Our Brains - Friend, Foe or Both?

Let me ask you a question. How often do we tell ourselves things aren't always what we think they are? In other words, there are times when our own brains just think about things so out of context that we have to tell it to be quiet. Although our brains are great at analytical things and things that require deduction or finding answers, where do we draw the line between when we should listen to our brains and when we should tell it to shut up? Here's what I mean by that. Have you ever thought about something that you may not feel too sure about and your brain starts running through a scenario of outcomes? Sometimes these outcomes are so ridiculous, maybe even frightening, that you close your eyes for a few seconds in an effort to stop thinking about it? Or the brain could be thinking of positive outcomes but you don't buy into them completely because things could turn out completely opposite of what you thought? This is what I've come to know as thought pattern displacement. I was told by someone a long time ago NOT to listen to my brain. At that time, I didn't understand, or maybe didn't want to understand what that meant. But as time has gone on and I've gained wisdom, patience and my thinking has grown wiser, I do understand that very well. And its very true too. 

Think of it this way. Within each of us we have 4 raw forms of how we think, come to decisions, decipher and choose our outcomes for our lives. They are our brains, our hearts, our gut feelings and our spiritual beliefs be them through religion or spirituality. These 4 forms make up who we are, how we make decisions and how we live our lives. What I've come to find is our brains are not always our friend. Our brains, besides being a brilliant thinking mass, has the capacity to destroy our self confidence or build our self image with just thoughts. It can even create the outcome of our lives. How we think and what we think are the components of what we make happen in our daily lives. That saying "..our thoughts create our lives.." is more true than we know. When someone says something negative about you. You are the key factor as to how you will allow this negative comment to effect your entire day, effect how you feel and even the outcome of how you see yourself. Unless you are an unfeeling narcissist, you most likely will feel some kind of feelings about what has been said. We could just let go of it, which is probably the best way to handle it. But for some thats not so easy to do. We certainly can't allow others to direct how we should feel. But most importantly we can't allow our brains to fall into the depths of imagination of self doubt, uncertainty or feelings of inadequacy because of it.

Some of the best ways we can help ourselves is by reminding ourselves of all of our inner strengths. The experiences we've gotten through in our lives, our achievements-no matter how small they all count. When the brain starts to think in negative ways, for every negative thought about yourself think of an opposite positive one. It may help you to write it down. Even though this may be difficult to accomplish at times, the more you do that the better you get at it. When things aren't going right for you, take a moment to ask yourself; "what is the lesson I should be learning here?" This is a way we can self examine ourselves and even gain strength within and change the way our brains can think. Now grant it, there will be times when you can't help how you feel. Unkind and hard times can stir up negative patterns, its just the way life is. But its how we handle those moments and how we think about them that makes all the difference in how it affects us and how we will feel. Our thoughts create our lives. We are affected by others only when we allow negative people and unhappy circumstances to affect our thoughts about ourselves. If you're a person that feels like the thoughts your brain creates are making you feel unhappy, its time to re-evaluate your thinking and begin to think differently. Don't become hostage of self sabotaging thoughts that hold you back from discovering what you are capable of achieving and who you truly are. Believe in yourself.


            Copyright(c)2015-2019. Our Brains - Friend, Foe or Both? Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

How We Handle Anger Matters

 

An old Japanese tale goes,  a belligerent samurai once challenged a Zen master to explain the concept of heaven and hell.  But the monk replied with scorn, "you're nothing but a lout...I can't waste my time with the likes of you!"  His very honor attacked, the samurai flew into a rage and pulling his sword from it's scabbard, yelled, "I could kill you for your impertinence!"  That, the monk calmly replied, is hell. Startled at seeing the truth in what the master pointed out about the fury that had him in it's grip, the samurai calmed down, sheathed his sword, and bowed, thanking the monk for his insight.  And that, said the monk...is heaven.

Anger is a trap. When we allow ourselves to dissolve into fury, we do damage to our soul and spirit.  Anger can come upon you suddenly, like a flash.  And you are engaged because it is a trap. It is a trap of the sinister force, the forces of darkness and it is a trap we lay for ourselves because we don't deliver ourselves from the dweller-on-the-threshold.
(The dweller-on-the-threshold is a term used to designate the anti-self, the not-self, the anti-thesis of the real self.)

But the will and the determination, the surrender and the consciousness of wrestling with ourselves to get rid of those points of darkness, that's something only we can do.  Taming the wild horse of anger. We all remember times when we were angry or completely lost our temper.
At other times perhaps we were seething with anger, altho' we didn't express it directly.  Some of us believe our anger is a good thing, and furthermore, you may feel better after you've yelled it out.  Frankly it gives me a headache after I exert anger.

Perhaps you see nothing wrong with venting anger.  Yet when we understand how energy works, we realize that angry vibes(made even more powerful when we yell them) are explosive energy.  It's an emotional bomb that disrupts clear reasoning.  And the aftermath of negative vibes doesn't just go away.  It keeps us in a grumbly mood, pollutes the atmosphere and impacts people around us. 

Most people don't like those vibes one bit.  They usually forget the point we were trying to make midst the fury.  Think of one of those times in your life when you were seething with anger.  Then ask yourself, "What was I angry about?  How did I express it?"  Now remember a time that you wouldn't say you were angry but you felt irritated, disgusted, annoyed or frustrated.  When you look deeper, you'll discover that those feelings are simply variations of the theme, they all track back to anger.

