10 Happiness Helpers.

Practice these pleasure principles and experience more joy and fulfillment every day.

1. Be grateful Each night, recall three things that went well that day. Focus on the fun stuff to crank up your contentment.

2. Lose yourself Spend at least 20 percent of your leisure time on pursuits that put you into a "flow" state, fully absorbing your mind.

3. Indulge your hobbies Break from the grind to do what excites you. Love to travel? Research your next trip to Rome. Gratifying your desires keeps your bliss battery humming.

4. Walk your talk Align your actions with your values. Cherish loyalty? Chat with your best pal regularly. Practice what you preach to stay chipper.

5. Pen a happy ending Instead of obsessing over what's to come, jot down your ideal future. People who put their positive fantasies on paper reported feeling significantly happier in a month.

6. Be a favor fairy Research suggests that doing even small good deeds, such as holding elevator doors, makes you joyful. Altruistic acts create a circle of virtue; pass the karma on.

7. Remove the blinders To be satisfied, set a goal with a deadline (for instance, learn basic Portuguese before your trip to Brazil). Then, instead of fixating on the end point, enjoy the steps that get you there (your language class). Score!

8. Circle up Joining people who have convened for a cause directed toward the greater good, such as a conservation club, is as beneficial to your health as exercising regularly, studies show.

9. Tap your strengths Find simple ways to use your gifts. If your forte is community building and you're in sales, view cold calls as a way to connect. You'll find motivation in the mundane.

10. Make your happy heart pound Three brief workouts a week can improve your outlook nearly as well as antidepressants, research finds.

This list was found at self.com

Printable Affrimation Cards

These are so cute and I just had to share!
I found this at kindovermatter.blogspot.com
You can print off affrimations on cute paper, do a little cut and paste, and put them all in an adorable little box. These would be cute to give as a gift to someone who could use a little pick-me-up :D




http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2010/03/kind-over-matter-spring-collboration.html

GiveAWAY!!

Tip Junkie will be hosting a giveaway every hour on all 4 of their blogs on April 13th from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm (CST). Which will total over $6,000 worth of products given away in one day!

Yep that’s right it’s going to be an entire day of FREE products from Tip Junkie Mom-preneurs. Everything will be over $50.00. This is a great time to stock up on all your wish list items for yourself, Mother’s Day, birthdays, and even Christmas. Consider yourself massively hooked up.

Benefits of Raw Fruit

Here is a short list of some fruits and their benefits if eaten raw.
I read an article that says you should also eat them on an empty stomach to get these benefits and not to cook them or all the nutriants would be removed.


KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.






Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles can be greatly diminished if you eat fruits on an empty stomach according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

Herbal Supplements

http://www.iherb.com/

Great place to stock up on supplements and you can get $5.oo off your first order by using code: LIK060

You can even order some free samples (shipping costs not included but are very reasonable)

http://www.iherb.com/Free-Samples

or do a search on their website for 'free' and it will bring up more items.

It is also a great informational website and can help with natural/herbal remedies.

Affrimations for Weight Loss

"You must begin to think yourself as becoming the person you want to be.”
~David Viscott~

Here is a list of some affrimations that could be used to aid in reaching your weight loss goals:



My body is getting stronger, slimmer and healthier every day.



I love the foods that make me thin.



I can feel myself getting thinner and thinner every day.



I look and feel lighter with each passing day.



I am enjoying the process of being healthy and thin.



I feel thin, alive and healthy.



I feel thinner and thinner everyday as my clothes become looser and looser on my body.



Every day I get closer to my ideal weight.



Maintaining my ideal weight is easy and effortless.



I enjoy living a healthy and active life.



My ideal weight is easy to maintain.



I am fit, healthy and attractive.



I exercise with passion and purpose.



I am the healthiest I have ever been.



I am in control of my body.



I am extremely confident in myself.


Try saying a couple of these outloud or in the mirror everyday. Remember, it usually takes about 30days to form a bad habbit so it stands to reason, that it would take that long to form a good one. :)

Tips for Positive Living:

Smile: It has been scientifically proven that the mere act of smiling can improve your overall mood and outlook on a situation.


Volunteer: When you get out of yourself and start focusing on others you stop focusing on how bad you’ve got it and instead focus on what you have that you can give.


Set goals: Those who have a goal they are working toward tend to focus on the possibilities that lie ahead versus the current negative situations they are facing.


Recite positive affirmations or positive statements: This will help train your mind to focus on more positive thoughts.


Listen to uplifting music: Music has a way of moving us in ways nothing else can. So, try making a cd of your favorite songs. You know the ones that make you smile.


