You don’t have to be a reiki master to bring energy healing into your everyday life

Stillness and clear mind, by Alice Popkorn
Wikimedia.org
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4 Techniques To Ground, Heal, & Balance Your Energy Levels

by Diya SenGuptaDecember 19, 2015 5:00 AM Save 

You don’t have to be a reiki master to bring energy healing into your everyday life — I know because I am one. Whenever you feel misaligned, you can use these four techniques to ground, heal, and balance your energy levels — just the way a professional energy healer would restore and balance you.

1. Connecting with the universal flow.

Take a moment to pause and think about how electricity functions — electrical cords are rooted into the ground and conduct electricity into your home or office to keep the lights on and the appliances running.

By connecting with the universal flow of energy, you can tap into a constant energetic powerhouse. The easiest way to do this is to envision a grounding cord springing down through your seat, flowing down through the floor, into the ground, and connecting it with the earth’s center.

As you start to feel that connection, breathe into it, allowing the earth’s energy to come back through the same connection you just made. Flowing up through your feet, your legs, your abdomen, heart, arms, neck, and all the way through the top of your head.

Allow this beam of energy to spew out of the top of your head like a waterfall. Envision this waterfall of energy returning back into the earth. This easy visualization fully connects and activates your energetic body with the universal energy — the flow of life.



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A Powerful Tool For Your Happiness Arsenal: REBT

 

by Marelisa

Many of us have established “being happy” as one of our main goals in life. However, our own self-talk often interferes with our ability to achieve this goal.


We express our beliefs through our self-talk, and these beliefs can be rational or irrational. While rational beliefs are realistic, irrational beliefs are those that don’t accurately represent the world. There are several categories of irrational beliefs, and we’ve all been guilty of having thoughts that fall into one or more of these categories at some point or another.

One of the best ways to increase our happiness is to replace “irrational” self-talk with more realistic and adaptive self-talk. This post will explain a great tool for doing this; it’s called Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) In a Nutshell

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.” – Epictetus

In the mid-1950s, Albert Ellis–an American psychologist– developed a form of psychotherapy which today is known as Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). The philosophical basis of REBT is the principle that a person is not affected emotionally by the events that take place in his or her life, but rather by his or her interpretation of these outside events. In short, our thoughts cause our emotions.

Keep reading to discover how you can begin to apply REBT in your own life in order to increase your happiness.


Read More Here

Researchers from California University in Berkeley say studies show great nature and art boost the immune system

The Telegraph

Art does heal: scientists say appreciating creative works can fight off disease

People visit the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York Photo: Getty

By Agency

4:15PM GMT 10 Feb 2015

The healing power of art and nature could be real after scientists discovered they boost your immune system.

Seeing such spine-tingling wonders as the Grand Canyon and Sistine Chapel or listening to Schubert's Ave Maria can fight off disease, say scientists.

Great nature and art boost the immune system by lowering levels of chemicals that cause inflammation that can trigger diabetes, heart attacks and other illnesses.

^{Monet's Water Lily Pond paintings}

In two separate experiments on more than 200 young adults reported on a given day the extent to which they had experienced such positive emotions as amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, joy, love and pride.

Samples of gum and cheek tissue - known as oral mucosal transudate - taken that same day showed those who experienced more of these - in particular wonder and amazement - had the lowest levels of the cytokine Interleukin 6 which is a marker of inflammation.
Psychologist Dr Dacher Keltner, of California University in Berkeley, said: "That awe, wonder and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines suggests the things we do to experience these emotions - a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art - has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy."

Read More Here

15 Alternatives to Sitting Meditation

No longer the sole province of the hemp-swathed sprouting enthusiast, meditation’s popularity has exploded across our collective faces. Tech companies have embraced mindfulness meditation as the ultimate productivity. Google has “mindful lunches,” complete with prayer bells and hour-long vows of silence. And as legitimate meditation researchers uncover more benefits to our brains, our bodies, and our psyches, diehard rationalists have been forced to accept the scientific merits of mindfulness.

My explanation for why interest in meditation has grown is that it’s a replacement for the nature in which we no longer reside. For hundreds of thousands of years, we spent our days in natural settings where much of the mind chatter stops and we exist in the present moment. The falling leaves sparkling overhead with sunlight. The herky-jerk scamper of a startled lizard just off the trail. The erratic brilliant butterfly fluttering through the scene that you can’t help but stop to watch. That was life for most of human history. It wasn’t special. It was home. It’s what we knew.

