's product line! A friend from work showed me the oils and I'm having so much fun experimenting with their products.

https://www.youngliving.com/

Here is an easy recipe for a sugar scrub to make at home:

Lavender Sugar Scrub

2 1/2 cups brown or white sugar

8 oz of oil (almond, coconut, grape seed oil... or whatever oil that you have on hand)

15-25 drops of lavender essential oil (or your favorite oil or combination of oils)

small mason jars with lids or whatever container you want to use

Mix the sugar and oil in a bowl until it has the consistency of sand that you can clump or pinch in your fingers.

Add the essential oil and stir to combine.

Place mixture in jars and add a little bit of oil on top to keep the top layer from drying out.

Seal and label jars (if desired)

*These make great Christmas gifts, hostess gifts, teacher gifts, or are just great to have on hand when you want to pamper yourself! Use your imagination and create your own favorite blends of oils!

Future Plans for my blog:

I plan to start blogging more often in the future and hope to include more recipes using essential oils for non-toxic cleaning products and beauty products, as well as some recipes for using essential oils in my culinary creations. I would like to do more book and product reviews and possibly some D.I.Y./Crafting and travel sections. I will be switching my blog over to Wordpress in the near future, so bear with me during that transition.

I Can See Clearly Now Book Review

In I Can See Clearly Now, Dr. Wayne Dyer tells the stories that shaped his life and his career and shows us how the events in his life helped shape his views of looking at life from a different perspective. Through this glimpse into his life we can witness the profound shifts he experienced throughout his life which affected his writing and his career as an author and a teacher of self-empowerment. I loved his quote about how looking back on his life, that he can now "see clearly that every situation was a thread in the tapestry that represents and defines my life."

I first became aware of Dr. Dyer in 2004 while I was in Orlando, Florida going through certification for an infant massage class that I needed for continuing education. My instructor was a huge fan of Dr. Dyer and this is what led me to become interested in his writing. Ever since I picked up the first Wayne Dyer book, I have felt a strong attraction to this man and his work and I was thrilled to finally get the chance to see him speak in person at the Hay House I Can Do It conference in Atlanta in 2012! He did not disappoint! Even though I have never met him, I feel as if I know him through his writing and his public speaking.

I Can See Clearly Now is my favorite book that Dr. Dyer has written because it gives the background stories on how some of my favorite books written by him came into being. It provides a glimpse into the experiences and turning points that led to the creation of his books as well as what set him on his life path. Dr. Dyer is a gifted teacher and storyteller and I enjoyed reading about the shifts he experienced that impacted his life, his career, and his beliefs. My favorite stories were the "Secret Garden story" where he discovers the secret place within himself that has no restrictions and where all things are possible, and the story about visiting his father's grave where he lets go of all the feelings of anger and resentment he has held for his father and replaces them with love and forgiveness towards his father. I enjoyed seeing the scenes of his life play out in sequence with the opportunities and challenges in his life "arriving in God's perfect timing to present him with exactly the experiences he would need in order to fulfill his dharma." The book is full of  personal stories, "Dyerisms" (Wayne Dyer quotes) and his great wisdom!

In I Can See Clearly Now, Dr. Dyer encourages each of us to adopt an "I can see clearly mentality"; to look back at all the significant events of our lives and see the invisible hand of God and to become more conscious in the present moments of our lives and to shift our thoughts to thoughts of unconditional love. He encourages us to examine those major turning points in our own lives and to look carefully at the "so-called coincidences" that had to arise for us to shift direction.  He urges us to remember that there is a plan always at work, even if we can't recognize it as it is unfolding and to put less emphasis on the ego and "What's in it for me?" and to adopt instead "How may I serve?"  He says that "every moment of our lives offers us the opportunity to play close attention to see the person who approaches us, not as a stranger, but as someone who showed up in the right place, at the right moment." He urges us to view the unpleasant events in our lives through a different lens...one that offers us a learning experience and an opportunity for growth and to become more God-conscious.

Dr. Dyer has made a big impact on my life and I highly recommend his latest book!  For those not familiar with his work, this book will give the reader some background on some of his best-selling books with some of his most famous quotes, but it also allows his fans to look at the meaningful progression of his life and what has inspired his wonderful body of work.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product and I was not financially compensated for this review.

http://www.amazon.com/I-Can-See-Clearly-Now-ebook/dp/B00F8KX7I4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1W9ZN5GBNYG61HPTHNG9

You Can Heal Your Heart Book Review

I am participating in Hay House Publishing's Book Nook, a free program to read and review books. I received my first e-book a few weeks ago and this is my first review.

In the book You Can Heal Your Heart, grief counseling expert, David Kessler, and author and founder of Hay House Publishing, Louise L. Hay, collaborate on a wonderful book about healing from grief and loss. The book covers many different types of loss... the loss of  loved ones (spouse, lover, parent, child, friend), the loss of a pet, loss from a breakup or divorce, and even other types of loss such as disenfranchised loss, loss in limbo, and complicated loss. The book is full of personal stories of people who have suffered different types of loss and personal affirmations and exercises to help heal a grieving heart.

