The Word Forgiveness & the Power it Holds.......

Let me start by saying, I asked God the other day for strength and creativity in my writing.  I asked him to send me a sign or give me a hint of which topic I should write about and share.  Well needless to say the word forgiveness popped into my day 5 different times.  In my emails, my readings that day, amongst other individuals, and even a television and radio episode mentioned forgiveness and the power it creates.

As adults we really forget the power this word holds.  We choose to stay angry, hold grudges, and just make ourselves miserable.  When we choose not to forgive we do not realize the negative energy it creates especially for ourselves.  All of this anger promotes HBP, stress, illness, anxiety and ulcers.   Forgiveness can literally set us free if we allow it.  If we could just get out of our own way and get over ourselves.  Stop being mad at someone because they said something you did not like, or maybe they did something really hurtful.  I know we can all relate to one or more instants in our lives where major, unforgivable (so we think) events have happened.  The forgiveness process is a baby step process.  I am not an expert, nor do I have any type of degree in psychology.  I am human however, and I feel the same emotions as others.  I know what it feels like to be mad, sad, angry, depressed, happy, excited, calm and many others feelings.   I also know what power forgiveness has, since I myself have forgiven others that have done some pretty intense things to me.  I finally realized the only way to find inner peace and happiness was to look at them and the situation and let it go.  I know that I never have to make them my best friends, or even have a close relationship them.  I do have the control however to LET IT GO AND MOVE ON. 

Some people literally cannot find it within themselves.  It is like another entity has a hold over them aka”ego”.  They feel like forgiving would be worse than some fatal disease.  Their pride will stand in the way for this simple word “forgive”.  This is not brain surgery.  It is an act of saying to yourself in your heart I forgive this individual for what ever happened or whatever they did.  You need to realize that just because whatever action they did it is not going to end your world or theirs.  You also need to realize how powerful it is to let the individual know you forgive them as well.  I know, it sounds crazy and unreal to actually have to physically tell the “enemy” you forgive them.  Right?  Once this is done and you feel that it came from your heart, you are literally free and have so much more positive energy that you can move on with and grow some more.  Isn’t that what we all want?  I know when I put my head on my pillow each night and if I had peace, harmony and love that day, my day was not only perfect but complete as well…….Peace!

How Do We Stay Connected with our Source?

Good Evening Ladies!
Day 3 of Bikram down, 7 to go and "NO" I did not drink any alcoholic beverages on Saturday night, nor will I for the next 7 days....so not worth it.

Anyway, I would like to post a blog in the next few weeks about how we all stay connected to our Source.  This may be religious for some of you while others not so much.  Whatever way it works for you, I really would love for all of you to share.  I will keep your stories anonymous. I know I say this all the time, but my whole "blog" purpose is to reach out to anyone & everyone and if we can make at least 1 person feel peace or give them some strength and harmony that day or that specific moment, all is well.  I will be posting this blog on March 25th and would be so grateful if each of you could take 5 minutes and share your connection with the rest of us.  On my blog page right now I have 9 followers that I am very grateful for.  On Face book I have 300 friends(not all ladies but majority are).  I have gotten so much wonderful feedback from my blog friends and FB friends.  Like I said this will be anonymous.  All you need to is send me a private message on FB or send me a message on my blog.  Please remember, this blog is not just about my journey's, it is about all of our journeys.....Love & Peace to all......

ps.....remember everyone's connection may not be the same and could be something as simple as sitting down at your kitchen table and having a cup of coffee.....whatever your moment is that makes you feel wonderful and connected we are all grateful and looking forward to sharing.....

Bikram Yoga

Wow is all I can say.  I am doing a 10 day yoga challenge and only on day 2......The room is over 100 degrees and we are all throwing sweat over each other....mmmmm...sounds nice doesn't it?  Well day 2 is over and one lesson I can share with you and I think you will appreciate and hopefully utilize if you ever do Bikram Yoga.....NEVER....NEVER....drink 3 glasses of wine the night before a 8am class.....NEVER!  Namaste.......

Good Night!

Good Evening Ladies.....
I hope you enjoyed this weeks blogs!  I will post the next one Monday morning!  I appreciate everyone's comments and I hope at least one of my blogs brought you a bit of joy this week.....love to all and Peace.......

Put the Girl Down & Nobody Gets Hurt......really.......