Meditation represents a return to that ancestral state of presence in the moment. And yet I get the sense that more people are talking about meditation than actually meditating on a regular basis. I’m one of them, quick to recommend meditation on MDA because of the irrefutable benefits but unable to actually sit for a productive session, let alone a regular meditation routine. It’s hard. It’s unnatural. And it’s an artifice, albeit one made necessary by our environment.

Meditation has been shown to provide remarkable benefits to those who manage to stick with it, including but not limited to:

• Lengthening of telomeres.
• Upregulation of genes responsible for energy metabolism, longevity, mitochondrial function, inflammation, and insulin secretion.
• Blood pressure normalization.
• Stress reduction.
• Greater resistance to stress.
• Improved cognitive function by reshaping the actual brain.
• Promoting neuroplasticity.
• Anxiety reduction.
• Immune system improvements.

If we simply don’t enjoy meditation or can’t make it work, what options do we have? How can we get some of those attractive effects of meditation without actually sitting in a room for 30 minutes a day, every day? Here are 15 alternatives:



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Lissa Rankin April 29, 2014 How To Keep Your Heart Open When You’re Angry It’s easy to talk about opening your heart when everyone is getting along. When you’re with your best friend or closest family member your heart is likely to feel so open that honey just pours right out of it all over the floor. It’s easy to keep your heart open when you’re with your child, as you see how she came to you, as a baby, so she could one day grow up and say,“I love you.” Your heart melts like chocolate chips in a hot stove. When the object of your undying affection, down on one knee and holding a bouquet of roses, confesses that he’s been madly in love with you for years and just can’t hold it in anymore, you’re unlikely to armor up your heart very much. Check in with your heart right now. How does it feel? When The Heart Gets Challenged It’s easy to keep your heart open when it feels safe and nurtured. But what about the other times? How good are you at keeping your heart open with your fellow human beings when terrorists crash planes into your country’s beloved landmarks and kill thousands of innocent beings? Can you keep your heart open when your abusive mother abandons you? Can you keep giving those you love permission to break your heart when your heart keeps aching from loss, longing, abandonment, and betrayal? Can you keep your heart open when your beloved pets keep dying? What about when you’re trying to keep your heart open with those you work with in your professional life, but the knuckleheads in charge of the purse strings keep insisting that you sell out your integrity, seemingly with no concern for the well-being of those you’re trying to serve? Can you keep your heart open when politicians threaten to withhold resources from inner city children in public schools, women who are victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill homeless population, women who are sold into sex trafficking, or uninsured children who need medical care? Read More Here

 

• Lissa Rankin
• April 29, 2014

 

 

 

It’s easy to talk about opening your heart when everyone is getting along.

When you’re with your best friend or closest family member your heart is likely to feel so open that honey just pours right out of it all over the floor.

It’s easy to keep your heart open when you’re with your child, as you see how she came to you, as a baby, so she could one day grow up and say,“I love you.” Your heart melts like chocolate chips in a hot stove.

When the object of your undying affection, down on one knee and holding a bouquet of roses, confesses that he’s been madly in love with you for years and just can’t hold it in anymore, you’re unlikely to armor up your heart very much.


Check in with your heart right now. How does it feel?

When The Heart Gets Challenged

It’s easy to keep your heart open when it feels safe and nurtured. But what about the other times?
How good are you at keeping your heart open with your fellow human beings when terrorists crash planes into your country’s beloved landmarks and kill thousands of innocent beings?

Can you keep your heart open when your abusive mother abandons you?

Can you keep giving those you love permission to break your heart when your heart keeps aching from loss, longing, abandonment, and betrayal?

Can you keep your heart open when your beloved pets keep dying?

What about when you’re trying to keep your heart open with those you work with in your professional life, but the knuckleheads in charge of the purse strings keep insisting that you sell out your integrity, seemingly with no concern for the well-being of those you’re trying to serve?
Can you keep your heart open when politicians threaten to withhold resources from inner city children in public schools, women who are victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill homeless population, women who are sold into sex trafficking, or uninsured children who need medical care?



