Gratitude

It's easy enough to get down on yourself and down on the world. Maybe you're not making progress on your goals, maybe it's a depressing time of year with cold weather and low light, maybe you're caught up in the mortgage mess or the stock market plunges, maybe you're looking at everyone else and wondering why they're all doing so well. Are they, really? Sometimes our perceptions get a bit screwed up and it is easy to see everything as half-empty even if you're a half-full kind of person. So what's the antidote? Gratitude...very simply you need to focus on what's right with you and the world, so here are the Top 10 Things To Be Grateful For. Well we'll start with 5 for now.

1. Your health - Good health is first and foremost to anything else you may have or want to do.
2. Your family - A supportive and stable family life enables you to move forward in your life and towards your dream.
3. Your significant other - Having someone to love and share your wins and challenges is the icing on your life.
4. Waking up in the morning - Every day above ground is a good day! Embrace it and make every minute count with what matters.
5. Having choices - Knowing that you CAN if you want to is very empowering. It's up to you to make it happen!

Smart Goal Setting

• Be Affirming: Write positive affirmations – statements that make your objectives clear. For example: “I am healthier because I am a non-smoker.“ Repeat them daily.
• Be Visual: Visualize achieving your goal. Be as clear as possible in your imagery.
• Be Flexible: Have a back-up plan. Be willing to change course.
• Be Courageous: Take some risks, give yourself permission to fail. Learn from your mistakes.
• Be Passionate: Examine what you feel strongly about. Use this to make your commitment stronger.
• Be Patient & Persistent: Give yourself extra time. It always takes longer than you think. If you're moving in the right direction, you're on track.

Common New Year Resolutions - make them real

HAPPY NEW YEAR! If you’re anything like me you have some general resolutions and good intentions on January 1st. By February, I’ve made little progress on some and forgotten the rest. If you really want to get serious and make some lasting changes, follow these suggestions:

• Be Specific - Define your goals clearly so you can measure your progress. Pick a visual way to track your progress.
  
• Be Realistic - Be reasonable considering what fits in to your work and home schedules. Stretch where you can.
  
• Be Positive - State your goals so they say what you want, not what you don’t want: “I will be a non-smoker,” instead of “I don’t want to smoke anymore.”

More to come soon.

What Makes Us Happy?

According to a USA Weekend poll, American’s say that love, strong faith, physical and emotional well-being are more important than material wealth or fame.
Two-thirds of Americans say they’re very happy. Most people are happiest at their current age.
Other findings:
~ Religious faith is the single most important factor, after health
~ Extremely happy people are active and social.
~ Part-timers and retirees are happier than full-time workers.
~ People who live with others are happier.