There are about 40 recognized faith based belief systems here on our beautiful little space marble. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, the all-encompassing spirituality, and more receive their daily devotional by the millions. On the other hand, around a billion people think we’re floating through the void, just waiting for the lights to go out. That’s all OK by me – in fact, I think it’s time to jump into the entire subject head first. (NOTE: I am not preacher, scholar or quantum physicist. I’m just a regular person, trying to BE the positive change I want to see in the world.)

Every following comes fully equipped with their own variation, or “how-to” manual to go by if you’d like to enjoy the fruits of what the religious deity has to offer. Some religions even state that if you don’t follow the rules “by the book”, that you’ll eternally suffer, live in a ball of flames, or be forced to scoop dog leavings every day for the rest of eternity – something like that.

But what if it’s much simpler? Why do we humans try to over complicate things and separate each other?

I feel that there is a “source” for everything. Call that source whatever you like, be it God, Universe, Source, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster if you will, it makes no difference to me.

One way or another, it all started from that one original point and spawned outward to grow into what is “now”. Although what “is” is only a manifestation of “the source”, everything has it’s unique identity while still remaining one with its roots.

I’ve heard, “Oh no, that religion kills people, this is the ONLY way, etc.”… I’ve come to believe that this is not the case. If you don’t believe me, dig into the diverse culture of the world and you’ll see that the similarities between religion FAR outweigh the differences. Many differences are nothing more than the stories themselves.

Furthermore, I’ve heard that a phrase, quote, or scripture is an act of plagiarism; that one came before the other, and that it’s blasphemy to credit anyone else with a teaching because someone else came by and said it first.

Do you feel that an omnipotent, ever loving God would banish you from the fruits of Heaven for purposely/non-purposely infringing on his/her/it’s copyright and spreading the word of love, light, and positivity?

What if there’s no real “right” answer? What if there’s only a simple set of common principles to follow?  If so, are you living those principles in your daily life? That is your spirituality.

Here’s how I see it (please refer to the note above before a mental mountain of malevolence wells up as you read on).

There are a simple set of principles that just about every one following spirituality of any kind has in common:

1. Love yourself

2. Love others

3. Have faith

4. Know that the power of love is infinite

5. Cause no deliberate harm

This seems pretty easy to understand, right? It’s simple, straight-forward, and would fit on less than one page.

Surely I could write hundreds of pages on the topic, but it’s as easy as remembering to practice these principles with every thought, word, action and reaction. You’re really only in control of you; what happens outside of you is merely an experience awaiting your reaction. I’ve seen the most devout of religious folks lose their way in the simplest of situations.

So I ask you, will all the teachings in the world be thrown out the window when they’re needed most, or will you learn to start subconsciously LIVING these practical principles of spirituality with your every moment?

“The earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry

If I’ve learned ONE thing throughout the course of my spiritual journey so far, it’s that we all have one similarity – we’re human and live on Earth. We must remember that we’re all in this journey together; if we can’t support each other in a positive way to foster the growth of humankind, we’re doing ourselves a disservice; we’re ignoring the necessary glue that holds humanity together.

Think of everyone and their own (non-harmful) belief as just a different color in a crayon box. We’re not all the same, but we are in the same box. And if we don’t stick together how can we possibly fill in a picture with each beautiful color? For example, think of what the world would look like if blue never mixed with yellow, or if red never mixed with blue.

Everyone is on a spiritual journey and should be allowed to travel it – our path in life is both a birthright and necessary for the good of our spirit. If you think we have a “source” or “God”, cool. If you’re just waiting for the lights to go out, hey, that’s fine too, I just hope that this brightens your horizons up a bit.

Final Thoughts

For all I know, my opinion missed the mark by a mile. All I can say is that I’m moving along in this incredible journey of spirituality just as you are, and would love to share conversation with you about it. So, be sure to leave your comments in the conversation below!

Positive affirmations allow you the means of verbalizing a resolute belief in your own worth.