Anger, even when it's just simmering or seething within us, actually creates emotional pollution in ourselves, our relationships, our home, our neighborhood, our work place and the planet.  What can we do about it?  Checking a runaway temper is like taming a wild horse.  If you have ever ridden high-spirited horses, you know not to let them just run, especially if they are jumpy or upset.  You use the reins to guide them, a soft toned voice to calm them.  We can do the same with anger.

We can bridle the beast.  If we have our mouths closed, we will not misuse our power verbally.  If we refuse to strike out with our fists or feet, whatever,  we will not misuse our power physically. Even when our anger isn't a reaction to people but what may be going on in daily life around us. Such as, terrorism, pollution from chemicals, trapping of dolphins in a tuna catch, the conditions of the world around us etc. All the causes we feel passionate about.
 

The principle of how we handle our feelings is exactly the same.  Whenever we are angry, we need to find a "constructive" way to approach the situation that is incensing us. We need to seek ways to take constructive action in our own sphere of influence.  Meditation i.e. Yoga, getting out and going for a pep-step walk or any form of exercise, can do wonders for anger (and stress). Anger is normal, every body has it, no one is exempt. 

But how we handle that powerful energy is our choice. We always have a choice.  If we adjust our perspective, we can take dominion over our passions.  When we bridle our temper, we begin to tame that wild horse of anger within us.  Now we can rein him in, turn him around and head off that display of human volatility.

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2017. How We Handle Anger Matters.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Milestones In Our Lives.



Milestones In Our Lives

As we collect the milestones in our lives, look to them as markers of experience and wisdom. However confusing, naive, or purposeful they have been, there will be more to come. Everyones journey is a stepping stone to learn from and utilize to your advantage. Our milestones in our lives mark points that can be special occasions, events or experiences that mean something to us. It can be wisdom gained that we can use to help others. Perhaps when we listen to those whom seem lost or confused, what we have learned along the way could be a light for them at the end of a dark tunnel they may be traveling. With an open heart of compassion we learn to walk amoung the hurdles of life with more detailed understanding. Without ego we are better able to make decisions that are more precise. Milestones help us grow emotionally as well.

When we are young we are so filled with the excitement of not knowing. We think we are the only one that circumstances fall upon. But we aren't. As much as everyone thinks they are so unique, altho' we maybe in some individual ways, we are also so much alike. Our emotions are constructed by the things we experience, especially when we are children. As we get older we learn to cope with or deal with the adversities that life throws into the mix for us, in our own ways. We realize that altho' things we were taught as children, whether positive or negative, are not necessarily the way we choose to see things as we get older. We grow, we change. With every experience we go through, we realize that we can take in the experience and commit it to a milestone.

As time goes on we've collected many milestones along the way. Some are huge and eventful mile stones while others are small but they still carry meaning. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to log our milestones into a computer file like a mini-movie? Then anytime we wanted to look back at them they would be right there for us to see again in full color. For now people use journals or diaries, take pictures or they record them into a computer notebook. Some people record them on video. Either way its human nature to record milestones in our lives because of the senitmental value, lessons learned or the memory it holds for us. I guess what some may classify as a milestone may be different than what others may classify it as. Its a personal thing. Something that means so much to each and everyone of us.

I believe milestones are a wonderful occasion because they are marked by certain circumstances or occurrences that take place in each of our lives. Milestones are constructed to provide reference points along the road in life as well. They are what gives each of us our individual lives. What makes our life experiences something to remember, look back on and cherish. Enjoy the day.

Copyright(c)2012.Milestones In Our Lives.Written by Sherrie Vitello.All Rights Reserved.     

Gratitude Is Key To Being Happy.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Practice gratitude everyday and even tho' its impossible to have 100% of joy and happiness all of the time, due to life's negative absurdities. It always comes down to choice in how we allow these things to effect us. I am not saying we should have the attitude of not giving a dam about things, because thats negative in itself. Its more than that. Everything is a lesson, meant to teach us more about ourselves and to help us develop our higher thinking and... spirituality. So if we choose to be emotionally burdened by the sadness and bs in the world, its not that it occurs that makes you feel bad, its how you allow it to effect you and for how long, that dictates your feelings and attitudes. Sure there are many sad and heartbreaking things that occur for which we can do nothing for to help it. We can feel true empathy for the unfortunate. Take from those things the lesson, embrace it and carry on with calm, confidence and better direction for yourself. As an old saying went: " I use to complain about my shoes until I saw a man who had no feet." Be grateful for all things in your life. Strive to be happy. Happy life day everyone!

 

 

Gratitude image offered by Bing.com

 

 

 

Copyright(c)2016.GratitudeIsKeyToBeingHappy.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Peace and Procrastination - A Matter Of Our Thoughts

"The way to be at peace is to discover how to be happy in any situation"

 

Finding a way to be happy in any situation or event in our lives is key to having peace in our lives. The way to be at peace is to discover how to be happy in any situation we find ourselves in. Not constantly trying to change everything and everyone to make it match your idea of perfect. You may think that would make you happy but that never works.  Because life is not perfect and you are setting yourself up to be disappointed which leads to not feeling at peace with yourself. 

 

Its our own thoughts that make or break our being at peace in our lives.  Because no matter how perfect we believe everything is you will still have all of your own thoughts.  So its changing how we think about the situation or events in our lives that will decide how at peace we truly can be.  If you always procrastinate about doing something that needs to be done and you keep putting it off, think about what thoughts are going through your mind about doing what needs to get done at that moment. 

