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Trainers Reveal 6 Exercises That Tighten and Tone the Thighs

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Like everyone else on the planet, you’ve probably got an area of your body that is your Achilles heel. No matter how much you try to eat healthily and exercise, this area clings stubbornly to unwanted fatty deposits. For many, this spot is their thighs… Does this sound all too familiar to you?

Perhaps one of the most challenging areas to sculpt and eliminate the extra fat in are your thighs, which are also called your flanks. Although both men and women can have the dreaded saddlebags, women tend to carry more weight in this area due to childbearing and hormonal influence. Men often store surplus fat in their abdomen to create the iconic and unsightly beer belly.

The Thighs Have It

Whether you are male or female, you want strong, cut thighs that support your body and daily activities, and they make you look good in whatever you wear. The medical term for thunder thighs or saddlebags is gluteofemoral fat. This fatty tissue is considered subcutaneous because it is under the skin.

Conversely, the fatty deposits around your midsection are visceral fat because it forms around the internal organs. Of the two, medical experts warn that excess visceral fat in your midsection is much more a health hazard than extra subcutaneous deposits. Your goal is to get rid of them both so you can have a healthier, leaner body.

Thigh Anatomy 101

As you lose weight and exercise, your flanks are usually the final frontier. While your overweight thighs may be the bane of your existence, your body depends on their strength and mobility. Your flanks are a complex system of some of the most powerful muscles and connective tissue in your body.

These muscles surround your body’s largest bone, the femur, and they connect your upper legs to your hips and your knee joints. In the back of your flanks is the hamstring muscles, and your quadriceps muscles are in the front. These two muscle groups are responsible for bending and straightening your legs.

Your flanks’ insides are powered by your adductor muscles, allowing you to pull your legs in and out from the sides. Injury to any of these three muscle groups can be quite painful and debilitating. Your body needs them to be strong and healthy for optimal mobility.

If you consume more calories than you burn and stockpile extra fatty deposits on your body, your flanks will always reveal your secret. Along with the abdomen, your flanks are among the first places your body will begin to tuck away extra fat. To make matters even more complicated, these major fat storehouses won’t give up their surplus easily, even with diet and exercise.

The Dreaded Bird Leg Syndrome

Maybe you have the opposite problem with your flanks. What could be more frustrating than to lose weight and get your ideal beach body just to look down and see bird legs? Skinny legs, aka the “bird leg syndrome,” maybe hereditary to some degree, but it’s often from a lack of attention to leg exercise.

Like bulging hips and flanks, bird legs can be just as irritating, especially for a guy. The same tips and exercises that can reduce and tone your flanks can also strengthen and build thick muscle. Everyone wants their upper and lower legs to be attractive and proportionate to their bodies, right?

Your Flank Workout Plan

As you do your cardio and other strengthening exercises, don’t forget to take your hips and flanks into consideration. Many times, you can incorporate specific workouts that are targeted to these fatty deposit-prone areas.

1. Stepping Exercises

Are you among the countless fitness enthusiasts across America who strive to get their daily recommendations of 10,000 steps? Here’s a great flank toner that will also strengthen your legs and feet and will help with your steps goal. They are as easy as walking up and down the stairs.

• How to Do It:

If you don’t have a wooden stepping box or a raised platform, the first stair of your staircase will do. Just as you naturally climb stairs, start by pushing off on one foot and put your other foot on the stair or box. Be sure that you are placing your whole foot on the surface, not just your toes.

Now, reverse your movement, and return to the starting point. Do the same back and forth motion using the opposite feet. Try doing these sets for 15-20 reps. You’ll get the same fat-burning benefits if you take the stairs whenever you can instead of the elevator.

2. Heel Lifts

Have you ever noticed how the muscles in your hips and flanks tighten when you stand on your tiptoes? No wonder ballet dancers keep such toned legs. You can get the same benefits as the traditional heel lift exercise. These are also ideal to combine with your stair-stepping by standing on your tiptoes with both feet before dismounting the stair.

• How to Do It:

Begin with your feet flat on your exercise mat about a shoulder-width apart. Then, slowly lift both heels until you are balancing on your tiptoes to count three breaths and return to the starting position.

For an added strengthening bonus, hold a set of dumbbells in each hand, allowing them to hang naturally at your sides. Try to complete three sets of ten reps.

3. Classic Squats

Some of the best exercises for your body were probably learned in high school gym class. Here is a traditional exercise that works your lower back, hips, flanks, and lower leg muscles. Who knew that squatting to the ground could reap such benefits?

• How to Do It:

Start by standing with your feet flat on your exercise mat with your toes pointing forward. Now, slowly squat by bending your knees and hips until your flanks are parallel to the mat. Hold for three breaths and slowly stand to the starting position.

Try to keep your knees in line instead of to the sides. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back straight for optimal effect. If you have trouble keeping your back straight, you may also do these squats with your back straight against a wall. As you become familiar with this regimen, consider holding a dumbbell in each hand while squatting. Do two sets of 10-15 reps.

4. Leg Lunges

All these exercises, including these lunges, are uncomplicated and natural movements. When you add some weight resistance, you boost your fat-busting benefits. Leg lunges can easily be modified to a smaller step if your knees bother you.

• How to Do It

Stand straight on your mat with a dumbbell in each hand, palms inward, and your arms hanging naturally at your sides. Now, step one foot forward as you bend both knees until your front heel is aligned directly below your knee. Both knees should be bent at approximately 90 degrees.

Hold for 2-3 breaths then work backward to the starting position. Repeat the steps with your opposite leg. The tightness you feel in your leg muscles is a good thing unless it becomes painful, and you should stop. Do three sets of eight reps.

5. Dead Lifting

Resistance is a vital part of building defined muscles and can burn fat in problematic areas, like your flanks. When considering any lifting like this exercise, realize that you are using several muscle groups, and you don’t want to lift more than you can handle. Gradually build your weights up to your maximum lifting capacity.

• How to Do It:

Place two equal barbells on your mat with enough space that you can stand between them.

Stand with your back straight and your legs slightly wider than your shoulders, hands at your sides. Bend your knees and stoop down while keeping your back straight and firmly grasp a weight in each hand.

Now, use your leg muscles to stand straight, raising the weights, and keeping your arms from bending. Hold the position for a couple of breaths and lower the weights into the starting position. Your glutes will be getting a good workout with this exercise, too.

6. Butterfly Pose

If you are a student of yoga, you know how beneficial it can be for your body, mind, and spirit. It combines mindful breathing and gentle movements and poses to stretch and create defined muscles. Butterfly Pose may look serene and restful, but it tones your inner and outer thighs effectively.

• How to Do It:

Sit comfortably on your exercise mat with your back straight, and both legs bent and knees to the side. Gently grasp your ankles and bring the soles of your feet together. Sit in this position for about 2-3 minutes while noticing your breathing, then release your feet.

Final Thoughts on Taking Control of your Thighs

When you practice an active lifestyle, you don’t want your thighs to get in your way. Before you begin these or any exercise regimens, talk to your primary healthcare provider or a professional fitness instructor about what is right for you. When you add these and other thigh-buster exercises to your daily routine, you won’t regret it.

4 Simple Ways To Appreciate Yourself Every Day

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

There are many excellent things to appreciate in everyday life. You can always find beauty in nature and the world. There are friends, family, and loved ones. And, there are simple necessities. There are all your favorite things. But you might be missing out on the most crucial person to appreciate: yourself!