“You have the power to heal your life, and you need to know that. We think so often that we are helpless, but we’re not. We always have the power of our minds…Claim and consciously use your power.” Louise L. Hay

A healthy, positive mind is a healthy body. Your words about yourself and the health of your body every day is very important. Are you talking about how good it is treating you, or the health problems you may have? Studies show that diseases and health problems can first begin in the mind. It may not always be consciously realized, but creation from source begins with a single thought.

The good news is, our thoughts and words can help us get healthy too! You can heal your life through positive affirmations.  If you’re new to positive affirmations, it’s okay. They are very easy. Simply create or choose affirmations that resonate with you and your situation the most. Write them down or type and print them out. Say them to yourself every single day.

Even better, say them all throughout the day. If these seem silly, remind yourself that you’ve been saying affirmations about your life already every day. Positive affirmations simply bring the truth back into your life. The truth that you have the potential to be healthy and well.

Positive Affirmations for Health & Healing

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We’d be honored to help you on your journey. 🙂 We created the video below for you to use as a reference for health and healing affirmations.  If you feel the need, recite these daily – a new manifestation will begin to occur in your life.

We want to hear from you!  Bookmark this post and come back to share your success stories.

Personally, positive affirmations have helped us create and experience a healthy, vibrant life when we were previously affected by multiple health issues that could have drastically shortened our time on this planet.  We know this works and want to spread it into the world as much as possible.  We all deserve to shine.  Shine ON!

Another workweek is on the way, and that means many will be facing the Monday blues. No rule states people can’t come into work with the same positivity you had when leaving on Friday.  Take this information into work with you and watch your workplace transform!

5 Ways To Use Positivity to Have a Great Week

Here are 5 ways positivity can improve your work week ahead:

1. Don’t fret Monday

“This should be the spirit every Monday. Know that something good will always happen.” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Just because Monday is the first day of the week, it doesn’t have to be the worst day of the week.  Dive into Monday with the same excitement and positive emotion you have on Friday.  Every day can be a Friday if you allow it!  You’ll find that with a more optimistic outlook,  your day will go smoother, be more productive, and you’ll help your colleagues have a better day as well.

Think of every Monday as a fresh start to a week filled with new accomplishments. Banish negative thoughts–like how long it is until next weekend!

2. Find joy in your job

“To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work.” – Sister Mary Lauretta

It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is if you truly love what you do.

If you honestly aren’t crazy about your current career, try to justify your job by writing down what service or benefit your job brings to society.  If you’re still not sure about why your job benefits the world in a positive way, consider this job a stepping stone toward finding the career you’re truly passionate about.

3. Spread positivity in your workplace

“Keep my word positive. Words become my behaviors. Keep my behaviors positive. Behaviors become my habits. Keep my habits positive. Habits become my values. Keep my values positive. Values become my destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

A positive attitude is contagious, and when you spread it in the office, you’re sure to see increased success and overall happiness.  Multiple studies have shown that when colleagues have a positive mindset, they experience less stress, are more productive, and get along more smoothly. Add more positivity to your workplace and allow both you and your colleagues to reap the positive benefits!

4. Take Sunday to relax and rejuvenate

“Do not waste a single Sunday. If you don’t waste Sundays, you will be less likely to waste Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.” –Matthew Kelly

It’s tough to start a week off right if you don’t put an end to the last one.  Many professions require work during the weekend, but when you have a chance to take that weekend break, do it in a way that doesn’t involve work in any way – this is one thing that successful people do on the weekends.

Spend time with the family, go out into nature, practice yoga, meditate, or even enjoy a favorite meal.  The week ahead will see you as a more energized person with less burnout and more turnout!

