Happy New Year....

As tonight comes to a close I hope everyone can look back and reflect on the past year.

For me 2008 started off as a fantastic year. Near the end its had some hiccups in regards to work, but I'm back on track.

So many things to be grateful and focus on.

-family health
-kind friends
-growing business
-ds making the rep hockey team
-rep ball
-fantastic husband
-trip to the wheels inn
-impromptu trips overnight to Toronto (3 of them!!!)
-new computer for mom (laptop)
-pool
-spiritual growth


Gratitude was my word for 2008 and its been so true. I've had so much gratitude!!! Thank you 2008 for being a great year.

I'll blog tomorrow about my goals for 2009 and my new word ;)

10 Dares from Staurt Knight

10 Dares for 2009!

1. Write your own perfect eulogy. Commit to one page. How would you like your eulogy to read when that inevitable moment comes for all of us?

2. Sign up for one course. It could be a cooking class, french lessons or a self development course. ANYTHING! I dare you to search the internet after reading this newsletter and sign up for something with your credit card and make the commitment.

3. Eliminate one thing for an entire year. It could be alcohol, a certain food or a draining person in your life. Take one minute and write something down that you would like to remove from your life and do it for one year.

4. Plan and invite people to an appreciation party. Choose five to ten people in your life that you truly appreciate and invite them to this party. At the party do a little speech telling each person why you love them so much. If this scares you then write it down and give it to them in a card. BUT, set the date and invite those people now!

5. Go on a date with yourself in the month of January. Set this date aside now and plan a day where you get to do everything you like doing. At the end of that day, take a moment to write to yourself. While writing, talk about what you want for the rest of your life.


6. Go to the bank and tell them that you would like to have $100 (or more) automatically taken from your account each month and put into a separate account. In the month of December, 2009, buy someone a gift that they could never afford but have always dreamed of!

7. Go online and learn a simple card trick and then have fun doing this trick at parties.

8. Start a conversation with a stranger once a week.

9. Buy tickets to a show or an event that is unlike anything you would normally buy tickets to.

10. Stand up for yourself. If someone acts inappropriately and you know it then say something about it. You are too big to be small.

by Stuart
www.stuartknightproductions.com

Merry Christmas...

"There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions."
Bill McKibben

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."
Norman Vincent Peale

"May peace be more than a season,
may it be a way of life"
Author Unknown

Advice that is worth sharing

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. 2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to. 3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'Today my purpose is to __________ .' 4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. 5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts. 6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. 7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. 8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card. 9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 14. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. 16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years will this really matter?' 17. Forgive everyone for everything. 18. What other people think of you is none of your business. 19.. GOD heals everything. 20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!! 22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________. 24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

:)

Keep repeating... and it really is/will be

Life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good,life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good, life is good......................... Life is what you make it. We make choices. If you decide LIFE IS GOOD, then it will be :)

short movie of appreciation

go here

watch it, its only a few mins long. WOW. How true and how good.

"Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything - whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out."

Tina Turner

Energy Vampires

This was from Oprah a while back, but I love it....

Energy Vampires

Some people bring unexpected lightness and comfort to your life. They crackle with energy, practically electrify you with their presence. And then there are those who leave you feeling stressed out. Or guilty. Or exhausted down to your very last molecule. I call them energy vampires, and obnoxious or meek, they come in all forms. The sob sister, for one, always considers herself the victim. The world is always against her, and she'll recount every horrible thing that has happened to her, wallowing in every perceived slight. The charmer is a constant talker or joke-teller who has to be the center of attention. The blamer, on the other hand, doles out endless servings of guilt. And then there's the drama queen, the co-worker who claims she almost died from a high fever or the neighbor who lives in extremes of emotion—life is unbelievably good or horrifically bad.

No matter which type of energy vampire you're dealing with, you're allowed to walk away. Many of us find this really hard to do. We're afraid of being thought of as impolite; we don't want to offend people. But there are plenty of ways to remove yourself from a killing conversation. When leaving isn't an option, you can still maintain your energy level by making a few minor adjustments.

Recognize the Signs
One of the first things to do is to recognize when you're being drained, and that begins with tuning in to your physical reactions. Is there a tightening in your chest when a certain person enters the conversation? Do you feel tired when you hang up the phone after speaking with someone? Does your head ache, or do you feel what I call "slimed" when another guest at a cocktail party starts talking to you?

Take a Deep Breath
The moment you feel zapped—or hemmed in, or stressed out—I recommend taking a breath. Breathing is a wonderful way to center yourself. Just follow the breath and tell yourself that you know what's happening and you can deal with it. It's important to remember our individual power. I know from working with patients that we can lose it easily. The minute somebody comes in who's bossy or blaming, we feel diminished and tense up. If we can focus on the breath, or on an image of a striking sunset or a view from a mountaintop, the tension will drift away.

