A guaranteed part of living in the northeastern U.S. is facing the chill of Winter, affectionately known to me as “Old Man Winter”. Today we had the option of either staying inside and talking about the cold dreary weather, or putting on boots, jumping in the snow and LIVING.  Instead of grumping about the cold, we decided to enjoy this storm and take a sled ride!

 

As the cold front swept across the east coast of the U.S., the snow fell inch after inch. The moment I stepped outside and felt the heavy wet snow, I knew that it could only mean one thing – it was a perfect day for a sled ride.

It’s been at least 15 years since my last traditional sledding experience. Even though it’s been over a decade, that rectangular piece of orange plastic felt all too familiar, only this time it was my wife and I sharing our two-year-old daughter’s first powdery plunge. We drove to a nearby park, got out and ran to the first hill we could find near the closed boathouse. I ran up to the top of a 10-foot slope and rode back down – the sledding track was made and we were ready.

The Sled Ride

The three of us eagerly climbed the hill. Our daughter was so ecstatic to be running through the snow and throwing snowballs. In fact, she almost forgot the reason we’re near freezing. With our two year old held in front of me, we both sat down as rehearsed and 1…2…3, we were off to the bottom! A run to the top and second round of sledding immediately commenced with Mom. Suddenly, two little girls were adventuring to the bottom.  Our smiles were so big at that moment that no temperature could chill us on the inside.

While walking back to the car, we threw another dozen snowballs, made a half dozen snow angels, and quacked at the ducks on the lake. Most importantly, we took one more ride down a small hill. Now home and cuddled with hot chocolate in hand, I think to myself. This was the best sled ride ever.

 

 

“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or go sledding.” ~ Author Unknown

Instead of turning our back on old man winter, we decided to embrace and enjoy the hidden gifts this foe of many had to bear. Is there a storm in your life right now? Can you make a decision to dance in the rain or even go for a sled ride?

 

Self-sabotage occurs when you wittingly or unwittingly become your own worst enemy. As your own worst enemy, you tend to do the opposite of what would make you happy and successful.

If you were to look closely, you’d likely discover that many failed goals, relationships, businesses, and dreams have strong roots in self-sabotage. We tend to get in our own way – and do it consistently.  What if we didn’t, though?

What if you eradicated self-sabotage from your life? Wouldn’t that be transformational?

You’d immediately begin to reap the following 7 benefits.

1. Better Decisions

Poor, impulsive decisions are often the gateway to failure. When you make a self-sabotaging decision, you have to get very lucky in order for things to work out. Here are some examples:

• Saying yes to marriage when you have serious doubts about the person you are with.
• Starting a business without experience, funds or a plan.
• Making purchases that you cannot afford.
• Confiding in someone with a history of gossip.
• Doing something with your life for the sole purpose of pleasing someone else.
• Saying yes even though you mean no.

Essentially, self-sabotaging decisions overlook all the red flags, good advice and sound logic that lead to happiness and success.  If you had no self-sabotaging tendencies, you’d make much better, more mature decisions. Decisions would be patient, timely, set up for success and aligned with who you are.

2. More Self-Discipline

A lack of self-discipline leads to emptiness and misery. When you don’t control your eating, spending, study habits, time, excessive behaviors and emotions, you lose a grip on life.  If you had no self-sabotaging tendencies however, you’d follow through with your plans, exercise even when feel down or lazy, be strict with what goes into your body, honor your commitments and motivate yourself even when it is difficult to do so.

Self-sabotage encourages you to take the easy way out, but that is a self-deception. The easy way out is often the path that challenges you to become your best self, not run from it.

3. Better Relationships

Relationships are perhaps the ultimate test of maturity. Can you speak your mind, be flexible, take the other’s point of view, make sacrifices and be true to your word?  Can you balance respectfully your needs with the needs of your partner? Most of all, can you do what you know in your heart is right and take feedback with an open mind? In the absence of self-sabotage, yes you can!

Self-sabotage would have you choose wrong relationship partners, and then have you justify your poor choices. You’ll choose people who control, reject and deprive you of what you need to be happy.

4. Vitality and Health

“There is no greater peace than to know that you are 100% invested in fulfilling your purpose in life to the best of your ability.”

Lots of energy and vitality are not difficult to acquire. You just need to eat right, exercise and supplement any nutritional deficiencies over time. This requires lots of study and experimentation. Most of all, it requires sticking to a conscious plan consistently.

In the absence of self-sabotage, you absolutely can achieve a wonderful and fulfilling state of physical and mental health. Just do the research and stick to the plan. You want to treat your mind and body respectfully, because they are your vehicles to peace and happiness. It’s obvious! Why would you ever mistreat yourself? You would because self-sabotage will encourage you to give up and throw your health out the window. In some cases, people are willing to shave decades off their life as part of their cycle of self-sabotage.

