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Nov 04 2008

A day of Change and Choices

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.  - Lao Tzo

Today is a beautiful day – a day full of joy for me!


To begin with, it is my Grandma’s 97th birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma!!

It is also Election Day here in the US, a day for change and choices. I now consider Election Day my “Rebirth” Day.

In 2004, on our last presidential election day, my life felt very different. I was obese, and frequently ill, just beginning to take little steps to move out of a gripping depression.

One of my “little steps” was to get out of the house every day and I wanted a reason to stay out of the house and away from the TV on Election day, so I actually invited a friend out to lunch. (That was a bigger step!) This friend had already made an appointment to visit LA Weight Loss for an introductory evaluation and invited me to come along with her before our lunch.

Since I went along with her, I received an evaluation also. My weight and my friend’s weight were within a couple ounces of each other. I then sat and listened as my friend spoke about how awful it was to be that fat… how much she needed to change her life… and, sitting there at the exact same weight, I heard it as if she were speaking to me:

“You’re too fat! You’re not healthy! You’re ruining your life! Do something about it before it’s too late!”

Yikes!! That sounds terrible, but it actually allowed me to see that my life could be BETTER. I could change things and I decided to do just that! 

I stepped onto a new path and kept moving forward at an easy pace. It started with weight loss, then joy and recognition of my creative power… I was in the flow that led to a spiritual awakening, and there’s still MORE TO COME!!!

Now, I am joyfully celebrating the anniversary of my Rebirth!

Oct 27 2008

Refund from the Universe

…write a letter to the Universe-at-Large asking for a cash refund. I’ll explain: In this lifetime, you have worked, you have helped people, and you have loved and cared for them. You have generated good energy, much of which you didn’t get paid for because, naturally, you didn’t expect to get paid for kindness. But you are entitled to a cash return for all that love and energy you put out, but only if you ASK for it. So ask. - from The Little Money Bible by Stuart Wilde

I love that quote from Stuart Wilde’s book and I wanted to share it with you today. Think of all the good energy you have generated in your life! Often times, those of us who give from the heart have a hard time accepting money. But, think about it this way: it’s as if you have been building up a bank account with this good energy and never withdrawn from it. It has just been building up and earning interest.

Go ahead and joyfully ask for your cash return today!

Oct 21 2008

How do your thoughts feel?

If you think thoughts that feel better, things will soon be better for you. - Abraham

How do your thoughts FEEL? That is the key to unlocking the life of your choosing.

There has been so much talk about positive thinking - but if you are thinking positive while feeling bad about it, you will continue to be surrounded by bad feeling things.

I believe that genuine thoughts of appreciation are an easy way to work myself into feeling good. Keeping an appreciation journal can really help to stay focused because it creates a habit of appreciation. And, maybe my appreciation blogging can serve as a reminder of the value of appreciation - and inspiration for others.

Changing the way our thoughts feel, changes everything!

  • I appreciate sunshine on a fall day, highlighting a rainbow of colorful trees.
  • I appreciate my family and the joy they bring me.
  • I appreciate music to lift my spirits.
  • I appreciate the magnificent flavor of the final organic heirloom tomatoes of the season.
  • I appreciate my laptop computer that connects me to the world.

What do you appreciate today?

Oct 13 2008

Stay Happy by Choice

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…the secret to all success is keeping yourself happy.
        Many of you have been taught that your own happiness is a selfish and inappropriate quest, and that your real objectives should resolve around commitment and responsibility and struggle and sacrifice… but we want you to understand that you can be committed and responsible and an uplifter - AND happy. In fact, unless you do find a way of connecting to your true happiness, all of those other quests are usually just empty, hollow words not backed up by any true value. You only ever uplift from your position of connection and strength. - from Money and the Law of Attraction

I love the power that comes from keeping yourself happy! I believe that it is the most valuable action step that we can take in life. By aligning our vibration with joy we allow in things that feel good to us!

Where do you find joy in your day? Do you enjoy something just for the fun of it every day?

I have been inviting joy nudges into my life. A joy nudge is that thought that flits by quickly saying “That would be fun!” As adults in our society, I believe that we tend to frequently shush those thoughts and behave responsibly in a controlled manner. We can get so good at shushing the thoughts that we no longer even notice it.

I know that as the mother to two teenaged daughters, that I got really good at behaving - so as not to embarass them. But, now I am hoping to spread my wings and allow my joy.

 

 

Sep 16 2008

New Beginnings

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Joy is prayer – Joy is strength – Joy is love – Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.

- Mother Teresa

 

Last Monday was a day of new beginnings for me! It was the first day of the school year for my younger daughter - and a beautiful opportunity for me to schedule my own time.

 

I truly enjoy having the freedom to do what I want, when I want - but I would love to have a rhythm and flow that will also allow me to take the action steps that I choose.

 

I choose exercise, meditation, writing & creating, studying Italian, connecting with others, and FUN. I’m even happy to throw in a little home upkeep and releasing “stuff” to keep my surroundings feeling good!

 

It feels like New Year’s - a celebration of possibilities and opportunities!! I did it and I am giving you permission also. You can choose to make any day your “New Year’s day” or the First Day of the rest of your life. It’s your life and you can choose to make changes any time you feel like it - or not!!

 

“In joy!”

Sep 03 2008

Choosing Bliss

Choose to be optimistic.
- The Dali Lama

I am choosing bliss in my life on a more consistent basis by maintaining my consciousness. This means paying attention to my emotions/feelings in the moment and choosing better feeling thoughts and activities.