5. Expect greatness

“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do and at some point you will.” ― Venus Williams

It’s important always to expect the best.  You have as much potential as anyone on this planet and have the ability to reach incredible heights.  To BELIEVE in yourself and the power inside you should make you feel proud of who you are; after all, you deserve victory!  Take a few moments at the beginning of your workweek to declare positive affirmations about your efforts’ outcome.  Visualize and focus on the positive and what you are grateful for about your job.  The only future we can foresee is the one we imagine.  Close your eyes and see BIG things – you’ll be amazed at the opportunities that magically appear.

Here are a few positive affirmations to help you spread positivity at work. Recite them DAILY!

• I can accomplish all of my daily tasks.  I am prosperous in time!
• My motivation is continuous. I always reach set goals!
• Each day I am filled with fresh ideas and solutions to accomplish my tasks at hand successfully.
• Today is my day to succeed!
• I’m enthusiastic about my work; it is the foundation for my continuing prosperity.
• I receive fulfillment as I make a positive difference in the world!
• I effortlessly create abundance as I practice my passion!

Do you have a regular practice that helps gear you up for the daily grind?  Please share it with us in the comments below, and get ready to ROCK the workplace in the week ahead!

 

Love is the most wonderful feeling of all.  To reflect on the abundance of love floating through the Universe today and every day, we share the words of love that have become eternal throughout the world.  These love quotes will surely leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside!

Here are the 15 Most Inspiring and Romantic Love Quotes of All Time

1. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

2. “You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss

3. “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

4. “Love is real, real is love.” – John Lennon

5. “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.” – The Notebook

6. “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

7. “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

8. “I love you — not only for what you are — but for what I am when I am with you.” – Roy Croft

9. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” – Paul McCartney

10. “It’s the way that you know what I thought I knew. It’s the beat that my heart skips when I’m with you.” —Crazy in Love, performed by Beyonce Knowles

11. “I love you right up to the moon and back.” – Sam McBratney

12. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray.” — Jimmie Davis

13. “Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.” — John Keats

14. “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love.” – Sophocles

15. “The more I give to thee, the more I have.” – William Shakespeare

Do you have any favorite love quotes?  Share them in the comments below.  Shine ON!

For many, Valentine’s Day means cards, chocolates, gifts, and romance. For others, it means that there’s a stinging memory of a broken heart, a lost loved one, or loneliness that leaves you feeling dark and empty inside. Shining the light on this polarized situation will allow everyone to feel dreamy during this Valentine’s Day.

Here’s 5 ways Valentine’s Day can mean love for you (no matter what)

Show Gratitude

When you express your gratitude to your partner (or yourself), you create the fertile soil from which the flowers of love and romance can grow and bloom.

Make a list of 5 things you’re grateful for.  If you’re with someone, give it to them or read it to them.  If you’re flying solo on Valentine’s Day, make the list of 5 and read it aloud.  Allow yourself to feel the emotion and excitement in your words.  No matter what your relationship status, gratitude will give you a loving and loveable attitude.

Be Passionate

Life is akin to a meteor hurtling through the night sky.  It doesn’t last too long, so you might as well leave behind you a streaking, white-hot trail.  And when it comes to love, there isn’t a moment to waste.  Show it to your partner as if you were on a first date or seeing them off on a long journey. If you’re going to love, you might as well love intensely.

If you’re without a significant other on Valentine’s Day, love yourself with as much energy as if you were giving it to someone else.  Allow that love to resonate, and affirm that passionate love will continue to radiate into and from your being.

Love Selflessly

Imagine the love of our creator – it’s a love that will continue to shine, regardless of return.  Love is an eternal light that pierces the darkest of nights.  When you shine your light of selfless love, you don’t have to expect a specific return but you can be assured that you’ll receive reciprocation.  Selfless love to your partner will show them that your love does not have prerequisites.

You can love selflessly without being in a relationship as well.  Enter your experiences with a love that has no attachment.  There, you’ll find a place of contentment, knowing that you are in control of your individual perspective and choosing to LOVE.

Find love outside of people

Love between people only represents a sliver of the total love available in the world.  It’s wonderful to love someone, but there is so much more that exists.  Whether you’re with someone or not, don’t limit it to roses, a hotel and a hot tub; take the time out to play in nature.  See the abundance of love in everything around you – spark your senses and appreciate the overflowing love that emanates from your environment.

