Foods for happiness!

A grumpy mood can pass through as swiftly as the wind, or check-in for extended stays inside your mind. While often overlooked, food can often be the sneaky culprit behind your disavowing disposition.  It’s important to eat the right healthy foods for happiness and stability in your life.

The fact is, your mood can be directly influenced by the foods you eat. For instance, did you know that foods like potato chips and margarine can actually prevent you from achieving your own personal awesomeness? The difference between mood-elevating foods and the foods that can start a psychological slide seem to be based on essential ingredients like D and B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and even tryptophan.
Eat these 5 healthy foods for happiness to fill up and feel good!

1. Bananas:bananas-healthy-happy-food

Bananas are high in calming B vitamins. The level of vitamin B6 in Bananas can smooth your mood naturally through the regulation of your blood glucose levels. The potassium in them will help to maintain a steady heartbeat as well.

Bananas are even great for morning sickness! If you’re feeling nauseous when you roll out of bed, incorporate snacking on bananas between meals to keep your glucose levels normalized.
blueberries-healthy-happy-food

2. Blueberries:

Blueberries carry energy to the brain, providing you with a heightened sense of awareness and vigor.

Blueberries do more than energize, however – they also relax! Your arteries actually relax once the nitric oxide provided by blueberries enters the body.

3. Cherries:cherries-healthy-happy-food

Cherries can be considered a natural remedy source for sleeplessness. Tart cherries help to boost the brain chemical, serotonin, that regulates your sleep and mood. Tart cherries also contain the self-regulating hormone, melatonin.

4. Green Tea

Digreen-tea-healthy-food-happyd you know that green-tea habit can take the blues away? Green tea may be your golden ticket to feeling free and clear once again. A study of over 1,000 Japanese senior citizens showed that those who drank 4 or more cups of green tea daily showed less signs of depression (44%).

What makes green tea a magical elixir you might ask? According to researchers, an amino acid found in green tea called theanine might play a role.

(Fact source) Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly. Niu, K. et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009 Dec;90(6):1615-1622.

5. Chocolate

Last but not least is that soothing sense of serenity that covers you with every bite of chocolate.chocolate-improve-mood

Why do you feel oh-so-good after eating a piece (or two) of chocolate? As soon as you take that first beautiful bite, your brain’s opioid production goes through the roof! (Opioids are chemicals responsible for reducing pain, increasing good feelings, and just making you feel warm and fuzzy all over.) Chocolate doesn’t have to be bad for you either – you can use dark chocolate, or cacao, which is chocolate in its raw form.

Are these foods in your home? If not, maybe it’s time to fill your fridge with these healthy foods for happiness and start satisfying your happiness along with your hunger!

    Fill your fridge with these healthy foods for happiness and start satisfying more than just your hunger!

Cleaning Your Home and Mind

A new spring brings with it the beautiful song of nature’s awakening. Budding vegetation sprouts from the earth, the sun prolongs its daily visit, and nature shares a small preview of the infinite source of abundance available.

As the Earth begins a new cycle, we as humans also share this ritual of renewal. But to make room for new growth, the collection of seasons past must be released. “Spring cleaning”, as we’ve come to know it, can be a positive and truly cleansing experience – not only for the home, but the soul.

    “Keep your own house and its surroundings pure and clean. This hygiene will keep you healthy and benefit your worldly life.” – Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Cleansing the home

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with material items in your home?

If so, it’s time to cleanse. The release of clutter at home will also relieve spring-cleaningclutter in the mind. Possessions are nice to have, but if they’re not being used functionally, they have the power to possess you and ultimately, control your life. Less is more; renewal in the home rejuvenates the mind and brings a new, clearer visualization into view.

While spring cleaning the home – declare that you’re not only cleaning your home, but also clearing your mind. Think of each area of the home being cleaned as a step toward fresh beginnings – one step closer to attaining a laser sharp focus that creates unhindered success. You can raise your own level of positive energy when cleaning as well; turn on your favorite music, sing, smile, and dance around to make these tasks far more tolerable. Chances are, you won’t even realize how much you’ve completed while doing your own cleaning cha-cha!

