Showing posts with label positive attitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label positive attitude. Show all posts

Monday, September 24, 2012

NEW DAY - NEW MINDSET

Last week was a total bummer! Health issues, traveling with suitcases that were too heavy, and thinking I may die was not fun! But, hey - I'm ready to put it all behind and get on with today.

Love Tigger! Always bouncing and laughing at life. Reminds me of myself - except for weeks like that last one! Just wanted to share my thanks for your thoughts and prayers and let you know they worked! 

Have a great week, dear friends, and remember to keep bouncing!

~Nancy Jill

Friday, September 7, 2012

Thursday, July 5, 2012

SO PROUD OF MY MOM!

You've probably read about my mom on my blog a few times, but if you haven't, just know that she's 87 going on 88 in September. When you get to be that old sometimes you think you should just sit down and fade away. After all, how can a person keep up with all the new technology? 


I challenged her, no, strongly encouraged her to get an iPhone and an iPad so she would have a life. Don't get me wrong - she attends Sunday School and church, plays bridge once a week, volunteers at the homeless shelter once a month etc., but it's still not enough when she has so much time on her hands now that she's living alone. Quite honestly, I never thought she'd take the plunge. But she did! 


You should see how happy she is being able to talk to her kiddos on Face Time, see photos on Facebook on such a nifty size screen and being able to do everything she used to do on her computer, where ever she chooses. And wait until she can read my books on a lighted screen in bed. She's going to love it! Transformation from a boring existence to joining the world online. Amazing. Can't wait for Christmas when I get one. Have an incredible day, my friends. 

~Nancy Jill












Wednesday, June 20, 2012

10 REASONS TO BE JUMPING FOR JOY!

1. I'm a Believer!
2. I'm happily married.
3. I have plenty to eat.
4. I have a place to sleep every night.
5. I am in great health.
6. I have wonderful children.
7. I have wonderful grandchildren.
8. I have a rewarding writing career. 
9. I have too many friends to count.
10. I have no time to complain.

Can you count 10 reasons to be jumping for joy? 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

LOOKING FOR SOME FUN?



Ever wonder what the word "fun" means to you? Going out on the weekends? Disneyland? A cruise? Okay, I'll admit, breaks are nice but come on, be honest.  You're sitting there at dinner, or on a bench at Disneyland, or where ever, and you think, I'm bored. Well, maybe it's just us creative types who get bored. Anyway, what I've found is that when I'm doing something I love to do (writing murder mysteries, serving afternoon tea, or making dinner for my grandchildren) I'm having FUN! Because within those activities I feel I matter, and validation is what we all really need to feel good. What does "having fun" mean to you?







Tuesday, June 5, 2012

AHH, SUMMER VACATION...

School's out! Hooray! Now
what do we do? Well, as a stay at home mom with not a whole lot of disposable income for expensive summer camps, I created my own diversion for the kiddies. Every week day had a theme: Library Day, Friend Day, Park and Picnic Day, Swim Day, and Craft Day. All the neighborhood kids were invited to participate and we had a blast! My favorite was Park and Picnic Day when we took a lunch and fed the ducks. Fond memories that our children will never forget. Nor will their friends. And now, my son's friend who was such an integral part of those summer vacations is studying for the Bar Exam...Will you be making memories for your children this summer? And then there's Camp Grandma Fun...but that's another story. Enjoy your summer, my friends.  

P.S. And don't forget to get a copy of my new book for your summer reading list. Thank you!

"PACIFIC BEACH" Kindle $3.99  or Paperback $9.89



       

Thursday, May 31, 2012

THE BIG 'O'...ARE YOU ONE?

Yes, I borrowed this. But when you can't say it any better...thanks Marc and Angel!

Click above for their site.

