Category: Inspire

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Inspire

The Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude: Enhancing Well-Being and Personal Growth

In the fast-paced and often demanding world, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life. Amidst the chaos, practicing gratitude can serve as a powerful antidote, helping individuals cultivate a positive mindset and enhance their overall well-being. By consciously acknowledging and appreciating the blessings and joys that surround us, daily gratitude exercises can have profound effects on our mental, emotional, and even physical health.

Just Released My 30 Day Gratitude challenge

1. Shifting Perspective:
Daily gratitude encourages individuals to shift their focus from what may be lacking or going wrong in their lives to recognizing and appreciating the abundance of blessings they possess. This shift in perspective enables a greater sense of contentment and satisfaction, leading to reduced stress levels and improved overall outlook on life.

2. Improved Mental Health:
Regularly expressing gratitude has been linked to improved mental health and psychological well-being. Studies have shown that individuals who practice gratitude experience lower levels of depression and anxiety. By consciously acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of their lives, individuals can foster a more optimistic mindset and develop greater resilience in the face of adversity.

3. Increased Happiness:
Gratitude has a direct correlation with happiness. By expressing gratitude daily, individuals cultivate a sense of joy and fulfillment, as they become more attuned to the simple pleasures and meaningful connections in their lives. This heightened state of happiness enhances overall life satisfaction, contributing to a positive and fulfilling existence.4. Strengthened Relationships:
Gratitude acts as a powerful tool for strengthening relationships. Expressing gratitude towards others fosters a sense of connection, empathy, and appreciation, leading to deeper and more meaningful relationships. By acknowledging the kindness and support received from others, individuals create a positive cycle of gratitude that can enhance their social bonds and create a supportive network.

5. Physical Health Benefits:
Surprisingly, practicing gratitude not only impacts mental and emotional well-being but also has tangible effects on physical health. Research suggests that gratitude exercises can lead to improved sleep quality, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced immune system functioning. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, daily gratitude can positively influence overall physical health.

6. Increased Resilience:
In challenging times, gratitude serves as a powerful coping mechanism. By recognizing the blessings amidst difficulties, individuals develop resilience and the ability to bounce back from setbacks. Gratitude provides a perspective shift that allows individuals to find silver linings, learn from challenges, and cultivate a sense of hope and optimism.

7. Personal Growth and Empowermentgrateful
Regular practice of gratitude opens doors to personal growth and empowerment. As individuals become more attuned to the positive aspects of their lives, they develop a sense of self-awareness and a greater understanding of their values and priorities. Gratitude empowers individuals to focus on what truly matters and pursue personal growth, leading to a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

So…
Incorporating daily gratitude exercises into one’s life has far-reaching benefits that positively impact overall well-being. By shifting perspective, improving mental health, increasing happiness, strengthening relationships, improving physical health, fostering resilience, and promoting personal growth, gratitude serves as a transformative force. Embracing a daily gratitude practice can bring about profound changes, helping individuals find joy, peace, and fulfillment amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

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Gratitude Inspire

My heart has been STOLEN!

In the very nicest way I have given my heart to a new male…..

My grandson 

I remember the moment I gave birth to my daughter and how instantly I knew I loved her completely and I would do anything I could to take care of her.  Well it happened again.  That exact feeling but even stronger if possible for my brand new amazing gift of a grandson, Charlie.

The last few weeks I have been working in my free hours on my gratitude journal.  It is now available on Amazon right HERE.

Makes my heart soar and sing to count my blessings and see life through the lens of gratitude.  With this sweet little one it is even easier.  Worked on this with the help of many mentors through the years to get the pieces and parts all set for what makes the mindset and spirit I go for every day.

This guide covers a month and helps to set up a new habit.  More to come on this but for today I will say I am grateful for so very much.  You my friends are surly part of my life’s gifts.

 

 

 

 

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Inspire

3 AM Voice Obviously Lacking Gratitude

woman have insomnia on the bed selective focus on alarm clock at three in the morning.

