Gratitude Creates Smoother Days

Day of Thanks

’Tis the season for recognizing all the good that we have in our lives! In this country, we are taught from a very early age that Thanksgiving Day is for giving thanks for all we have and to give to those who don’t have enough to have a comfortable, safe life.

How about being in that “place of gratitude” daily? Take time each and every day to recognize something that is really good and positive, something that puts a smile on your face, gives you good feelings and helps you truly appreciate how blessed you are. You’ll discover that it makes the whole home environment smoother and calmer.

Family Project For “Tracking The Good Things”

When we recognize the good things that have happened, we automatically go into a place of gratitude. When we’re in that place of gratitude, more good keeps on coming. What you focus on expands.

Start a family practice that allows each of you to get in the habit of looking for the “good things.”

Three Ways to Track Good Things

1. Set up a “good things jar” for each family member or each member could have their own journal.
2. Have a special place in the house for everyone to write their day’s good thing.
3. Spend time when you’re sitting at the dinner table to say “this was good for me today” and “I did this good thing today.”

You’ll notice that your household has a lot more smoother days. You’ll probably discover that each and everyone of you have easier, calmer days at work and at school.

Positive Versus Negative

Have you ever noticed that when you’re in a place of being positive, everything in your day goes smoother and easier? And that on those days it’s easy to find things to be grateful for? On the other side of the coin are those days when nothing seems to go right and your thoughts are negative. That’s because negative thinking creates more negative thoughts, actions, behaviors, and responses. In that environment, not much positive can take place because there’s only room for the negative to live. And where there is a preponderance of negative, how can there be anything much to be grateful for?

The trick is to stop any old negative pattern you don’t want and to have the space for a new pattern to be created and to grow. It is in that place that we can create positive. And from that space, more and more will arrive in your life to be grateful for.

My Gratitude Jar

This past year I have been filling a gratitude jar with “daily good things”. And when I take the time to do it, I find that it is hard to write just one good thing because one thing breeds another and another. My piece of paper can get really full on those days. And when I miss a day (and especially when I miss several days in a row) it is noticeable to me that it’s easy to get into “not enough, or this is rough, or I wish this was different.”

A Balanced Body Creates a Positive Life

Make a difference in your life, your kids’ lives and in how the whole family moves through the day. Find a way to track the good things and you will be in gratitude.

To create the space for more good things, consider walking around in a body that is in a state of balance and harmony. When your body is in balance, being positive is just easier. Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow as a family and see that it makes a big difference. See what parents and kids are saying at www.dailycleanyourhouseflow.com

Gratitude is an Attitude

Gratitude is an Attitude

Yep! I’m a lucky girl. I’m healing from that accident of one month ago though I’m often hurting and needing to watch what I do. Exercising is pretty much out of the picture — at least for right now. Mild stretching is about the extent of what my body will let me do. My garden beckons me but luckily it’s time to prepare it for winter, and I can hand the clean-up to someone else. Decorating for Christmas? I’ll just have to see what can actually get done. Time will tell.

My Healing Journey

I feel so blessed that my treatment plan is helping me get beyond the injuries and even more blessed that I have the healing team I do. They literally have my back. And all of that self-help acupressure I do is getting me through the days and helping me sleep at night. I can feel how the energy flows help me prepare my body for what I’m going to ask it to do and prepare it for what might come at it. I’m getting more out of each appointment I receive, whether it’s acupuncture, physical therapy, massage or chiropractic. I will get on the other side of this thing called “the accident.”

Creating Positive Energy

Yep. I’m in gratitude. And I know that my gratitude will bring more good things my way because positive energy draws more of the same towards it. Positive energy occurs when there is balance and harmony which naturally happens in our bodies when we help the energy flow.

So do your daily energy work! Start with the Daily Clean Your House Flow to give your body a firm foundation. Then do the following to bring even more good things your way:

• Right hand – hold fingers on right mid back
• Left hand – hold fingers on left mid back
• Right hand – hold fingers on left base of ribcage
• Right hand – cup sternum directly below collarbone
• Left hand – hold fingers in a vertical pattern on tummy

The Attitude of Gratitude

When we’re in a space of gratitude we have an attitude that is all about contentment. We’re contented with what we have in our life, what we’re experiencing and how good and happy we feel. That attitude draws more good into our lives that allows more gratitude. That is a beautiful cycle to create and make sure continues! And another huge benefit — there’s not much space to experience stress. Each day has more and more room to just be.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Ensuring Student Success

Thanks to our School Professionals!!!