There is a wise old Tibetan Monk tale that I share with a lot of people and seem to get wonderful reactions.  I hope you enjoy it as well.  Hundreds of years ago, there were two monks strolling thru the woods.  Now these two monks were taking the sacred vow of silence @ this time so obviously no speaking would be allowed in order to silence their minds.

On their journey they noticed a woman who needed to cross over a creek in order to get to where she needed to be.  The creek was a bit more rapid than usual.  When the monks approached the girl she asked if they could help her cross.  One monk without hesitation picked her up and carried the girl across the fast moving waters, then placed her down and wished her a wonderful day. 

The two monks continued on their path in silence.  The monk that did not carry the girl across the creek was full of anxious thoughts and felt angry that his friend destroyed his vow by not only picking up the girl, but also speaking to her as well.   Some time went by and finally the stressed monk stopped, turned around and said to his fellow monk, “Why oh why did you pick up that girl.  You have broken your vow of silence”.  The other monk said nothing for a few seconds, and then smiled.  He went on to say, “Dear friend, I placed her down some time ago.  Why are you still carrying her?”

WOW!  When I read this tale, which I got from Eckhart Tolle and “The New Earth”, dozens of thoughts came into my mind.  The first thought of course was, “Why can’t we let things go and just move on?  Why do we hold onto anger and rage for so long?  And, can you imagine what this doing to our health?”  I knew right away after I read this as a mother, I could definitely utilize this lesson and I do with my son, Rocco almost every day.

For some reason, some people have no problem whatsoever with moving on, while others blame the world for all of their problems.  Unfortunately, my eight year old is one of these people that blames and it is usually his eleven year old sister that brings his world down.  Now in defense of Avery, she really does not bring his world down; he just cannot “put the girl down”.  Rocco has always been my emotional and feeling child.  On the up, he is very careful never to hurt someone’s feelings and will go out of his way to make sure everyone’s happy and if there is someone who does not have someone to play with he goes right over and plays with this person even if it is a game that he may not enjoy.  If I get physically hurt or am upset, he is my little boyfriend and will run up with a panic face and ask, “Mommy are you alright?”

Those reasons may seem like good reasons, right?  I am not so sure sometimes.  Rocco is a people pleaser and really does not take time to think what he wants.  I know it seems nice and endearing, but when he grows up, I fear that people may take advantage of this “quality” he possesses.  Now on the down side of his emotional and feeling trait, he gets so angry @ times.  Rocco’s 11 year old sister, Avery is completely opposite.  She doesn’t give a crap what people think and once again, it has its ups and downs.  The major upside?  She always, always puts the girl down & moves on.  The smallest thing can offset my son and usually it is a minor incident with Avery that wrecks his day. 

I have told him this monk tale about 2 years ago when he was 6.  I know he gets the tale and I know he understands it.  He just cannot practice it.  Each time when crap hits the fan in my house, I stop and say, “Rocco put the girl down”.  I get a pissy, pouty face.  I know this lesson makes him think and I also know and respect he is on his own journey.  I cannot change the way he reacts or responds.  I can only put a positive spin on his situation and implement this lesson and our favorite law, the law of attraction.(yes, he gets that also).

Hopefully someday it will click, he will smile and all will be well in his world.  In the meantime I will love him if he puts the girl down or is still carrying her.  I hope you will all take the time and promote this lesson with the one’s you love.  Good luck & let me know if your lesson is productive…..Some days it is and some days, not so much.  Never give up!

Peace

night, night

Been a long busy day with kiddos and friends.......tomorrow is another day and hopefully another great post! 
I will leave with my favorite Gandhi quote to all of you tonight...."Be the change you wish to see in the world"......now doesn't that make you smile:)   Good Night, and Peace.....

Finding Time for Exercise & Playing the "Not Enough Time Card".

Guess what?  You need to JUST DO IT!  I am not stealing Nike’s motto (just borrowing it), however they did pick one of the best damn motto’s, didn’t they?  You need to start setting goals.  What is your main goal for working out?  How many days?  How much time? What specific exercises will you focus on and enjoy? 

Everyone has different reasons & motivators to get themselves to a gym, track, and pop in a DVD, or just move!  Figure out what you enjoy and when you are done make sure what you did made you feel FABULOUS!  If you enjoy hiking make sure you move fast and it is a challenging hike.  If you enjoy bike riding, find a few great hills.  You need to get that heart rate up there in order to burn some mega calories.