 

Are you thinking about how you dislike having to do what needs to be done?  Are you telling yourself you don't want to do what needs to be done?  And to make yourself feel better, or at least you think it does, you distract yourself by doing something you like to do instead?  It could be watching a movie, eating, playing video games, going on the internet, shopping, going to a park or meeting up with friends. 

You tell yourself you will do it another time and believing that you are in control of your life you go for that power thought?  STOP! Right there those thoughts you are having is the reason why you procrastinate which leads to not feeling really at peace with yourself.  You think yourself right out of doing what is in need of being done.

 

Not to say that other activities are bad things, but when we put off what needs to be done and go for these other options which are actually distractions, we end up not doing what needs to be done and we place it on the back burner of our minds.  We put it off to be looked at later on.  So what happened here?  You know you had something to do and you may not really have wanted to do it even though it has to be done.  You thought to yourself that you could do it later and so you opted in for another activity instead.  But you always come back to knowing that you still need to do what needs to be done.  

 

This thought resurfaces itself and floats around in or minds even if for a few quick seconds it begins to weigh on our minds.  Its what I call a loose-end.  Loose-ends form together and become a mental ball and chain which in turn keep resurfacing because our brains keep reminding us of the things we need to do and this makes us uneasy, unfulfilled and not at peace within ourselves.  Once you start catching yourself thinking negatively about what needs to be done stop yourself and flip it to a positive thought instead. i.e. "..once I get this done I'll feel like I have accomplished something and it will make me happy and proud of myself.."  or you may think "..once I have finished what needs to be done I can do something that I really enjoy doing.." 

 

Once you start nurturing your thought process into thinking more positively about your life and all of the things in it, you will see that things are not as difficult as they seem and you will feel more free minded and at peace with your thoughts and your life.  Remember its key to notice what you are thinking and how you think about things that will make all the difference in how at peace or how much turmoil you create in your life.  Its your choice, plain and simple.  Enjoy the day.    

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright(c)2016. Peace and Procrastination - A Matter Of Our Thoughts.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All rights reserved.

 



 

How You See Yourself Reflects Onto Others.

Look in your mirror.  Go on.. have a look.  What do you see?  Who is starring back at you?  When you look at yourself are you looking at only your reflection?  Only how nice you look?  Do you take a moment to look deeper then only what you see on the surface?  We want to see how we appear on the outside to other people.  People for the most part use the mirror only to checkout their look. Is the hair just right?  Do the clothes look good?  Does this make me look fat?  Is the makeup too much, too little or just right?  Are you handsome?  Anything in my nose?  Everyone does this to give ourselves confidence to go about our day.  But what about those times when you look at yourself in the mirror and you don't feel good about what you see?  You feel depressed or down about yourself or things going on in your life.  You don't think you look nice at all.  We are usually too self absorbed to realize how this feeling can look towards other people.  Which in turn only makes you feel worse about yourself.  There is much more going on with your reflection than you may know.  Did you know that other people whom you associate with like those at your job or in your class are like your mirror?  They will reflect you.

A simple concept, yet one that many people are either unwilling, or unable, to grasp.  Your emotions, your traits and your feelings are reflected back at you from other people.  Either through in-kind responses or through predictable reactions to the emotions or feelings that you're projecting.  Most of the time our feelings going on with ourselves projects outward to others around us. You can sense this when we meet someone for the first time and we may feel a "negitive vibe" from that person. They could be having a bad day themselves and they are just in a negative state of mind.  Altho' first impressions may cause us to draw a conclusion about someone like that.  Passing judgement wouldn't really be accurate.  This is due to how that person feels within themselves and it projects outward to others they may come in contact with.  Now a lot of people have developed the ability to put their best foot forward.  Even when things may not be so positive for them.  This is a good trait because what you think about within will project outward and show on the surface.

Altho' there are people that carry themselves as if everything is great in their lives.  Only to feel totally different when they are by themselves.  These kind of feelings should be addressed because there is something more going on they should resolve or change.  If you have to falsify feeling good you should assess what is wrong in your life and change it.  I'm talking about being real here. True feelings and how they effect others and reflect you.  You will project what you're feeling inside.  People who seem oblivious to these kinds of senses are usually so absorbed in what they are doing that they miss it.  So when you look in that mirror next time.  Get in close, look deeper and make a detemination of yourself that you are capable.  You can decide how your day will go. You will have a positive productive day.  Even though absurdities and negatives come into our day no matter how positive we are.  The key to maintaining a positive healthy reflection is by not giving any negative events any power.  Handle any problem with the best positive resolve you can, stay positive and if you catch the right moment, offer a pleasant positive comment to someone who may be experiencing a negative day.

For most people hearing kindness from someone can give them hope and make them feel better. Believe it or not, once you realize the power of positive re-enforcement, this can be helpful to someone who could use the positive boost in their life at that moment.  It is also great feedback for ourselves.  When was the last time you told yourself that you respect, trust and love yourself and you have worth and value as a human being?  Try this while looking in your own eyes.  Do you think you need another person to give you that?  You don't.  When we learn to love and trust ourselves we begin to care more about what we do, what is good to keep in our lives, what to change for the better and how our outlook changes our own perception of ourselves and our lives.  We allow ourselves to feel good about who we are as a human being.  We are no longer concerned about what others may think.  After all what others think about us is their business not ours.  We find that we can do a lot more things than we thought because we gave ourselves the chance to prove it by developing our own belief and support system from within.  And when you look in the mirror, we no longer think how we look to others.  We think how good we feel and how wonderful of a day we'll have. What the days experience will teach us.  What positive reflection I can share with others.  You will feel a self assurance and confidence about yourself.