Yes, many things are worth appreciating, and you certainly should be grateful for them! But many people lose sight of their merit when they focus so much on how good everything else is. Don’t forget that you’re a wonderful person. Additionally, you deserve self-appreciation all the same. If you don’t appreciate yourself, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

But you might find this more challenging that one would think. It can be tough to learn not just to love yourself but actively be grateful for yourself, especially daily. To help inspire you, here are four quick and simple yet effective ways to appreciate yourself every day.

1. Surround Yourself With Good People

To facilitate self-directed positive thinking, you first need to create a positive environment that will appreciate and love you in turn. After all, it’s only fair that you receive back what you put out there into the world! So take care to vet your friends carefully, and find the people who will treat you the way you deserve to.

· Accept And Appreciate Genuine Compliments

Good relationships will try to build you up, which is precisely what we all need. It can be tempting to downplay or brush aside a compliment and instead await some grand display of affection, but this isn’t healthy or realistic. Instead, it is much healthier for both our self-esteem and our relationships with others to accept and internalize genuine compliments. A study has shown that receiving praise is related to a positive increase in our capabilities too!

· Remove Toxic People From Your Life

It’s easy to find yourself surrounded by toxic people who take advantage of you, without ever really returning the love and care you give them. This can apply to both parents, friends, and partners alike. If any of them either demands help without helping you in turn, belittles you repeatedly, or talks to you behind your back, it’s best to cut them out of your life directly. Set up firm, healthy boundaries, and stick to those who take care of your feelings in return.

· Ask A Close Friend To Explain What They Like About You

You may feel like this is unnecessary and selfish, but there’s no harm in asking your friends what they like or love about you – especially if you’re not feeling too well. Have them tell you or it down for you to read so that you can be reminded of what positive impact you have on those around you, and what you’re good at. This activity will give you something to refer back to the next time you find yourself questioning your worth!

2. Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

Your physical and mental wellbeing are often two things that are strongly intertwined with each other. So it should come as no surprise that it’s easier to engage in self-directed positive thinking when you’re physically healthy and in good shape.

With that in mind, here are a few things to consider when trying to make yourself healthy:

· Eat A Balanced Diet

Studies have shown that there is a pretty strong correlation between nutritional deficiencies and depression. In other words, there’s a pretty good reason you should take a closer look at your current diet. Getting enough water, nutrition, and sleep will make you feel physically better – and, by extension, makes it easier for you to feel better about yourself.

· Exercise

Exercise has been proven by research to confer all sorts of benefits for both your physical and mental wellbeing. In this particular case, it helps with alleviating anxiety and depression. And this is before taking into account that workouts will help you feel and look better, which can help build your sense of self-worth. This is especially so if you’re doing strength training, which often has clear and visible progress you can refer to!

· Manage Stress Levels

This tidbit should come as no surprise to you. Stress has been proven by research to inflict a strong, negative effect on our psychological state. This means that doing your best to manage your stress and relax helps you appreciate yourself better!

3. Learn To Talk Yourself Up

Many of us often tend to talk down or belittle ourselves, whether out loud or internally. This is especially so if we had grown up in an environment that had been very hurtful while we were growing up, and in the process, internalized these negative thoughts.

To better appreciate yourself better, it’s better for your mental wellbeing to instead:

· Replace Negative Thoughts

If you find yourself faced with negative beliefs about yourself, try replacing them with something else. Statements like “I’m so fat” or “I’m so stupid” will naturally come up automatically after making a mistake or being embarrassed, but they should not go uncontested. Instead, rewrite them to be more realistic and positive. Bring up the good things you have about yourself, or remind yourself that your failures do not make you a bad person.

· Don’t Fall Victim To Shame

Before you can truly learn to appreciate yourself, you first need to differentiate between guilt and shame, and the emotions they cause. Both of them are responses to making a mistake, but only one of them is potentially productive. Guilt often realizes and acknowledges that you’ve done something terrible, and can spur you to positive change. On the other hand, shame often makes you stew in feelings of failure. This, of course, isn’t productive in the slightest. If you make an error, it is always best to focus on remedying it the best you can, and then moving on.

· Use Mantras Or Positive Affirmations

Self-affirmation isn’t as silly as you might think it is. Studies show that repeated upbeat mantras – especially in reaction to adverse circumstances – can activate the reward center of your brain. As a result, the usage of mantras in the face of adversity can help reinforce one’s inner resilience and strength. This means that so long as it’s short, concise, and meaningful to you, that mantra you’re repeating in your head may just brighten your day!

· Leave Yourself Post-It Notes

Another way to saturate yourself with positive affirmations is by placing sticky notes where you can see them. Try writing down little notes like “I’m fantastic,” and “I am loved.”

Then place them where you could use some encouragement. For example, on your bathroom mirror, on the back of the door when you’re heading out, or even in your wallet. This makes self-affirmation a tangible and visible thing that, depending on how creative you get (and how quickly you forget), may serve as a way to boost your spirits at unexpected times of the day.

· Delve Into Your Thoughts

Far too often, we tend to accept negative self-assessments without ever really challenging them casually. As a result, we tend to simply take these negative ideas of unworthiness and belittling as fact, despite them often being mostly baseless. So the next time you find yourself coping with thoughts of worthlessness and the like, consider asking yourself what triggered them, and where do these thoughts come from. This way, you get to identify what is the actual root cause behind such negative perceptions of yourself and learn how to undo that learned thought behavior. Remember – you are not your thoughts. They are temporary and will pass with time. It’s best to allow them to leave without clinging on to them.

4. Be Kind To Others

Too often, we tend to focus on negativity, often to the point that we ignore everyone around us. It may seem counterintuitive, but turning our focus outwards and caring for others is often an incredibly effective way to feel better about ourselves. This is because we get to finally do something tangible that has clear and distinct positive effects, which often, in turn, uplifts our mood.

On top of that, kindness can also serve as both a way to practice gratitude – which in itself is a useful skill that helps with one’s self-worth. Want to get started? Here are a few tips to get started with:

· Thank Those Around You

Try taking a moment to recognize when someone did their best to help you out, and thank them in return. It’s a simple action that not only inspires positivity in others but also likely will inspire positivity in you as well! To do this, pay attention to the actions and behavior of those around you, friends, and strangers alike. While a general “thank you” will suffice, it pays to take one step further and try being specific about what good or help they’ve done for you. This way, you’ll also learn to be more appreciative and observant of the world around you.

· Go The Extra Mile

Instead of being a passive bystander, be deliberate in your acts of encouragement and understanding. Research has shown that performing acts of kindness helps the performer’s wellbeing as well. This is often because the act of thinking and treating others kindly inspires you to think about how you, too, can be kind and understanding towards yourself as well, and how you would want others to treat you.

· Volunteer For A Good Cause

Consider trying to help those less fortunate than you are in places like soup kitchens, orphanages, or nursing homes. In the process of assisting others, you’ll find that you might actually be uplifted in turn as well – and not just in an emotional way. Studies show that serving others not only reduces depression and negative thoughts, but also gives you a boost in oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin – all neurotransmitters that are responsible for feelings of happiness and joy!

Final Thoughts On Some Simple, Yet Effective Ways To Appreciate Yourself Every Day

Appreciating yourself is about feeling good about yourself, caring for yourself, and taking note of your achievements and excellent qualities. You don’t have to do anything intricate or fancy to appreciate yourself fully – even the simplest of steps can help you appreciate yourself daily. Before you know it, that self-love will be ingrained in you!