Find the love within

The greatest love of all lies within.  Once you’ve discovered this powerful love, then you can begin to truly love others.  Whether you’re alone or with a significant other, take time to practice a heart-centered meditation that will open up your chakras and bring more love and abundance in your life.  This is not meant to be a selfish activity, but one that allows more love to flow to you and through you.

Allow yourself to be spoiled!

Whether by someone else or from yourself, this is one day every year that you should be pampered!  You don’t have to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a spa day either; here’s how to make an easy homemade foot soak and scrub that will leave you feeling refreshed and renewed without the lightened wallet!

Foot Soak

Combine:
1 gallon of water
3 drops peppermint essential oil
1 drop eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop lemon essential oil.

Boil the water and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Pour it into a bowl or basin large enough for your feet. Add the oils and stir well. Soak your feet for as long as you like. This soak will leave your senses invigorated and your soul energized!

FOOT SCRUB

4 tablespoons ground coffee (fresh is best)
3 tablespoons cornmeal
4 tablespoons sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 drops lavender essential oil

Mix together and massage over your feet (or face) to exfoliate and enjoy a feeling of newness.

Use this as a reference to love and be loved Valentine’s Day, and EVERY day following.  And by the way, we LOVE you!

Attitude is everything! So if you have a good one, you can be sure that your positive thinking will lead to positive results in life. But how do you keep that positive attitude up at all times? Consider this cheat sheet a go-to resource to keep your psyche ship sailing straight!

“Thoughts Become Things… Choose The Good Ones!” – Mike Dooley

Anger

1. Find the why: If you’re experiencing a challenging situation,  ask yourself why this is happening.  From there, you’ll be able to figure out how to change your current course based on your actions up to this point.

2.  Plan the next step: After you find the why, look at the how and plan the next step to be sure that avoidable situations are prevented the future.

3.  Say Something Nice: Whether to a friend, family member, or random person in public, it’s surprising how much better you’ll feel when you say something nice to someone.  It’ll change their day and keep yours going the right way!

4.  Choose LOVE: If you’re receiving negative energy from someone, it does not mean you have to reciprocate.  So send them blessings, say a prayer for them, or help them escape their funk by simply choosing to show love.

5.  Laugh: When caught up in a tense or negative situation, one of the quickest ways to diffuse the energy is to have a good laugh.  Stop right in the middle of the mayhem and tell a good joke or plain out start laughing!  Let the good vibes rush through your body and to those around you – you deserve it.

Sadness

6. Pray: Whether it’s through prayer, meditation, or chanting, the positive energy created by getting in touch with your spirit is momentous.  You can often receive answers to your questions and solutions to your problems when you just take a moment to listen to what the divine in you has to say.

7. Find gratitude:  If something not going your way, one of the first things you can do is think of all the things you are grateful for.  Surely you have got it better than many, regardless of your situation.  And if you can’t think of anything right away, just be grateful to be alive!

8. Vision Board: When going through a rough patch, refer to your vision board and remind yourself why you’ve decided to be a positive person.  You have goals and want them to be met – the journey toward success is much greater enjoyed when you’re happy about it.

9. Remember the positive:  Although sad times occur, it doesn’t mean you have to stay depressed.  Think of all of the good times you had, and where you would want to be today had the sadness never occured.

10. Get Happy:  It may sound cliche, but keeping sadness at bay is much more doable when allowing yourself to get happy daily.  Follow the Power of Positivity on Facebook for daily “get happy” moments to keep your happy meter fully charged!

11. Avoid the blame game:  Your thoughts and choices affect your life.  If you’ve overreacted, that’s not someone else’s fault.  You are a mirror; what you say to others, you say to yourself.

Worry

12. Stay in control:  Just because you may not be where you want to be, the finish line may be right around the bend.  You’ve got this!