Find a inspirational quote: Browse inspirational quotes and print out the ones that move you. Hang them up where you can see them every day.


Get a haircut: People tend to feel better about themselves when they look good. So, stop putting it off. Get a haircut, get a manicure or pedicure, buy yourself a new outfit.


Surround yourself with positive people: If your friends are not positive then you need to make new friends. Hang out with those people you hope to be more like. Those who have a positive attitude and outlook on life.


Turn your face to the sun: The sun provides the body with the much needed vitamin D. It also increases the happy element in the brain. Some people get the winter blues in winter time because they don’t get enough of these things.


Laugh: They say laughter is the best medicine and they aren’t lying. Rent your favorite comedy from the local movie store or get tickets to your local comedy club the next time you need a boost.


Play: Your never to old to introduce a little play into your life. Run around the back yard with your dog, have a pillow fight with friends, smear a little icing on your partners nose the next time you have cup cakes. It is very difficult to be any where except in the present moment when play is involved.


Find the positive in all situations: Instead of finding and tuning into the negative elements in every challenge try to find the good in them. Like maybe instead of getting upset that you have to work late focus on the extra income you can use to purchase something you really want.

Its hard to just become positive overnight. If you have been a negative thinker for years, or possibly your whole life, give it some time to become habbit. If you just make small changes and stick with them, they'll soon become second nature.

Eating your way to being positive

Virginia Woolf once wrote, “one cannot think well, love well or sleep well if one hasn’t dined well.” The foods we eat directly affect how our brain performs. By eating the right kinds of food, IQ is boosted and mood is improved. The individual is also more emotionally stable and the memory is more sharp and the mind young.



One must feed the brain in order to think positively. The right diet results in positive thinking. Here are tips on how one can make the most out of brain food which triggers the power of positive thinking.

Brain Fuel:
Eat foods rich in carbohydrates, like fruit, at night time because it helps you relax. When you wake up the following morning, you will be energized. Consider a small banana for your after-dinner snack.

Eat "good" fats:
Make sure that your diet contains Omega-3. Try to eat fish once in a while, not just meat. Fish are rich in Omega-3 and this will increase the "good fat" levels in your body.

Add more protein to your diet:
Proteins are important for the brain to think properly. Have a lot of protein intake during lunch because it will help you stay alert for the rest of the day.

Vitamins and Minerals:
Foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals are responsible in turning the mind. This enables the individual to think faster and better. Consider taking a good multivitamin daily.

Drink 8 glasses of water a day:
You should drink at least 64oz of water a day. This keeps the brain well hydrated. I wouldn't suggest more than 100oz or you could possibly flush the electolytes from your system and potentially make yourself ill.

Exercise and eat properly:
Try to not indulge in midnight snacks because these are unhealthy and tend to be stored as fat. You should try and eat dinner before 7 in the evening. (Or 4hrs before you normally go to bed) This will allow your body to relax and take in all the nutrients it had accumulated the whole day

I am smart :)

With time, women gain weight because we
accumulate so much information and wisdom
in our heads that when there is no more room,
it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.

So the conclusion would be, we aren't heavy,
we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today,
when I look at my butt in the mirror, I will think,
"Good grief, look how smart I am! "

I learn new things everyday.

My affirmation today was:
I learn new things everyday.
To set this in motion I chose to do a little research into something random that I have often wondered about. I started thinking about 'lucky charms' and 'talismans' because I recently read an article about how positive thinking can sometimes manifested by something that someone carries that they believe to be 'lucky' or holds special meaning to them. ( I was unable to find a link for it but will continue to look. . .it was pretty interesting) In my search, I came across a piece at Wikipedia about some of the ideas behind a 'lucky rabbit's' foot. . .

Apparently, there is a little more to it than just being a bright pink one out of the quater machines. . .lol.


First, not any foot from a rabbit will do: it is the left hind foot of a rabbit that is useful as a charm.
Second, not any left hind foot of a rabbit will do; the rabbit must have been shot or otherwise captured in a cemetery.
Third, at least according to some sources, not any left hind foot of a rabbit shot in a cemetery will do: the phase of the moon is also important. Some authorities say that the rabbit must be taken in the full moon, while others hold instead that the rabbit must be taken in the new moon. Some sources say instead that the rabbit must be taken on a Friday, or a rainy Friday, or Friday the 13th. Some sources say that the rabbit should be shot with a silver bullet, while others say that the foot must be cut off while the rabbit is still alive.


That was just a little bit of what I read about OBTAINING one of these paws (none of them sound very lucky to the poor rabbit) but why is a foot considered lucky?