8 Signs of a Deviated Septum Never to Ignore

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Your nose may appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, you could have a structural disorder that causes you many problems. Down the center of your nose is a septum made of cartilage and bones, dividing the nose into two sections. The septum runs from the nostrils to the back of your nose.

It should be in a straight line that makes both of your passageways roughly the same size. However, studies show that more than 80 percent of people have disproportionate nasal cavities, which may or may not affect the outside appearance. If your septum is a little off-center, it’s not going to cause too many problems.

However, the real issue comes into play when your septum significantly deviates from its intended shape. The deviation comes from a curve to one side or a shift that causes breathing problems. What causes a deviated septum? It’s most likely a congenital disability. Consequently, it can also occur from an injury, specifically if you broke your nose.

Testing Your Breathing Abilities

To see how well you breathe, you should try a little exercise. Close your mouth and breathe only through your nose. Is it hard for you to pull the air into your lungs? Can you hear rattling as you inhale, trying to move oxygen through your system?

Take your finger and close off one of your nostrils. How much more effort does it require you to take a breath with your mouth closed and only one nostril in use? Now, try this exercise with the other nostril. Can you breathe better out of one side of your nose, or is the airflow even?

If there is a septum deviation in your nose, then it can cause severe breathing difficulties. When the variation is critical, you may be able to see it outside of your body in the form of a crooked nose or abnormally shaped nose hole. Get a mirror and flashlight and investigate your nose cavities.

Do you see a perfectly straight piece of cartilage in the middle, or do you see one side is curved and odd shaped? These simple tests won’t give you a definitive diagnosis. Still, it will tell you if you need further evaluation and see if a septum deviation is a cause for your chronic sinusitis and other breathing issues.

Identifying the Signs of a Deviated Septum Issue

While it doesn’t seem like a massive problem to have a septum that isn’t perfect, it can cause plenty of issues when the alignment is majorly off. Here are some classic signs that you might be dealing with a deviated septum.

1. Frequent Nose Bleeds

The consequences of a septal deviation cause your nose to be drier than usual. As you struggle to get air into your nose, it can make tiny tears in the skin that bleed.

Now, keep in mind that every nosebleed is not from a septum issue, and every septum problem doesn’t cause nosebleeds. However, it’s completely normal to get one of these annoying occurrences with any deviation.

2. Breathing Difficulties

There’s nothing worse than the feeling that you cannot breathe. One of the hallmark signs of a deviated septum is that the obstruction of the nasal passages causes breathing issues. Day or night, breathing through your nose can be challenging.

Most people notice that one side of their nose seems harder to breathe from than the other. It’s often observed on the side that is opposite of the bend. Additionally, one of your nostrils can be blocked off from a severe deviation, which causes the breathing to shift to the other side.

You are trying to get all the air that your body needs from one nostril, and it’s a real challenge. You often see many people with these septum issues breathing through their mouths to take in the required air.

3. Sinusitis

Your sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones surrounding your nose. These little areas produce the mucus necessary to keep things lubricated, and any excess drains from the nose. When a deviation blocks the septum, then the drainage cannot escape the sinuses.

It builds and packs creating the breeding ground for bacteria. Excess mucus sitting in these cavities make you prone to infection. Having fluid in your sinus cavities will make you experience pain and pressure in your forehead, between your eyes, around the sides of the nose, and the cheeks. You can also experience drainage down the back of your throat.

Did you know that sinus problems can cause toothaches, bad breath, coughing, and taste and smell issues? It’s important to note that not every person who has sinus issues is getting these problems from a deviated septum.

Additionally, some people have a deviation issue and don’t experience any sinus problems. If you tend to get chronic sinus infections, then it’s worth having your nose checked out.

4. Headaches

It’s not uncommon to get headaches when the structures within the walls of your nose are affected by your deviation. There are small turbinates or shell-shaped structures in the top, middle, and bottom of the nose.

These little passages help keep the warm air moving through the area and moisturize the space. When you have a severe septum deviation, it can meet these passages and put pressure on them, making them have tenderness and become sore. The pressure can cause you to have headaches, sometimes severe.

5. Disturbed Sleep / Apnea

Has anyone ever told you that you snore loudly? Snoring is often associated with obesity and sleep apnea, but the underlying cause could be breathing problems in your nose. Yes, your nose could be the real issue.

When you have a difficult time breathing through your nasal passageways, you automatically open your mouth to get the oxygen that you need. The open mouth creates a vacuum, and it causes the tissues in your throat to flop around, which makes a lot of noise.

If you hear your infant or young child snoring, then their septum should be evaluated. Sleep apnea is a whole other condition, but it often occurs with a deviated septum too. If you’re waking up regularly, unable to get proper sleep from your lack of breath, then you need to see a doctor.

6. Noisy Breathing

Sleep problems are certainly acerbated during the night, and it doesn’t mean that a severe septum deviation won’t cause daytime issues. The deviation occupies more space than it needs to, which will cause you to breathe improperly through the nose.

You may notice a slight snore while sitting at your desk at work or watching television. While you’re not asleep, the noise is the nose trying to take in adequate air, and the tissues inside are vibrating.

7. Nasal Congestion

Nasal congestion is exceptionally uncomfortable. There isn’t a great deal of space within your nose anyway, and when your septum is an odd shape, it can cause swelling. Your airways can become enlarged and block your breathing.

If you feel like you always have a cold and are fighting to keep your nose opened, it may not be a virus. That stuffy feeling could be from the tissues enlarging from the pressure of the septum. It can be bad enough to stop your breathing in one or both nostrils.

A simple solution is to use a natural decongestant like peppermint or eucalyptus. Allergy medications will also do the trick. They help to reduce the swelling and open these inflamed areas. However, when the medicines don’t seem to work well, it may be a sign that the problem needs medical intervention.

8. Postnasal Drip

As discussed above, the mucus inside your nose may be unable to drain due to the septum. So, the mucus may drip down the throat instead. When the septum affects your sinus drainage, it can cause all sorts of problems.

A little drainage down your throat is conventional, but the defect in your nose may cause the build-up to thicken and become clogged. Not only will you experience tenderness around the sinus area, but you can also have a chronic postnasal drip that causes sore throats and infections.

Final Thoughts: Treating a Deviated Septum

Did you know that your nose droops as you age, which can make problems with your deviated septum more obvious? There may have been no problems before, but once you start getting older, the drooping that occurs can make you have issues that are more pronounced.

There are surgical interventions that can fix this defect, and most take just about an hour or so to complete. The good news is that a simple procedure can fix all these problems without the need for chronic medications and unbearable symptoms. Do you have many of these symptoms of the list? It could be that you have an underlying deviated septum that is to blame.

Fitness Trainers Explain 6 Burpee Variations That Melt Away Fat

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

No matter how hard you work to control your eating habits and exercise regularly, some areas of your body won’t cooperate. Two of these problem areas are your midsection and hips. They are often a source of contention that can make you feel frustrated and defeated.

Men and women lose weight differently, and they also have a different distribution of fat deposits in their bodies. Men tend to carry extra weight in their gut as the proverbial beer belly, and women often have more fatty deposits on their hips and sides.

These problem areas often require regular exercises geared toward the midsection, thighs, and hips for both genders. Burpees, also called jump exercises, can be modified and integrated into your daily exercise routine.

The classic exercise was developed in the early 1930s by a physiologist from Columbia University named Royal Burpee. His activity included several movements that he considered were important for proper physical fitness training.