Thats the key; embracing who you are and allowing yourself the beautiful spiritual being that is alive within you.  You will reflect your thoughts and shine on the outside when you allow truth to unfold within.  Its all about embracing who you are, acknowledging any faults, excepting what cannot be changed, and letting go, releasing negatives instead of holding onto them.  They will only cause you grief and harm.  Negative thoughts are empty energy that only zaps your positive outlook. It is quite easy to go through your entire life and never develop the skill of spotting yourself being reflected in other people.  Any development in this area will improve your self-insight, your self trust and your relations with others. Happy life day.

Copyright(c)2015. How You See Yourself  Reflects Unto Others.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Getting Over Disappointment - Practice the Art Of Non-attachment.

A very healing video. So many suffer from this for no good reason. Feeling this way most of my life. I know it stemmed from childhood. Over the last few years I've began my journey of changing this emotional state. I have found that "energy flows where attention goes." I've tried this visualization exercise & the results are amazing. If we can do this by focusing on something, then we can create our lives for the better by focusing on that. Altho' you may still struggle with feelings of disappointment learning that our thoughts create our lives is key to getting past disappointment. Don't allow your thoughts or fears of disappointment to direct how you should feel. Practice the art of non-attachment. While we still desire things, whilst not becoming attached to the outcome. Change your thoughts... change your life. While its always a work in progress, its all about how we perceive things & letting go of things that no longer serve us. Enjoy the day.

              

TRUST - Is it Given or is it Earned?

Trust. Some would say its an emotion while others may say its a logical reference in how we feel towards another person. Then some would say it is both. But what and where does it actually stem from. When we meet someone new some people will use their first impression of that person as their directive to trust that person or not. No doubt sometimes those first impression are very accurate. We tend not to trust people right away. Then there is the other side to that. We may think that someone is not to be trusted or they seem unpleasant when in reality, this person has just lost a loved one, or perhaps they are having financial problems or someone just robbed their house, you get my drift. When these things happen to us none of us feel really good at that moment. Sometimes it can take a few days for the negative feelings to pass. Unless its down right obvious I don't think first impressions hold much worth when it comes to making a permanent conclusion about a person. When we trust ourselves we can trust others. This occurs because we know we will be alright even if that trust we've given to someone else was a let down.

Iyanla VanSant defines this perfectly when she wrote the following in her book: Until Today!  She states: "Trust is based on your ability to stand your ground and rely on your own abilities, knowing that no matter what happens, you will be better off than you were at the beginning.  Anything less than this is not trust."  Just think about that for a moment. That is a perfect definition of trust. So what about that saying; "trust is not a given, trust is earned."  Some would declare that statement as the holy grail saying for trust.  It is very accurate, no doubt. When we meet a person we tend not to trust them for fear of being lied to, let down or hurt by them.  We automatically grab hold of that holy grail saying in order to shield ourselves.  Our apprehension to trust is rooted on feelings of insecurity and ego.  While our ability to trust is founded in feelings of safety and acceptance. So when those lines are crossed we are left with emotional wounds that scar over to create a tuff emotional shield which we rely on to protect us over and over again. What happens when we rely on this shield is it tends to also create a distrust within ourselves.  The soul essence that we call trust resides within us. We decide to trust and what we have decided to believe is reflected.

Rhino represents fear, uncertainty, untrust.
Child represents all of us. Children of the
universe. 

We tend to be so wrapped up in ourselves, so self referencing, so insecure that we are driven to protect our ego's without question.  While instead we should allow and embrace trusting.  As we learn to trust more within ourselves we grow and become more confident, sure footed and above all happy.  There should always be a balance of trust that we give and trust that is earned.  In keeping to this balance it allows us to experience true essence of trust and to deflect the negatives that mistrust can cause us.  One thing is for sure there is most likely more positive experiences to come about when we trust ourselves and when we allow ourselves to trust others. When we feed our own trust and allow it to present itself, it will flourish in our lives and our spirit.  While on the other hand if we feed our own trust with poison of negativity, fear, resentment, then our trust will crust over and harden. Which will in turn lead us through our lives with fear, no base of assurance and no true self love or true happiness.  Because our thoughts create form on some level within. All that our physical experience is, is the reflection of our thoughts.  Enjoy the day.  

Copyright(c)2015. TRUST - Is it Given or is it Earned?Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.  

How To Start Feeling Happy About Yourself.

This is one subject that we all think about once in awhile, and I have found that altho' difficult, we can achieve a state of happiness so long as we direct our thinking to that state of mind. Sometimes I'll watch these talk shows that are targeted towards helping people with concerns of being overweight, being self critical, not knowing how to solve their problems, feelings of depression etc. and the one thing I find about these people with these problems is that they don't seem to know that it's their own thoughts, their own ways of seeing themselves, their own ways of focusing on more negative thoughts than positive thoughts that make them feel so helpless or inadequate. Their inner strength and power has become stagnant. 

