My patience grows stronger with practice. I welcome situations that test my patience. Modern technology makes it easy to get used to immediate results. I remind myself that good things are worth waiting for. I invest the time and resources needed to accomplish my goals.
Patience chases away irritations. I feel content, even when I do not get my own way.
Patience makes my timing better. I take action at the most opportune moment to achieve the most positive results. I wait until morning to ask my neighbors to turn down their stereo, rather than getting into a conflict during a late night party.
My days are filled with opportunities to practice patience. I take advantage of long lines at the supermarket or post office. I volunteer for tedious tasks at work. I listen to people who have a long story to tell.
I start by relaxing my body. Smiling unclenches my jaw. Deep breathing loosens up my stiff neck and shoulders. I instantly feel calmer and more patient.
I let go of expectations. I know that I am likely to encounter obstacles, whether I am buying a house or planning a dinner party. I feel less frustration when I am flexible with my plans.
I pause to acknowledge and assess my feelings. I wait out the urge to strike back at someone or complain about an issue. I tolerate my discomfort, and search for constructive solutions.
Today, I accept delays and setbacks without getting upset or angry. I extend more patience to myself and others.
Self-Reflection Questions: 1. What is the difference between being patient and being passive?
2. What is the relationship between patience and happiness?
3. How can I use self-talk to develop more patience?
Whenever I feel like I lack the strength to tackle obstacles, I remind myself of my power. Positive self-talk pushes me to take on tough situations that have an uncertain outcome. When I tell myself that I have what it takes to figure it out, I get a jolt of confidence and dive right in. I stay afloat because I know I am able to.
Figuring things out along the way shows me what I am made of. I am pleasantly surprised by my abilities when I push past my comfort zone. My mind is a powerful tool. It takes me to places that surprise me. I discover my true ability when I say yes to the unknown and embrace the outcome with an open mind.
Being able to figure things out is a nod to my competitive spirit. Physical challenges are a hindrance at times, but I refuse to be out even when I am down. There is a fighting spirit in me that ensures that giving up is a last resort. My limitations are only as impactful as I allow them to be.
There is always an alternative to achieving a goal when the first option is unavailable. I rely on my creativity to find ways to get it done. Today, there is power inside me that is waiting to be unleashed. I treasure opportunities that challenge what I know about myself. They give me a chance to learn even more about the unearthed strength and ability that lie dormant.
Self-Reflection Questions:
Which newly discovered strength am I most proud of?
How easy is it for me to find alternatives to unfamiliar challenges?
Challenges are a welcome part of my life. Others may avoid challenges and view them negatively. I enjoy a good challenge.
When life is easy, I become stagnant. Challenge gives me the opportunity to grow as a person. I move closer to becoming the best possible version of myself when I face, and overcome, obstacles.
Challenges provide the opportunity to learn. There is wisdom in every challenge. I learn a valuable lesson each time I struggle. Challenges make me more intelligent and intellectually capable. I am able to extract the wisdom from each and every challenge.
Facing a challenge makes me stronger. I have more mental stamina and grit because of the obstacles I have faced. I feel confident I can overcome any challenge because of the struggles I have overcome in the past.
I look forward to challenges. My abilities grow when I am challenged. Difficult times bring my abilities to the surface where they can shine. I keep my eyes open for new challenges that can add to my skill set. Challenges sharpen my skills and hone my mindset.
Today, I welcome new challenges into my life. I look forward to overcoming the demanding situations that present themselves today. Challenges allow my abilities to shine.
Self-Reflection Questions:
What is the greatest challenge I’m facing right now? What can I gain from overcoming it?
What challenges have I have avoided in the past? How would my life be different if I had faced those challenges?
What are the challenges I can see on the horizon? How can I prepare for them?
“The night is the hardest time to be alive and 4am knows all my secrets.” ― Poppy Z. Brite
The snooze button may seem like your friend,
but your relationship is probably toxic. Your
alarm clock could be interfering with the quality and quantity of your sleep.
What happens to your brain when you keep
hitting the snooze button each morning? You experience several stages of sleep
throughout the night. Towards morning, the percentage of rapid eye movement or
REM sleep increases. That’s when you dream and enjoy more restorative effects.
That’s also when you’re likely to hit the
snooze button and interrupt the cycle. As a result, you tend to feel groggy and
that sleep inertia can continue for hours.
Say
goodbye to your snooze button and say hello to pleasant dreams. Try these tips for waking up more naturally.
How to Quit the Snooze Button Habit:
“There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.” ― Mindy Kaling
Make a commitment. Are you
short-changing yourself on sleep so you can work late hours or watch
Netflix? Remember that chronic fatigue can contribute to weight gain,
heart conditions, and other health issues. Aim for at least 7 hours of
sleep a night.
Keep your distance. Put the
snooze button out of reach. Move your alarm clock or phone off your
nightstand and place them across the room.
Budget your time. Do you
set your alarm early so you can press snooze several times? Calculate how
much time you really need in the morning and eliminate that leeway.