Although the jump exercise was first popular in the American military and schools, it became a fitness sensation that made it well-known in physical fitness. When you are doing jump exercises, remember to employ mindful breathing to bring a constant rush of fresh oxygen into your body. Inhale deeply through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth.

Conscious breathing is vital for aerobic benefits and is a cornerstone of yogic exercising traditions. During your exercising session, be careful that you don’t become dehydrated. When you are working out, you can quickly lose essential fluids and electrolytes by perspiring. Keep a bottle of fresh cold water handy and drink plenty during and after your workout.

Another great thing about Burpee exercises is that you don’t need to belong to a gym or own expensive exercise equipment to do this type of maneuver. All you need is enough space to do the exercises safely and efficiently in your house or yard. You may also opt to use a skid-resistant exercise map or a plyo box for convenience.

What’s a Plyo Box?

If you’ve ever done strength training, you are probably familiar with plyometrics, a form of jumping exercises devised by the Soviet military in the late 50s and early 60s. The name plyometrics was created by track coach Fred Wilt, who made boosted its popularity in the United States. Most of these plyometric exercises use a sturdy wood or foam box, called a plyo box, to use as a platform for the jumps.

They are usually lightweight and have built-in handles for easy transportation. You can find plyo boxes of various quality in fitness stores or online at a price to fit any budget. They are perfect for doing your jump exercises indoors or outside.

Are you ready to burn some belly fat and lose those unsightly love handles for good? Before you start this or any new exercise regimen, discuss it with your primary healthcare provider or a certified fitness trainer. Here are six fun and innovative Burpee variants that may help you melt that unwanted fat.

Six Burpee Variations That Will Melt Fat

1. Square Burpee

This variant is also called the box. You can do it from a plyo box or a big ledge or step that isn’t too steep.

How to Do It:

Stand up straight with your feet apart, and your arms relaxed at your sides. Do the movements of the first exercise. When you jump from the plank position and go into the low squat, you will do a square jump.

Bend your knees slightly and hop up on the ledge or your plyo box. Hop down and resume the first position. Do 5-10 repetitions and rest in between if you must.

2. Push-Up Burpee

Anyone who ever did calisthenics in high school or trained in the military knows push-ups all too well. Push-ups are the quintessential exercise to maintain a healthy body and a disciplined exercise routine. Combined with a jump exercise, it provides an ideal tool for burning fat.

How to Do It:

Stand in the start position with your arms at your sides and your feet a hip-width apart. Lower yourself quickly into a squat with your palms flat on the exercise mat about a foot or so in front of your feet. Now, kick your feet behind you and balance on your tiptoes and hands, as if you were ready to do a standard push-up.

Try to keep your body as straight as you can. Lower your chest to the floor to do a quick push-up and bring your body back up to the first position. Give your feet a jump forward unto you are squatting in a low place.

Jump straight up from your heels with your hands above your head, landing in the start position with your hands at your sides. Repeat this jumping exercise 10-15 times.

3. Shooting Star

Were you ever a cheerleader in high school or college? This jump exercise variant is like the one that cheerleaders do, except you don’t need any pompoms this time. Maybe this exercise will become the star of your daily exercise routine.

How to Do It:

The Shooting Star resembles the Push-up burpee, except you don’t do a push up for it. Stand in the beginning position as you would do a jump exercise. You will drop down with your body in straight alignment, palms down, and feet hopped back to meet your hands. Take a deep breath and jump straight up with your hands and legs out to form a star or an X shape.

Come back down softly on the exercise mat with your feet together again at your arms, resting at your sides in the first position. Repeat the Shooting Star 10-15 times, resting a bit as needed.

4. Superhero Jump Exercise

Is it a bird or a plane? No, it’s just you are doing a beneficial jump exercise that resembles a caped crusader flying. Although you won’t be soaring through the clouds while doing it, the fat-burning results might make you feel like a superhero.

How to Do It:

Like most jump exercise variants, the Superhero begins with the standard position, then you lower your chest to your mat and align your body in the plank position. With your chest still on the mat, stretch your hands out in front of your body, as if flying.

Bring your hands back to the original plank position, aligned under your shoulders.

Jump your feet forward until you are in a low squat position. Use your heels to jump straight up with your hands above your head. Land softly on the mat into the start position with your arms at your sides. Do reps of 10-15.

5. Side Jump

If you are battling fatty deposits on your side, this jump exercise variant concentrates on your side muscles or obliques. It can also help you burn away the unwanted fat in your midsection. Before long, you won’t be able to pinch an inch on your belly or hips.

How to Do It:

Start with a neutral position as you would a regular jump exercise. Push your feet out, diagonally to the left instead of jumping them behind you. You should be balanced on your tiptoes and palms with your shoulders directly over your hands.

Notice the stretch you feel on the oblique muscles of your right side. Now, jump into a low squat with your feet under your body. Jump straight into the air with your hands above your head and land with your feet and body in the start position.

Repeat these steps, and this time, kick your feet out to the right. Each side is considered one set. Do 10-15 reps of these sets and rest for a few seconds in-between time, if you need it.

6. Diver Jump

The Diver is a combination jump exercise that involves almost all your muscle groups, especially your abs and obliques.

How to Do It

Assume the standard position and do a regular jump exercise until your body is aligned in the plank position. Bring your hips back and shift your weight until you are in the classic dog yoga pose. Push up on your hands to bring your face and chest up like the cobra pose.

Let your upper body go toward the mat while bending your elbows and bring your hips and shoulders in like a diver. Now, keep your hips close to the mat and press your torso up from the ground into the Upward Dog pose. Bring your feet forward by hopping into a low squat position, and jump in the air with your hands above your head.

Land smoothly on the mat back into the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times. Jumping exercises are a fun way to lose excess fat from your belly, hips, and thighs. Consider implementing these six variants into your routine and aim for about 20-30 minutes of exercise each day.

Final Thoughts on Trying These Burpee Variations to Melt Stubborn Fat

The burpee or the many variations aren’t challenging to do, and you have nothing to lose, but that unwanted belly fat and love handles. All you need to do is carve out a little bit of time each day to work on your troubled areas, and soon, you will see the progress you want.

10 Signs of Compatibility Between Partners

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

When selecting a partner, there are many things that you must consider. Finding the one that you want to share your most intimate moments with is just a dream to some. How do you know if you share compatibility with a person?

Fairytales depict that you will make this journey towards finding the right person only once, so you want to make sure that you get it right. The person you want to share your life with must check all the boxes, and your chemistry must be off the charts. Compatibility is the key, but many things fall into that category.

How do you know if your compatibility is where it needs to be? If you want a life-long partnership, then you must make sure you both are well-suited.

10 Signs of Compatibility Between Partners

Here are ten things that will show if you and the one you love have excellent compatibility.

1. They’re the First Person You Want to Share Things With

Before you walk down the aisle or commit to someone, they should first be your best friend. Your BFF is someone that you want to share everything with, whether it be good or bad. Do you find yourself wanting to call this person just to tell them about the smallest of things?

When they are your person, then they know everything about you. Additionally, there are no secrets between the two of you. If you can’t wait to get home and share all the happenings of your day with them, then you know that they hold a special place in your life and heart.

2. You Both Take Responsibility for Your Actions

Research published by the Journal of Marriage and Family confirms that accountability in a relationship is vital for its success.

Part of having a mature relationship is being responsible for your actions. If you do something wrong, then you must be man or woman enough to admit it. Part of taking responsibility for wrongdoings means being able to say the words “I’m sorry.”