Read More Here]

Collective-EvolutionCollective Evolution October 14, 2015 by Alexa Erickson. We all know the detriments of putting ourselves down. When we tell ourselves we’re not good enough too many times, we truly begin to believe it, and for many people, mornings aren’t the easiest. The feeling of getting out of bed to exercise, go to work, or take on any other responsibility we feel obligated to do is tough. But that’s because we make it tough. We tell ourselves Mondays are the worst. We tell ourselves it’s too early to exercise. Thoughts begin to circulate in our heads regarding all the things we have to do, all the things we should be doing, and all the things we actually want to do but don’t feel like we deserve or have time for. This negativity only brings on stress. We get into such a groove of doing this, of complaining about our Monday through Fridays, that we tend to live for moments, like the weekends or vacations, to get us through the rest of our days. But what we should be doing is living for every day. So how can you change your morning around? Mantras are words or phrases meant to be chanted either internally or out loud as a means of meditating. They originated about 3,000 years ago in India, at least to the Vedic tradition, in which they were used to influence and control the gods. Throughout history, they have continued to be used in various ways to promote transformation. In our modern day Western world, they are often seen as a means to shifting our perspectives in order to welcome a new sense of self. In the words of Buddha, “What we think, we become.” To help you find the beauty in each day, and at every moment, try changing the way you view yourself in this world by incorporating these 20 motivational mantras. 1. Today, I will choose happiness. 2. I am enough. 3. Today, I will positively impact someone’s day. 4. Today, accept what is instead of resenting what isn’t. 5. Just to be alive is a grand thing. Morning mantras to live by. 6. May I be Happy. May I be Healthy. May I be Creative. May I be at ease. 7. I am thankful for everything I have. 8. Today, I will breathe deeply and go slowly. 9. It is enough to do my best. 10. Breathe in joy and strength, breathe out wisdom and peace. Read More Here

Collective Evolution

October 14, 2015 by Alexa Erickson.

 

We all know the detriments of putting ourselves down. When we tell ourselves we’re not good enough too many times, we truly begin to believe it, and for many people, mornings aren’t the easiest. The feeling of getting out of bed to exercise, go to work, or take on any other responsibility we feel obligated to do is tough. But that’s because we make it tough. We tell ourselves Mondays are the worst. We tell ourselves it’s too early to exercise. Thoughts begin to circulate in our heads regarding all the things we have to do, all the things we should be doing, and all the things we actually want to do but don’t feel like we deserve or have time for. This negativity only brings on stress.

We get into such a groove of doing this, of complaining about our Monday through Fridays, that we tend to live for moments, like the weekends or vacations, to get us through the rest of our days. But what we should be doing is living for every day. So how can you change your morning around?

Mantras are words or phrases meant to be chanted either internally or out loud as a means of meditating. They originated about 3,000 years ago in India, at least to the Vedic tradition, in which they were used to influence and control the gods. Throughout history, they have continued to be used in various ways to promote transformation. In our modern day Western world, they are often seen as a means to shifting our perspectives in order to welcome a new sense of self. In the words of Buddha, “What we think, we become.”

To help you find the beauty in each day, and at every moment, try changing the way you view yourself in this world by incorporating these 20 motivational mantras. 

1. Today, I will choose happiness. 

2. I am enough. 

3. Today, I will positively impact someone’s day.

4. Today, accept what is instead of resenting what isn’t.

5. Just to be alive is a grand thing.

6. May I be Happy. May I be Healthy. May I be Creative. May I be at ease.

7.  I am thankful for everything I have.

8. Today, I will breathe deeply and go slowly.

9. It is enough to do my best.

10. Breathe in joy and strength, breathe out wisdom and peace.

Read More Here

Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds - Part 4 - Beyond Thinking

AwakenTheWorldFilm

Published on Oct 30, 2012

All 4 parts of the film can be found at www.innerworldsmovie.com.

Music from the film can be found at www.spiritlegend.com.

Sacred geometry posters and products can be found at: http://www.zazzle.com/awakentheworld

Your donations and purchases will help to support the "Awaken the World Initiative" so that future films can be released for free for the benefit of humanity.

Please help us to translate and caption the film at: http://www.amara.org/en/videos/sOsl1q...
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We live our lives pursuing happiness "out there" as if it is a commodity. We have become slaves to our own desires and craving.

Happiness isn't something that can be pursued or purchased like a cheap suit. This is Maya, illusion, the endless play of form. In the Buddhist tradition, Samsara, or the endless cycle of suffering is perpetuated by the craving of pleasure and aversion to pain. Freud referred to this as the "pleasure principle." Everything we do is an attempt to create pleasure, to gain something that we want, or to push away something that is undesirable that we don't want. Even a simple organism like the paramecium does this.