5. Peace of Mind

There is no greater peace than to know that you are 100% invested in fulfilling your purpose in life to the best of your ability. Peace of mind comes from acting in the way that you know is right, working hard and accepting your limitations.  Self-sabotage is the ultimate destroyer of inner peace. Self-sabotage is that voice in your mind that tells you to give up, that you can’t do it, that it’s not worth it. If this voice is more powerful than you, then you’ll probably believe it and not put forth your best effort. No peace in this!

6. Greater Emotional Resources

Most people have tremendous emotional resilience and resources. Within you lies the courage, patience, drive and the will to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. That is, until self-sabotage convinces you otherwise. Again, that voice in your head that criticizes your efforts would have you give in to despair and helplessness.  When you give power to your self-sabotaging tendencies, you give in to pessimism and failure – and lose access to your emotional strength.

7. Stuff Just Works!

The bottom line, whatever you set out to do will be as successful as it can be if you stay out of your own way. And when you put forth your best effort only to meet failure, you’ll still be pleased with yourself; accept the defeat and begin to make new plans, incorporating what you have learned.

Here’s a bizarre, challenging self-sabotage experiment:

If you have a pattern of failure in any area of your life, try the following experiment.
Warning: This may seem crazy, but if you do it, you may blow your own mind.

1. Consider the failure – where are you struggling to succeed?

2. When failure happens, how do you feel? Humiliated, rejected, empty, out-of-control, helpless, lonely, worthless?

3. Pretend that some part of you is so used to feeling this feeling that it actually seeks out opportunities to feel that way again. In other words, this negative feeling is seeking to be expressed, over and over. And your unwitting failures are the perfect opportunity. Therefore, in a strange way, you are actually motivated to fail!

4. Now, catch yourself setting yourself up for failure. How do your decisions and actions lead directly into these old, familiar negative feelings? Once you understand the process, you are on the way to letting go and living up to your potential.

To learn more about how self-sabotage works, and a simple process to move beyond it, watch this free video.

 

 

Sometimes living a positive life in a world with challenges seems difficult. It can be if you don’t equip your mind, body, and soul with the simple yet powerful tools necessary to embrace the lifestyle of positive thinking. Once implemented regularly, daily and weekly habits for positive living will propel your life forward and switch the positive thinking light on more automatically.

“We become what we repeatedly do.” – Stephen Covey

101 Habits for Positive Living:

1. Smile all throughout the day.
2. Get in the sunshine, when possible, at least 15 minutes per day.
3. Surround yourself with loving, positive people – both in person and online.
4. Connect with Mother Earth – Disconnect to Reconnect
5. Talk with God / The Universe / Angels / Your Guides / Your Intuition (whatever name you relate to)

6. Read something that inspires you and teaches you something new.

7. Stay Active Daily

8. Do something for yourself that you truly enjoy
9. Look in the mirror and compliment yourself. Take it further – do Mirror Work.
10. Take a relaxing Epsom Salt Bath (lavender is our favorite)
11. Laugh A LOT!! We’re talking 100-200 laughs till your belly hurts. 😉
12. Help someone in need
13. Throw away worry
14. **Dream more**
15. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable sometimes
16. Check at least one thing off of your “To DONE List” every day

17. Focus on what makes you happy

18. Say “Good Morning” to anyone you pass (in the AM of course 😉
19. Cuddle with a pet or bond with an animal
20. Reflect on what you’re grateful for and appreciate often
21. Get enough sleep and take a good nap when you need it
22. Exercise MORE!!!
23. Believe in YOURSELF!
24. Achieve a goal, go after another.

25. Keep your Morals

26. Get/Give at least 5 BIG hugs a day – 10 is even better!
27. Focus, Focus, Focus!
28. Eat two Brazil Nuts for Selenium Benefits – good health and happiness.
29. Wake up and drink a BIG glass of filtered lemon water

“Everything you are used to, once done long enough, starts to seem natural, even though it might not be.” – Julien Smith

30. Listen to / Sing your favorite song
31. Recall a fond memory
32. Have more SEX! 😉
33. Eat whole foods and eat your way to happiness
34. Learn something N-E-W!
35. Write and practice powerful “I AM” Affirmation Statements

36. LOVE YOURSELF MORE!

37. Close your eyes and visualize your dreams and goals
38. Use Power Thought Cards
39. Give genuine compliments often
40. Smudge and Add Positive Energy to your Home
41. Be enthusiastic and FUN to be around. 🙂
42. Challenge yourself, take a risk

43. Practice Yoga

44. Value your ambitions, and work on them daily
45. Positively reward yourself for your hard work
46. Do something exciting; go on an adventure!!
47. Visit the Power of Positivity daily.
Hey, you can even Subscribe to our Feed and be the first to read what we publish.
48. – BE HONEST –
49. Enjoy Chocolate, just a little 😉 Raw is best!
50. Write a Gratitude List and/or Journal
51. Drink 64+ ounces of filtered water every day!