If your love interest cannot admit they’re wrong and will never apologize to you, you may want to reconsider a lifelong commitment.

3. Your Views on Raising Children is the Same

If you’re at the age where children are a possibility, you need to make sure you’re both on the same page. If you want children and the other party doesn’t, then it can make things complicated. Consequently, you should also have the same views on child-rearing.

It doesn’t work if one person takes a strict military stance while the other party is more lackadaisical.

4. You Both Can Argue Without Taking it to a Dangerous Level

It’s completely normal to have arguments and disagreements in a relationship. However, it’s what you do in those moments that count. Do your disputes escalate into name-calling and throwing objects?

It’s healthy to argue about important issues, but you must make sure that it doesn’t go to a dismal place when you disagree. No two people can agree on everything all the time. If you don’t argue at all, then someone isn’t completely honest about their feelings.

Make sure that when you have disagreements that you don’t let it soar to a place that is unhealthy for your relationship. Establish ground rules for your union before you commit.

Those who can successfully banter without making it personal have an excellent compatibility level. The last thing you need is someone with anger management issues that makes your life miserable.

5. Your Interests are Parallel

Do you both have the same interests? If one person is an adrenaline junkie who wants to ride roller coasters, visit haunted houses, and explore the paranormal, the other person should like or be open to them.

Though opposites attract, there should be enough similar interests between the two of you to keep things exciting. If one person is into the art scene and wants to live at the theater and museum while the other is living for clubs, bars, and rock n’ roll concerts, it might not work.

While you can bend a bit for the sake of your relationship, you must have enough common interests to make you compatible.

6. Your Upbringings are Similar

Couples don’t realize how vital their past is until they try to build a future. Marriage counselors will tell you that the values instilled in you from a child mold who you are as a person. If you were born in a strict religious family who values a conservative lifestyle, then the person you marry should understand and respect those beliefs.

However, the ultra-conservative and the liberal might not work well together. Someone who is against abortion, goes to church every Sunday, and is deeply devoted to their spirituality might not mesh well with someone who is pro-choice is against organized religion. While these issues won’t seem significant at first, they can cause division as time goes on.

If you want to raise your children sitting on a church pew on Sundays and your spouse prefers to sleep in, it might be hard to compromise. It’s these little issues that can fester into a major rift.

7. You Both Feel the Same About Drugs, Alcohol, and Cigarettes

Some people are adamantly against drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. If the other person has a glass of wine with dinner and a beer on occasion, then it might be offensive to the other party. When a person has seen the destruction that these vices can do, they may take a stand against it.

Your spouse must understand and be open to your views. If you grew up in a home where your mother or father was an alcoholic and did drugs, it might be a substantial issue if your significant other has any of those traits. Respecting these boundaries is one of the things that makes a union thrive.

8. Your Core Values are Compatible

Every person has core values that make them who they are in life. These core values are things that aren’t easily changed. These standards are a combination of your upbringing, your religious beliefs, your morals, and your views on life itself.

Both of you must have similar goals and be going in the same direction. If you have two people walking different paths, then it’s hard to be united as a couple. Your compatibility comes down to your core values and being flexible to compromise for the sake of the other person.

9. You’re Both Committed to Growth

Marriage is an investment, according to the NIH. Success stems from an investment in time and in the ability to evolve together.

You must realize that the man or woman that you marry today is not going to be the same five years from now. Ten years from now, you won’t even recognize yourself. You both must be on the same page throughout the changes that occur in life.

You want to learn and grow as a couple. The best couples are the ones that are driven for personal growth as well as keeping objectives as a couple in mind. A Swiss study suggests that you must be able to keep an excellent work-relationship balance.

Additionally, it should be a goal to heal and move past any unfinished business that may be left from your childhood, as these scars can often be the key to undoing any union.

10. You Find Each Other’s Quirks Charming

Some annoyances come along with commitment. The aggravations you will experience as a couple goes far beyond leaving the toilet seat up or forgetting to put your dirty clothes in the hamper. Some quirks are damaging to a relationship.

For instance, if one person believes that “a clean home is a happy home,” while the other prefers to clean once a month, it can be an issue. You must learn to find the quirks of the other person charming even if you get annoyed sometimes. There must be enough good to balance the bad.

Final Thoughts on Considering Compatibility in Your Relationship

Now you’ve established the things that prove your compatibility–excellent! According to therapists at the non-profit agency loveisrespect.org, you need rules and boundaries that keep your union healthy. Here are some things that can help you ensure you have a happy life.

Never go to bed angry
Don’t keep secrets
Always put your partner first
Never let relatives or friends come in between you
Don’t push buttons
Never let an argument escalate to name-calling
Make decisions based on your union and not just personally
Take time for each other
Don’t let the cares of life drive a wedge between you
Value each other’s opinions, feelings, and concerns

Finally, an essential thing that you can do as a couple is never to stop dreaming. No matter how bad the storms you weather in life, no matter how rocky your relationship becomes, if you ever stop dreaming, your relationship won’t last.

Committing to one another is based on compatibility and a whole lot of other things. The good thing is that you found someone who truly makes you happy and completes you. The rest is just kismet. Marriage counselors will tell you that If you’ve found a person that checks all the boxes in your proverbial checklist, then you’ve found a gem to treasure for all your days.

Blind Woman Provides Jobs and Hope for Disabled People

August 28, 2020 by Deborah Tayloe

Erin Willman refused to give up against the odds, and now she’s inspiring disabled people and their families. Her message of positivity is one we could not resist sharing!

White Cane Coffee is a company founded by 22-year-old Erin Willman. Not only is this young entrepreneur inspiring young women to follow their dreams, but she is also leading a much bigger movement. Her goal? Normalizing disabled people in the workplace.

When Erin was fifteen, she lost her vision. It was then people started telling her what she cannot do, but she wanted to show them what she can do. Erin had applied for jobs but was turned away because of her disability. Erin decided that instead of letting other people turn her away, she would create her career. In just one year, the young woman became the CEO of her own company–White Cane Coffee.

What started as an idea on a bad day is now a booming business that has put Erin’s coffee on the shelves of several shops in different cities, but this is just the beginning. Her main storefront is located in the small, charming town of Warren, Pennsylvania. There, she sells an assortment of organic coffee whole bean, ground, compostable individual-cups, and cold brew blends.

But White Cane Coffee does more than sell java to visitors and residents of their small community. They create opportunities for blind and autistic people to learn excellent work skills. Moreover, the workers gain confidence in their overcoming the roadblocks they face each day. Take a look.

What does White Cane Coffee stand for?

As well as fantastic coffee, inclusiveness is the main focus when it comes to the making of White Cane Coffee. Each package that the coffee comes in is printed with a label containing Braille. This concept was just one of Erin’s brilliant ideas to become more inclusive.

She often mused to herself and asked the question, “why should people who are blind not be able to shop for themselves?”

White Cane Coffee is one of the first companies to label all of its products in Braille.

White Cane Coffee provides jobs for the handicapped community at a livable wage. The shop is currently providing eight jobs to disabled workers. The goal is to allow them to have freedoms they should receive elsewhere but are wrongfully deprived of.

By creating the jobs provided at White Cane Coffee, the company enriches the lives of these people. Erin and her family always share their motto,

“If you can change one person’s life, you are changing the world.” ~Erin Willman

These jobs go deeper than paying wages. Indeed, they bring hope to the employees to show them they, too, matter and are a working part of something much bigger. Erin even brought her employees with her to a business dinner meant for the CEOs of the companies in Warren County. She believes they are just as important as she is to the company.