Let's face it....when you wake up in the morning and the first thought on your mind is, :( "Oh no..another day.." that's a hum-drum negative response to greeting the new day. Whereas if you were to greet the new day with a positive note, like, "It's going to be a good day.." you would probably feel alot better about starting the day. It's all a matter of what you tell yourself...how you're going to feel everyday. You can wake up every morning and say to yourself..."I'm going to have a good day today" or you can say to yourself, "I'm going to feel bad today". It's really up to what we say to ourselves. 

I call that "Self Talk". Some people ask "What can I do to achieve a state of happiness?" For one, they can start writing a daily journal. Take the time to write how you feel about the people in your life, your family, your job, your hobby, what made you happy today, what made you mad. Do this for about 2 to 3 months, faithfully, then read over what you've written, and take note of the things that made you feel negative, sad or angry and you'd like to change. There's your list to start making positive changes to. Start with one thing at a time, take small steps and remember you have to walk before you can run. 

So don't be too hard on yourself, you're not going to fix everything in one day, one week or even one month, it's going to take time to change the pattern of your thinking, but it can be done. Start trying to radiate an outward feeling of happiness. Feelings that are positive and happy will show outwardly and can create happiness around you and for others. Divert negative thoughts to positive thoughts. Develop a positive outlook towards yourself. If you're unhappy because you're overweight, or your life isn't unfolding the way you'd like it to, start to make positive changes to those undesirable feelings and make it a goal to change to positive results. 

Remember, it's how you "Self Talk" to yourself that will set the course of your thoughts which will make the pattern of the way you think change for the better. Which will help you achieve a state of happiness. It will take some effort on your part, but don't give up, don't fall into the pattern of being emotionally lazy, keep working toward a better outlook. See yourself as having a positive effect on your surroundings and you will achieve your desired state of mind. For more inspirational writings, affirmations and suggestions please visit: Myself Self Help blog http://myselfselfhelp.blogspot.com

Copyright(c)2015.How To Start Feeling Happier About Yourself. Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved. 

How Do You Feel When You Wake Up? Can Determine How Your Day Will Be

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WAKE UP?

When you first wake up in the morning what do you think to yourself? Are you a positive person who believes its going to be a good day or are you a negative person that thinks only of all the responsibilities you have to do. You dislike having to go to work or you worry about all of the bills to pay? No doubt it can be stressful and uncertain. But our thoughts can make it either better for ourselves or worse. What if you were to instead of thinking of all the things you dislike in your life, try thinking of the blessing and the good things you have. Tell them to yourself. Here yourself say them.

When you surrender yourself to the universe and you try to maintain a healthy outlook, even when it seems hopeless, you'll begin to make your way closer to what you believe. Be it positive or negative. When I look back over my life and I recall how my outlook was, I wasn't as positive then as I am now. Even though I was uncertain, I always believed whole heartedly that things would be better. I refused to think that there was no hope. I was grateful for the good things in my life and I struggled with the negatives. But one thing remained true with me all those years.. and it was what I believed within myself.

Even when life would throw its worse at me, I dealt with it the best way I could. I carried along a monkey on my back for several years. Because I was afraid to face life for the way it was. I had addictions that needed to end and so I began the journey of no longer being an addict. I kept working towards a better state of mind. I had to leave alot of things behind and move on. But one thing rang clear as a bell. I had to get myself straight before things would start to straighten out for me. When you're in an addiction, its like swimming and trying to see your way through cloudy water.

We have to allow ourselves the chance to prove to ourselves that we can make our lives better. There is a light at the end of the darkness. We all deserve to live happily and have a good life. It starts with how we think we are, how we believe our lives should be and working very hard to get there. When we refuse to try to change for the better we are abandoning our given right as a human being to live the way we'd like to live. Some believe they can't change but thats usually because they don't know how. Help is available you need only reach out for it. Enjoy the day!

Footnote: Medical science has determined that what we see or hear just before we fall asleep can have a significant effect on how we feel when we wake up.

Copyright(c)2015.How Do You Feel When You Wake Up? Can Determine How Your Day Will Be.Written by Sherrie Vitello

What Does Your Life Smell Like? Think About It.

What does your life smell like? At first it may seem like an unusual question. On the second thought, the question will probably reveal to you some things you may have overlooked. If you were to take a whiff of your life, which response mechanism would be activated? A gag reflex? The laugh button? A sigh of relief? Or unspeakable joy? If you were passing by your life, what would you smell? A bed of roses? Or a gym locker full of sweaty socks? Perhaps some... of grandmas' home cooking? 


Or is it more like popcorn that has been left in the microwave too long? If you were to throw open the front door of your life, what would hit you in the face? The scent of Carpet Fresh or the stench of a moldy basement? The aroma of a cake that's just about done? Or the smell of trash that needs to go out? Most of us are very familiar with the way our lives look. Few of us have ever taken the time to make sure that our lives smell as clean as they look. 


Quite often, what our ears, eyes and hands miss, our nose can detect. The sense of smell is also quite useful because it evokes memories. With a whiff of something, you can be thrown back into a memory of something that happened, how it happened and whether or not you liked what happened. From there, you are motivated to encourage or discourage the same thing from happening again in your life. 


Most important, the sense of smell evokes feelings. If something in your life doesn't smell right, you will not feel right. If you don't like what you feel, you know it is time to clean up! Until today, you may only have been concerned with the way your life looks. You may have ignored certain things you heard or saw, but you cannot ignore a smell. Just for today, be devoted to sniffing around your life. Be on the lookout for rotting things you need to discard and fragrant things you can put on display. Enjoy the day!