52. Try a Mood Booster

53. Practice Deep Breathing
54. Spend time with family and/or good friends
55. Learn from your Elders
56. Forgive Yourself, or as I like to say, ForGIFT Yourself!
57. Listen to your favorite motivational speaker – like Joel Osteen, Louise Hay, & Tony Robbins
58. Appreciate the small things

“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.” – Mark Twain

59. Allow yourself to Relax
60. Work hard and be okay with mistakes; that’s how you learn and grow.
61. Expand your vocabulary. Learn a word and its meaning, then use it in a sentence.
62. Learn from others
63. Release problems, embrace solutions
64. Drink a Green Smoothie
65. Let go of Anger, it doesn’t serve you

66. Take more pictures 🙂 (CHHEEEZE!)

67. Communicate your feelings to others
68. Overcome a FEAR, and then tell someone about it!
69. Find out who you truly are and express it every day. Love your unique attributes!
70. Plan a Vacation!! (YOU DESERVE IT!)
71. Take time to listen to others
72. Take a walk or go for a run. Get F-R-E-S-H air!
73. Read inspiring quote posters daily on our Power of Positivity facebook page
74. Read a self help book, and then implement what you learned.

75. Share with others

76. Practice positive thinking everyday
77. Download Personal Development Apps on your phone
78. MEDITATE
79. Gain more self confidence
80. Expand your mind – take a class, learn something new.
81. Release unhealthy habits
82. Create a 5 person Mastermind group
83. Speak Positive, Remind Yourself of these 5 Easy Ways to Practice the Art of Positivity

84. Motivate someone else

85. Stop Procrastinating. Just do it!
86. Teach someone how to do something
87. Spring Clean Early: Clean out your home and give away items you don’t use. Physical clutter resembles mental clutter.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
– Jim Rohn

88. Release the need to complain. Choose happy thoughts.
89. Dance and sing like no one’s watching!
90. Release lack and negative thoughts around Money. Money is energy and your thoughts create your relationship with it.
91. Balance your Mind, Body and Soul (WINK: This Celebration of Illumination can help!)
92. Spend a little time alone, in peace and quiet.
93. Master The Power of Now
94. Be successful, even on the weekends. Here’s what Successful People Do on the Weekends.
95. Throw or attend a party!
96. Be loving and romantic–one of the best habits for positive living!
97. Start a new habit, a good one!
98. Write custom affirmations for yourself.
99. Try Brain Games like Lumosity.
100. Devote a whole day to the family!
101. Get up with the Sun! 🙂
102. BONUS: Cleanse, Detoxify, and Drink Fresh Juice
103. EXTRA POSITIVE LIVING BONUS: Get inspired daily by following us on Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. 😉

Final Thoughts on Trying Out These New Habits for Positive Living

I hope you enjoy these little gems of daily living wisdom as much as I have continued to.  Be sure to add to the list and keep it growing with your own healthy, happy life habits and develop habits for positive living. Shine ON!

It can be laborious for me to stay positive at times, especially when things take a slight turn away from how we imagine our plans should turn out. But what really matters is staying positive most of the time, not letting the fears of what ‘might’ happen control you into getting worked up and stressed out. Incorporating positivity into your life has many benefits some you probably didn’t even know about!

“It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive.” Ellen DeGeneres

For me when I was younger (late teens, early twenties) you could say I was a positive thinking person to the point where people used to ask me whenever a crisis occurred, what are you going to do? Aren’t you worried?

I always stayed positive and knew the outcome would be ok, but as I got older this wasn’t the case with more responsibilities to take on at work and home and becoming uncertain about my future my fears took over leaving me not knowing what to do until I remembered how I used to deal with this kind of circumstances. That was to stay positive, no matter what. You can too by following the ‘5 ways to stay positive’ revealed within this guide as well as exploring the benefits of being a positive person. While some people are more positive than others you can become a more positive person even if you think this is not true.

Why Should I Bother?

Why shouldn’t you! For a start research shows you can live longer just by being a positive thinker as well as a smaller chance of becoming depressed or distressed and not to mention, you’re less likely to catch a cold. Overall positive people are happier and healthier. Learning to become more positive will also allow you to cope better in stressful times.

5 Ways to Practice the Art of Positivity

1. Affirmations

Which are known as positive statements, let’s try some out:

*I am so happy and grateful for _______ (fill in the blank)

* It’s so wonderful to ________

The truth is that every day, people subconsciously or even consciously make thousands of negative statements about ourselves or about the circumstances in our life. So in order to stay positive, we must consciously make positive statements that also use words that have an emotion like ‘happy’ or ‘grateful’ as I used in the example affirmations above. The key is to try and ‘feel’ the emotion of the words used.

