Monthly Archives: February 2023

Personal Growth

The Gift of Choice

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People are given a gift of choice. Some are keenly aware of this and make decisions to understand the power of their choice to move one closer or further away from the life they desire by the honesty, integrity, and character of each of their decisions. Other people move blindly through life with no awareness of the power of their choice. They muddle through situations blaming outside influences, other people, or even something like the weather for their problems. In my observations of life, I am sure that we are in the place we are at, experiencing our lives in the manner we are due, almost exclusively, to the things we allow in our minds and the choices we make because of them.

Responsible or Not?

There is nobody responsible for your situation but you. People who understand this and live this way seem to have much more in their lives than one would want to be accountable for. The choice of responsibility brings you power, and appointing blame somewhere else takes the power of your being away.

People give their power away through blame, judgment, and wishful thinking. Your choice to accept responsibility for your circumstances brings freedom and power. Many events will happen we have no control over, but we always have 100% control over our response to any situation, and it is in this choice all of our power of attitude exists. Placing the blame won’t change anything but give you a negative attitude, place you further from a solution, or understand the lesson the situation teaches you. Or you can let another person or a situation make choices about your emotions, attitude, and thoughts. This choice is exclusively up to you.

Positive or Negative?

The choice to be positive or negative in your thoughts, actions, and attitudes is a decision a person faces continually throughout life. It is my observation most people have slanted one mentality or the other. Not surprisingly, their life circumstances serve them precisely what they seek. Keeping a positive perspective doesn’t make bad things enjoyable, but it will allow you a tool to deal with them in a better way.

A negative attitude will take you to a location of disappointment, sadness, anger, frustration, or somewhere else on that spectrum. A positive attitude won’t change the present circumstances as if by magic, but choosing to look positively will help you find the best path in your life. The tragedy is a tragedy, and pain is pain. It will hurt and be discouraging no matter how you think, but it will not define your life if you focus on the good that is still around in your life. Or you can choose to be miserable and let every “bad” thing that comes along derail you and potentially destroy you. That choice is yours and yours alone.

 Love or Not?

You have a choice to practice love in all situations or to be mean and selfish. Being human provides us with a continuous option to either be open to love or to close ourselves off to the possibilities of love. When we were young, perhaps we found pain in caring or being disappointed with those we loved. So we close our hearts and choose not to let anyone else in. The belief that others will hurt us has led me to a lifetime of relationship failures. I think most people are similar. It is easier and less risky to be on your own in life.

Life is a situation built to be lived in conjunction and connection with other humans. I aim to open up and allow new things and people into my life. As people lean into the possibility of love, they learn to love themselves. We are all the people we were when we were born. Perfect, and here for a reason. It seems life is an experience to remember exactly who we were.

Indeed there are choices in life every day, and the joy we give and receive in life will ultimately result in our ability to choose well or not. My challenge to you is to take a moment this day and every day to be aware the choice exists for you, and you are responsible for them. Good, bad, happy, or sad is all up to you.

“You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.” -Anonymous

Decisions are the hardest thing to make, especially when it is a choice between where you should be and where you want to be.” -Anonymous

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela

“The 3 C’s of life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must choose to take a chance, or your life will never change.”

“Make good choices today, so you don’t have regrets tomorrow.” Anonymous

 

Life Lessons

Exercises for Positive Thinking

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Positive thinking exercises are activities that can help individuals cultivate a positive mindset. Positive thinking has been linked to better mental and physical health, improved relationships, and increased success in various areas of life. Here are some positive thinking exercises that can help individuals train their minds to think positively:

  1. Gratitude journaling: Writing down three things you are grateful for daily can help shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life. This exercise can help you appreciate the good things in your life and develop a more optimistic outlook. Take time to recount all you have to be grateful for and reflect on it with your emotions. This daily gratitude will build a more positive outlook.
  2. Positive affirmations: Repeating positive affirmations to yourself can help you develop a more positive self-image and increase your confidence. Examples of positive affirmations include “I am worthy of love and respect” or “I am capable of achieving my goals.” Continually repeating these in a powerful way to yourself will make you more positive about your life and experiences. And some would say experiences like the affirmations you use will appear in your life.
  3. Visualizing success: Visualization is a powerful tool for achieving success. By picturing yourself succeeding in a particular task or achieving a goal, you can train your mind to believe that you can succeed. This exercise can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. Picture all things you want to accomplish in your mind’s eye first, then watch them appear in your life.  All things are created twice, once in thought and then in reality.
  4. Mindfulness Practices: Regular mindfulness can help improve mood and reduce stress. Mindfulness exercises, such as meditation or deep breathing, can also help you stay present and focused on the positive aspects of your life. There is only one moment any of us can control: the present. Conscious breathing can keep your mind in the present moment and not wander into the past or future.
  5. Reframing negative thoughts: When you experience a negative thought or emotion, try to reframe it positively. For example, instead of thinking, “I can’t do this,” try thinking, “I am capable of figuring this out.” This exercise can help you develop a more positive and solution-focused mindset.
  6. Surround Yourself with Positive: Surrounding yourself with positive people, uplifting media, and inspiring quotes or images can help you maintain a positive outlook. This exercise can also help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. Too many people allow themselves to be dragged down by negative people, programs, or even their own negative thinking.

In conclusion, positive thinking exercises can help individuals develop a more positive mindset, leading to better mental and physical health, improved relationships, and increased success in various areas of life. By practicing gratitude, positive affirmations, visualization, exercise and mindfulness, reframing negative thoughts, and surrounding yourself with positivity, you can train your mind to think positively and cultivate a more optimistic outlook on life.