Today I write after experiencing that horrific 3 AM voice this morning.

I care for those serving those with food allergies.

It really had a lot to say to me.  Ever wake up, see its the middle of the night and you know, oh hell this is not good!

So here is how it went….

First, thought was about a tough situation at my business.  We just finished the busiest week of the year.  We produce a 3 day 12 hour event with speakers, messages and information for the food service industry.  Specifically about food allergies.  That’s my day job and a true passion.

Flying in a close second was like hey…you have not thought about your parents (both are deceased) in a long while. Time to relive the last time I saw each of them for 3:02AM fun.  Ouch.

Slamming up the back end of my mind is the wonderful gift of knowing I get to be a grand ma soon for the very first time.  Am I doing it all right?  Am I showing my daughter how proud I am of her?  Can she feel it?  Is there anything else I can do?  Whats more?

Not specifically me but could have been at 3AM this morning

For the final chapter of this mornings 3AM jerk awake was all about what should I be doing different in my life?

Self doubt is not a constant companion but since it was so strong this morning and I have been thinking of re-starting this blog well….Here I am unstoppable, walking through a number of interesting times thinking it might be time to  start doing my daily gratitude practice.

Anyone believe that, like me, this can make all the difference in the world?  Lets see.

 

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Gratitude Inspire

Food for Thought: What We Put Into Our Bodies Matters

food

Food.

That simple thing all of us must consume daily to sustain life. No matter how poor or rich or what type of cuisine we are used to, it all boils down to calories, nutrients and minerals that are there to nourish the body, mind and spirit.

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

-Hippocrates

As I think through the single biggest change that allowed me to live through the death sentence of scleroderma and stay healthy enough to not just survive –  but thrive – more than 15 years with this horrific disease, I look at food.

What We Put Into Our Bodies Matters

The familiar phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out” doesn’t just apply to a computer program.  It applies to food, too.

It is the way we use food to nourish ourselves that expresses itself outward as health, illness, attitude, and even hair texture. Hangry – being irritable and angry because you’re hungry – is humorous, but rings with truth. It is our inner core saying “feed me.” I know I can’t go on with a right attitude or energy without nutrition of some sort.

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.”

-Ayurvedic proverb

Back in 2004 when I was in the deep throws of scleroderma, before I had knowledge of what disease I had, there was nothing but processed foods in my home. As a working mom in a new marriage, things in my life were hectic. Maybe you can relate.

Then my world stopped. Complete stand still.

I received the diagnosis that I was extremely sick. Death was not far off.

And there weren’t a lot of medicines to help, either. The medical professionals could help with the symptoms – but not with the underlying disease.

Eat Healthy, Live Healthy, Be Healthy

After receiving that diagnoses, I went home and did a lot of thinking.
food, health
I started to think about what I was putting into my body. And I decided that I wasn’t going to simply accept the diagnosis. I was going to live my own truth.

And that started with my diet. That day, I took the step to change my life.

Please know I am not saying the outcome was rosy and perfect from that day forward. That is not the case.

Food, diet, change, and grit all went into a massive fight for my life. Fifteen plus years later I am still here. That’s proof enough for me.

It is 2020 and I am better than I ever was.

Attached here are two photos, one from back in the late 2000’s when I was getting ready to do a walk to raise money for scleroderma.  My hands were so swollen they barely moved, my skin stiff and hurting. But I was clearly still in the game of life to win.

Fast forward to one from a few months ago, thriving. A picture truly is worth a thousand words. 

For innovative ways to transform your life so you can thrive in all the ways you deserve, check out my book: Unstoppable: A Recipe for Success in Business and Life.

 

 

 

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Gratitude Inspire

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

FEAR

Fear. We all have experienced it.fear

It comes in many forms. There’s the fun fear of Halloween – spooky decorations of ghostly and ghoulish figures that scare us in an amusing way.