13. Maintain a high level of emotional intelligence: Keep a strong awareness about how you feel in situations, and allow yourself to control how you react through self-realization.  There is a lot of strength in stepping outside your own box to learn how you act and react.  In other words, keep calm and carry on!

14. Be the victor, not the victim: Choose what you want to become, not what happened to you.  You may have been affected, but it’s in the past now and you can make a decision to do what you can, where you are, with what you have!

15. Embrace Adversity: Believe that you are a STRONG person who can handle anything that is thrown your way.  Affirm that adversity is easily overcome through my positive thinking mindset and welcome the challenges that arise.

16. Seek opportunity: Every problem has a positive opportunity ingrained deep inside it.  There’s always a certain amount of value in any situation, and it’s your choice to learn from it and GROW

17. Focus on Solutions: “Followers focus on problems.  Leaders focus on solutions.”  If life goes array, there’s nothing you can do about what has already happened.  Look ahead to the solution, and how you can get there.

18. Read scripture: Regardless of religion, many positive principles remain the same throughout the world’s sacred books of knowledge  Whatever book or teacher you prefer, study it often.  It will wire your brain to follow positive thinking principles and deliver success!

19. Personal Development: With the wide range of personal development products available, many avenues exist to attain a steady state of positive thinking.  Pick yourself up a book or DVD (The Magic is a great example) and prepare to start making positive thinking a staple in your daily routine!

20. Recall achievements: If everything goes wrong, look at what went right!  Sometimes one of the best things you can do to bolster self-esteem is to remember how far you’ve come to get to where you are now!

Stress

21. Eliminate all-or-nothing thinking: Positive thinking involves a lot of gray areas.  It’s not all or nothing in life, and sometimes you’ll take one step forward to find yourself being knocked two steps back.  It takes a large spectrum of experience to get to where you’re going – allow all situations to propel you!

22. Affirmations: The importance of positive affirmations will always be the main ingredient to attracting more health and abundance into your life.

23. Breathe: Practicing breathing can provide many positive benefits, especially when bothered.  Prana breathing is especially effective when feeling stressed or anxious. A count of four during the inhale, and a count of eight on the exhale repeated for a few minutes will surprisingly bring you calm and relaxation by slowing your heart rate and allowing your brain to process more fully.

24. Stay around positive energy:  Neurons that fire together wire together, so it is important that you flood yourself with positive energy sources.  So please take a moment to consider your daily habits. Are they helping you along your journey, or are they stressing you out?  If not, find ways to integrate more positive ways of living into your daily routine

25. Avoid alcohol: Many people like to have a few drinks now and then, but it’s not great to overdo it.  The bad decisions, headaches, and health problems that follow will cause more problems than it’s worth.  If you need a fix, find a holistic alternative and allow your body to thrive naturally.

26. Do a good deed: Performing a good deed or random act of kindness is a great way to switch into a positive mindset.  First, you’re thinking of doing something good for another person, place, or thing – then you’re carrying it out and seeing a positive energy that it spreads, making you feel good.  Double win!

27. Know that your source of positive power is bigger: If you’re dealing with struggles, remember that the positive source of power is far greater than any problem can ever pose.  You can choose to become what you desire. So don’t let what happened to you in the past hold you back.

28. Align your beliefs with your feelings: Your feelings directly represent your beliefs about the person or situation. Ask yourself, “why do I believe this to be true?”, then connect the dots and discover what’s true for you!

Remorse

29. Forgive someone: Sometimes, there are memories or experience that may gnaw away at you and hinder your positive thinking. So get in touch with that person you need to forgive and let it happen.  Let them know that you understand and forgive them the way God (Universe, Flying Spaghetti Monster, etc.) would.  When you forgive others, it’s a gift you truly give to yourself!

30. Ask for forgiveness: Sometimes, you’re on the other side of the spectrum, and you’re the one who needs forgiveness from someone else.  Ask for it – you’ll be surprised at the positive response.  As explained above, they’re not only forgiving you but let go of trapped negative energy in their own body, which is truly a gift to themselves.