What if clutter isn’t ready for the trash?

There’s surely no need to add to the landfills – to follow the adage of “One person’s trash is another’s treasure” is a valuable mantra to memorize while spring cleaning. Pack up items you’d like to keep but aren’t using. If you haven’t used them in 6 months, get rid of it. Give to people you know, The Salvation Army, Goodwill, or even Freecycle. You may not realize it, but the possessions you’re giving away will come back to you as a blessing in some form. Clean the mess to surely be blessed.
Cleansing the mind

    “The state of your home is a reflection of the state of your mind.”

The home isn’t the only thing that could use a good spring cleaning. There’s plenty of thoughts taking up idea seed 450precious real estate in the thriving metropolis of your mind. Think about how you can create that laser sharp focus to achieve your dreams. What negative relationships are hindering you from being your best self? What negative thoughts and beliefs could be replaced with more enlightening, positive ones? Make a declaration for positivity to fill your life and reaffirm that declaration daily. Your willpower will prove to be the judge, jury and executioner of the negative energy cluttering that cortex of yours.

Once finished, celebrate and pamper the new YOU! You’re lighter in the home as well as the mind (and probably a few dollars richer from the things you didn’t need.), so why not turn that clutter into comfort? Celebrate who you are, how far you’ve come, and where you are going. Treat yourself to a pedicure, massage, or whatever else makes you feel good – you deserve it!

New home, new habits, new YOU!

From here on out, continue to love yourself fully – keep the dust bunnies of negativity at bay and get ready for new beginnings and opportunities to come. Give yourself the time YOU need to clear your mind, whether it be through yoga, taking a walk, exercising, painting, or just reading a book – you deserve to take as much care of yourself as everything and everyone around you. Without serving yourself, you can not truly serve others.

Go with the Flow

Flow-ers effortlessly reach toward the sun, clouds lightly float across the sky and the tides continue to work like clockwork as they have since the beginning of recorded time.
We’ve all had days in life when things couldn't get any further off track. A friend or companion reassures us that everything will be fine, all we need to do is relax and ” go with the flow ”. Like we haven’t heard that one before, and in some way, ‘going with the flow’ is going to solve our problems.

Actually, it does.

You might not think about it immediately after that caring companion brings you back to life with those rejuvenating words of wisdom, but you still end up asking yourself, “What exactly is this ‘flow’? Does it mean that I have to say yes to everything? Are my personal values going to be compromised by going with it? What if I don’t feel I should always go with the flow?” Don’t contemplate this too long; you will be going against it!

Imagine the flow as creation. Flow-ers effortlessly reach toward the sun, clouds lightly float across the sky and the tides continue to work like clockwork as they have since the beginning of recorded time. You and I are a part of this universal masterpiece. As Human Beings, we are becoming increasingly aware that everything in creation has come from one universal source of energy. This source of energy is fueled by what I have come to know as The Now. The now is the present moment in which we are. It is happening with you as it is with me, and the true beauty of it is that it always occurring.

go-with-the-flow

How can one determine whether their ‘flow’ is a raging river or a babbling brook when in the Now? Our thoughts, words and actions in the present moment ultimately shape us as individuals. When something happens, it is essential to keep a positive mindset no matter what the situation. Think of it as part of that natural process that leads us directly to where we are now. A negative mindset is only going to give resistance to the flow of energy that which we are.

My wish is for the world to display our energy as strongly as we can in the Now. Blessings to everyone as we go with the flow – after all, there is no better moment to live than the current!

Fly Through Life First Class

Life is a spiritual journey, and we are all Spirit-travellers.

Our journey begins when we are born and life unfolds in front of us through our experiences.  We all have the same destination – the return to source; that is, we all want to attain the Salvation peak of the soul.  What makes life unique is how we arrive at our destination.

An “airplane metaphor” is the best way to explain life’s journey.  We have the choice of how to fly to a certain city, state, or country.  No matter which class we choose, we will reach the same destination.  Flying first class is always more comfortable, but not everyone can afford it.  The good news with life is that anyone can fly first class.