It is called response to stimulus. Unlike a paramecium, humans have more choice. We are free to think, and that is the heart of the problem. It is the thinking about what we want that has gotten out of control.The dilemma of modern society is that we seek to understand the world, not in terms of archaic inner consciousness, but by quantifying and qualifying what we perceive to be the external world by using scientific means and thought. Thinking has only led to more thinking and more questions. We seek to know the innermost forces which create the world and guide its course. But we conceive of this essence as outside of ourselves, not as a living thing, intrinsic to our own nature. It was the famous psychiatrist Carl Jung who said, "one who looks outside dreams, one who looks inside awakes." It is not wrong to desire to be awake, to be happy. What is wrong is to look for happiness outside when it can only be found inside.


Frequently asked questions about the film:

1) Where can I get a particular song or the soundtrack?

A: Much of the music is available for purchase at www.spiritlegend.com on various CD's. We will be coming out with a special Inner Worlds compilation in the Summer of 2013. The track "Om Shreen Hreem" is found under "Yoga" in a CD called "Universal Mother".

2) Can I download the film and upload it to my own Youtube Channel?

A: We whole-heartedly encourage everyone to share the existing Youtube links with their friends, embed on their website, or to create screenings for their community. I'm afraid we cannot allow you to re-upload the film to your own channel for the following reasons:

a) The content itself is copyrighted and is owned by REM Publishing Ltd. Some of the video clips in the film are licensed under certain agreements and cannot be distributed or controlled by third parties.

b) Several individuals have already tried to re-upload the film and to monetize their channel and/or make a profit from selling the film without our permission, or simply to try to build subscribers for their own channel. We don't always know what people's true motivation is (and sometimes neither do they).

c) Our channel contains closed captions in many languages and we don't want versions of the film floating around without these professional translations.

d) When users subscribe to the AwakenTheWorldFilm channel we can provide people future films as we release them. This is just the first of many films and our second is already in the works.

e) Our channel also provides links to our website and Facebook page and the opportunity for people to donate to the Awaken the World initiative. Money/ support is needed to make these films, and while we make them available for free, we really appreciate when people donate, offer translation skills or other support.

If you add the existing Youtube links to a playlist you can still share the film with your friends and viewers and still have it as part of your channel, just do not upload your own version. We greatly appreciate people who feel so strongly about the content that they want to share and spread the film, and hope that you will continue to do so.

3) Where can I find a screening/ workshop/ meditation retreat etc.

A: Current information is available on the Inner Worlds Facebook page: www.facebook.com/innerworldsmovie

[Nov. 2013]

We have just created a Google community page to discuss the topic of awakening:

https://plus.google.com/communities/1...

louise hay - assisting in your own healing

Paul Miller

HUMAN Extended version VOL.1

`

Human the movie

Published on Sep 11, 2015

What is it that makes us human? Is it that we love, that we fight ? That we laugh ? Cry ? Our curiosity ? The quest for discovery ?
Driven by these questions, filmmaker and artist Yann Arthus-Bertrand spent three years collecting real-life stories from 2,000 women and men in 60 countries. Working with a dedicated team of translators, journalists and cameramen, Yann captures deeply personal and emotional accounts of topics that unite us all; struggles with poverty, war, homophobia, and the future of our planet mixed with moments of love and happiness.

Watch the 3 volumes of the film and experience #WhatMakesUsHUMAN.

The VOL.1 deals with the themes of love, women, work and poverty.

If you want to discover more contents, go on http://g.co/humanthemovie

Louise Hay - Self love - Body Healing - Guided Meditation Change your life

becomeilluminate

Published on Jan 28, 2014

whole meditation from Louise hay - how to heal your soul and your body, with self love; listen to that every day for at least 30 days... you will see...

The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind - Joseph Murphy - AudioBook Unabridged

Davis AD

 

Shame On You - These Three Simple Words Can Destroy An Individual's Sense of Self-Worth

March 16, 2014 by JOSH RICHARDSON

Prevent Disease

Words have a dramatic effect on how we interact with people and the decisions we ultimately make. They can influence us, inspire us and just as easily bring us to tears, affect our confidence and self-esteem. Shame on you. These three simple words can temporarily -- or, when used too often, permanently -- destroy an individual’s sense of value and self-worth.