31. Write: When feeling down, pick a pen up!  Writing and expressing your emotions on paper can release the negative energy you’ve been holding and help you understand how writing positive messages to yourself can bring you benefits in many areas.

32. Write a thank you note: Tell someone thanks you in a note.  It will surely brighten their day and make you feel like you’ve rippled some positive energy (because you will have!)

Fatigue

33. Exercise: Exercise helps the body produce and distribute endorphins. In fact, you know exactly what I’m talking about if you ever had a “runners high.” When you exercise, you’re not only taking your mind off of the negative situation but also enjoying the intrinsic benefit of getting fit and looking great!

34. Get Outside: Nature is a sanctuary of its very own.  When you find a quiet place in nature, everything buzzing around in your mind stops and allows you to tap back into a positive thinking mindset without resistance

35. Get excited: Everything is energy, and there is an unlimited amount of it all around you.  Turn up the radio, give your partner a passionate kiss, jump around, or even scream out loud!  Don’t be afraid to give yourself goosebumps – it will take you to a higher level you never knew possible!

36. Eat more raw, plant-based food: Raw, plant-based foods contain energy that is not found in any other processed or cooked food.  There is a much higher level of light energy in these foods and your body will know it when you’re taking them in.  You won’t feel sluggish, tired, or full. Instead, you’ll feel energetic, revitalized, and satisfied!

37. Have a success partner: It is very important to have someone you can share goals with, review periodically, and set new ones.  Find a successful person, or people, to be around and you’ll quickly learn that energetic synergy can be created to achieve maximum results.

Bad Mood

38. Put on Music:  A study proved that favorite music can help you become more positive. When feeling blue, get that positive thinking in check with one of your favorite happy songs!  Think of any song that lifts you up; some examples are Roar by Katy Perry, Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, and Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bobby Darin. Of course, those are just a few.  Share your own favorites in the discussion below!

39. Sing: When that favorite song comes on to prime your positive thinking, sing along to improve your mood.  Singing expresses emotion, releases endorphins and oxytocin, and also creates sound vibrations that move through you to change your emotional landscape.  And don’t be afraid to sing like you’re in the shower!

40. Turn off the TV: Television programs do exactly what they say they’re doing – programming… YOU. Therefore, you’re likely to be upset about tragic stories if you watch too much. As a result, the negative energy of a scary movie or story will transfer to you.  Time spent in front of the TV also leaves your mind idle, rather than engaged in positive thinking.

41. Dance: The energy created when you start moving to a familiar beat or slow dancing with your partner is tremendous.  You can feel the energy flowing through you.  Turn on the audio and dance like no one’s watching!

42. Live in the now: Remember that you’re in the present moment, at all times.  Everything that has happened can not be changed, but your perception of it can change.  Therefore, you don’t have to feel remorse if you’re no longer in that individual moment.  There may be a door that just opened next to the closed one you’ve been staring at all this time.

BONUS: 43. Bookmark this cheat sheet for positive thinking and refer to it regularly.

Here’s to maintaining that mindset!  Share your favorite tips to help maintain positive thinking in the discussion below!

From hydration to preventing and healing viral infection, oranges are truly amazing food!  They are good for lymphatic flow and that in the white part just under the skin you find a plethora of bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents.

I’ve always thought they looked like a woman’s breasts on the inside, as well as the outside.

Could oranges and the citrus family play a role in preventing breast cancer?

Considering that an orange packs over 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 flavonoids. And many of those have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and blood clot inhibiting properties. Additionally, they offer strong anti-oxidant effects. I think anyone wanting to prevent or even put cancer into remission could benefit!

I personally love oranges and orange juice. They just taste amazing and are a lot of fun I think to peel and eat. I will go through 3-4 of them with my little girl Seaenah. Indeed, there’s something about the anticipation of getting into an orange that gets your taste buds excited and saliva flowing.  I love knowing the health benefits that are coming into our bodies while we’re enjoying them.

