Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Melancholy Moments

I know by now most people believe in the benefits of positive thinking. I am constantly trying to learn techniques that can help me develop daily rituals so that I am always positive. Am I crazy for thinking it's possible? Well maybe just a little but I have more and more people that depend on me to be positive so that I can help them find the brighter side. So what about those melancholy moments?

Don't tell me you have not experienced those times where you are just feeling down but you can not manage to put your finger on why you are feeling that way. People come up to you and continue to ask what's wrong and you don't have an answer. They press and press because they either want to be helpful or want some gossip but you really don't have the answer. It starts to build momentum and soon it's like a giant snowball of negativity. It use to happen to me a lot. I can list a number of things that have gone wrong in my life but why list them cause I know it is not the reason why I am feeling that way. I have decided to stop trying to figure out why and focus more on how to change my attitude because in the end it is a choice.

My daily ritual now includes the following; from the moment I wake up I give thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for giving me a chance at living another day so that I can try to make a difference in this world and I can fulfill the purpose that I have been put on this earth. I read some scriptures with the kids before dropping them off at school. I then go workout so that I can take care of my body and feel good about myself. Now what about those times when you are blindsided and all of a sudden you are feeling melancholy again. We sometimes go through life and we try to treat our social needs by treating ourselves to something nice, maybe dinner, a movie, or a purchase. These always seem to be quick fixes and do not last long. When money was tight I just did not have that option anymore so I had to figure something else out. I realized that a random act of kindness gets me over it quick. I am not a doctor but I am sure that the fact that helping someone makes me smile has some kind of health benefit to myself and the ability to change my attitude to one of gratitude. Give it a try and do something for someone.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!!!

It is that time of year again when we get some time off to gather with friends and family to reflect on everything we have and not what we don't have. The simple fact that I am in the United States and able to write a blog means that I am better off than most of the world. Sure there are times when I want more and might feel bad because I don't have more but then I realize that I need to continue to show gratitude that my needs are being met.
There are people out there that are having extreme difficulties meeting their basic needs. Some people do not have family or friends to have Thanksgiving dinner with and these holidays become very difficult to handle. Please remember the impact and influence that you can have on many. I know times have been tough and we are not always in the position to give monetarily but it doesn't always have to be a monetary gift. Share a smile, greet someone, or pick up an extra 99 cent sandwich and hand it over to that guy or girl you see standing at the freeway exit. We can all do a little bit to make a difference in some one's life.
We have more entertainment options available to us today than we ever have had, yet we still hear kids say they are bored. I have noticed that my kids do not say that as much after we have volunteered somewhere to help the less fortunate. I believe the reason why is that it is very fulfilling when we help others.  That kind of service really fills the soul. A person I consider my mentor, Zig Ziglar, always says "you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want out of life." It might sound a little selfish but if you are helping others than does it really matter that it is selfish? Even Mother Theresa once said that she considered herself selfish because everything she did was to get closer to God.
I apologize for going on and on but I am very thankful for all of my old and new relationships. I am very happy to have surrounded myself with generous people that keep me inspired. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and for those of you traveling please come home safely.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Losing My Ability to Express My Thoughts in More Than 140 Characters

I have not written in my blog for a long time now. I have had plenty of thoughts to write about but I am so used to using twitter that I express it in 140 characters or less and I am done. I really felt like I had to write about this because I felt like I am losing my ability to write. I think it all started when I decided I was going to write about my trials and tribulations and then all of a sudden writers block or just life got a little hectic. I am going to get back to this blog more often and hopefully contribute something meaningful that will inspire others to always keep pushing forward.