Excerpts taken from her book: 'Until Today' by Iyanla Vansant.

Keep To Your Vision.

 "Human Beings, by changing their inner attitudes of their minds can change the outer aspects of their lives." - William James

Some call it visioning, others call it dreaming, reframing, visualization, positive thinking or cognitive therapy.
And still others just do it and don't call it anything. Its the art of deliberately picturing something that we desire - behavior, goal or outcome-
so that its more likely to come about. Thinking alone isn't going to make something happen, of course.
But once we have a vision, we can begin to act in ways that will make the vision become real.

Ask yourself: "I have a picture of how I want my life to go. What do I need to do to make it happen?"

 (Excerpt taken from: The Daily Book of Positive Quotations, by Linda Picone)

 

Dealing With The Seasons Of Our Lives - Aging

Well I knew eventually I would get to writing about this topic. Growing older. Like alot of folks there are some that have a difficult time with this stage of their lives. Granted this is not always an easy fact that we all must endure. It means different things to each of us individually. We look in the mirror and we see changes that take place physically. It just doesn't seem fair that most of us will show those rude signs of aging. Yup I called it rude. Afterall we try to take good care of our health for the most part of our lives. We even begin an exercise routine and actually start being dedicated to it. Some of us change our diets for the better and cut out all those delectable things that taste awesome but just aren't good for us. The clothes we were able to fit into not too long ago don't seem to fit as well. Because humans tend to shrink alittle bit as we age. We not only get a broader physique we also can loose alittle height. Our skin looses its tightness, especially for us women and what use to be up here is now down there. So thats why thousands of people feel that this is totally unfair. Although we can't really escape those signs of aging, we can certainly do things in our lives that can help to slow it down and keep us healthy. But it all starts with how you view this time of your life and what things you are willing to do to keep our aging bodies at peak performance. Its also important to remember that WE ARE NOT ALONE with the changes. Everyone of us will go through changes no matter how much money we have to alter it or how well we care for it. Its inevitable.

We come to terms with the fact that there's nothing we can do about this, we just have to live with it.

See notepad for more info.

Thoughts For Living

Staying in an angry state of mind serves us no purpose and clouds our potential.  However anger can help us to become motivated.  It can help us make a move to resolve something that needs to be fixed now.  Its more beneficial for our mind, body and spirit to rid ourselves of anger and not dwell in that emotion.  Because even tho' it can be a motivator for us to make a move, it can also cause harm and destructive outcomes IF we don't check it at that door.  

The next time you're angry about something, be honest with yourself and ask yourself if you have brought the cause of the emotion on yourself.  By not doing what you should have done from the start.  You may also ask yourself what is it that I should be learning as to why I'm feeling this way?  After all life is a journey of learning for everyone.  Contrary to belief we should never permit ourselves to retreat from the lessons of life, no matter how insignificant or huge things may seem.  

No one ever learns to know everything.  Get passed the desensitizing of social indifference and the overkill drama the media is feeding you.  Get past the lies of what you're being told is really important but isn't.  Most importantly get over yourself.  We are designed from one base root system that allows for many characteristics, colors, shapes and sizes.  But we are of one divine consciousness.  Our purpose in life is not just to leave a path of good for others to follow, but to learn to think with a higher level of purpose.  To learn to live in peace, with love and harmony.  Even if you only find this within yourself.  Enjoy the day.

Copyright(c)2015.ThoughtsForLiving.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts For Life

Thought for the day: Staying in an angry state of mind serves us no purpose and clouds our potential. However anger can help us to become motivated. It can help... us make a move to resolve something that needs to be fixed now. Its more beneficial for our mind, body and spirit to rid ourselves of anger and not dwell in that emotion. Because even tho' it can be a motivator for us to make a move, it can also cause harm and destructive outcomes IF we don't check it at that door. The next time you're angry about something, be honest with yourself and ask yourself if you have brought the emotion on yourself by not doing what you should have done from the start. You may also ask yourself what is it that I should be learning as to why I'm feeling this way. After all life is a journey of learning for everyone. Contrary to belief we should never permit ourselves to retreat from the lessons of life, no matter how insignificant or huge things may seem. No one ever learns to know everything. Get passed the desensitizing of social indifference and the bs the media is feeding you, get past the lies of what you're being told is really important but isn't and most importantly get over yourself. We are designed from one base root system that allows for many characters, colors, shapes and sizes. But we are of one divine consciousness. Our purpose in life is not just to leave a path of good for others to follow, but to learn to think with a higher level of purpose and to learn to live in peace, with love and harmony. Even if you only find this within yourself. Enjoy the day.

It is our own experience that determines everything about you.
People can get themselves into a certain mentality that will not allow themselves to experience anything else. Like looking at your life through the keyhole of a door.
If we're not open to receive experiences, be them bad or good, that come into our lives, how are we to expand our own thinking, capabilities or grow spiritually?
When we give to things totally things tend to work out for us. So be giving. I'm not talking about giving material things to others, I'm talking about giving of ourselves totally in whatever moment or whatever thing we are doing. In doing this we allow ourselves the enjoyment of the experience completely because we know we've allowed it to take place for us.

Thought For Living In The Moment.

