Money, Money, Money

Money is a major stressor in many peoples lives. It's a major cause of conflict in many relationships and is a leading cause of divorce. Taking control of my money and my finances is an important step in creating a positive, appreciative life for myself. I'd like to address a few money topics over the next few days.

Addressing debt is a very important step in coming to terms with money. Write a list of your debt:all credit cards including interest on each one and current amount owned, mortgage, car loans, student loans and any other loans owed.

Flip Negative Talk

When I hear negative talk, flip it. For instance, if I feel or say, “I am stupid.”, then think of 3 smart things I've done. Or if I feel like I always say the wrong thing, then think of 1 or 2 “right” things I could have said. Finally, let it go.

Recognizing Acts Of Kindness

Do not take other people's positive actions for granted. Show appreciation for any act of kindness no matter how minor it may be. Wave to the driver if they are kind enough to give you a break to enter traffic or make a turn. Say thank you when someone gets an item for you off the top shelf at a store, holds the door for you, asks how you're doing, or is as gracious as picking up a check at a restaurant, or cooking you dinner.

I want to be intentional about recognizing others acts of kindness.

Stop The Chatter

I heard a story about how email contributes to our daily stress as does other electronics. We are listening to our IPods, surfing the internet, chatting on Skype, stalking people on Facebook, keeping up on our email and catching up on missed tv shows on our computers. We no longer, according to the story, give ourselves downtime. This downtime is when we let our mind relax, be creative and come up with new ideas. This has been lost with all the electronic clutter that is now a part of our lives.

I'm guilty. I can't remember the last time I read a book at home for longer than a half hour without checking on my email, or looking something up on the internet.

I'm going to try to give myself a big chunk of time to be away from all the electronic noise and clutter that has incorporated itself into my daily life. I'll let you know how I did.

Update: I spent about 90% of my day without going on my computer etc. It wasn't so bad. My husband, a musician, was at a gig last night where one of the musicians missed playing the beginning of a song because he was on his cell phone texting, checking email or whatever. Hmmm.

The Feel Of Summer

Summer flowers for me have always meant roses. I love the velvety, soft touch of a rose petal. Another summer, touch sensation that I always found comforting is feeling the warmth of the sun soaked garden soil. Others include, heat when opening a closed up car sitting in the sun all day, wet sand squishing between my toes and the cool sensation running through my body as I jump into a cold lake or ocean. It feels so good.

I love summer. Thinking about the 5 senses in terms of this season has given me a real appreciation for this time of year here in NJ. I am very grateful for these gifts from mother nature.

Eye See Summer

On the really hot, hot days of summer, I am always amazed at the heat vapors coming off the macadam covered street. I love the carefree, childhood memories that come flying back at that sight. I also appreciate the summer sights of children chasing lightening bugs, beads of sweat dripping from the joggers going by, the neighbors taking their evening walks and the families having picnics in the park. What beautiful sights.

The Taste Of Summer

Growing up in The Garden State, with a dad that used our backyard as his personal garden oasis, made me appreciate and salivate over all the home grown summer fruit and vegetables. I can taste the juicy sweetness of an ear of silver queen corn on the cob. There is the delicious righteousness of eating a tasty tomato off the vine or a juicy, tree ripened peach as it makes its way into my mouth with the overflowing juice running down my chin. Or there are the simple summer taste sensations of refreshing ice tea, lemonade and the sweet yumminess of ice cream on a hot summer day. Joy!

The Sounds Of Summer

I will be grateful for the sense of hearing and record some of these sounds in my gratitude journal. For instance, in summer I am grateful for the sound of waves crashing on the shoreline, gulls screeching, a ball as it makes contact with a bat, and children playing outside.

Getting In Touch With My Five Senses

I am fortunate enough to have all 5 of my senses working quite well. I thought it was time to remember how grateful I am for each of these 5. Today I will be intentional with my gratitude for the sense of smell. For example, the yummy smell of a ripe cantaloupe, or the aromatic smell of dill, mint, basil or marigolds that grace my deck. I'll record my gratitude in my journal.