“In modernity, shame is the most obstructed and hidden emotion, and therefore the most destructive,” said Thomas Scheff, professor emeritus of sociology at UC Santa Barbara. “Emotions are like breathing -- they cause trouble only when obstructed.”
In complex decisions of "right" and "wrong," our emotions may get the last word, but the words we hear make us judge ourselves. Particular emotional centers in the brain charge up when the dilemmas involve insults from others.
When hidden, he continued, shame causes serious struggles not only for individuals but also for groups. In an article published in the current issue of the journal Cultural Sociology, Scheff examines the ubiquity of hidden shame and suggests it may be one of the keys to understanding contemporary society.
According to Scheff a society that fosters individualism (ours, for example) provides a ripe breeding ground for the emotion of shame because people are encouraged to “go it alone, no matter the cost to relationships,” he said. “People learn to act as if they were complete in themselves and independent of others. This feature has constructive and creative sides, but it has at least two other implications: alienation and the hiding of shame.”
Scheff noted that while shame is no less prevalent now than in previous years or decades or generations, it is more hidden. “Shame is a biological entity like other emotions, but people are more ashamed of it than they are of the others,” he said. “The hiding of emotions is more widespread in modern societies than in traditional ones.”
Our ego identification comes through many emotions, so we must take steps to ensure that our actions are coming from a position of kindess and loved rather than the learned sense of responsibility that we place upon ourselves for the judgements of others.


Read More Here

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• Coping with hidden shame
• Is modern society making us feel ASHAMED? Pressure to be successful causes us to hide failure and humiliation
• Self Worth can be Destroyed by Telling Someone 'Shame on You'
• The World of Hidden Emotions
• Skype interview with Tom Scheff on Shame

A Place Called Gratitude

Snordster


   

Published on Mar 1, 2014

For my extra-extra-not-ordinary Dick and Tish, masters of the high seas and captains of the heart-journey.
Heretic Productions present.
Les Visible's A Place Called Gratitude.
From Visible Origami 2005
http://www.visibleorigami.com/2005/12...

Gratitude changes you. It changes the cells in your body and makes you flexible and young. It neutralizes anger. Most people aren't aware that depression is the result of turning your anger inward; turning it upon yourself. Most people also don't realize that much of their anger comes from their sense of being denied something they insist upon having; whether that is an object, a world view, someone's attention or their right of way on the way to whatever it is that they want or wherever it is they wish to be. Gratitude makes all of that unnecessary.

Faced With Cancer, This 8-Year-Old Chef Started His Own Gourmet Cooking Show

 

The Huffington Post  | by  Gabriela Kruschewsky

Posted: 02/27/2014 4:27 pm EST Updated: 02/28/2014 8:59 am EST

Filet mignon accompanied by sides of asparagus and a yucca purée. Golden fish fillets in a lemon butter reduction. And for dessert? A mouth-watering fruit salad a la créme de passion fruit.
That's what's cooking in 8-year-old Arthur Gonzaga's kitchen -- a young chef from Minas Gerais, Brazil who has recently taken to the Internet to share his latest culinary adventures with the masses.

Arthur, who was diagnosed with leukemia in August of 2013, spent the latter half of that year in and out of the hospital due to his treatment and recovery process. During this time, in which Arthur was forced to spend Christmas Eve in the emergency room of São Paulo's A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, the young boy's father, Renato Gonzaga, and stepmother, Priscila Inserra, entertained the idea of creating something beautiful and positive for their son to focus on.
The result was Arthur's very own cooking show. He posted short segments to YouTube where Arthur both cooked and shared his delicious recipes. The family fittingly titled the series "Arthur Gourmand."

After celebrating the new year at home, Arthur began cooking in the kitchen of a close family friend who opened up her house to the young chef and currently acts as the project's art producer, Inserra told The Huffington Post. Gonzaga has made many cameos in the videos, acting as his son's sous chef and passing Arthur whatever ingredients he needs, while actively showing support for his incredible passion and talent.

Read More Here

5 Life-Changing Reasons to Have a Gratitude Jar

• healthy living

• Judi Gerber
• February 24, 2014
• 11:05 am

I have always preferred to think of myself as quick-witted. But, since I have spent the past couple of years taking a good look at myself, I have to be honest and admit, what I really am, is snarky. I love sarcasm. And those of us who do, do not often have the most optimistic outlook on life. I know I will never be a complete Little Ms. Sunshine, but I have been working on at least being a bit less dark.