How the company profits benefit disabled people

Like any other company, profit goes to pay the employees that are working for the company to allow them to have a livable wage.

But that is not enough for this entrepreneurial enterprise. White Cane Coffee’s profit also benefits so many more people beyond their employees. Here are ways they advocate for people who face unique challenges.

Helping to defray the expense of leader dog training

Proceeds go to The Sight Center for Northwest Pennsylvania. That organization’s mission is to “prevent blindness and promote independence for those with vision loss.”

Through this center, Erin and White Cane Coffee began to support a leader dog named Erie. A portion of White Cane’s money was given to the program to support the dog’s training. Erin is unable to have her own dog due to an allergy. Still, she decided to help with the cost of a leader dog for another person. Recently, Erie went off to Michigan for his final training. This is a program that will continuously receive our support.

Leader dog in training, Erie, poses for the camera.

Working with blind and disabled children in the community

Additionally, Erin spends much of her time working with schools and organizations that specialize in teaching the blind and disabled. She is exceptionally proud of the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, located in Pittsburgh. Erin visited them and saw their program designed to encourage work and self-reliance for their students. These skills are vital to independence.

Also, Erin had the opportunity to speak at the National Federation of the Blind Convention in Harrisburg, PA. Her message is one of hope and encouragement.

Her opening statement at that event was the following:

“When you lost your vision, people stood in line to tell you what you can’t do, now let’s talk about what you can do. You have value, you have worth and you can live an independent life.” ~Erin Willman

Hundreds of people in attendance remarked that Erin’s comments gave them fresh hope.

Helping non-profits raise funds

Warren County Children’s Advocacy Center is another one of the many programs White Cane Coffee supports. She supports them because, as she says, “They speak for those who can not speak for themselves.”

The coffee company created a unique blend of coffee. And for each bag or box sold, a portion of the proceeds goes to them. Erin’s fundraising strategy empowers organizations to sell coffee at competitive prices to drive better fundraiser earnings margins for the non-profit.

Erin’s reasoning for putting money into other organizations is straightforward. She states that it was never her dream to be the CEO who owns five cars, but it is her dream to be the CEO who changes the world.

Final thoughts on how Erin hopes to help disabled in her next phase

Above all, Erin and her team remain thankful for the fantastic support from their community and disability support providers. And more importantly, they are proud of how much they accomplish in providing resources and empowerment to disabled people. White Cane Coffee continues to flourish and plans to expand.

They hope to continue to create additional jobs, which will help even more people become independent. To that end, they are working on some very exciting projects to help gain the footing necessary to jump to the next level as a company. Their future looks hopeful!

You can listen to Erin on a podcast at https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/amiaudio/the-pulse-on-amiaudio/e/76605378 to hear her speak about her company’s plans and how she will continue to be a voice for disabled people.

Connect with Erin Willman:

www.whitecanecoffee.com
2 1/2 E 3rd Ave, Warren, PA 16365
Follow White Cane Coffee on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @whitecanecoffee

15 Romantic Gestures to Show Love to Your Boyfriend

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

If you’ve been with your boyfriend for any length of time, then you know it’s hard to buy for a guy. Are you running out of ideas for the perfect gift for your partner? Men are traditionally the ones who give to the woman, and it’s hard to reverse the roles.

Many believe that men aren’t hopeless romantics, but nothing could be further from the truth. They just aren’t as good at showing their feelings. Men can be quite sensitive and even romantic, but they aren’t going to let you see that side very often. Even macho guys love being showered and adorned with gifts, especially when those gifts come in the form of thoughtfully curated gift hampers.

Fifteen Romantic Gestures and Gift Ideas

Since it’s not easy to come up with gift ideas for your guy, here are some that are perfect for the man in your life.

1. Read Your Boyfriend a Book

Do you remember the excitement you felt in school when one of your teachers read you a book? You can invoke those same beautiful feelings by reading to your boyfriend. You can choose a romantic novel or one that is about a topic he likes.

Take a half-hour or so before bed and snuggle under the covers and read to him. It will be an extraordinary moment he will never forget.

2. Sing to Him

If you have a good voice, then you may want to serenade him. What partner won’t feel weak at the knees at the sound of your angelic voice? Does he have a favorite song? Practice this tune and maybe add some piano or guitar accompaniments.

3. Pack His Lunch Complete with a Love Letter

Everyone is concerned about their budget and their waistline. Why not pack your boyfriend a lunch of some of his favorite things? He will appreciate the gesture, and when you add a handwritten letter inside, he won’t be able to stop smiling the rest of the day.

4. Have a Candlelight Dinner with All His Favorite Foods

Every guy has their favorite foods that instantly takes them to their comfort zone. By now, you should know a few of these entrees. Why not show him what a hopeless romantic you are with a candlelight dinner? When it comes to dessert, you can get a little bit creative.

5. Put a Love Note on His Windshield

Everyone hates getting flyers on their windshield. It’s annoying to stop and remove them before driving away. Putting a love note on his windshield is something that will make him stop and smile.

It’s unique because you took time out of your day to make sure your boyfriend knew how much you loved him. It just might be what he needs to make it through work.

6. Take Him on a Picnic

Is there anything more romantic than a picnic in the park with delicious food? Bring a beautiful big blanket and spread out under a tree. Why not bring along the book you’re reading him and go through a few chapters? It will be a special time of being close and relaxing with food and a good novel.

7. Have a Lunch Delivery at Work

Why not surprise the one you love with a special delivery at work? Chinese anyone? Won’t he be shocked when a paid order comes to him, courtesy of you? It’s the little things that you do in life to show someone how much they mean that counts.

8. Buy Him Something He’s Been Wanting

Is there something that your boyfriend has wanted for a long time? Maybe a new cell phone, watch, or another collectible? It doesn’t have to be a special occasion for you to buy him a gift.

Why not surprise him with something special for no other reason than “just because?” The unexpected gift that comes out of nowhere is the best and most memorable one.

You don’t need to spend a ton of money or break the bank for these surprise gifts. Remember, it’s supposed to show him how much you feel about him.

9. Write Him a Poem or Love Song

Do you have an artistic side or a musical ability? Nothing would be more special than a poem or song that’s written specifically about your love story. If you can encapsulate the romance and passion as well as putting the magic into words, it will be something that you will both treasure for the rest of your lives.

If you don’t tend to be artistic, then you can have someone write the song for you. It doesn’t matter who writes it as long as the story is yours.

Science explains why it is okay to be a hopeless romantic.

10. Put Together a Scrap Book or Memory Album

There’s probably been plenty of selfies and other pictures that you’ve taken throughout your relationship. Why not print those photos out and make a memory book about the story of your love?

Customized gifts like this are so unique and will give him a special token of your love. He can pull out this book and flip through it during dark times, and it will bring him much joy.

Additionally, if you’re not into scrapbooking, then you can do a digital book too. Many sites are geared at creating such a book about your love, and they are very affordable and easy to do.

11. Let Him Have Control of the TV and Remote

It sounds like a small gesture that doesn’t mean anything, but when you’re always fighting over the TV, it’s a nice break to surrender. Let him watch his favorite programming and enjoy some time without the intrusion of your program choices. Who said you had to spend a lot of money to give him a romantic and sweet gesture?

12. Give Him Extra Cuddle Time

Don’t think for one minute that guys don’t like to cuddle too, but there just never seems to be enough time. Make sure that you allow at least a half of an hour each day to cuddle. During this time, talk about your dream and plans and reassure each other of your love.