Regularly consuming vitamin C in oranges retards the development of hardening of the arteries. So, you won’t have to worry about arteriosclerosis.  Also, a compound in oranges called liminoid has been shown to prevent cancer of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach, and colon.

It’s Alkaline, Not Acidic

You would think an orange is acidic but it actually has an alkaline effect in the digestive system. And, it helps stimulate the digestive juices, relieving constipation.

 If that’s not enough already, drinking orange juice daily can significantly reduce the formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney!

Oranges are also a great food to eat as a natural sunblock.  They’re loaded with antioxidants and will protect your skin from sun damage.  On top of all that, it’s an abundance of polyphenols have been shown to provide protection against viral infections.

The iron and Vitamin B6 in oranges increase the oxygen carrying capacity and also purifies the blood.  The calcium  helps keep your bones and teeth strong.

All around Oranges are superb food and will always have their place in my kitchen. So, juice it up, make a fruit salad, get creative or just peel and eat. :0)

A guaranteed part of living in the northeastern U.S. is facing the chill of Winter, affectionately known to me as “Old Man Winter”. Today we had the option of either staying inside and talking about the cold dreary weather, or putting on boots, jumping in the snow and LIVING.  Instead of grumping about the cold, we decided to enjoy this storm and take a sled ride!

 

As the cold front swept across the east coast of the U.S., the snow fell inch after inch. The moment I stepped outside and felt the heavy wet snow, I knew that it could only mean one thing – it was a perfect day for a sled ride.

It’s been at least 15 years since my last traditional sledding experience. Even though it’s been over a decade, that rectangular piece of orange plastic felt all too familiar, only this time it was my wife and I sharing our two-year-old daughter’s first powdery plunge. We drove to a nearby park, got out and ran to the first hill we could find near the closed boathouse. I ran up to the top of a 10-foot slope and rode back down – the sledding track was made and we were ready.

The Sled Ride

The three of us eagerly climbed the hill. Our daughter was so ecstatic to be running through the snow and throwing snowballs. In fact, she almost forgot the reason we’re near freezing. With our two year old held in front of me, we both sat down as rehearsed and 1…2…3, we were off to the bottom! A run to the top and second round of sledding immediately commenced with Mom. Suddenly, two little girls were adventuring to the bottom.  Our smiles were so big at that moment that no temperature could chill us on the inside.

While walking back to the car, we threw another dozen snowballs, made a half dozen snow angels, and quacked at the ducks on the lake. Most importantly, we took one more ride down a small hill. Now home and cuddled with hot chocolate in hand, I think to myself. This was the best sled ride ever.

 

 

“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or go sledding.” ~ Author Unknown

Instead of turning our back on old man winter, we decided to embrace and enjoy the hidden gifts this foe of many had to bear. Is there a storm in your life right now? Can you make a decision to dance in the rain or even go for a sled ride?

 

Self-sabotage occurs when you wittingly or unwittingly become your own worst enemy. As your own worst enemy, you tend to do the opposite of what would make you happy and successful.

If you were to look closely, you’d likely discover that many failed goals, relationships, businesses, and dreams have strong roots in self-sabotage. We tend to get in our own way – and do it consistently.  What if we didn’t, though?

What if you eradicated self-sabotage from your life? Wouldn’t that be transformational?

You’d immediately begin to reap the following 7 benefits.

1. Better Decisions

Poor, impulsive decisions are often the gateway to failure. When you make a self-sabotaging decision, you have to get very lucky in order for things to work out. Here are some examples:

• Saying yes to marriage when you have serious doubts about the person you are with.
• Starting a business without experience, funds or a plan.
• Making purchases that you cannot afford.
• Confiding in someone with a history of gossip.
• Doing something with your life for the sole purpose of pleasing someone else.
• Saying yes even though you mean no.

