I'm Baaack!

                Holy Moly. I know it’s been a long time since I posted here but, you know how when you start to make a positive change negativity shows up. Well it did. So when that happens sometimes you have to step back and re-group. So that’s what I did.

                Remember when I said this blog would evolve. That’s starting to happen.  I have been looking at different ways to make a positive change in my life and there are a few avenues that I have found that I can take. With all the changes I want to make in this life two things have been constant. No matter what part or aspect of your life needs changing the change always starts in these same two places. Those places are your mind and your heart. Not necessarily in that order. Until you change your mind and heart about what is possible in your life nothing will change. You have to know that anything from fitness to finance can be changed in your life. Know that the change is entirely up to you.

Where to begin?

                I’m going to start with a financial change. When you have had decades of poor thinking it can take time to change that mind set. I try to keep my mind focused on, and listen to people that have money so that I can learn from them. It only made sense. What are you going to learn from people that are struggling except how to struggle? Think about it. When you’re struggling and you spend time with other people who are struggling what do you tend to talk about? Most people I know tend to talk about the struggle instead of possible solutions or ways to overcome the struggles. Now I don’t want anyone to get the idea that I mean abandon your friends and or family totally. What I’m saying is if you can’t change the conversations you have with those people just lay low for a while and regroup.  When you feel like you can be a positive catalyst for change or at least withstand the negative talk that will be coming at you come back and spend time with them.  They may need some fresh positive ideas to help them out of their situation.

                During my time away I did some reading. In all of the books and articles I’ve been reading lately I have noticed something interesting. No matter what the subject I happen to be reading about thinking creatively has popped up in all of them.  Creative thinking opens your mind up to expansion and this seems necessary to succeed. In other words, you have to think outside of the box. Now for a lot of people I know that box is called a job.  Don’t get me wrong. Jobs are necessary and I am always grateful for my job and everyone I work with, but a lot of times people just don’t get ahead with a job. Not even a second job which is what some people wind up getting. I don’t know how many people I have worked with over the years that have picked up a second job, only intending to have it for a short time, and after they have used the money for the intended purpose they always find something else to need it for. They always find something else to do with that money. Now if that’s what you want to do then okay. For me I’m looking for a way to increase my income without a second job. I’m learning how to think outside of the box.

What to do.

                When you decide you don’t want to struggle anymore you learn to be more open minded about ways to draw income into your life. Now I had been toying with the idea of writing but never thought of myself as a great writer. Then I heard Will Smith say something that made sense. He said “talent you have naturally, skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft”. In other words, you can excel through practice. You may be surprised at what you can accomplish if you continue to work at it. Consider something you already know how to do or just love to do that way it's less work to start with. It may be arts and craft or gardening. It could be automobiles or games. Sports and travel are great things to create from. Think about all those Youtube videos that you see.  A lot of those people have blogs, and websites, they write articles and they are on all of the social media. They have learned how to take something the love and monetize it in some way.

                For me these are some of the ways you can think out of the box.  I was one of those people who thought the only way to make money was to have a job. Now I have learned that isn't the case at all. I want more money and freedom than just having a job is going to get me. I didn't think I had any particular talent but I do have a great imagination and I’m sure I can put that to work for me in some way. I don’t think I would have been blessed with it if there was no intent for me to use it. Think about what you love to do now that you already know something about or something that you are really interested in and pursue it. Be creative when you are thinking of ways to make money doing it.  Make sure you can still enjoy doing it as you make the money. Don’t turn it into just another job. Make it yours.

Finishing up.

                I’m gonna give a try to some things I have found and let you all know how it goes. I’m looking forward to big things. I’ll pass on any good info I find as well. Here’s to keeping motivated.

Well til next time,

Wishing you Love and Positivity for Life

Helen

Tough times calls for more positivity

It has been a tough week for me. I won't go into details but this past week I have done some real self examination.  During that process I realized that those times that are hardest are the times you really need to find some positivity. Especially when you realize that you are the cause of your problems. I am usually pretty good at figuring out how to get out of a pickle but this time I am at a loss.  That's when people really start to seek answers, help and positivity. I have spent probably more time this weekend seeking positivity than I have in a month. It is as hard, as it is important not to beat yourself up during these times.  Chastising yourself is not always helpful. When you can acknowledge and take ownership of your mistakes, without abusing yourself, then change and growth can take place. One thing that is a must for me is to focus on the good things about me and know that those things are as important if not more important than the mistakes. Learn from the mistakes, make the necessary changes but don't dwell on those mistakes. Focus on the good things in my Life and not any struggle that may be occurring. I'm not talking about ignoring the problem just don't give it as much energy as you do the good in your life.