Now back to the excuse I hear constantly.  “Sandi, I have no time to exercise”.  Blah, puke, blah, puke, what did you say?  All you are telling yourself and others when you use that excuse is you are not willing to exercise.  When you are really ready and you have had enough of feeling like crap that “not enough time cards” excuse will be no more.  It blows my mind when I see people make all sorts of time in their “busy” schedules to go out for appetizers & drinks, clean their already immaculate clean home and my favorite……..plant their asses in front of a TV after work until bedtime.  AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Listen, I love drinks (all of my friends certainly know that) and watching some boob tube here and there.  Cleaning my house as you all know has and always will be at the bottom of my list.   Anyway, utilize your time wisely and make this time count.  Get healthy & ultimately add more time to your tickers.  In this country I find more and more people either living in front of the TV or messing around on their computers.  There are so many studies which indicate Americans are spending a sick amount of time watching TV.  In the end this winds up stealing minds, hopes, dreams and valuable time.

Think of this scenario…….You go to work & start socializing with your co-workers.  What is the first thing usually discussed?  Yup, what happened in last night’s Bachelor episode……come on, don’t be ashamed.  If it is not the Bachelor, it is some other TV series that everyone watched the previous night.  Then you immediately discuss what is on the following night and go home, heat up dinner and plant your ass on your couch for “relaxing & unwinding” time…….(of course the TV needs to help you unwind).  What sometimes freaks me out is watching people with the clicker in their hand and they are just aimlessly clicking and clicking and are in a complete comatose state!  They then look @ the clock and WOW!  It is 11pm and they crash and wake up and do it all over.  I would definitely not call any of this relaxing time; instead I call it mind-sucking time.  Your brain is slowly turning into mush.  It has happened to all of us at one time or another (usually more).

I enjoy watching The Biggest Loser, but do not count down to the night it is on.  I also miss it quite a bit but towards the end of the season I love seeing the transformation of these people.  Their bodies do not only transform, but their attitudes, confidence, & self-esteem also changes.  Why?  These folks were ready for the change and felt crappy enough to make a commitment towards a new life.  I love Bob & Jillian’s no B.S. attitude.  These people have so many obstacles in their lives just like you and I.  In order for them to move forward, they need to release all that has happened in their lives.  Have you ever watched the show and noticed that before they began the show, they were always too busy, or just too damn tired to exercise?  Just like them, lose the card, get over it, move on and forgive those who you think “damaged” you or more importantly forgive yourself…….Now go ahead, and JUST DO IT!

My Hero, Gandhi

"Do not crave to know the views of others, nor base your intent thereon.  To think independently for oneself is a sign of fearlessness."

Looking forward to tomorrow's blog..........get ready to lose your excuses for not moving your mass........lol

Peace Seems to Be the New Rage.......Embrace It!

Notice how we are seeing the word PEACE pasted on every bag, clothing item, and piece of jewelry?  Why all of a sudden?  Why didn’t we see it when we were younger?  I ask myself these questions literally on a daily basis.  

The word Peace makes me smile, feel good, and want to say hello to everyone I see.  How does it make you feel?  Does all of the publicity of this peace craze make us feel more peaceful?  Does it make us kinder to our neighbors?  Has this peace stage changed the way we see things or feel inside?  I really believe it has and I believe people want to be kind to others.  

I find and notice that while we are trying to let this craze sink in we are still affected so much & consumed with ours and other people’s drama.  Since I have been self-employed and doing a couple of small part time jobs, I feel that my “drama” has severely decreased and I feel unbelievable because of it!  Getting sucked into the negativity at a work place can be unbearable.  What is worse is most of us do not even realize the damage it is causing us and how we are losing our own identity.

I think speaking from experience in the drama department, my best advice is FIND happiness, BE happiness, and LIVE happiness.   Yes, it can be that simple.  Each morning we wake up & we make choices.  We choose to get out of bed or stay in bed, we choose what to eat, and we choose how people will affect us.  I find that is a huge key to our guide for happiness……..WE CHOOSE HOW PEOPLE AFFECT US!