2. Expect The Best

What is the outcome you want? This question relates to a goal, your day or your life. Do you always expect the worst and then get it? Begin now to expect the best by focusing SOLELY on the outcome you want.  Use positivity. NO. MATTER. WHAT.

3. Surround Yourself With The Right People

“We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with” – Jim Rohn

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said “we are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with”. Think about it, how you feel, what you say and what you think depends on who you are with most of the time. When I spend my time around happy and positive people I feel energized. I am also a lot more optimistic about my future.

4. Make a Good Start to The Day

“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

According to research (and experience) how you start your day determines the rest of it. Do you dread what lies ahead or do you wake up thankful and excited?

Make a good start to the day by first by giving thanks to see another day, second for the bed you slept in! Then think about all the great possibilities your day could bring. Don’t just take my word for it, try it.

5. Gratitude

Gratitude will keep your mind on all the good things in your life so you don’t have time to think about the negative. Be grateful for everything, not just saying the words but feeling them too. As you can see ‘The art of staying positive’ could be life-changing, all that is required is some time to make it a habit and best of all the benefits are worth the effort!

Will you make the necessary changes towards positivity today?

 

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we wish to reflect on the inspiring quotes and memorable words that have kept his spirit flame illuminating the world ever since that fateful day in April of 1968.

Here are 11 of our favorite inspiring quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that have become life lessons for many of us:

1. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”
2. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
3. “The time is always right to do what is right.”
4. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
5. “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
6. “At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.”
7. “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”
8. “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
9. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
10. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
11. “Forgiveness is not an occasional act.  It is a permanent attitude.”

And of course, we can’t leave out the “I Have a Dream” speech that still echoes through our hearts today.  Here it is:

Martin Luther King, Jr. will always be remembered for his role in the civil rights movement, the fearlessness in his eyes during the million person march on Washington, and the message of love and oneness that came directly from his heart. May we always remember Dr. King, and all of the amazing people who have come before us to help mold the world into a more peaceful, loving, positive place.

Please share to help spread these important life lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Restorative yoga is a passive style of yoga where each pose  (asana) is supported by props—bolsters, straps, blankets, blocks, chair, or wall. This support enables the practitioner to comfortably sink into a pose and hold it for  5 to 10 minutes. And that allows them to let go, be present, and completely relax in the moment.  As with any type of exercise, it’s vital that we work within our own range of limits and abilities.

“A mind free from all disturbances is Yoga “ Patanjali

Although it’s deceptively easy in appearance, Staff Pose is an intense posture. Not only does it build strength in the stomach and upper back, but it also opens the chest making it easier to take deep, healthy breaths.

Because this basic pose provides the structural basis for many seated postures—including twists—so it’s important to include it in our daily practice.

Here’s How It’s Done

• Sit on your mat with your back upright forming a 90-degree angle with your legs.
• Adjust the flesh of each buttock so that your sit bones rest on the mat—distribute your weight
  evenly between both sides.
• Extended in front of your body, legs should be together.
• Slightly rotate your legs inward and engage your thigh muscles, pressing them firmly into the
  mat.
• Push out through your heels as you point your toes to the ceiling—keep your feet and knees
  together.
• Press your palms flat on the mat alongside each hip, fingers pointing forward.
• Draw your belly button in toward your spine, hold your chin parallel to the floor, and gaze
  straight ahead
•  Anchor your body through your tailbone as you sit tall—stretching the top of your head toward
  the ceiling, while drawing your shoulders away from your ears.
• Imagine your spine as a “staff”—focus on maintaining the 90-degree angle alignment of your
  body.

My shoulders are wide and my chest is open, allowing me to draw in deep, nourishing breaths.

Modification

Sit on your mat with your back against a wall—your sacrum and shoulder blades should touch the wall, while leaving a space between the wall and your head and your lower
back.

Most restorative yoga poses are held for between 5 and 10 minutes. As mentioned, this posture is deceptively easy in appearance. Try to maintain the Staff Pose for 1 minute or longer.

The Benefits

• Effective for improved posture
• Sciatica relief
• Diminishing the symptoms of asthma.

This asana also works to calm the chaos that some of us entertain in our minds, and can help to improve concentration.

Inhale. And Then Exhale. Let your heart gently ride the waves of each breath. Restorative yoga makes my body feel easy to wear, and comfortably at home. This is one of my favorite poses. Besides that, I love how I feel when I mentally affirm, “My shoulders are wide and my chest is open, allowing me to draw in deep, nourishing breaths.”
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