Use Your Energy
You can also use some of your own subtle energy to counter the effects of an energy vampire. Visualize a protective white light around you: an energy shield. You can still hear the person who's yelling at you or blaming you or pushing herself into your sphere, but she won't cut into you so viscerally anymore. You've created a buffer zone, where her negative influences can dissipate.

Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is another way of protecting yourself; you draw a line saying, for instance, "This is what I can do for you, and this is what I can't." You don't have to convince the vampire of the rightness of your stance. Getting defensive simply adds to the negative charge of the encounter. You want to remain neutral. When someone starts pushing your buttons, and you start sizzling inside, you've got to make the decision not to react.

Step Back
I also suggest you step back and think about what type of people aggravate you, because I believe that one law of energy is that we attract what we haven't yet worked out in ourselves. If I'm a very angry person, I'll find myself surrounded by angry people. By paying attention to the people who seem so draining, you might discover something you need to address. It has been my experience that once you've worked through a particular issue, you're no longer worn out by that kind of energy vampire. And the vampires, robbed of a source, move on to more easily drainable audiences.

By Judith Orloff, MD

OMG

Okay so this below quote just sums up what I try to tell people! SERIOUSLY! Pick your friends that don't drain you. Leave the energy vampires at home ;) or better yet their home. Say positive things! Don't say negative thoughts! I so love the below quote! LOVE IT!

the quote:

"You will find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make earnest effort to confer that pleasure on others? Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy."

Lydia M. Child
1802-1880, Abolitionist and Writer

Abraham Hicks

Is harmony one note that everybody is singing? Or is it a whole lot of notes that are in vibrational harmony with each other? When you give your attention to anything, the Universe responds to it. When two of you are giving your attention to it, and there is no contradiction, it is a powerful vortex. That's why a gathering such as this can achieve a great deal as you come together in greater and greater harmony and take thought beyond that which it has been before.
--- Abraham Hicks

Excerpted from the workshop in Chicago, IL on Sunday, April 25th, 1999

his site here

Seasons...

A question on a message board I read asked what your favourite season is? Funny. For me for years it was never winter. Hated it. Too cold, too much snow, too much (wha wha you get the picture) lol. This year I decided I was going to say I love winter! I love the snow. I think happy hockey, skiing, outdoor fun. I picture the driving good. Even tonight, we had to drive through a snow storm and you know what both Tim and I thought, this isn't bad and kept going. I even went out and got groceries later on!

I guess what I'm saying is so far, so good! Its all in the attitude ;) it really is!!!!

Fav seasons?

I love spring because its the fresh renewal.
I love summer because the heat and beach and my pool ;)
I love fall because of the crisp air and smells.
I love winter because of the fun and in an odd way, the warmth it brings me.

Life is good. Enjoy it all.

Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit,
you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.
--Norman Vincent Peale

Holiday Survival....

1. Time Is the Best Gift

This year, put "quality time" at the top of your to-do list: quality time with your family, friends, neighbors, and special coworkers. Just taking a quiet moment to tell someone how important they are to you can mean so much more than any gift. Consider organizing a casual potluck for your friends and neighbors -- each can bring their favorite holiday dish, and perhaps you can spread the spirit by caroling after the meal. If entertaining stresses you out, get together for lunch at your favorite diner or coffee shop. And whether you've got teens or toddlers, a family movie night is a relaxing way to spend time together.

2. Keep It Simple

Probably the No. 1 reason for out-of-control stress is trying to overdo it. If you're planning your own shindig, or sorting out gifts for your extended family, don't feel obligated to make it to every single party, or buy for the whole office. Try our quiz to see if you're in danger of overdoing it.

3. Forget Perfect

Does your daydream holiday feature you as the ideal, apron-clad hostess presiding over a magazine-style home? Forget it. Trying to attain perfection could be a recipe for disaster. Better to focus on friends and family, and leave the super-hostess mantle to the professionals.

If you're dedicated to throwing the best party ever, then plan ahead. Decorate the weekend before. Plan a simple menu so you're not slaving in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying the party. Ask your guests to bring appetizers so you can focus on the main course. But ultimately, remember that the best parties happen when the hostess has fun, too.

4. Give Yourself a Gift

It's fun to give to others, but in doing so we often forget to treat ourselves. So go ahead and splurge on that sexy red sweater you've been eyeing. Schedule a 30-minute massage. Bake that chocolate cake you've been craving. (You could share the leftovers with your coworkers!) Or plan a quiet evening at home with a special someone and just the lights of the Christmas tree to keep you company.

5. Get in Touch with Your Spiritual Side

Whether you're religious or not, the holidays can be a time for giving thanks, and for taking stock of our lives and the larger world around us. Many people find themselves drawn back to church at this time of year. The ritual of the ceremony and the quiet moments of prayer can be soothing, and even humbling; a reminder of the spirit of the season. But if you don't wish to attend an organized religious event, meditation can be an outlet for your psyche. No matter what you decide to do, set aside some time for reflection.