The question that arises here is: Are we ready to upgrade to first class in life?

Although it may demand a lot on our part, it is really worthwhile. When one travels through fear and negativity, it goes against nature. It really prevents you from shining like the sun, and instead, you remain among the dark clouds. Living life in fear costs you a lot. It puts your personal relationships at stake, it’s a threat to your health, and attacks your creativity.  It simply costs you your LIFE.

improve-life

Often times, people have experienced whatever they have feared the most.  This is because their focus was on the things they did not like and not on the things that they deeply cherished.  Every now and then, we feel that we have to fight against the energy which is on the outside but the real fact is that the enemy is within us and we need to conquer it with love.

Travelling first class in life on the other hand, guarantees a whole package of excitement.  When you are on that path,  you get to meet fellow travellers of like minds – people with the same values.  This confirms the amazing reasoning behind the law; like attracts like.  Those generous souls are full of life and they really live out loud. The moment you make the decision to travel first class, you unlock the amazing gifts attached to it.  Life will still have those peaks and valleys, but we will have to muster the courage to cross all of them with a never  say die attitude, finding it easier than ever to achieve victory.  You are always taken care of by the universe, sometimes in surprising ways. You will stand in awe at what life has to offer.

Upgrade your life’s journey

You will have to change your perception from head to the heart, from fear to love, from NO to a BIG YES, from negative to positive and eventually from ME to US.

It starts with positive thinking.  Thoughts become things!  We need allow only positive thoughts to occupy our mind as we tend to materialise those things in life.  Positive thinking leads to positive actions.  Life appears as a catalogue to us and we just have to flip over it and choose whatever adventure we want to experience.  The most important task along the journey is the GRATITUDE PROCESS.  The more grateful we are to life, the more life will amaze us.  Gratitude simply attracts more of what we have and want in life.  Another essential tool at our service is our visualisation ability.  Life can be phenomenal, if you choose to visualise life as being heaven on earth and break all the limits.

When you choose to fly First Class, you begin to praise life as you go along, sending love and light to everyone you encounter.  While you may come into contact with negative people – instead of adopting their negativity, you will spread your light, touch their hearts, and eventually make the crowd follow you. You will open your heart and the hearts of others to the abundance of available energy that surrounds us all.

What class are you travelling today?

Make a decision today to have a first class life. Avoid living as a victim and instead be the hero of your own life. Whenever you find yourself being fearful, thank it for protecting you and then release it. Notice all the first class miracles around you and if anyone asks you how it’s going? Reply with ‘FIRST CLASS!’

Fly first class and be a first class version of YOU. Reality is always what you decide it to be and it is never out of control.

Longevity Secret

What would you do with an extra ten, fifteen or twenty vibrant and healthy years added to your life? Would you travel, take art classes, spend quality time with family and friends? Would you read more books, go skydiving, garden, prepare gourmet meals? How about volunteering at a nursing home, giving manicures to people who can’t get out of their homes or giving a smile to those less fortunate than you?longevity-secret

My mother is in her eighties. She may move a bit slower than she did when she was in her forties, but she still gets around just fine. And where do you think she spends her time every Monday, just like clockwork?

Monday is the day she gets in the car with her good friend and fellow church member Christine, who is also an octogenarian, and they visit shut-ins. They visit people in their area who are  in nursing homes, hospitals or in their own homes but unable to get out.

That’s right! These two women who have earned the right to sit quietly at home and enjoy some peaceful time instead choose to bring smiles, flowers, lively conversation and companionship to others every week. Some of the people they visit are even younger than they are! But my mother and Christine have an advantage.
They have tapped into one of the little known secrets of longevity.

 As my mother sits with shut-ins, she often combs their hair, clips their fingernails and puts cream on their dry hands. After so many years of doing this she said she found that most of the people she visits are starved for a little attention, a gently touch and an interested ear. But, she brings far more than just a manicure set and a comb when she walks into those rooms. She brings a sense of purpose, a will to live fully and a passion for what she does. She doesn’t just touch their hands. She touches their hearts.