Optimist:  Person who travels on nothing
from nowhere to happiness.
–Mark Twain
Some people are more optimistic by nature, but optimism is not a fixed attribute.  It’s a choice we have control over.  Every morning, we either choose to wake up grumpy or wake up with a positive outlook.  Research has shown that, in the long run, optimistic people handle stress better, get sick less often, live longer, and are happier and more successful than their pessimistic counterparts.
The good news is that we can all develop skills to improve optimism.  Here are nine ideas to get you started:

1.  Find the opportunity in every difficulty.

‘Optimist’ is a word which here refers to a person who focuses on the positive.  For instance, if an optimist lost her left arm in a car accident, she might say in a hopeful voice, “I’m alive.  I don’t have my left arm anymore, but I do have my right one, and my life still to live.”
Optimism does not mean ignoring the problem entirely; it means understanding that setbacks are inevitable, often temporary, and that you have the skills and abilities to combat the challenges you face.  What you are dealing with may be difficult, but it is important to remain hopeful and positive about a brighter future.  Optimism will inspire a sense of hopefulness and the confidence that is required to take full advantage of the opportunities that do exist.  Remember, the most beautiful rainbows come from the sunlight after a very dark storm.  Read Full Catastrophe Living.

2.  Surround yourself with positive people.

You are only as good as the company you keep.  If you’re around gloomy people, there’s a good chance you won’t to be smiling.  Make it your mission to dodge negativity.  Surround yourself with supportive friends who have positive outlooks.  As they say, if you want to soar with the eagles, you have to stop hanging out with the ducks.
Optimism is a learned habit, and it is positively contagious.  Surround yourself with people who could infect you with positivity.  In turn pass your new good mood on to a friend or stranger in words and deed – let somebody have that parking space, let that person with only a few items cut in front of you at the market.  The simple act of doing something nice for others is actually a good pick-me-up all by itself.

3.  Give love, receive love, and invest in love.

LOVE:  It’s the greatest force in the universe.  It’s a treasure that people would give anything for, yet it costs nothing to give and receive. There is an endless supply, and it can be extended to family, friends and strangers at any moment.  It increases positivity and acts like a shield against negativity.  It forgives, heals, encourages and inspires.
Give love, receive love and invest in love every day.  Because where you invest your love, you invest your life.

4.  Be realistic, and expect ups and downs.

A foundation of realism keeps things in perspective, and helps prevent things from being blown out of proportion.  Just because you’re an optimist doesn’t mean you’re not going to have bad days.  You will – that’s reality.  Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies.
Trying to be 100% positive all the time is wanting to be an ocean in which waves only rise up and never come crashing down.  However, when we recognize that the rising and crashing waves are part of the same one ocean, we are able to let go and be at peace with the way things are.
Bottom line:  Prepare for the worst but hope for the best – the former makes you sensible, and the latter makes you an optimist.  Read Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality.

5.  Inspire yourself with a smile and positive reminders.

If you expect the worst, the worst will happen.  If you let things bother you, they will.  But if you smile, you’ll feel better.  Studies have shown that putting a cheerful smile on your face can trigger a part of your brain that actually makes you feel happier and more optimistic about the present and future.
Also, feed your optimism with positive reminders.  Write down short statements that inspire optimism.  Put them in places where you’ll see them every day, such as on your bathroom mirror, the inside of your locker, and on your computer monitor.
  • “Anything is possible.”
  • “Lead a life of positivity.”
  • “The only thing I can control is my attitude towards life.”
  • “I always have a choice.”
  • “Even the longest journey begins with a single step.”
  • “I will look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism shine.”
Read The Happiness Project.

6.  Work on the things you can control.

Pessimism is impractical because it causes you to spend time dwelling on negative things that haven’t happened yet, while simultaneously preventing you from getting things done now.  Pessimism breeds indecision.  It’s a waste of time, and time is a limited resource that you can’t afford to take for granted.  Every minute spent worrying guarantees nothing but less time to enjoy what life has to offer.
The solution?  Acknowledge the things you can’t control and don’t become a victim.  Stop thinking about what is happening to you, and start thinking about what you can do to make it better.  Know that you almost always have a choice. Is your job a bummer?  Find a new one.  Not ready to leave because of your 401K and vacation time?  Then celebrate those reasons and remember that you chose to stay.