I chose this book to review because I recently lost my dear mother after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer and I wanted to find peace and healing during the grief process. This book was very helpful with assisting me to move forward in my life. I found the personal stories that were included very touching and the positive affirmations and exercises to be of great comfort to me. I also found the section about loss after infertility and miscarriage to be extremely helpful as well. I suffered through years of infertility and numerous miscarriages before I finally had my two precious children, and I'm not sure I ever fully processed the grief I felt during that experience in my life. This book helped me deal not only with the loss of my mother, but also helped heal the unexpressed and often disenfranchised loss of infertility and miscarriage.

I love several of the quotes from the book:

"Grief is as unique as a fingerprint."

"Grief is the window that provides the opportunity to examine your primal thinking about relationships."

"We are faced with a choice when we wake up in the morning: Will we choose to live our lives in fear or in faith? Then we step out into the world where good and evil do battle every day. It is the charge of each one of us to bring light and love into the world. and we achieve this through every thought and interaction we have on a daily basis."

I would highly recommend this book to anyone experiencing any type of loss of in their life...past or present. This book helped me to remember that "Love is eternal and is a bond that can't be severed....even in death."  You Can Heal Your Heart teaches us a new way of thinking about loss and encourages us to change every thought into a loving one, each and every day!

FTC Disclosure:  I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product and I was not financially compensated for this review.

How Do You Respond To A Crisis?

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill


There are several people in my life that are currently experiencing a crisis in their lives. Some are family members or friends, and others are my online friends. Some have health crises, some have financial crises, or even the death of loved ones. As I have thought about them and prayed for them as they go through the trials in their lives, I stopped to think about my own response to a crisis.

Many years ago when I was in nursing school I had to do a group project with some of my peers. Our topic was Crisis Management. In our research we learned that two Chinese symbols are used for the word crisis... One that represents danger and one that represents an opportunity. I believe that we have a choice on how we view and react to a crisis or any problem in our lives. Sometimes in my own life what I originally viewed as a crisis turned out to be a blessing in disguise, even though I could not see it that way while going through it. Many of us have probably used the phrase that when God closes a door, He opens a window. In my life that has been true so many times. I have sometimes struggled a bit with having faith when bad things happened in my life as well as trying to understand why something actually happened. In the midst of the crisis I did not always view it as an opportunity for growth or react in a positive way as I was going through a crisis. It was only by looking back in hindsight that I was able to see the evidence of God's hand in that situation. Could I improve how I respond in the midst of a crisis? You betcha! That is why I am reflecting on this topic and writing about this in my blog. My hope is that when I am faced with a challenge or a crisis in the future, that I will come back and read what I have written today and be able to respond in a more positive way so that I can change for the better and grow.

In doing a recent web search I found an article that contradicts the view that the two Chinese characters for crisis actually are danger and opportunity due errors in translation and that is dangerous to make the assumption that crisis = danger + opportunity. The author states that the two symbols together mean something more like an "incipient moment; a crucial point when something begins or changes.

Whatever the original meaning of the two symbols, I continue to believe that we indeed do have a choice in our response and our thoughts concerning the perceived crisis. We can either respond in a positive manner or a negative manner, all based on our perception of the events and our internal belief structure.

Over the last few years I have kind of branched out from my fundamental beliefs and have been willing to embrace some new ideas. Not ideas that replace or necessarily contradict my own beliefs, but just a new way to look at someone elses point of view. Many times a person would come into my life with a recurring theme or message, or a certain phrase or subject would appear over and over again in books or articles that I read. It was almost like I was being shown another  path or a  message that I needed to hear. Synchronicity is defined as " the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality -- used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung."

I really don't think there are coincidences in life. I think we are all here for a specific purpose even if we don't yet know what that purpose is, and that there are no random experiences. We all have the power of free will and the ability to make certain choices in our lives. I believe that people and experiences are placed in our path for a reason and sometimes even bad things come into our lives to help us develop strength of character and faith. Usually a crisis brings with it an opportunity for growth and a learning experience. What we learn from a crisis or problem in our lives is really dependent upon our thoughts and feelings and our reactions based on those thoughts and feelings.

As I continue to struggle with the recent passing of my mother, I am reminded that life is a series of beginnings and endings. Change is an inescapeable part of our lives. We have only to look at the seasons, or to watch a flower grow, or a baby grow into a child, and then into an adult.  Life and death... an endless cycle of beginnings and endings. Yet we resist change...We want to keep the status quo.  But in resisting change are we ever really able to grow and develop?  Without pain are we ever really able to appreciate joy?  Most crises represent some form of change. It is how we view that change or crisis that will lead to growth or to despair.