Does this make sense?  I know when it first knocked me in the side of the head like a ton of bricks.  I was very pessimistic.  The reason for my pessimism?  I enjoyed “my drama” and I enjoyed talking about others problems.  It made me feel alive inside in some sort of sick way.  I remember bringing this drama home to my husband.  I would go up and down and all around and NEVER get a rise out of him.  This would drive me nuts!  I would get so upset and say things like, “You don’t get me, you don’t understand me, blah, puke, blah, puke.”  Not a reaction from him whatsoever…………..hmmmm…..maybe he was on to something. 

Finally, I started reading happy books and found that my husband was genius!  He knew from a young age how not to react to others people crap.  All of these books I read filled my head and heart with happy thoughts, happy feelings and completely changed my outlook on the rest of my journey.  I would literally walk down the street and greet everyone with a smile and a huge hello from my heart.  It was literally invigorating.  I was on a new high and was not affected if people looked at me like I was on some type of new “happy crack”.  What’s great is that anyone can do this.  These happy books are not teaching you brain surgery.  They are simply teaching you how to live simply…….All you need to do is take control of your own thoughts and feel happiness inside.

So when your  with a group of co-workers, friends or others who you barely know and they are trash talking someone else, or just damn right miserable, STOP right there and CHOOSE what you will do next.  Will you put a positive spin on their drama to help them get out of it?  Will you excuse yourself or remove yourself from the situation?  If you decide on either of these options, KUDO’s to you!  This is the first step in deciding how you will guide the rest of your BE happy lifestyle!  Remember, nobody can make you feel sad, bad or mad unless you allow it.  Now get out there and make happy & peaceful choices!

Light of Conciousness

Beyond the beliefs of any religion, there is the truth of the human spirit.
Beyond the power of nations, there is the power of the human heart.
Beyond the ordinary mind, the power of wisdom, love and healing energy is at work in the universe.  When we can find peace within our hearts, we contact these universal powers.  This is our only hope.
 Tarthang Tulka

What Kind of Car are You?

So, are you a BMW, a Porsche, or maybe a hybrid SUV?   Whatever vehicle you decide we all know what is going to get you from point A to point B.  What?  Did you say fuel?  BINGO!  We are designed exactly like a car and in order to move or expend energy we need fuel, or as we call it food.

Many Americans are overweight and barely consume 1,000 calories a day.  Now how can that make sense?  Well, our body is a very fine tuned machine and when we do not eat every 3 hours or so our metabolism completely shuts down and stops doing its job.  It’s interesting and still blows my mind how our brain works.  By not eating our brain has an automatic switch that turns off when it thinks you are starving your body.  It literally shuts the switch and decides that whatever next gets put into it, whether healthy or not will automatically get stored as fat.  That just does not seem fair!  Unfortunately this leads to many medical problems; one being our thyroid comes to halt.  A lot of people who have been “yo-yo” dieting over many years notice that in their 40’s or so something interesting happens to their bodies.  They have a more difficult time losing those 5 pounds which soon turns into 10 pounds.   Our hormones also have a role in this as well.

So, what can we do?  Simply fill our tanks up and move!  We need to eat whole grains, vegetables, fruits and of course protein.  We need to eat breakfast, a snack 2-3 hours later, lunch, a snack 2-3 hours later and of course dinner with a small snack a couple of hours later.  Now I know what you’re thinking.  “But Sandi, I am never hungry and there is no way I could eat that much”, or, “I don’t have enough time in the day to eat that much”.  Well, if you want your body to be a fat burning machine then that is the only choice you have.  If you work full time and do not have time to prepare your snacks or lunches every day do it on SUNDAY!  By taking a couple of hours on Sunday you automatically eliminate any excuses or urges to go for that dreaded vending machine.  Your food choices are endless when you bring your own snacks or meals.  I love an apple with a string cheese or an apple with peanut butter.  How about some veggies in a sandwich bag and a small container of hummus?  Almonds are fabulous with some veggies or fruit and I love plain Greek Yogurt!  Remember, eating is our friend and we need to embrace it in order to get the results we want.  No eating, no metabolism, no energy but plenty of fat storage.   YUCK! It is that simple.

Some of you may run out of ideas or get bored with the same snacks. The internet is a fabulous place to go to and even GOOGLE healthy, yummy snacks!  I have done it many, many times.    In the meantime, please, please eat!  When you are not eating and are exercising you are not giving your body the energy it needs and will not be receiving the optimal levels of fitness you should be if you were filling your tanks up!  Now get out there and filler up!

Peace,