There are so many people who play a part in ensuring the success of students. American Education Week is a dedicated time to recognize all those professionals who touch the lives of our children: teachers, administrators, counselors, office staff, food service employees, health care employees, safety officers, custodial and maintenance employees.

Each and every one of them help keep schools running and students safe, healthy and ready to learn. Student achievement is a reality when they receive quality education. Without all of these professionals we would not have a school environment that creates the space for education to be a journey in discovery.

Good Memories of School

Do you have memories of school being fun, engaging, beneficial, and worthwhile and that you wanted to be there? I’m lucky to say those qualities are what I experienced when I was a young student, and that it was primarily the adults who were on the school campus who brought that to fruition. They fostered my desire to study and learn, and to have fun doing so.

Creating Success for Our Kids

Maybe its those memories that brought me to the place of wanting to create a program that allows teachers to have classrooms that are calmer and more productive, to have students who aren’t anxious and stressed and have more clarity and focus. However I got there, I am passionate about bringing the possibility of that environment to our schools. My animated video of a self-help acupressure flow is helping teachers and parents create a balanced calm space — at school and at home.

Check out the first 90 seconds of the six minute video called the Daily Clean Your House Flow. Teachers and parents are saying, “This makes a huge difference at school and at home.” And kids are saying, “Everything is easier.” Studying, doing homework, taking tests,  sports, music – kids are having more success in all they do. And they’re having fun learning an easy way to get there!

And that’s what they should experience! Life should be filled with successful moments that give them the inclination to keep on being involved, trying, learning and stepping into their potential. I love hearing kids telling me the good things, the happy moments, the “I like being in school,” and “my teacher is the best,” and “I’m doing better.”

And I know that teachers and school staff feel the very same way. Otherwise they wouldn’t be doing what they do – helping children step into being the best they can be. Thanks to ALL of you who are there every day for your students!

Homework Battles – A Thing Of The Past!

Homework Battles – A Thing Of The Past!

Has homework made your household a daily battleground?  Let’s face it — for your children to be successful at school, homework is a necessary thing to do. But a lot of kids have a real hard time getting beyond the “it’s no fun.” Guess what? It often times isn’t fun for them! But then here you come — requiring an action that butts up against their belief and you have a battle.

The key is to help them change their belief  from “it’s no fun” to “it is a part of the day that is enjoyable.” It’s all about changing their perception which in turn can change the pattern that is in place.

Change the Pattern

Here’s the clincher, patterns can be changed! We can do it by moving the blocked energy that has been getting and keeping your children stuck in their old way of being. And, even better — it will be super easy. It’s all about getting the mind and actions to match up so new patterns have a chance to become automatic and natural for your child. To help that new pattern replace the old one, you can do self-help acupressure. And, it will happen faster if you have a consistent daily practice.

The Power of a Daily Practice

I know a lot of families who are doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow to start the day and then again before homework. The Daily Flow is a acupressure flow that adults and children can easily do. One parent says, “I’m blown away by how much easier it is to start the day, get my kids to school, and then how there are no more bouts of anger and frustration around homework. It just gets done and I’m no longer the mean mom. And it only takes us 6 minutes each time. That is good use of time for all of us.”

To see how easy the whole process is, try holding these acupressure points to help open up and expand breath.

• Hold your upper arms by folding your arms across your chest.
• Then, while still holding your right fingertips on your left arm, move your left hand to the base of your right ribcage.

You have just touched three separate points that when held in conjunction with each other, remind your body to breathe.

See How Easy It Is To Not Have A Battleground!

It’s that simple! I have a lot of other “pointers” (pun intended!) on my website. Go to www.dailycleanyourhouseflow.com to see what I suggest for you and your family! And see the first 90 seconds of a 6 minute animated video of the Daily Clean Your House Flow.

You will discover that you no longer need to be the battalion chief. And that you and your kids will have more fun — even when doing homework!

Self-esteem and Gratitude

Self-esteem and Gratitude

Self-esteem and gratitude. Those two really “big words” are being batted about. Have you ever thought of how they go together?   

The Building of Self-esteem

First off, let’s look at self-esteem. It is a real important attribute to have, especially for children. A child with a high level of self-esteem will easily be able to step into all the possibilities available to her because she can actually see her options. But even before she can get to that place, that thing called self-esteem needs to be shaped by perception — her own and those of important people in her life.

Then comes a sense of security and belonging, a place where there is a degree of safety and comfort. From that space, your child can move into having goals that give her purpose and direction and allow her to achieve her desires. “Your child will feel empowered and in control of events when she is able to make or influence decisions that she considers important.”