7.  Count your blessings.

There is so much good, so much beauty, so much love in your life.  You have so much right now to be thankful for, you just need to pause long enough to appreciate it.  Do so.  This will help frame a better attitude and take your mind off of the negatives.
Start a feel-good journal.  Buy a blank journal and fill it with things that make you smile, like a photo of your pet, or a compliment a friend gave you.  Use it to track your accomplishments and celebrate your victories.  Stick only positive things in your journal and open it up whenever you’re feeling down.

8.  Appreciate that nothing in life is permanent.

Research has shown that optimists and pessimists attribute the reasons for success and failure differently.  Pessimists tend to attribute negative events to permanent, personal, and pervasive factors.  Optimists tend to attribute negative events to non-personal, non-permanent, and non-pervasive factors.  ‘Permanent’ are factors that will be with you throughout life; ‘personal’ are factors that relate to us as individuals; and ‘pervasive’ are factors that affect our ability in other parts of our life.
Bottom line:  Nothing is permanent.  However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.

9.  Focus on the present.

People often obsess themselves with the past and the future.  But life is happening right now.  You can’t learn something or remember something that’s happening now if your mind is stuck in another time.
It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a new piece of information into your long-term memory.  So don’t let your life and your mind slip away.  Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, practice being and living in the present moment.  Remember, right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.

So, who's with me?

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

We-Can-Be-More-Mindset

From the same article by David Hochman in Spirit magazine (May 2012), comes a mash-up quote I liked from poet Rainer Maria Rilke and philosopher Epictetus, summing up the mantra of TED (a convergence of technology, entertainment and design). And I quote: "If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself. Tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches. First, say to yourself what you would be. Then do what you have to do." May you be all you can be today, my friends. 
For more TED visit their website http://www.TED.com
 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

Every morning we have a choice in how we are going to spend the day (unless you're in prison, and even then you have a choice about your attitude). We make all kinds of choices: What we wear; where we live; where we work; who we hook up with; and what we do with our time. Our choice. And when it comes to who we are, we have a choice about that, too. No other opinion really matters. That is if you really want to be happy. What if everyone made choices to like themselves, like what they did, and liked everyone they came in contact with? What if we chose not to invent negative scenarios about ourselves, would they exist? Probably not. Perhaps we should choose to be happy with whatever comes our way, focusing on the positive things that happen throughout the day. I believe if we think about good, we will be.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

SPECIAL MAGIC!

A SIMPLE TRUTH. A SMILE IS MAGIC. JUST WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE. TRY ONE TODAY! (OR MAYBE TWO OR THREE...)
ALLOW ME TO BE THE FIRST.



HAVE A LOVELY DAY, MY FRIENDS!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

MIXED EMOTIONS...

Nothing is ever perfect. The yellow smiling face is for the happiness of seeing my husband again after being gone six days. The green numb face is for the way I feel after contracted a bad cold and having to be silent on the plane trip home so I wouldn't give my cold to anyone. The red sad face is for the way I always feel when I have to leave my grandchildren and their parents after being with them for six days. Nothing is ever perfect. I know I'll see the faces again. But I will choose to remember that I have a husband to come home to, the cold will eventually go away and I'll make more trips to see my loved ones again. At this time, I'd like to ask the green face to step behind the yellow face, and the red face to step behind the green. Thank you. Now all I can see is the smiling yellow face. I'm home again.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

YES!

Finally! After trying to delete two older blogs, I finally succeeded! All I needed was to take the time to focus on the 'how to' feature that had been there all along. Ah, time to focus. We authors barely have enough time to write, let alone focus on minor details like deleting old blogs. But notice, the time did arrive and I was able to check the deletions off my to-do-list. Every day brings new opportunities to help us move forward in a positive way if we'll look for them. We may never get everything finished, but we do finish what needs to be done at the time. At the end of the day, I'm going to be happy with whatever I accomplish. After all, tomorrow will have it's own set of 'to-dos.' Have an awesome day, my friends!