Then there’s the other kind of fear, the deep, dark hole of fear we experience at times during our lives. It can paralyze us emotionally, inhibiting us from moving forward. 

 

“Being scared is part of being alive. Accept it. Walk through it.”
– Robin Sharma

 

During the dark times of my illness, I walked myself through fear countless times. Perhaps I can help you walk through yours.

Fear Feeds Upon Itself

Years ago, I wrote in my book that the concept of fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real.”

I called that part of my 2 a.m. voice. It was the part of my brain that never seemed to sleep. I would crack my eyelids open, my thoughts swirling. A toxic mixture of panic, pain and fear combined to create a black hole which I spiraled into.

I realized this dark hole was a challenge that was presented to me: it was based on the false evidenced formed by my own fear.

My fear was composed of ideas, concepts and facts made up in my head. It embedded itself as a reality in my brain.
It appeared as a reality – but was not.

I began to recognize this pattern that frequently repeated itself, this 2AM voice: I knew I needed a rock solid defense plan when I found myself in this place.

But I also understood that all fearfulness isn’t hurtful. Like at Halloween, for instance. Getting scared isn’t always such a bad thing, oftentimes it’s followed by laughter.

And fear also gives us a sixth sense, so to speak: which says, ‘take notice.’  It is what gets me to use caution when I walk to my car at night, or when I lock my door before going to bed.

But it was the 2AM fear that I needed to deal with.  And that’s what I developed a defense plan for. 

My Personal Toolkit to Combat Fear

When I was so sick, when I could hardly move, days and nights when the pain would wake me and cause my heart to stop, I knew I needed to find a solution that was workable for me.

Praying the pain away was not enough. I needed more.

I created a toolkit that consisted of a few tried and true solutions that work for me always.

Key Elements of My “Getting Rid of Fear” Tool Kit:

REACH OUT:
Instant message or text a friend. Technology lets me see when my friends are online and available. If it’s 2AM and the dark hole of fear is pulling me down, I reach out. I tell my truth to one of just a handful of these friends and let that person talk me down from the emotional fear-fueled ledge.

 

“True friends are those rare people who come to find you in dark places and lead you back to the light.”
-Steve Aitchison

 

BREATHE:
I work on calming and centering breaths. Breathing in a word like peace and calling out my name. Breathe in the positive light of peace and exhale the negative darkness of fear. Actually imagine the bright light coming into the top of your head – and imagine the dark cloud of fear exiting at your feet.

Start Counting What You’re Grateful For

Gratitude has become a huge part of my solution to confronting fear. When we are grateful for the good in our lives, however small, we find that more goodness naturally flows to us.

“Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe.
You open the door through gratitude.”
~ Deepak Chopra

So start counting! I begin to count all the things, people, experiences, and positives I have in my life. I use my fingers to try to count them. Always I forget how many I have counted, and I end up smiling. Even while in excruciating pain from my illness, this has worked. It helped reframe my brain.

Those are just a few of the ways I like to put fear on the curb and walk through my life!

For more ways to transform fear and reclaim your life, check out my book: Unstoppable: A Recipe for Success in Business and Life.

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Inspire

I can see my back and other miracles

Staring in the mirror in the bathroom my husband says “Hey hon, what are you staring at?” “My back” I answer. But that’s not the real answer…. the real answer is I can see it.  I can stand in the bathroom, back to the mirror and turn my head far enough to actually see the reflection of my back in the mirror.  My whole back. The realization hits me slowly at first like something coming from a distance and slowly comes into focus as it approaches. I can turn my head. Full range of motion.

On day + 6 after transplant I had my only really down day.  It was the night I chased everyone out.  Would not let Rocky stay in the room over night.  I was laying there in bed, tears in my eyes thinking through some “stuff” that was things I could not change from my past, maybe even having a minor pity party when through the snot and tears I whistled.  The sound that escaped from my lips I had not heard in approximately a decade.  All of a sudden I realized I could whistle again.  Holy cow!  I started whistling there, alone in my hospital room until my lips went numb. You see the SCT (Stem Cell Transplant) softened up the skin around my mouth and changes were happening.  You may want to know I have been whistling since and that was my last night alone in there.