This morning I got back to the gym after spending most of the summer away from it. Sometimes it can be a struggle to get back into the swing of things, but this morning I meditated with a guided visualization while I was on my eliptical. It was truly amazing! My body was just flowing in the rythm of the movement as I meditated.

There were no aching muscles, or concerns about “how long have I been doing this?” “can I stop now?” I was blissed out and loving it! It is a great way to combine two activities that I like to fit into each day.

I have also begun to run. (It’s ok to laugh!) I have never been a runner before, but I have begun thinking that maybe… maybe I could try it… Luckily, Leslie told me about ChiRunning and WOW! They have a video and book explaining how to do this running where you are pulled along by gravity. If you have ever had any interest in running, or are currently a runner, and you would like to run safely and more easily check out: http://chirunning.com

Aug 26 2008

Light Seeker

light thru the trees by Marissa

There are two ways of spreading light:

To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

-          Edith Wharton

It is my intention to consciously seek to see the light shining forth. I look for the light in the people in my life; I look for the light in each moment.

There is no source of darkness. Our Source is one of light and goodness! I choose to flip the switch and lighten up!

Aug 19 2008

Blog Honored

I am honored to have been invited to be a top health blogger for the new Happiness Community that Wellsphere will be opening soon.

 
Top Health Blogger - Wellsphere
Aug 19 2008

Eating with Joy

Thought alone can completely change the body. Our mind literally creates our body.   - Candace Pert, Ph. D.

For the past several days I have been enjoying a joy focus on food and eating with some friends. I am tuning in to the thoughts and feelings that I have about food, eating and health and choosing joy!

I can look back on my major losing of weight a few years ago and I can see how the law of attraction worked throughout it, and how important loving myself was - and, my life continued expanding exponentially after I released the weight. I became very spiritually focused and much of my exercise time was replaced with meditation time and creation time for my business. BUT, I still had beliefs about the action journey and my weight crept back up a little.

This has given me a wonderful opportunity to recreate my body beliefs consciously. I know and understand at this point that I create my body through my thoughts, beliefs and feelings so I am choosing to develop new beliefs. A belief is just a thought we keep thinking, so I look for evidence to support my chosen beliefs.

I revel in my memories of being a skinny and fit teenager who had no fear of food! I ate ding-dongs, double stuff cookies, doritos, big macs, pepsi, wonder bread, etc… in HUGE quantities. It never concerned me and I maintained a body I loved. Now, I see all of the negative beliefs that I later chose to have about food and that sure made life harder!

I choose to step into Joy, acknowledge my feelings, and follow inspired action.

I am using the following food rampage quote from Abraham as a base for my joy focus:

I love to eat.
Food is my friend.
I always choose well.
I know what to do.
There is a lot of variety in my life.
My body knows what to do with it.
I’m coming more and more into alignment.
It feels good to eat.
It feels good to feel my body.
Food is for family.
Food is for entertainment.
Food is for refreshment.
Entertainment is a big part of food.
Food is for frolicking.
Food is for celebration.
Food is for love.
Food is about love.
Food is about maintaining this magnificent vessel.
Food is my friend.
I adore my body.
My body is so good to me.
My body knows what to do.
I’m so in alignment.
I am so connected to Source.
My Source adores what I am eating.
My Source has inspired this eating.
My Inner Being is eating through me.
My Inner Being is adoring what I am eating.
My Inner Being is maintaining the energy of my body.
My metabolism is carefully attended to.
My machine is functioning perfectly.
I’m fueling it just right.
It’s performing just right.
My moments are powerful moments.
Life is so good to me.
Food is my friend.
Food is fuel.
Food is fun.
Food is so good.
My body is so stable.
My body is so sure.
It is made of up so much intelligence.
It knows what to do.
I am in alignment with all of this.
Life is so good.
When do we eat!?!?
- Abraham

 

When I use that I add to it and change it around so that if feels perfect for me - I invite you to do the same! 

Aug 08 2008

Responsible for my joy

Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.  - George Washington Carver

I am responsible for my joy - AND - I am responsible for any lack of joy in my life. About 4 years ago, my life began a seemingly miraculous change once I began to realize that everything in my life was there because of ME.

Before that realization, I could come up with an excuse for all of the unwanted things in my life. With that realization, I really began to let go of all of the excuses I had clung to for many years. There were no more excuses to keep me from taking care of myself.

If I believed that exercise would help me feel better and assist me in losing weight - then I could find a way to do it. I could start with a tiny amount of exercise to create a habit; I could get up extra early to have time before dealing with getting my girls to school; I could walk at the mall during the winter; I got to choose!!

I invite you to stop fighting for your limitations and begin practicing “I could”s.

Think about what you desire in your life. What can you do to move one tiny step closer to that desire?

I recently wrote out the different areas of importance in my life on a chart. (ie.  Health/Weight Maintenance, Spirituality, Relationships - primary and other, Career, Finances, Physical Surroundings, etc.) I then made lists of ways I can maintain joy and satisfaction in each area. Ideally, I will do at least one thing from each list daily.

Every day I can place a checkmark next to each area of my life where I have completed one of the options from my list. This helps me to maintain my focus so that I create balance in my life.

After just a few days, I am feeling more purpose in the little things I do because I am conscious about the area of my life they are benefiting. Fun stuff!

When I am focused on the “I could”s in my life, I am more powerful!

When I take responsibility for my life, I realize that I can choose joy - or not.

 

 

  • Stephanie Griffin

    Inspirational Life Guide © 2008 Email Steph