So, when I saw that many of my friends had created “Gratitude Jars” at the start of the New Year, I joined in and created my own. What exactly is a gratitude jar? Basically it’s a jar (or basket or container) that you fill with notes, thoughts, and scribbles about something that you are thankful or grateful for. Some people add something on a daily basis, some do it randomly, and some add things when they are having an especially hard time.
You can be as elaborate or as simple as you want, going as far as decorating your own jar, to doing what I did and re-purposing a jar that had been gifted to me filled with seed packets. As for reviewing your gratitude s, this also is entirely up to you. Some people do it at the end of the year, some involve their whole family and read some at Thanksgiving, and others, like me, read them when they are having a really tough day.

Read More Here

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• Gratitude Sparks Oxytocin and Love: Study Points to CD38

Finding the Magic In Life

Image Source  :  Wikimedia.org
Author Nevit Dilmen
.....
18 Jan 2014/by Tess Cacciatore 

If I could share 500 words to inspire, this is the important wisdom I'd want to pass along to others...

What does it take to be inspired today, when stress is all around us due to the economy, environment, war and more? To me, it is about being truly grateful on a daily basis and, sometimes a minute-by-minute basis, on those days when you feel you just can’t take one more step. Everywhere we turn, there is continued devastation. Every minute, there is a child raped, a person murdered, a rainforest dying, an iceberg melting.
But what if we looked at everything, good, bad, or indifferent, and saw the magic? What if we saw things from a different perspective and knew that every experience was a gift to help us reach nirvana in our lifetime? What if we were able to see that, through the dark, we see the light?
I know that most of us already live by these principles, but what about when life is so overwhelming that we accidentally slip back into old, negative ways of thinking and doing. It causes me to pause and remember what we have in this precious life, is to usher in the light, come together as a community, lift each other up and simply love one another as unconditionally as humanly possible; so that we can share the essence of our enlightenment.
To see at the end of a flood that devastates a water-front town, there is a droplet of water on a leaf that sparkles in the sun and a whole new universe is opened. Or at the end of a fire that destroys a forest, there is a chance for a new forest to grow. Or, when Mother Earth shakes so hard that a village crumbles to ground, it gives us the opportunity to come together for those who have survived.

Read More here

Emily Doyle ~ Gratitude’s Vibration

.....

 

  Shift Frequency

Wake Up World  January 9 2014

What are you most grateful for? Who are you most grateful for? What experiences do you cherish with all your heart?
The power of gratitude is in align with the power of love, and love is the highest vibration there is. To practice gratitude is to practice love.
When we find ourselves in a negative or positive experience the best action we can take is to take a moment and thank it. By thanking the moment, we let the universe know that we accept and take responsibility for what we have attracted into our human existence. When we have acceptance we are metaphorically saying that we are a co-creator in this life. And as a co-creator, it is up to you to manifest what you want into your life.
Do you want love? Do you want peace? Do you want true, deep relationships? What do you see when you look at your life? How deep are you looking?


Read More Here

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• Choose Gratitude to Transform Your Time
• Living IN Gratitude
• Gratitude
• Contemplating Gratitude: What It Is, What It's Not & Where to Find It. ~ Sara Rodriguez
• Emily Doyle ~ Gratitude's Vibration
• Gratitude Leads to Happiness: Here's How
• practicing gratitude

One Woman’s Journey to Self Esteem and Self Acceptance

I Am Happier, Heavier

 

It’s not insane to believe that once you lose weight, life gets better.
For years, I heard stories from those who have shed pounds, recharged their lives, never felt better, and speak so confidently that once the weight was gone, they became the person they were meant to be: a thin and happy one.
I do not doubt their happiness when they share their story, but I also don’t believe that by losing weight, they have some superior knowledge about happiness that us heavier-folk don’t. How do I know this? I’ve been fat and thinner. And I’ve been at my happiest, heavier.
End of high school and into college, I was BIG and used to decline attending parties because I didn’t remotely have anything cute to wear, so I hid behind sarcasm and baggy shirts. And dating-wise… wait, WHAT dating life?
Midway through my freshman year of college I joined Weight Watchers and the gym, becoming obsessed with both. Within seven months, I lost 55 pounds, fit into a size ten and even felt sexy for about fifteen minutes!
But as the scale dipped lower and the compliments on my weight-loss wore off, something else emerged: I felt exhausted, disappointed and still unhappy.
“Ugh, I just can’t keep this up…” I recall saying to myself after a Weight Watchers meeting, of which was my lowest weigh-in ever. I felt defeated and broken that after all my effort, not much beyond the scale changed.

Read More Here

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• With four-mile daily walks and Weight Watchers, Jessica Simpson rocks slim body
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