Many people have come up to me and told me what a difference my mother’s visits have made when their mother or father were no longer able to get around. Some people have called her an angel and I understand why. She exudes a desire to do something wonderful in this world. She loves having a joy-filled purpose. And she loves to make a difference, one person at a time.

So what does my mother do with her time since her retirement? How does she stay youthful, vibrant and alive? What keeps her going long after other people her age have stop doing much at all? She has tapped into the longevity secret of being passionate, caring, having a sense of purpose and a strong desire to serve.

Finding the right comeback to deal with rude people

People can tend to have a love/hate relationship with their families, bosses, friends, and even spouses. They can be the sweetest people with loving intentions one second, and the next, say something so offensive that makes you want to call them every name under the sun and react negatively. Questions like “When did you gain so much weight?” or “When will you ever get another boyfriend?” or “Why haven’t you found a job yet?” can really hit below the belt and really set off your temper, if you allow it. People don’t often think about what they say before they say it, which can lead to disaster if the person they are speaking to (you) becomes offended.

You have a right to defend yourself and speak your mind, but you can come up with a retort that allows you to express yourself while still being positive and polite.

Finding the right comeback to deal with rude people isn’t always easy, especially if that person signs your paychecks.
Comebacks for Dealing with Rude People

1. Thank you.
A simple “thank you” speaks volumes when you encounter rudeness. Not only does it show the other person that you didn’t let their words affect you, it reflects maturity on your part. You chose not to ignore the person or get angry, but met both of those tactics somewhere in the middle. A “thank you” usually implies that you acknowledge someone’s thoughtfulness and are responding to that. However, in this case, your “thank you” will mean that you acknowledge the person’s rudeness and you choose not to let it affect you. That will shut the other person down quickly when he or she realizes that the comments didn’t phase you.

You choose how to react in any given situation, so choose happiness. It will keep your thoughts and actions positive, and show others that their rude words simply cannot take your power from you.

2. I appreciate your perspective.
Not only does is this an intelligent approach, it will show the person that you only wish to communicate in an adult manner, and not stoop to their level. Any rude comments reflect the other person’s shaky perception of themselves, so remember that when someone blurts out something tactless. They may want to bring you down, but you don’t have to let them. Show them that you will only continue the conversation with dignity and respect. They may actually respect you more by reacting in such a considerate way. If this doesn’t happen, shift your focus with this next tip.

3. This conversation is now over.
If you find yourself too angry to respond to someone in a civil way, simply end the conversation. You don’t want to cause permanent damage to a relationship by losing your cool, but you also don’t want to disrespect yourself by pretending like the person’s comments or questions are acceptable.

Choose to take the high road and not allow the conversation to carry on, and you will be able to keep your dignity while skipping a potential all-out brawl or heated argument.

4. Why do you feel that was necessary, and do you really expect me to answer?
Especially in group settings, this will likely put the other person in check very quickly. Instead of getting the expected irate response out of you, they will meet a calm, cool and collected you, ready to talk things over sensibly and decently. Also, it will give them a chance to redeem themselves, and apologize to you in front of your friends, family or co-workers.

Other people do need to know that you do not tolerate rude or uncalled for questions and comments, and that you will call attention to their uncouth behavior. If they say “yes” to the second part of your question, you can simply reply with “Well, it looks like this isn’t your lucky day,” and be done with the conversation.

5. That almost hurt my feelings.
While a little on the sarcastic side, it tells the other person that you choose not to absorb their negativity. It also deals with rude people in a mature way, and will probably discourage the other person from making any other remarks once they realize you aren’t affected by them.

6. You’re right.
While most people have a hard time saying these two words, it will benefit you to make the other person believe they were in the right in what they said, and will likely cause the conversation to be cut short. What more can they say after this comeback? You admit their rightness, and then disengage from the conversation. While you might not get as much satisfaction by using this tactic, it will put a damper on the other person’s enjoyment since they won’t get a rise out of you, which is what they were after in the first place.