Every season in our lives serves a purpose. Winter can be a time of reflection and contemplation. Winter also brings times of celebration for many cultures. In my own Christian religion, Christmas represents birth, hope, and miracles. In the Jewish religion, Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the oil that burned for 8 days. Kwanzaa is a celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. New Year's Eve and Day symbolize and commemorate the ending of one year and the beginning of the next. Winter is the perfect time to reflect on change and our personal choices.

“One of the themes most strongly associated with winter … across the world is the re-emergence of light out of darkness, bringing renewal of life and the promise of a successful future,” writes Jennifer Cole in Ceremonies of the Seasons (Duncan Baird, 2007).

I am looking forward to the spring but I am learning to appreciate the stillness and symbolic meaning of winter. I hope that this new year will bring you hope in whatever challenges or trials you may be facing and that you will be able to see the opportunity in the crises that come into your lives.


“Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”  ~ Charles "Tremendous" Jones

“To exist is to change; to change is to mature; to mature is to create oneself endlessly.”  ~ Henri Bergson

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.”  ~ Albert Einstein

“Much as we may wish to make a new beginning, some part of us resists doing so as though we were making the first step toward disaster.”  ~ William Bridges

“Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made.”  ~ Wayne Dyer

Book Nook

"You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people." Zig Ziglar

One of my intentions for this year is to do more of the things that bring me joy. One of my favorite things of all is to immerse myself in a good book! I love being a life-long learner and enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction books. I especially enjoy reading self-help books and books about health and nutrition, as those are the things that I am passionate about. One of my favorite publishing companies is Hay House and I just found out that they have a free program where you can register to review books for them. How cool is that? You get to read books and review them for free!

I just sent in my application to join Book Nook and I  can't wait to receive my first book to review!

You can read more about this awesome program at the following link: http://www.hayhousebooknook.com/

I'll keep you posted on the Book Nook program...in the meantime I'm off to read one of the books that I downloaded from my library through Overdrive Media. http://omc.overdrive.com/.  I really love the Overdrive Media app! I can read or listen to eBooks and audiobooks from my library on my iPad, iPhone, Kindle, or computer.

"The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

JOY

What is joy?

There are many definitions for the word joy...I like this one...

Joy- a source or cause of delight

Spend some time creating a list of all the things that bring you joy.  It can be 10 things or 100 things, it doesn't matter....just notice the things that bring you joy as you go about your day and jot down whatever comes to mind.  This doesn't have to done in one sitting...it can be an ongoing project. Each day take a moment and just be in a state of gratitude for all the joyful things in your life.

Here are some of mine in no particular order:

1.   my family
2.   the beach
3.   my little Shih Tzu, Gizmo
4.   sunsets
5.   babies
6.   baby animals
7.   a good book
8.   bubble baths
9.   waterfalls
10. being with friends
11. butterflies
12. traveling
13. flowers
14. dancing
15. music
16. the change of seasons...especially spring and fall
17. flip flops
18. decorating
19. art
20. entertaining
21. candles, spas, massage
22. sunrises
23. being in nature
24. learning
25. personal development books or courses
26. d.i.y projects
27. watching food network and d.i.y network and HGTV
28. comfy pajamas
29. a hot cup of tea or coffee in my favorite mug
30. sitting in front of a blazing fire
31. hiking in the mountains
32. sailing or cruising 
33. girls night out
34. old photos and reminiscing
35. surprises
36. turquoise, peacock blue, aquamarine
37. hot pink
38. shopping
39. exploring a new travel destination
40. Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products
41. movies
42. beautiful photography
43. laughter
44. playing games
45. making my own cleaning products
46. hummingbirds
47. blue and white dishes
48. cocktails on the deck
49. having a day with no obligations or commitments
50. seashells
51. sandcastles
52. cooking a new recipe
53. the smell of lavender or fresh linens
54. the smell of baby products
55. roasting marshmallows over an open fire
56. dolphins
57. gardening
58. drawing or painting
59. my faith
60. the smell of spring
61. the crisp air of fall
62. snow covered trees and mountains
63. lazy summer days
64. tropical vacations
65. jumping on a trampoline
66. rearranging furniture
67. new shoes or a new outfit
68. bunnies
69. angels
70. road trips
71. antiques
72. fresh herbs
73. fruit-flavored water
74. journaling
75. being with family
76. comfy clothes
77. fresh washed sheets
78. a clean house
79. watching old movies
80. lying in a hammock
81. being grateful
82. Facebook
83. Pinterest
84. going to my favorite restaurant
85. calls or texts from my children or hubby
86. creating tablescapes
87. scrapbooking
88. hugs and snuggling in bed
89. fuzzy sweaters in winter
90. dressing up in formal attire
91. sundresses
92. puppies
93. wildflowers
94. spring flowers
95. walking on the beach
96. sunbathing
97. witnessing the birth of a newborn baby
98. helping people
99. giving people presents
100. being in the moment