After a stressful day at work and dealing with kids, you both need this downtime. Lying together and hearing each other’s heartbeat is a way to connect on a spiritual level.

Sometimes, it’s best not to say a word but just allow your bodies to touch and be united. Just the feeling of closeness is sometimes all you need to keep going.

13. Write Him a List of All the Things You Love About Him

Your boyfriend needs reassurance just like you do about your relationship. Why not write a list of all the things you love about him? If he’s having a bad day, or you two are on the brink of breaking up, then this list may be the thing that keeps him going.

When you create a point of reference that puts feelings into written form, it gives him the strength and courage to fight another day.

14. Give Him a Bubble Bath

Okay, so a bubble bath seems like a girl thing to do. However, there are plenty of guys that love a nice bubble bath too. Light some candles, get his favorite champagne and let him soak the cares of life away.

If your guy is a hopeless romantic, then he will undoubtedly enjoy some mood music too. It can be very sensual to wash his hair and back for him and just be there enjoying the ambiance. Plus, soaking in hot water is an excellent way to relieve tired and aching muscles.

You could do a shower for two if you don’t have a tub, complete with a gentle massage. It’s okay to fuss over your guy a little bit as he will enjoy it.

15. Put a Scarf with Your Perfume in His Car

If you hardly get any time with your boyfriend because of work or distance, then you should try something that keeps you close. Do you have a perfume that you wear that he finds fantastic? Why not spray a scarf or other memento with that scent and stick it in his car?

He can have your aroma with him wherever he goes, and it might be something beautiful if distance separates you. If you don’t have any clothing you want to give up, you can write him a love letter and spray it with your cologne, and you should seal it with a lipstick kiss. He might like that even better.

Final Thoughts on Using These Tender and Sweet Ways to Show Love to Your Boyfriend

Life is chaotic and hectic, and you must remind yourself that you need to take time to stop and smell the roses. You must find the little opportunities that you have to do something special.

There should be some sort of tenderness between you and your partner every day. Don’t let the cares of life get him or you down. Do little things to build him up and show him how much he is loved.

15 Kind Words and Phrases That Spread Hope

August 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

The world could certainly use some hope and kind words. With all the struggles that you face both personally and globally, it’s easy to become downtrodden.

You can let anxiety and depression sink in, and it can easily stifle you emotionally.

Thankfully, there is power in the spoken word. Did you know that some ancient writings say that the tongue holds the real power of life or death? Think about that for a minute. If you spew negativity and hateful things from your mouth, it can affect your health and entire character.

However, when you speak positive affirmations and spread goodness and joy, it helps your psyche cope with things, and it can improve your health. It’s strange how your words can have such an impact on your life, but research has proven this theory repeatedly.

People are generally divided into two categories: the pessimist and the optimist. Which category do you fall into? Do you see the glass as half empty, or is it half-full? Your perceptions and views will mold and make who you are.

Speaking Kind Words of Hope in Times of Great Uncertainty

If you want to reduce stress and speak life back into your tired and weary soul, then there are positive and kind words that you can say over yourself and others. If you want to spread hope and joy for all, then incorporate these phrases into your life and speech.

1. “If you’re patient, you’ll be compensated for every disappointment in life.” Henry David Thoreau

2. “When you have hope, you’re able to see the light even though there is darkness all around you.” Desmond Tutu

3. “The good in this world is worth fighting for.” J.R.R. Tolkien

4. “I get by when I stop dwelling on my misery; rather, I tend to focus on the beauty and love that remains.” Anne Frank

5. “Weeping may remain, but for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” English Proverb

6. “You can accomplish great things in this world if you keep trying even when there seems to be no hope.” Dale Carnegie

7. “Use your talents to carve a tunnel of hope through your darkest mountain.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

8. “Hope means to keep believing even when everything seems doomed, or it seems as if there is no purity left in the world at all. When you feel that everything is hopeless, you develop the strength to fight another day.” G.K. Chesterton

9. “It doesn’t matter how far your journey or where you go, as long as you don’t stop.” Confucius

10. “You will find your greatest victories come in life, not when you fall, but in every time that you rise.” Confucius

11. “Hope is as delicious and sweet as bread to a poor man.” Gary Herbert

12. “If you are without hope, then you cease to live.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky

13. “Frequently, the failures you experience in life are merely because you didn’t realize how close you were to success, and you gave up too soon.” Thomas Edison

14. “Use your mistakes from yesterday to live for today and use your successes of today to have hope for tomorrow.” Albert Einstein

15. “There are many dark nights, but there are always brighter days.” Tupac

Speaking Kind Words to Redirect Your Life

Positive affirmations are meaningful. These powerful statements help you to change the way you think. Simple, kind words can be useful tools to reprogram your subconscious mind.

It can help you build new habits, get rid of bad ones, and motivate you to succeed. The human mind is powerful, and few taps into the superpowers that lie therein. You can think and imagine things even if they don’t exist right now, and by envisioning situations in a new reality, you mentally make provisions for them.

By focusing your thoughts on positive affirmations, you can start acting on the behaviors you speak to reinforce the goodness in life rather than the negativity.

You might compare your brain to a computer. When you’re working on a laptop, you plug the data into the system to get it to do what you want it to. By using specific commands and programs, you can do amazing things with the touch of a button.

Now, you are so accustomed to getting your computer to do what you want that you don’t even think twice about the processes involved. The same thing can happen to your brain. When you use positive and friendly words, you are programming your mind for greatness, and it’s going to react.

While you may think that it sounds like supernatural hogwash, it’s not magical. The mental laws are immensely powerful and yet quite simple.

Why Do Positive Affirmations Work?

Positive statements or kind words can be used to reduce stress, help you gain control over a seemingly impossible situation in life, or conquer negative habits. When you speak positivity over and over, it’s not long before it becomes your mindset.

Positivity allows your subconscious to grow more robust, and it will affect your entire life. When you fill your vessel with optimism, you will develop new ideas, see opportunities that you didn’t before, and make a stand to become a better you. Think of affirmations as words with power behind them.

These photos demonstrate kindness and will touch your heart.

Fifteen Positive Affirmations to Turn to Daily

Here are 15 positive affirmations and kind words that you should speak over yourself and others every day. Chart your progress and see how different your life has become when you look at life through optimism.

1. I am pleased and effective in everything I do.

2. I will put my emphasis on contentment and positivity.

3. Today, I vow to do something that will enhance my life.

4. I am thankful for my loving partner to share my joys with.

5. I love everyone around me.

6. My life is full of love and happiness.

7. Today, I will go out of my way to show love and kindness to others.

8. I’m loved and respected by all who know me.

9. I have the energy and motivation to get done my tasks.

10. I love my job, and am thankful for the money it brings.

11. Today, and every day, I feel I am improving my outlook and becoming more positive.

12. I am thankful for all that I have.

13. I’ll let my ambitions drive my future.

14. I am attractive, and anyone would be lucky to be with me.

15. I will seize the day and make magic happen.

Final Thoughts on Why We Must Share Kind Words and Spread Hope

A study was done in 2018 by the students at a university in Dubai. They used 30 plants, grouped in pairs by identical species. Fifteen plants were praised as the students spoke positively to it.

However, the other 15 plants were spoken to in a negative manner and cursed at. They said things like, “you’re ugly, you will never be as big and beautiful as the other plants, and you’re going to die.” Ikea sponsored the project at Wellington Academy, hoping to get to the bottom of the often bogus believed claim.