"The secret of health for mind and body
is not to mourn for the past,
not too worry about the future,
or not to anticipate troubles,
but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."  
-Buddha          

THIS BODY

This amazing machine, with millions of cells, bone, muscle, and a top coat referred to as tissue is strong even as it ages. Fragile yet resilient to the radicals of everyday wear and tear. Care for this body everyday and be grateful that this body is as strong as it is. Love it even more because this body has carried you through all of life's events and trials and still has come out on top. As fragile as this body is, it is also as strong. Be grateful for this body for it has carried us through all of our experiences. Keep this body healthy, strong and nurtured and it will do for us as we do upon it. Like so many bodies, some are similar, some are leaner, some are fatter, some are younger, some are older. Although there are many like this body this one is yours. So care for this body with all of your heart because this body is forgiving. It can heal from all of the abuse that we have exposed it to.

When we're too foolish to realize how important, how wonderful, how necessary this body truly is. Like life itself we should all appreciate our bodies. We should care for them as if they were on loan to us from our creators because in essence they are for that period of time we call our lives. And as we look upon this body, it may no longer have those lean lines it did 20 or 30 years ago. It may no longer look as tight as it did when this body could turn the eyes of many. This body may not have that chisled chest or carved arms but this body is still strong. This body wakes up everyday ready to take us through the day. So long as this body is taken care of it can last for many more years to come. Along the way we may have injured this body and yet it came back and healed for us. Looking upon this body it will slowly fade, losing tone and luster but love this body even moreso. Like a true friend it has never let you down. It has always been there for you, through thick and thin.

We may feel a little guilty because we know we haven't cared for this body as we should. And yet this body still holds us up and carries our spirit which is our true essence of existence. And one day we all will have to leave this body behind and move on to another form. But for now be grateful for this body even if its not the perfect shape or size you believe it should be. Think of this body as your vessel that harbors your true self. It has protected you from many things so care for this body through all of life's seasons. It will be there for you and still carry you. See beyond the useless ego's, self indulgences and conceit for that moment allow your true self to see this body as your chariot to carry you through all of the events that come with living. This body is the only one you have and caring for it will in turn save you from many unwanted issues. Most of which are self sabotaged and self induced. More than anything else we should humbly love this body for all of its magnificence. How well this body lives is up to you.

Copyright(c)2014.THIS BODY. Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Get Serious About Keeping A Healthy Weight - Change Your Mind Set.

When we begin our journey of making changes to better our lifestyle lets look at some ways to live healthier happier lives. Its important to create a blueprint of what you want to achieve. In doing so you can edit it whenever you wish. This will help you keep on top of all the things you want to achieve and need to do to reach your goals. Diet and body weight are related to our health status. Good nutrition is important to the growth and development of children and keeping all of us at our healthy best. A healthy diet and keeping to an exercise routine, from walk-running to yoga, also helps Americans reduce their risks for many health conditions, including:

• Overweight and Obesity
• Malnutrition
• Heart Disease
• High Blood Pressure
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Some Cancers
• Fatigue and Lacking Energy
• Inability to sleep well
• ...and many other health issues

Because weight is influenced by energy (calories) consumed and expended, interventions to improve weight can support changes in diet or physical activity. Doing some research about how you are caring for your body and the foods you ingest are a good way to assess your own bodies condition. This can help enhance and change individuals' knowledge and skills, reduce exposure to foods low in nutritional value and high in calories, or increase opportunities for physical activity.

One thing is for sure, when we become active and responsible about the health of our bodies we learn to fuel it with good calories, energy and lasting health. What people need to do is see themselves in a state of observance. Meaning instead of seeing yourself as a body with a soul, look at yourself as a soul with a body. Learn to appreciate and take care of your body and it will take care of you. Healthy mind and the body will follow. That saying: You are what you eat, is more valid than you may think it is. Its like filling up your vehicle with lousy gas and expecting it to run at its best. It will sputter, run slower, stall and cause you more headaches' than you should have in your life. Where as if you fill your vehicle with good, clean gas it will run smoother, longer and have less wear and tear on its engine. Well the body isn't much different when it comes to that principle. Feed it poorly and you'll get poor results. Feed it healthy and you'll get healthy stronger results.

The keys to maintaining optimal health are as follows. Individuals who eat the recommended 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day are less likely to be overweight or obese and less likely to suffer chronic disease. Fruit and veggies are our bodies cleaners. They are vital to good health and preventing many diseases. Instead of reaching for those salty or sugary snacks, reach for those fruits and veggies. You can eat as much as you like of them so long as you don't add in abunch of unhealthy additives such as dressings, sauces, too much salt and sugar. Stop eating all those processed foods too. They may taste good but beware.. they aren't good for your body. Have you checked out the ingredients label on those processed foods. Its ridiculous! Due to all the chemicals, additives, preservatives, etc that these foods are made with, its no wonder you feel lethargic and fatigued. A key rule to rely on when looking for healthy foods to eat is: If you can't pronounce it don't eat it!  

A key point to remember. When buying fruits and veggies, try to buy organic fruits and veggies. They are cleaner foods and have none or much less pesticides and are never GMO - genetically modified organism foods. Its also very important to hydrate your body. I'm not talking about drinking soda, coffee, teas, artificially flavored drinks etc. I'm talking about the one main substance that is the elixir of life. Did you know that the majority of illnesses that lead to serious health issues are created by not being hydrated? That most people in our society and probably around the world are chronically dehydrated? According to healthgrades.com and other medical resources researched, the following information is vital as to the state of dehydration and why its so important to make it a habit of drinking more clean, filtered water as a daily routine. Dehydration is an abnormal condition in which the body's cells are deprived of an adequate amount of water.