Plan a treat. Dangle a
reward that will make you want to throw off the covers. Eat a delicious
breakfast with grilled fish and fresh berries. Sign up for an early yoga
or spin class before work.
Seek support. Let your
family know what you’re doing. Cats and dogs can also be very persuasive
when they want you to open your eyes.
Try an app. Sleep apps tend
to be inaccurate because individual sleep patterns vary so widely.
However, they can help you to be more aware of your behavior, especially
while you’re trying to change your habits.
Vary the sounds. Maybe
you’re so used to your alarm that you turn it off without even realizing
what you’re doing. Use different sounds to capture your attention. You
may also want to experiment with devices that use light or vibrations.
Deal with relapses. A
long-standing snooze habit can take time to break. Be patient and grateful
for gradual progress.
Talk with your doctor. What
if you’re sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night and still having trouble waking up
naturally? See your doctor to discuss whether you might have a sleep
disorder.
Additional Tips for Restful Sleep:
“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” ― Homer, The Odyssey
Be consistent.Giving
your mind and body sufficient rest is the most effective way to break the
snooze button habit. Go to bed and rise at the same time each day as
much as possible, even on weekends and holidays.
Block out noise. If the
neighbor’s stereo is keeping you up, buy a fan or white noise machine. Look
for comfortable ear plugs if you need more help.
Adjust the lights. Exposure
to morning light changes your hormone levels. You’ll find it easier to
wake up in the morning and fall asleep at night.
Turn off electronics.
Bright lights and exciting movies stimulate your brain. Turn off the TV
and other devices at least one to two hours before bed.
The next time you’re tempted to hit the snooze
button, ask yourself if increasing your chances of a long and active life is
more important than 9 minutes of fragmented sleep.
A consistent sleep schedule and other simple
habits can help you wake up feeling fresh and enjoy each day more.
As the holidays get closer, I set setting my goals for the new year and reflect on:
1. What has been accomplished this far?
2. What was the hardest accomplishment to change?
3. What I need to do to change for a better me?
I start rejoicing in excitment; what joy’s to come. As I listen to my voice messages, there was one from a friend that past away this year.
Voice messages to me is a moment in time that one was thinking of or wanted to get a hold of you. I have not delete it because it reminds me of good times we shared. Holidays are not the same without my friend.
However, I live as if my friend was here playing video game or debuting on sports. My goal is to always stay connected with people. Yesterday has past.
Today has come to plan for tomorrow. So, what have you done to be thankful for the things you have?
“Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit.” Anonymous
Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially those of us with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or devotional nature. Meditation has been shown to relieve stress, and promote overall good health, by simply reflecting upon our day, and finding happiness within ourselves. This and other mind exercises help us to keep our mind fit, and functioning at top performance levels. But up until the last twenty years, meditation was something the western world new little about. Is it necessary for our health? Or have we just come up with a new fad, to fill up the empty hours of our day?
“The more regularly and the more deeply you meditate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from a center of peace.” J. Donald Walters
Well, the empty hours don’t exist for most of us. Quite frankly, without the opportunity to reflect and relax, I would quite possibly go completely mad. Our spirituality and meditation practices are the tools we have available to keep our mind as fit as we keep our bodies. The mind is a complicated and versatile machine, but it can become overwhelmed and unable to function correctly, if we don’t take the time to keep it cared for.
Our mind has varying levels of operation, known as brain waves. As we pass through the different stages of our day, we enter various stages of brain wave activity. The brain uses this tool as one way to allow us time to rest our busy mind, and cope with all the pieces of information we’ve received, a way to kind of “mind file” for the day.
“Meditation is being in tune with our inner energy source.” Anonymous
Modern alternative health and holistic healers believe in the power of the energy that flows through our bodies; this energy radiates from our mind as well. It is believed to be the chief from of transportation for our body’s nervous system to carry out communication. Breathing techniques, music, aromas, and candle therapy are all ways we utilize the opportunities to reflect on our day, allow our mind to rest and replenish itself for further use. But are these methods keeping us mentally fit? Yes, it does help to keep us mentally fit.
The great benefit in meditation; the mind’s ability to transform itself into a vehicle for higher awareness. Meditation is a way for us to become aware of the fact that there is more to our being than just our physical activity. We have so much more potential locked away in our mind, resources that we never tap into until we have the chance to quiet the mind, quiet our surroundings and open the door to the possibilities we don’t examine on a day to day basis.
“Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.” Katherine Dunham
In our meditative state, thoughts that never have the opportunity to be heard during the bustle of the day are afforded the opportunity to come forward and be heard. Every step that we take is a step in some direction for our life. The opportunity to set our own destiny, develop our manifestation of what we believe our life should be, is the opportunity meditation provides. Every action we’ve ever taken started as a thought. The thought was then brought into reality by our action on that thought. So are we able to produce new thoughts, new possibilities, in this time of quiet reflection.