Essentially, self-sabotaging decisions overlook all the red flags, good advice and sound logic that lead to happiness and success.  If you had no self-sabotaging tendencies, you’d make much better, more mature decisions. Decisions would be patient, timely, set up for success and aligned with who you are.

2. More Self-Discipline

A lack of self-discipline leads to emptiness and misery. When you don’t control your eating, spending, study habits, time, excessive behaviors and emotions, you lose a grip on life.  If you had no self-sabotaging tendencies however, you’d follow through with your plans, exercise even when feel down or lazy, be strict with what goes into your body, honor your commitments and motivate yourself even when it is difficult to do so.

Self-sabotage encourages you to take the easy way out, but that is a self-deception. The easy way out is often the path that challenges you to become your best self, not run from it.

3. Better Relationships

Relationships are perhaps the ultimate test of maturity. Can you speak your mind, be flexible, take the other’s point of view, make sacrifices and be true to your word?  Can you balance respectfully your needs with the needs of your partner? Most of all, can you do what you know in your heart is right and take feedback with an open mind? In the absence of self-sabotage, yes you can!

Self-sabotage would have you choose wrong relationship partners, and then have you justify your poor choices. You’ll choose people who control, reject and deprive you of what you need to be happy.

4. Vitality and Health

“There is no greater peace than to know that you are 100% invested in fulfilling your purpose in life to the best of your ability.”

Lots of energy and vitality are not difficult to acquire. You just need to eat right, exercise and supplement any nutritional deficiencies over time. This requires lots of study and experimentation. Most of all, it requires sticking to a conscious plan consistently.

In the absence of self-sabotage, you absolutely can achieve a wonderful and fulfilling state of physical and mental health. Just do the research and stick to the plan. You want to treat your mind and body respectfully, because they are your vehicles to peace and happiness. It’s obvious! Why would you ever mistreat yourself? You would because self-sabotage will encourage you to give up and throw your health out the window. In some cases, people are willing to shave decades off their life as part of their cycle of self-sabotage.

5. Peace of Mind

There is no greater peace than to know that you are 100% invested in fulfilling your purpose in life to the best of your ability. Peace of mind comes from acting in the way that you know is right, working hard and accepting your limitations.  Self-sabotage is the ultimate destroyer of inner peace. Self-sabotage is that voice in your mind that tells you to give up, that you can’t do it, that it’s not worth it. If this voice is more powerful than you, then you’ll probably believe it and not put forth your best effort. No peace in this!

6. Greater Emotional Resources

Most people have tremendous emotional resilience and resources. Within you lies the courage, patience, drive and the will to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. That is, until self-sabotage convinces you otherwise. Again, that voice in your head that criticizes your efforts would have you give in to despair and helplessness.  When you give power to your self-sabotaging tendencies, you give in to pessimism and failure – and lose access to your emotional strength.

7. Stuff Just Works!

The bottom line, whatever you set out to do will be as successful as it can be if you stay out of your own way. And when you put forth your best effort only to meet failure, you’ll still be pleased with yourself; accept the defeat and begin to make new plans, incorporating what you have learned.

Here’s a bizarre, challenging self-sabotage experiment:

If you have a pattern of failure in any area of your life, try the following experiment.
Warning: This may seem crazy, but if you do it, you may blow your own mind.

1. Consider the failure – where are you struggling to succeed?

2. When failure happens, how do you feel? Humiliated, rejected, empty, out-of-control, helpless, lonely, worthless?

3. Pretend that some part of you is so used to feeling this feeling that it actually seeks out opportunities to feel that way again. In other words, this negative feeling is seeking to be expressed, over and over. And your unwitting failures are the perfect opportunity. Therefore, in a strange way, you are actually motivated to fail!

4. Now, catch yourself setting yourself up for failure. How do your decisions and actions lead directly into these old, familiar negative feelings? Once you understand the process, you are on the way to letting go and living up to your potential.

To learn more about how self-sabotage works, and a simple process to move beyond it, watch this free video.