Throughout my search I came across new teachers for positivity. One of them was Florence Scovel Shinn. She lived in the late 1800's and early 1900's. I know that was a long time ago but what I have come to realize in this journee is that truth and positivity is timeless. I won't go into her entire biography, you can find that just like I did, but I will tell you the names of the books she wrote. The Game of Life and How to Play It was her first book. I plan to pick it up soon and let you know what I found in it. The book that really got my attention was Your Word is Your Wand. I found a small part of it that was posted on YouTube by YouAreCreators. There is also a link to purchase the audio on their channel. It's worth a listen just to see how spoken words can change your life. There is an example in the reading. That was her second book. Her third book was The Secret Door to Success. There are a few websites where you can find some of her work as well. One that I like is www.florence-scovel-shinn.com. You can click on a subject and see some of her positive affirmations.

In my search for positivity I have noticed that words are most powerful when you believe those words. It's the belief in those words that create change in one's life. Let me clarify my thoughts on this.  I believe that even if you don't totally believe in the positive words you are saying or thinking those words begin to change you. If for no other reason than those positive words keep you from saying and thinking more negative things. This can create a kind of snowball effect. As you decrease your negative train of thoughts and replace them with positive words and thoughts it becomes easier to believe.

If you believe or follow the Law of Attraction theories your thoughts create an emotion and that emotion is what changes things in your life. I believe that holds true. If you think about it, when you pray and believe you get a sense of relief or joy depending on what you prayed for. If you truly believe before seeing it actually happen or manifest in your life that is. I have to admit this is sometimes easier said than done.  Especially if you have a habit of worrying or you have a pattern of thinking things that are negative. I find that I have to keep pulling myself back to the positive thought process, which is okay. The problems come when you don't pull yourself away from the worry or negative thoughts and feelings. When you just allow those thoughts and feelings to fester and you don't shake your mind loose and find some positivity, things go from bad to worse.

Now I think about my situation and I know that it will all work out.  Why? Because I have asked for and believe I have received before, it has shown itself true. I have staked claim to what I need and I know that everything I need has been given to me. Have I reached complete Bliss? Well, sometimes you have to take baby steps. How about RELIEF. Now from relief I can get to BLISS.

That's all for now.

Once again Wishing you Love and Positivity for Life,

Helen

New Year, New Beginnings

A few things have happened since my last post. I know.  It's way past a week right. Well, I've taken a different position at work and I've moved. In my last post I wrote about gratitude and how I was going to start practicing it and reporting the effects it has on my life. I have to say the affects were positive. It had a great affect on the start of my day. I use to just groggily move through my morning but with something positive to focus on as soon as I wake up I seem to have more clarity in my mornings. It is a practice that I will definitely continue.

I feel like now I am ready for another step in my process. These last couple of months has had me doing more praying and meditating I have to say.  I feel like prayer and meditation are also important parts of feeling good and living a positive life regardless your religious preference. I took some time to analyze both of these this week and what I have found is that for me meditation has been more of a quite, stress relieving time and my prayers have been more like request for help, guidance or direction. That kind of disturbed me. I felt like my conversations with God needed to be different somehow.  Less asking and more...something else.  Then it dawned on me. GRATITUDE! HELLO!! I had been practicing being grateful and did not connect that I was actually praying.

Let's look at a definition of prayer.
 

prayer

noun
 

1.a devout petition to God or an object of worship.

2.a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.

3.the act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.

4.a formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for praying: the Lord's Prayer.

5.prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer.

 

This definition came from Dictionary.com and when I saw meaning #2 I thought: "what have I been doing in my morning routine of gratitude if not praying. Who have I been thanking if not God". I suddenly felt better about my prayers. A lot of people feel like there has to be a certain structure to prayer but I don't think so.  I think God hears every word I say when I just talk to him. There was a lot of definition for communion that talked more about the act of taking communion, but part of the definition is an 'intimate communication'. A spiritual communion with God.What could make a conversation with God more spiritual than and intimate communication? I feel like that has more to do with what's in your Heart than a series of words spoken a certain way. Matter of fact, I think you can pray and not even mumble a word. Silent prayer. A moment of silence. So on and so forth. 

