Ready for a little CHANGE???

How many of you have had significant challenges in your life?  Feeling down? Life can seem like a real kick in the pants sometimes, can’t it?  Since I started this blog with HOPE and gratitude in mind – two of my favorite things - I thought I would suggest the following prescription for CHANGE and see if it works for you. Sometimes the simple reminders help the most.  Doing these little things on a daily basis can add up to big, positive successes in these areas. 
Remember to be open to a little C-H-A-N-G-E.                                          

 

Commit – Commit to a path that lifts you up! Surround yourself with positive people involved in positive things. Examine your life, which areas lift and which lean? You can work to reduce the heaviness in the leaning areas and spend more time cultivating the uplifting ones!

HOPE – Always keep HOPE tucked in your heart – no one can take it from you and it cannot be squelched, as long as you carefully guard it. During times of stress it’s easy to throw your hands up in despair and give up everything…but I believe even under the most challenging circumstances, there is always HOPE!

Attitude – You can choose to be happy and ok (do you know its ok, just to be ok? A lesson one of my kiddos is still working on…when there is no drama and no stress going on when you are used to that) It is OK just to be! The choice is solely yours – when you wake up in the morning, choose to maintain a positive attitude!

Gratitude – Try saying (out loud or in your head) immediately upon awakening, “Dear Lord, I am thankful…” You can say what you are thankful for or leave it at that. I am thankful…See if this little shift doesn’t make a huge difference…even if you don’t believe in God (and I FIRMLY do), you can send gratitude out into the world…it makes a HUMONGUOUS difference!

Excellence – Take a moment (or a day) to examine your strengths and weaknesses and commit to cultivating those areas you excel.  Mind you I did not and do not mean PERFECTIONISM!!! As a recovering perfectionist, I am learning how to cultivate my strengths while enjoying the process. I am also approaching my weaknesses from a different perspective – instead of trying to “get significantly better” at the things I do not consider my strengths; I do a better job at giving myself permission to be human and just manage those areas a little better.

For instance: I do not consider myself a great housekeeper, so instead of striving to push    myself to exhaustion or desperation in an area I am not great at (I do not believe this is a learned skill as much as I do believe some are more organized by nature) I am learning to manage this just a little better. By taking little steps that add up to positive changes (and less stress) for me, I can be more more successful in this area! Thank you to the blogger at www.flylady.net for her simple approach helping to keep me on track :)! Managing areas of weakness ultimately allows more time to develop those things you excel at - which is what you want!

Please know I am not saying it will ever be PERFECT or happen overnight but sometimes having a checklist in your head, helps. Try the CHANGE I outline here. I’d love to hear from you some success stories…