So much of my damage from Scleroderma was done internally on me.  My heart, lings and GI track were are deeply effected.  I know some of that damage will never reverse however some will over time.  My expectations going into all this is that I might see some improvement but this is unwritten.  Its not like there is a road map for this recovery.  I am one of the pioneers in this disease writing that road map. I am the google car driving up and down the roads taking the movie for other to have direction later.  It is a privilege and a true honor to be that person but holy cow the discoveries knock my socks off.

I drink slim fast in the mornings to grab a quick breakfast some of the time.  (I only like the vanilla but I totally love them!) and I am used to drinking this thick beverage.  I am used to having to take anywhere from 10 to 15 gulps to get one bottle of it down.  Yesterday, I grabbed a slim fast to drink my breakfast and as I am drinking I realize I am drank it in two parts.  Like, hold it to my lips, drink, gulp gulp, gulp. Set it down. Then finish it in the next group of gulps.  My throat has not had the mobility to move that thicker liquid down on while still drinking more.  It has clearly loosened and has more mobility.  Blown away over a slim fast.  Wow

Bottom left…..my pulse-ox. My favorite thing!

Finally, for my last revelation and probably the one I only let myself dream of my lung improvement.  When I first got sick 15 years ago I was prior to then a healthy, fit active woman.  I could do all sorts of things without effort.  This illness took my breath from me and over the years has left me increasingly breathless, pants and having to pause when speaking.  My normal pulse-ox went from 99-100 to 91-94 often in the low to mid 80’s when doing any activity.  When I went in the hospital in February it was because my pulse ox was stuck at 70-72.  I’m a tough chic but the brain need oxygen.  After the SCT my vital signs were taken regularly and now I feel the positive effects of my new pulse-ox.  I get to enjoy numbers back in the high 90’s and hitting 100 for the first time since 2004.

Being able to breath, without gasping, pausing, or having to sit or slow down…….priceless

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Inspire

Fatigue Like No Other

You know you have drebilitating fatigue when:

  • You choose to wear yesterday’s clothes because they passed the sniff test and you can’t possibly add another item to your laundry. If you did that you’d have to carry it, wash it, dry it, and put it away. It’s all too much.
  • Your arms feel disconnected and heavy as if they belong to someone other than yourself and your legs, you’re quite certain, have been glued to the floor.
  • You once loved to read but now the hardback books have become too heavy and paperback books have to be held open. It’s all too much to bear. You find yourself lying in front of the TV, mindlessly changing channels.
  • When you try to read for an extended period of time, your eyelids develop a confounding weight and close when you least expect it. They close like broken garage doors as they slam shut despite your best efforts to hold them open.
  • When you awaken each morning you do a double take when looking at your clock. It couldn’t possibly be that late, could it? You lie there and put yourself through a period of orientation. What day is it? What was I going to do today? Am I supposed to be anywhere right now? Can I go one more day without taking a bath.
  • As the day progresses you feel like you’re slogging through deep sand.
  • If you’re at work you sit at your desk staring into space, miss meetings, and discover you don’t care.
  • When dinner arrives and you finally manage to cook it, or even order it at a restaurant you stare at your entrée. You realize you don’t feel like cutting up your steak, chop or anything else that requires a knife. Then, worse yet, you decide you not only cannot cut it but you wish someone else would chew your food for you. You want your mother to reappear and put butter on your bread. You finally take a bite or two then shove it aside, uncaring, unfulfilled.
  • Certain foods like popcorn become too much trouble to get to your mouth and chew. You find all that cheerful crunch too irritating and artichokes, corn on the cob, and salads become far too much trouble due to all that picking and chewing. They are far too much work for so little reward.

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