Beliefs

Emotional Intelligence Development

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Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. It is a critical skill that can help individuals to navigate social interactions, manage stress, and build positive relationships.

There are several ways to develop emotional intelligence:

  1. Self-awareness: Developing self-awareness is the first step towards improving emotional intelligence. This involves awareness of your emotions, understanding their triggers, and how they affect your behavior.  Knowing how you will react to things and why is a strength that will allow you to be proactive and understanding in your life. Other people will not so easily be able to push your buttons.
  2. Self-regulation: Once you know your emotions, you can learn to regulate them. This means managing your emotional reactions to situations and learning to control impulsive behavior. Rather than reacting to situations, your will be able to respond to people and situations with thought and steadiness of purpose.
  3. Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. This involves paying attention to nonverbal cues, listening actively, and showing genuine concern for others. Through concern and understanding of other people’s emotions, your wisdom will grow, and you will be able to help people manage themselves better.
  4. Social skills: Developing social skills involves communicating effectively, building positive relationships, and constructively resolving conflicts. Through Emotional intelligence, you will be able to communicate in a more meaningful way. This strength will help you grow existing relationships and to establish powerful new ones.
  5. Continuous learning: Emotional intelligence is not a fixed trait but a skill that can be developed over time. This involves being open to feedback, learning from your experiences, and seeking opportunities for growth and development. We all are growing every day, and each interaction and experience is a chance to grow into a better human.

Actively looking for ways to develop your emotional intelligence in your daily life will lead to personal growth.  You need to try to add some strategies to your conscious thought. Some strategies for developing emotional intelligence include:

  • Practicing mindfulness and self-reflection
  • Seeking out feedback from others
  • Engaging in activities that promote empathy, such as volunteering or community service
  • Building positive relationships with others
  • Reading books or attending workshops on emotional intelligence
  • Practicing active listening and practical communication skills.

By developing emotional intelligence, individuals can improve their personal and professional relationships, increase their resilience in the face of stress, and enhance their overall well-being.

Beliefs

Your Little Voice

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We all have an inner voice that speaks to us. Sometimes it’s a positive voice, encouraging us to chase our dreams and pursue our goals. Other times, a negative voice holds us back and tells us we’re not good enough or that we’ll never succeed. This negative voice can be so strong that it can prevent us from taking risks, trying new things, and achieving our full potential.

What to know about the Voice

It’s important to understand that this negative voice is not a reflection of who we are as people. It’s simply a product of our experiences and the messages we’ve internalized over time

Our Negative Voices

. These messages may have come from critical parents or teachers, societal expectations, or even our own self-doubt.

But the good news is that we don’t have to be held back by this negative voice. We can learn to recognize when it’s speaking to us and take steps to overcome it.

Overcome Negative with Positive

One way to overcome the negative voice is to challenge it with evidence. For example, if the negative voice tells us that we’re not good enough to apply for a certain job, we can make a list of our skills and accomplishments to prove to ourselves that we are qualified. If the negative voice tells us that we’ll fail at a new hobby, we can remind ourselves of times when we’ve succeeded at something new in the past.

Another way to overcome the negative voice is to practice self-compassion. This means treating ourselves with the same kindness and understanding that we would offer to a friend who was going through a tough time. When we make mistakes or face setbacks, we can remind ourselves that everyone experiences these things and that they don’t define our worth as a person.

Surround Yourself with Good People

It can also be helpful to surround ourselves with positive influences, whether that’s supportive friends and family members, inspiring books and podcasts, or uplifting social media accounts. By filling our lives with positivity, we can counteract the negative messages we may have internalized over time.

Ultimately, the key to overcoming the negative voice is to take action despite it. We may never be able to silence that voice completely, but we can choose to act in alignment with our values and goals despite the fear and doubt that it may be trying to instill in us. By taking small steps toward our goals each day, we can build momentum and confidence and eventually prove to ourselves that we are capable of achieving great things.

In conclusion, the negative voice in our heads can be a powerful force that holds us back from achieving our full potential. But by challenging it with evidence, practicing self-compassion, surrounding ourselves with positivity, and taking action in spite of it, we can learn to overcome it and find success in our lives. Remember that you are not alone in facing this challenge, and with time and effort, you can learn to overcome the negative voice and achieve your dreams.

23

Your Yin and Yang

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The concept of yin and yang originated in ancient Chinese philosophy and is central to traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts, and many other aspects of Chinese culture. It represents the idea that everything in the universe is interconnected and that seemingly opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary and interdependent.

Different Isn’t A Bad Thing

In this philosophy, yin and yang are two opposing but complementary forces or qualities present in all things and all aspects of life. Yin is associated with qualities such as femininity, darkness, and stillness, while yang is associated with masculinity, light, and movement.

Balance Is The Thing

The idea is that yin and yang constantly interact and influence each other and that a balance of the two is necessary for harmonious existence. For example, too much yin can lead to passiveness and stagnation, while too much yang can result in overactivity and destruction. The goal is to find a balance between the two in all aspects of life to achieve health, happiness, and harmony.

In conclusion, the concept of yin and yang represents a holistic view of life that recognizes the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things and the importance of balance and harmony in all aspects of life.

Yin Yang are two halves that, together, represent a whole.

When you divide something into Yin and Yang, it upsets the balance and equilibrium of wholeness. That is why it is believed that both halves chase one another to seek a new balance.