                                                                                                                     

Water and fluids make up about 90% of fluids throughout the body. Its distributed throughout muscles, bones, organs, tissues, cells, spinal and cerebral-fluids and plasma throughout the body and is crucial to many of the body's processes. Dehydration negatively affects important bodily functions, including toxin elimination, delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the cells of the body, energy production, and joint lubrication. Severe dehydration affects every body system and can also impact the proper balance of vital electrolytes. Sodium and potassium are electrolytes essential to healthy functioning of the body and critical processes, such as muscle function and a normal heart rhythm. Complications of severe dehydration can be serious and life threatening and include shock, coma and death. Dehydration is categorized as mild, moderate or severe, based on the extent of the body’s fluid loss. Moderate and severe dehydration can be a life-threatening emergency.

Infants, children, athletes and the elderly are particularly prone to dehydration and severe complications, although dehydration can occur in any age group or population. You can learn to make your own electrolyte drink so there won't be all those chemicals in it. Or you can simply add a lemon slice to your water for more flavor. Get creative with the many ways you can drink water with flavors organically. Its really amazing all of the flavors you can create and enjoy which are truly healthy for your body. But you have to change your thinking about drinking more water. Its only because the manufacturers came up with all sorts of artificial flavored drinks with way too much sugar, that you may think you don't like water. Change your thinking, change your life.

And of course a BIG part of feeling our best is to exercise. Develop an exercise routine that works for you. You may have to experiment with different types of exercise routines before you find the one that works well for you. But either way.. get a routine going. The more you do this the more it will become habit, a good habit. People have a misconception and think that if they are on their feet throughout their workday that they don't need to exercise. This is far from truth. If you are some one who is on your feet all day you still need to "unwind" or "de-stress" after work. You may not have to do a routine that targets weightloss as much for someone who sits all day at work. But a routine that de-stresses the mind and body is key to better health. If you are someone who sits most of the time at work an exercise routine that will target weightloss is key for you to achieve better health. Whichever routine you choose, any one of them will benefit your body, mind and spirit. You just have to get started. Have courage and commit to a balanced way of living. Your journey of making changes to better your lifestyle is well within your reach. Some research information and excepts have be taken from www.healthgrades.com/conditions/dehydration . Enjoy the day.

Copyright(c)2014.Get Serious About Keeping A Healthy Weight-Change Your Mind Set.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.  

How To Achieve A State Of Happiness

This is one subject that we all think about once in awhile.  I have found that although difficult we can achieve a state of happiness so long as we direct our thinking to that state of mind.  Sometimes I'll watch these talk shows that are targeted towards helping people with concerns, like being overweight, being self critical, not knowing how to solve their problems, feelings of depression etc. and the one thing I find about these people with these problems is that they don't seem to know that it's their own thoughts, their own way of seeing themselves, their own ways of focusing on more negative thoughts than positive thoughts that make them feel so helpless or inadequate.  Let's face it when you wake up in the morning and the first thought on your mind is, "Oh no...another day..." that's a hum-drum negative response to greeting the new day. Whereas if you were to greet the new day with a positive note, like, "It’s going to be a good day..." you would probably feel alot better about starting the day. 

It's all a matter of what you tell yourself and allow yourself to feel. 

You can wake up every morning and say to yourself "I'm going to have a good day today" or you can say to yourself, "Here we go again, another day".  It's really matters what we say to ourselves.  I call that self talk.  So you may ask, "What can I do to achieve a state of happiness?"  For one, you can start writing a daily journal.  Take the time to write how you feel about your day, the people in your life, your family, your job, your hobby, what made you happy today, what made you mad. Do this for about 2 to 3 months, faithfully. Then read over what you've written, and take note of the things that made you feel negative, sad or angry and which things you'd like to change. There's your list to start making positive changes to.  Start with one thing at a time, take small steps and remember you have to walk before you can run. Surround yourself with positive things, affirmations, watch positive tutorial videos, stay away from negative people.  If you must encounter them, as we all do sometimes, don't allow their negative energy to grab hold of you. Allow their negative vibs or energy to flow past you. Keep to your own feelings of staying positive.

Don't be too hard on yourself, you're not going to fix everything in one day, one week or even one month, it's going to take time to change the pattern of your thinking, but it can be done.  Start trying to radiate an outward feeling of happiness.  Feelings that are positive and happy will show outwardly and can create happiness around you and others.  Divert negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Don’t sabotage yourself by not acknowledging any negative thoughts, acknowledge them and tell yourself that these negatives do not serve you in anyway that’s positive. Then let those feeling go immediately. I like to envision my negative thoughts as floating up into the universe away from me.  As if leaving them to the creators. Develop a positive outlook towards yourself. If you're unhappy because you're overweight, or your life isn't unfolding the way you'd like it to, start to make positive changes to those undesirable thoughts and make it a goal to change to creating positive results. It is very possible for anyone of us to make changes for the better, but we must start with how we think about ourselves first. 

Remember, to change for the better, it's how you self talk to yourself that will set the course of your thoughts which will form the pattern of how you think.  Which will help you achieve a state of happiness. It will take some effort on your part, but don't give up, don't fall into the pattern of being emotionally lazy, keep working toward a better outlook. See yourself as a positive reflection on your surroundings and you will acheive your desired state of mind. Your thoughts create your life.

Copyright©2014. How To Achieve A State Of Happiness.Wriiten by Sherrie Vitello.All Rights Reserved.