 7. You always have something negative to say, don’t you?
This takes the attention off of you and back onto them, making them think twice about their choice of conversation topics. Not only will you, rightfully so, draw their focus onto their own words, but also force them to reconsider what they say in the future.

Speaking your mind when a person repeats behavior that offends you is never wrong or uncalled for; if you feel you need to draw attention to someone’s behavior, then listen to your gut. The person’s negativity likely affects other people besides you, so making them aware of their own toxic behavior will actually benefit you and others in future situations with this person.

8. I love myself, and I love you, too.
This may only apply in certain situations with friends, family, and your spouse. If you say it to your boss, you might either get a strange look or get your named removed from the payroll, so use it at your discretion. However, this comeback had to make an appearance on the list because of its effectiveness at shutting down rude people. Kindness always prevails over negativity; darkness cannot thrive where light is present. When you express to the other person just how much you love life and others, their comments become irrelevant and lose power quickly. Their sour mood and bleak outlook on themselves, you, and life will not be a match for your extreme happiness and zest for life. People also aren’t used to such raw emotion from others, and will probably be too surprised to formulate a proper response.

Your words have the ability to boost the entire energy of a room and promote more positive conversation. You can’t go wrong with that!

9. Laugh
This reaction will definitely catch the offender off-guard and make a rude person feel embarrassed for even making the comment in the first place. For instance, if your aunt brings up your recent job loss at dinner again, just laugh. It will make the present moment seem a little less serious, and will send a message that you don’t let other people’s rude comments affect your mood or outlook on life.

Ways to Love Big In Your Relationships

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that love always needs to be nurtured. It develops deeper and deeper as it is fostered by small, loving steps.  Authentic, lasting relationships are rarely created overnight. Love takes time.

Creating a successful relationship is a lot like building a home.  First, you inspect and familiarize yourself with the land and decide if it’s the right place to build.  When you’ve found the perfect spot,  it’s time to begin building a strong and sturdy foundation. Each brick,  slab of wood, wall, window, and ceiling are carefully placed with long term intention. Even after the home is built, there is specific care and maintenance that needs to be done for proper upkeep of the home. Without it, the interior and exterior start to break down.

That’s why the real secret to great love can be found in the loving small steps of your daily routine.  In fact, many of them are free, it just take conscious effort. Try a few of these regularly to see a boost in your relationships and love life.
Ways to Love big:

1. Give more hugs!  Studies show hugs release oxytocin that reduces stress, relieves pain, eases anxiety and boosts your immune system.  This is a simple, free action we can take every day to bring more love and wellness to our partner.

2. Give your partner more of your full attention, especially if they ask for it.

3. Complain less and compliment more.

4. Admit your mistakes.

5. Give a genuine “Thank You” more often. Let daily gratitude for your partner flow naturally. Gratitude now creates more to be thankful for later.  Which will naturally create a more loving relationship.

6. Be open minded about his/her ideas.

7. Focus on their needs first.

8. Say “I Love You” a few times a day.

9. Laugh together.

10. Make their favorite meal.

11. Allow them to have their own space when they need it.

12. Send a random, love-filled text message or Facebook message.

13. Cuddle and/or have sex more. Just like hugging, studies have found cuddling to create the same effect on the body. Studies also find that couples who have sex more often

14. Be honest.

15. Plan occasional weekend getaways. Plan them together unless your partner loves spontaneity, then randomly surprise them.

16. Be their biggest fan! Encourage them to do well and keep them going in the areas they want to see the most success. We can all benefit from outside support. Successful people always have huge support that has helped them along the way.

17. Hold hands any chance you get.

18. Listen and be more conscious.  Pay attention to those little annoyances your partner asks you to be mindful of like putting the toilet seat down, picking up your clothes, putting dishes away, keeping your word, etc. Fine tuning some of the daily little habits that can spark a big argument can really make a big difference.

19. Do a household chore that your partner usually does (pick one they don’t like for extra points).

20. Plan a random, romantic date.

21. Get them a small, thoughtful gift. It could even be something they were saying they wish they had or needed to pick up (but haven’t yet).