New Challenges Unearth Untapped Strength and Ability

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:

  1. Which newly discovered strength am I most proud of?
  2. How easy is it for me to find alternatives to unfamiliar challenges?
  3. When is it time to rely on the support of others?

Who Else Wants to Break the Snooze Button Habit?


“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
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.
     
  7. 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.

  8. Deal with relapses. A long-standing snooze habit can take time to break. Be patient and grateful for gradual progress.

  9. 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
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Voice Message

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?

Be reminded on what is yet to come.

Do We Need Meditation?

“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.

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