I did a little more searching and came up with this:
The ancient European Celts adopted portions of an earlier belief, that rabbits were sacred, and that spirits inhabited their bodies. The Celts, based upon the fact that these animals spent an inordinate amount of time in their underground burrows, held the belief that the rabbits' bodies were inhabited by numina, underground spirits with whom they communicated at very close proximity!
Another reason the Celts held the rabbit to be sacred, was because of their prowess in the field of reproduction. They believed that the numina intended for rabbits to be put upon pedestals and revered as symbols of procreation, reproduction, health, and of prosperity.
Since the rabbit itself was considered to be lucky, it follows that any of its body parts would also be considered lucky. People selected the rabbit's foot to tote around for good luck, because of its capacity to dry quickly, its small size, and the fact that it was easier to tote around than say, its head.

Hmmm. . . .Interesting. . . . .I suppose its your call if the rabbit's foot is really lucky or not but I definately learned something new today and I hope you did too. (Even if it was one of those 'useless trival facts') :^}

Affrimation Imprinting Techniques

I am sure you all must have come across affirmations at some point of time in your life. These are nothing but your very own desires which your repeat to yourself. This techniques is also known as “Affirmation Imprinting”
The basic motive behind Affirmation Imprinting is to embed the idea into our subconscious brain so that it becomes a part of our personality. Once this embedding happens successfully , your subconscious will make you aware of the differences and drive you to close the gap. It will give you new ways to think, innovate and think the out of the box way. You will have innumerable doors to be successful in a variety of domains.

To make the most of affirmation imprinting, it is very much essential to frame the sentences or affirmations in a particular fashion.The first rule is that they should always use the word “I”. it give the affirmation a personal touch and your brain naturally is conditioned to respond better to things which involve you.

The second rule is that an affirmation should always have a positive connotation. Never use any negative words like ‘not’, ‘cannot’, ‘never’ etc.

The third is to employ words which help you visualize. Eventhough, our subconscious mind is very powerful, visuals would make this even simpler. When you use visual words, it focuses on those images and hence doesn’t get distracted by negative words. Suppose you use, “ I don’t have junk food”, your mind visualizes junk food image and hence you get tempted subconsciously to have it more. Hence it doesn’t help you give up your habit of eating junk.

Next comes the tense to be used. Many people tend to use the future tense, but this is a wrong practice. Future doesn’t make you act now, it procrastinates things to some time which is yet to come, hence no imprinting is possible. So it is advisable to use the present tense always.
When you say, “I will be successful”, you hope to be successful some time in future rather than believing that you are currently successful. When you say your success to be in future you subconscious finds no gap and hence doesn’t drive you to close those gaps.
Change the affirmatioin to,”I am successful”. This will trigger your subconscious mind to compare your inner world and then immediately there comes a gap and you will be inspirted to close it and will ultimately achieve success.

Just follow these simple guidelines and you are sure to taste success soon!
Don’t adopt a big bang approach to changing things. Choose one aspect and then gradually work towards improving it. Too many things at a time, may be too overwhelming. Start with one and when you notice significant improvement then devise a new affirmation and adopt it.

Use cards on which you can write these affirmation using bold alphabets and place them in a place where you will never miss looking at them. Write these cards yourself. Aim to limit the affirmation to a single sentence.

The best places to place these cards are near your bed, on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror and if you are a computer freak on your computer too!. Place them where you will always be able to look at them.

It is will be very much beneficial to you if you say the affirmations aloud just before you sleep and when you wake up. While you utter them aloud, be passionate and smiling always. This will accelerate the embedding process.

Every time you read those cards placed at your easily accessible locations, say them aloud with full conviction. Soon you will notice significant differences.


Information from:
http://www.wordofmouthexperiment.com/

For those interested in 'Crystal Healings'

Crystal healing is the use of crystals to bring about healing and positive changes in the mind and body.
I thought I would post a list of common and relatively easy to find crystals and what they are good for.

Rose Quartz – cleanses; positive energy; soothes



Tiger’s Eye – reduces stress; protective



Clear Quartz - Cleanses; protects; most powerful healer



Adventurine - Diffuses negativity; protects



Apache Tear - protects from negative energy; disperses and draws off negative energy



Snowflake Obsidian - protects; strengthens in times of need



Moonstone - Enhances psychic abilities; develop clairvoyance; encourage acceptance of your psychic gifts



Unakite - Promotes visualization and psychic vision; grounding stone



This is (of course) NOT a complete list of crystals but I thought it might be helpful to those who were new to them and at least give them a starting point.

For more information in the idea behind crystal healings or for a more complete list of gemstones, check out this website:
http://www.gems4friends.com/therapeutic-gemstone-properties.html
or do a search for 'Crystal Healing' or 'Healing powers of Gems'.
If nothing else, its very interesting.