How You Doing?

Reconnect with a friend or family member that I haven't seen and talked to in a while.

Feeling Good About Myself

Write a list of things I am good at.

Practice Forgiveness

Yesterday I asked, “What would bring more happiness into my life?” I wrote to become more positive, let others win arguments and practice forgiveness. The last item in my list is what I want to be intentional about doing. I need to forgive those I feel may have been mean and disruptive to my life. I will examine a few incidences that still get in my way and see if I can forgive, let go and move on.

A Happier Me

How can I bring more happiness into my life? For example, if working on a more healthy me then I could exercise, do weights for bone loss suppression, and try new healthy recipes for a better diet.

Inspirational Thoughts

Write inspirational thoughts or quotes and put them in places I will see them. I will read them often to lift me up and inspire me.

Learn Something New

Learn something new today. I could hit the library, the internet or talk to an informed person about a topic I want to educate myself about.

What Would I Change?

If I could change something in my life, what would it be? Write it down in my journal. Also, write 3 ideas that could start me down this path of change.

Life Is Full Of Surprises

Write in my gratitude journal about a time I was pleasantly surprised.

Acknowledge Kindness

Do not take other people's gestures of kindness for granted. When someone does something kind for you, let them know how grateful you are. Acts of kindness can be a small as holding a door open for you, getting you a drink out of the refrigerator, or clearing the plates from the table. Kindness should always be rewarded. Thank you. I really appreciate your help.

Good Things Happen To Good People

My husband has been mentoring a high school youth group on a Habitat For Humanity trip for the last 10 years. One of the parents that we've known for about that long offered us her beach home as a thank you to my husband. We are here now and this is an amazing gift. I am completely relaxed. I'm enjoying the smell of the salt water, the sounds of the sea gulls, the lapping of the waves and the laughter of my daughter. I am truly blessed.

Write in my gratitude journal about a time someone did something nice for me. Guess what I'm going to write about.

New Everyday

Try something new today.

Update: I thought I was going to try kayaking, but the water was too rough and the wind too strong. Instead, I ate crab cakes for the first time. Maybe not as exciting, but it was something new.

Go Away Stress

I'm going to continue working on letting go of the stress from my life. Writing this blog and following these activities has truly helped me let go of the stress. Writing in my journal has been cathartic as has going through my day noticing all the great things in my life: smell of honeysuckle, harvesting my raspberries, herbs and cutting flowers from my garden. Becoming more grateful has helped me be more positive and put stuff out of my control in perspective.

Be intentional with letting go of things that are out of my control.

Thanks Gratitude Journal

Read the entries in my gratitude journal. I believe it will be helpful to go back and read previous entries when something negative is in my life or I am feeling bad. Hopefully, this will remind me about all the things I appreciate and am honored to have in my life.

Update: I'm feeling better already.

Joyous Memories

Pick a time in my life that I felt joy and write about it in my gratitude journal. It should be a memory that I have not written about before in my journal.

Update: I recalled several wonderful memories and wrote about 3 of them.

Living My Life Intentionally

Sometimes I find myself in situations that make no sense to who I am and what I care about, but yet here I am volunteering or giving a lot of time to it. This has got to stop.

Remember what is important to me and live my life with this in mind.

Email

I heard that Goldman Sachs is banning their employees from using profanity in their emails. I'm not sure I understand why anyone would use profanity in email. Nor, am I sure why anyone would use profanity at their place of business, but that's another topic.

Someone once said that you should only write and send email that you would be comfortable if your children or mother read it. Good words to write email by.

Appreciating Myself

Write in my gratitude journal a list of 10 things I appreciate about myself.

...And He Had No Regrets

When my brother-in-law passed away 18 years ago, the quote on his memorial was “... and he had no regrets.” As I get older, it feels calming to let go of regrets.

The past is behind us. Live to the future. It's ours to explore, give and receive.