Ultimately I feel like this is the next step in my journee. Another lesson learned or recognized if you will. I know that people believe in different things and practice different religions but one thing seems to hold true. They all have some form of prayer. I think prayer is good in any form. Spoken, silent, formal or not so formal. Continue to pray to whomever you pray too.

Once again wishing you Love and Positivity for Life

Helen

 

There has GOT to be more.

I believe wholeheartedly that there is more to this life than many of us are living.  I have always had the feeling that there is a greater force at work here.  I have been to Church and read my Bible. I have a strong belief in God and my understanding of God's power has grown over time. I also believe that I have a lot still to learn and that there are other avenues to take. I believe that the Bible is inspired word from God and I believe that God still inspires people up to and through today.

Years ago I bought the book The Secret. I know. It's old news right.  Well I actually gave it away before I ever finished reading it. Then a few months ago for some reason I felt the need to download it to my Nook and began once again to read it. It seem to speak to me on a different level this time. I don't know if I was just more open to receive what it was teaching or what, but so much of it made sense and resonated as true for me that I couldn't ignore it. I've decided to start implementing at least some of the practices that some of the authors in the book have used for their lives.  For instance, Gratitude.

They were all big on gratitude and I could see how it can be beneficial in every one's life. Think about gratitude for a moment. It cost you nothing to be grateful.  You don't have to overexert yourself to say thank you. Think about this as well, how do you feel when someone gives you a heartfelt thank you.  If you can give that feeling to someone else with just those 2 simple words that is amazing.  Imagine if by saying those 2 words to someone you have helped them get on track to a better day. I think it's worth doing and painless to boot.  Think about what you have to be grateful for.  It can be anything. It can be anything from a major financial windfall to butterflies in your yard. You can show gratitude for anything positive in your life.

I believe this practice is to get your mind in a state of positivity. You may still come in contact with negativity throughout your day but if you can start positive you have a better chance of ending positively.

This is the first step in my journee.  I'll post next week how it goes.

Wishing you Love and Positivity for Life,

Helen    

Understanding

I just viewed a video on YouTube from a young woman I have seen there often. In a nutshell she lost her Mom 7 years ago but she still feels her presence in a particular way.  I want to say that what we go through when we lose someone we love is going to be different per individual. There is no right or wrong way to handle that experience.

My Mom's physical presence left here in November of 2010.  I remember not crying as much as I thought I would that night. I remember feeling like I was outside watching everything as if it was happening to someone else.  It wasn't until after the ceremony that I really started to feel the loss of her.  As each day went by, and continues to go by, the lack of my contact with her physical shell becomes more and more noticeable. I think that living such a tactile life makes the process of coping with losing someone harder. Not being able to hear and touch someone increases the feeling of that loss. The lack of physical interaction is difficult for us. We forget that we are all spirits living in a shell and that the loss of the body is not the loss of the person. There spirit still lives on.

As I have been growing my spiritual understanding I have a better understanding of how I process my Mom's death.  I realized that I never stopped feeling her presence in my life because her spirit didn't die.  For me it was, and still is to some degree, as if she has never left.  I don't hear her voice anymore and her laughter is missed but I continue to feel her presence. I believe that she still lives, only without the restraints of the body that broke down on her. She is free now and still with those of us that want and need to feel our special connection to her.

I know that not everyone will feel or think the same way that I do about this and that's okay. They are not suppose to. After all, this if MY process not theirs. As individuals we are not designed to feel and think the same way about everything.

I know that I will continue to miss my Mom's physical presence but the pain of lack is softened by knowing that she is only as far away as my heart will let her be. Please believe, that aint far. Love you Mom.
 

First time

This is to anyone who happens upon my blog.  First let me say Hello and Welcome.  This is my first ever attempt at something like this so here it goes.  This blog will be about many things from time to time, I am sure, but my main focus is growth.  Personal and Spiritual growth.  To me growth in both of these areas is a journey that takes a lifetime.  I believe that when people stop growing they stop living. 
I have not yet decided how often I will post on this blog but I will try at least once per week. I don't know if this will be a high speed adventure or a slow boat to China but, feel free to take this journey with me.