Researchers dubbed the study “Bully a Plant” to raise awareness of how harmful bullying can be to people, let alone plants. They documented the study on video for all the world to see. The results were uncanny.

The plants that received the negativity and all the harsh comments had droopy leaves and were dramatically different than the other foliage. While they had equally received the same water, food, and things essential for survival, the negativity had a dramatic impact.

While this study is about plants, it can be related to humans. Being always told how worthless you are and how you will never be as good as your brother or sister is very detrimental. If you grew up in a home where you were always seen as less than others, then you might have a negative outlook on life.

Thankfully, you have the power to change all of this. Your kind words and positive affirmations that you speak into your mind and soul can change you and those around you. Spread hope and joy around you to others by filling them with goodness and hope.

Be the person that everyone wants to be around and the one who has a smile on their face and a spring in their step. What changes can you make today to change your tomorrow? You only have one life to live, so it’s essential to make it the best one you can.

Psychology Reveals How to Shed the Burden of Remorse

August 27, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Remorse can eat away at you after a while if you don’t confront the issues causing it.

When you live with regret, it steals your joy and keeps you from living in the present moment. We all have unpleasant past experiences and memories to contend with, but that doesn’t mean we should allow them to ruin the future. Life sometimes leads us into the valleys to teach us valuable lessons, so we can carry them to the mountaintops and build our character.

No matter how many negative experiences you’ve had, you can probably list many ways that you’ve grown from them. Of course, everyone needs time to heal from trauma or unfortunate circumstances. However, we can either grow bitter or take those lessons and become better than the people who hurt us. You might have regrets about being the cause of someone else’s pain as well, but remember that your past actions don’t define you as a person.

The beautiful thing about life is that we can always choose to experience a better reality based on our thoughts and actions in the present moment. If you want to let go of the past and leave the regret behind you, psychologists reveal a few ways to do precisely that.

Psychology reveals how to shed the burden of remorse:

First off, let’s talk about the dangers of rumination and remorse; specifically, the mental and physical health risks that can come from repeated negative thinking patterns. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, says that negative emotions such as hostility or anxiety can become detrimental when a person considers those temporary emotions as a permanent part of their personality. Having a negative outlook or disposition can worsen your health, believe it or not.

Indeed, a 2014 study published by the journal Neurology found that highly cynical people had a higher risk of developing dementia than more open, trusting people. Even when accounting for other risk factors like age, sex, lifestyle habits such as smoking, and heart health, researchers still found this to be true. Living with regret and pessimism may also harm your heart.

A 2009 study published b the journal Circulation analyzed data from nearly 100,000 women. It found that heart disease occurred more often in cynical, negative people than in more optimistic individuals. The more pessimistic women additionally had a higher risk of death during the study period than those who looked at the world with rose-colored glasses. However, just because you live with a heavy burden of remorse or negativity now doesn’t mean you can’t change it. We always hold power to adjust our attitude or way of looking at things.

As you can see, carrying around a lot of baggage can have a dangerous influence on your health. If you want to lead a more carefree, healthy life, psychologists have a few tips for you.

How to let go of remorse

A big part of moving on from the past and letting go of regret involves forgiveness. Below, we want to outline some of the critical steps outlined by Dr. Robert Enright, Ph.D., a leading researcher in the scientific study of forgiveness. Once you have forgiven yourself or others for wrongdoing, you can start the healing process and finally put down all the weight you’ve been carrying around.

Uncovering Phase

During this phase, you will become aware of the regret or pain you’ve been holding onto from past trauma or emotional wounds. You may feel anger or hatred toward yourself or others because of the pain inflicted on you during these traumatic events. This process will involve a lot of inner work, and you may experience many different intense emotions. However, once you acknowledge what you have remorse about, you can start to heal from it.

Decision Phase

Now you probably realize that focusing any more of your energy on the past won’t allow you to move on from the pain and trauma. So, it would be best if you forgave yourself and others to heal the wounds and let go of the regret. This does not mean you have to forgive anyone involved in wrongdoing just yet fully, but at least entertain the possibility of forgiveness or letting go of remorse. You will want to give up any thoughts or feelings of retaliation toward anyone who caused you suffering because this will hinder the healing process.

Work Phase

Now comes the actual inner work, which will help you transform your perspective and understanding of painful events. Many people have to go through this uncomfortable phase when dealing with childhood trauma to heal their scars. If you have had a lot of negative experiences in life, you might feel regret or remorse about the past because you think you missed out on good memories. Forgiveness can play a massive role in moving on from this trauma because you can put yourself in the shoes of those who inflicted pain on you.

Perhaps your parents tried their best but had their wounds they had to work through as well. When you go through the work phase, it allows you to open your eyes to the possibility that everyone deals with scars of their own, and that they may not have meant you any harm.

Opening your mind and heart to them and seeing things from their perspective marks a huge turning point in the process of letting go of remorse. This doesn’t mean you excuse their behavior, but rather, you can understand where it came from and why they hurt you.

This phase may also include reaching out to them in hopes of reconciling, although you don’t have to do this if you don’t feel comfortable. However, many people find that talking about past trauma with the injurers helps greatly in being able to leave the experiences behind them once and for all. You can also get a better idea of what was happening in their life at the time or how they were feeling, which may expand your compassion for them.

Outcome/Deepening Phase

In this phase, you probably feel a great sense of relief that you left all that baggage behind. Once you’ve processed the experiences and emotions involved, you feel lighter and better able to enjoy the present and future. Perhaps you can look back at the trauma you went through and turn the pain into lessons you learned. Sometimes, we face painful and hurtful events in life to become stronger and grow from the situations at hand. By letting go of remorse and forgiving yourself and others, you may also feel a broader love and care for humanity.

After healing from severe trauma, some people even find a new purpose in life. For example, women who left abusive relationships may feel a strong urge to work as a counselor or support worker for women who suffer from domestic violence. If you can look back on those unpleasant memories and see them as a blessing because they helped you gain a new perspective, you can start to heal from whatever you go through in life.

Other steps involved in shedding remorse:

Employ positive thinking. While everyone needs to allow negative feelings to come to the surface when processing trauma, there comes a time when you have to make a decision. Either you allow those experiences to ruin your life and give you a negative outlook, or you can choose to take whatever you learned and spin it into something positive. A lot of the suffering we go through actually happens in our heads, not in reality. If you think about things in this way, it becomes much easier to shift your perspective and choose something different.
Think about the possibilities. If you don’t like what’s happened to you, don’t worry. Your story doesn’t end here, and you have so much ahead of you in life. No matter what you’ve been through, you can create a beautiful ending based on the actions you choose today. Think about all the possibilities for your life as long as you follow your heart and try to remain positive.
Remember that you’re human. You have regrets about something, and so does everyone else. Life can’t always happen the way we want it to, but don’t dwell on your mistakes. Learn from them, instead, and do better the next time around.

Final thoughts on shedding remorse so you can live a joyful life

Everyone deals with regret about something, but it doesn’t have to control your life. No matter what you’ve been holding onto, choose to let it go today. You’ll feel so much lighter and in better control of your emotions and thoughts if you leave the past behind you. Why dwell on negative experiences and ruin the beauty of this moment?

You can create any future you desire as long as you shed the burdens of the past and tap into the unlimited potential of the present.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

Uncovering Phase

Decision Phase

Work Phase

Outcome/Deepening Phase

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!