The Power of Positive Thinking.

Below is a link to a great website that goes over some fundementals of Positive thinking and how you can benefit from living in such a way:

http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000009.htm

It basically goes back to 'Positive Thoughts = Positive Happenings'. If you think positive you will be positive and positive things will be attracted to you. This article also touches on positive affirmations and how to replace negative thoughts and retrain your brain to think positively.

Inner Warrior??

My horoscope for today:
Be careful of getting into fights today, Taurus. However, if a squabble or altercation of some sort seems inevitable, don't shrink away and hide. It's important that you face the source of the attack and stand up to whomever or whatever is getting in your path. Conjure up the warrior inside you and you might surprise yourself with the incredible power you have within.
Soooo. . . . for today, my affirmations are:
I have INNER STRENGTH
I am STRONG
I face problems head-on with STRENGTH and INTEGRITY

Horoscope by: www.horoscope.com

Look on the bright side. . .things could be a lot worse

Just wanted to share this little cartoon. I think we all need to keep in mind the things that are 'going well' and not dwell on how bad we think they are.

Today, I will be proud of my accomplishments

I became fed up with my ever-increasing weight around July of 2009. Enough was enough and it was time for me to start feeling better about the way I looked. I took a huge leap in the right direction by calling a friend of mine and asked how she had started losing weight. One thing led to another and I soon became involved with a company called FreeLife International and taking a product of theirs called TAIslim. To make a long story short, TAIslim catapulted me into actually caring about my health and better, more nutritious choices of the foods I ate. Today I am 42 pounds lighter and continue to be on the road to a healthier and happier me.
With a positive attitude, I am now motivated to stay active and make healthier foods choices. I want to be around for a long time and be able to enjoy my new positive life running around and attempting to keep up with my kids. :D

For more information on TAIslim, please check out the link below
http://jackiehanson.taislim.com/home.cfm

Not all of my weight loss success was from drinking TAIslim though. I have put a lot of time and effort into this goal and seeing results from all my hard work has made it even sweeter. Thomas Paine said 'The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph' and I agree with that completely. Exercise and eating right have been downright war at times :D


I would like to share a few places I have found helpful hints and inspiration when things starting looking grim.
One of the websites I love for low-calorie dinner ideas is:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Cooking/Low-Calorie/Main.aspx
Helpful hints and useful calculators can be found here:
http://www.self.com
There are many more websites that I visit frequently to find new information on diets and exercise but those are two of my favorites.

The beginning. . .

What better way to start something than from the beginning?

I am relatively new at this (Living Positive) but have decided that CHOOSING to live POSITIVELY opens new doors and generally makes life and certain situations a little easier to swallow.

People who have known me for awhile, may find this change a little hard to believe since I have always tended to be a little on the 'dark and vicious side'. :^P

OLD THINKING: I don't need anger management. . .you just need to quit pissing me off!

Its easy to blame others for your problems or attitude but that is all it is. . .just blame. . . Nothing changes unless you look to the source of the problem and sometimes its just you or mostly your attitude.

I have recently became a very strong believer in daily positive affirmations (positive thinking and self talk) and feel compelled to share some things with people, hence the beginning of this blog. My goal is to help people live more positively and as a direct result, more happily. I am in no way perfect or constantly up-beat and positive but I have had some amazing results with this simple change.

For the last month or so, I have kept a daily affirmation journal and set goals for myself usually starting with the words "Just for Today". If you look at something in the short term sensense of just doing something 'just for today', then it doesn't seem so daunting.

Think of it this way. . . If you said "For the rest of my life, I will only say positive things about myself" that sounds like an almost impossible goal. The key is to set smaller and more obtainable goals. . . . who can't do something for 24hours? And after those 24 hours?? Set another goal and do it for 24 more, of course :D

How wonderful do you feel when you have a sense of accomplishment? If you don't meet your goal though?? There is always tomorrow to give it another go. . .

Another little 'trick' I have put to good use is positive affirmations. I keep a journal of these as well and jaught down 5-10 positive statements about myself every day or when I catch myself thinking negatively. I have heard that you are suppose to say them out loud or while looking in a mirror but I felt silly (at first) and found that journalling is just as effective when you are starting out. ( I felt like Stuart Smalley on SNL when I would say things out loud. :D " I am good enough. I am smart enough. And dog-gone-it, people like me.")

I truly believe that anyone can benefit from CHOOSING to live POSITIVELY and using daily affirmations to boost their self esteem. Positive actions and positive thinking tends to have positive consequences and hopefully I can inspire who ever reads this blog to make the small change within themselves to live a more positive life.