For the entire article “Helping Your Child Develop a Healthy Sense of self-esteem,” go to https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/Helping-Your-Child-Develop-A-Healthy-Sense-of-Self-Esteem.aspx. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that our children need to be fully engaged with recognizing their possibilities before they can even take the steps to reach their end objectives.

Creating The Space For self-esteem

How do we help our children have a sense of purpose that allows them to channel their energy toward achievement and self-expression?

All of us, no matter our age, are walking around in bodies that are hungry for an energetic balance that will enable us to have clarity, have direction, be creative, be productive and experience success. We can more easily be there when we help our bodies discover what it feels like and then consistently remind them how to be in that space.

There’s an easy-to-do self-help acupressure flow called the Daily Clean Your House Flow that helps our bodies create the foundation for all that we want for our children. Check it out! There is a purpose for each of the nine poses that will assist your child to reach her full potential. And the animated video of the Daily Flow makes it a real easy and fun way to bring the routine into home life and into the classroom.

Bringing self-esteem And Gratitude Together

Now For Gratitude

It’s really quite simple how self-esteem and gratitude go together. A person who has healthy self-esteem is happy and easily functions in her day-to-day life. And that person can more easily see all the good things that happen. When we recognize and acknowledge those good things, we truly are in the space of “being in gratitude.” And that is the space where more good things come from.

In this season that is so much about recognizing what the good things are, let’s help our children discover how easy it is to be there and consistently live in a state of gratitude.

I was just telling one of my clients who is an amazing writer and poet about my self-esteem and gratitude article. Vilma proceeded to say, “self-esteem without gratitude is egoism.” There you go — self-esteem and gratitude are two really great partners in life!

May all of you have the best of the two in YOUR lives! Sending “good things energy” your way! Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo credit: Frederick Homes for Sale / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Life is Full of Surprises!

Life is Full of Surprises!

Accidents are not planned so when they happen life changes. You have a list of what you need to do in the next few days and within the week. You have plans and then all of a sudden you have to make new ones. My car accident of two weeks ago has created a bit of a scheduling chaos. My calendar now needs to handle doctors, physical therapy, energy work, and massage. Whiplash creates a need to for immediate treatment. I don’t want to wait for the muscles to tighten up even more.

Where’s My Car?

Then there’s the car issue. I really didn’t expect to hear that my car is a total loss after being rear-ended. How could that have bent the frame? After the crash, I was able to drive my car to a meeting and then to my home. Now I get to deal with replacing my car when that was the farthest thing from my mind. I thought my Subaru was going to give me another ten years. I don’t know as of yet what I’ll be driving next.

Ripples and Repercussions

Any of this sound familiar to you? Dealing with repercussions from an accident is a lot of “this wasn’t part of any plan I had in place.” But that’s life: it’s like a box of chocolates. You don’t know what you’re going to get until you take a bite of whichever piece you happen to choose or are given.

Harvest Time and the Holidays

It’s November and my time is supposed to be used finishing the harvest, cleaning up the garden, getting plants into the greenhouse, prepping for Thanksgiving and creating holiday gifts.  And, of course, if you know me, you know that decorating for Christmas is of major importance. And top of the list is seeing my clients and spreading the word about my animated video of the Daily Clean Your House Flow.

Day by Day

So what to do? Take each day, one at a time, just like picking out a piece of chocolate. And I thank my lucky stars that my body is on a fast track to healing. All things considered, my life COULD be a lot worse. I have a treatment plan and I’m doing my energy work around the clock. Whatever gets accomplished from my list is still in up for grabs. The key is treat the list in way that keeps it from turning into stress.

Energy Balance and Healing

I’m doing the following to help my body be in energetic balance and heal.

Breath, Relieve Shoulder and Neck Tension

This flow will help you to be in breath and relieve tension in your shoulder and neck:

• Hold upper arms by folding arms across the chest
•  Left hand: cup right shoulder with fingers at top of right shoulder blade
  • Right hand: cup sternum below collarbone
  • Left hand: move to right upper arm
  • Left hand: hold fingertips in a vertical pattern on tummy

Clarity, Focus and Release Tightness in your Neck and Head

This flow will help you create clarity and focus and relieve neck and head pressure:

• Left hand: cup back of neck
• Right hand: cup forehead

Gratitude is an Attitude

By the way, you don’t have to be healing from an accident for any of this to work! Try these steps any time you want to expand your breath and improve focus.

I’m hoping YOU have a beautiful November! This IS the month for gratitude. See what each day brings and look for the good.  Enjoy!