The Pursuit of Happiness

Last night my kids and I sat down to watch the movie "Pursuit of Happyness". It has been a while since I have seen that movie, and the things I gleaned from it were very touching. Classics do that, you can review them over and over again and get something new from it every time, enriching your life and raising it to a whole new level.

I was taking notes, writing questions for myself to answer and to review in my self evaluations I hold often. I wanted to share some of them with you and some of the things I learned in creating happiness and the life we desire to live.

If you haven't seen the movie, I HIGHLY recommend you watch it :) It is a real life story of a man who pretty much loses everything and while taking care of his son, continues to pursue the happiness he hopes exist.

Ask yourself these questions -

• Do you believe that you have the power to create the life you want?
• What is happiness? Do we ever really find it or is it something we create?
• What odds are against you?
• Do I believe I can, especially when others say I can't?
• Am I a risk taker for what I want?
• Am I willing to do what it takes, at all costs?
• Am I REALLY clear on what it is I want?

Chris Gardner, the man the movie was made about, had a clear vision of what he wanted. Life threw curve after curve to him and he kept pursuing. He was COMMITTED to what he was after and he had an honorable purpose. What is your purpose?

These are the key things that will guarantee your happiness in life.

• BE committed. No matter what you may look like to others, or what comes your way, stick with the course you have chosen. 
• BE honest. Be honest with yourself about what YOUR truth is. If you don't know, being completely honest will bring your answer to you.
• BE clear. Know what it is you are going for. Direct movement will create better results vs. jumping around trying to focus on other things along with what you are wanting. 
• Be believing. Believe in yourself. Believe in happiness. Believe that you CAN.
• BE grateful. Your gratitude for everyday happenings will take you farther than the "big" things. It is by small and simple things that great things come to pass.
•  BE forgiving. Forgive yourself for mistakes or getting of course. Recognize, forgive and move forward. Forgive others for judging, criticising and even sabatoging what you are wanting to create.
• BE patient. Slow down and allow things to happen. When we become forceful to reap what we sow, we will never harvest.

I learned that happiness is not found at the end of the pursuit, Happiness is found IN the pursuit. The pursuit never ends. We will reach benchmarks that we will use to determine if we are following our dreams and how clear we are on them, but we will always be in pursuit.

Rumbly bumbly goes your belly..........

Digestion - becoming one of the most talked about subjects. Why? Because people today are having more issues with it then they ever have. IBS, Constipation, Cancer, Acid reflux, Celiac, Gluten Intolerance, Excess flatulence, Gallbladder disease, and more.

Do you suffer from any of these? If you do, you understand how important it is when digestion is working well and not causing pain and dysfuntction.

90% of ALL disease can be connected back to the colon. Unhealthy digestion = unhealthy colon = disease. So no matter what your ailment, go to digestion first.

As far as digestion goes here are some signs it is unhealthy;

• bloating
• excess flatulance
• cramping
• constipation
• malnourishment
• low/sluggish energy
• irritability

These are foods that are hard for your body to digest;

• dairy (all of it)
• meats
• white flour
• white sugar
• processed food (anything boxed,canned or that would survive a nuclear blast)
• high fatty foods (anything fried ...)

So we get that digestion is important, how do we promote healthy digestion?

Here are some things that will support healthy digestion - 

• Fruit first thing in the morning until about 10:00 am. Your body is still in it's elimination cycle until then and so any food that is put in before will not be digested properly. Fruit digests itself and helps to "clean house" Plus it gives lots of good energy!
• Stop eating after 6 or 7 at night. This is when the body begins it's elimination process, leaving again, the food to ferment and not digest properly.
• Avoid the foods that are hard to digest, or keep them to a minimum. ( 10% - 20% of your weekly food intake is a good rule of thumb)
• Drink lots of water. Water is a carrier and helps to keep things moving out.
• Increase fiber. Not by supplements at the grocery store but by adding high fiber foods to your diet. I like adding ground flax seed to everything. You don't hardly notice it in your food, but you recognize the benefits! EAT MORE RAW VEGGIES!!

Benefits of healthy digestion -

• increased energy
• weightloss
• increased mental acuity
• better absorption of nutrients
• Happiness!

Other ways you can support better digestion and help with symptoms -

• Liver Cleanse - Stimulates bowel movements, increases bile production, eliminates
  
  
  toxins. Use Peppermint and Lemon goDesana essential oils.
• Ginger - Good for nausea and settling upset stomach. Use as an essential oil or the root itself.
• Cayenne- In a capsule or on your food, helps to calm an upset stomach, stimulates bowels and helps to relieve gas.
• Garlic - Chopped and swallowed like a pill or on your food, it also will relieve gas and cramps and calm upset stomach. Acts as a mild laxative.
• Exercise - Particularly yoga, it massages and stimulates the internal organs activating their function.
• Dygest - Formulated with oils that have been historically known to aid and support the digestive system. Not only helping relieve symptoms, but actually healing the problem!

Do as I'm doing.......follow follow me........

Do as I'm doing....follow follow me........This was a song I learned as a little one for fun, you know to get the wiggles out so we as a class would pay better attention to our teacher. There is a lot of truth to those words, especially as a parent.

Our children are great observers, and learn best when taught by example. They will mimic what we do, like a little girl will pretend to put mascara on her eyes while her mom is doing makeup. They learn best this way.

Sometimes we aren't as aware of our actions as we are our words. We tell our children what they should/shouldn't be doing, what is important and on; but do our actions support our

words?

Does the phrase " Do as I say not as I do" sound familiar? It seems that is a common theme for most parents, and all parents at one time or another.

It is important that we are in integrity with our children. That what we expect out of them, we give of ourselves.

If we don't do this, then we make ourselves out to be liars and someone our children will not feel they can trust, or are afraid to. TRUST is the most important thing in any relationship, especially parent/child.

Self inventory is one of the things I practice most, I evaluate what I am doing and compare it to where or what I want to be. Then I make adjustments as I can. Here are some idea's that will help you to add value to your children's life through your example, creating a HomeMade quality of life.

• Take care of yourself. Wake up early and take time for yourself to exercise, spiritual study and get ready for the day. This will teach them that it is important for them to take care of themselves and have personal time.
• If it's not ok for them, is it really ok for you? This question isn't exactly black and white because there are some age defining terms. Let your children know what those age defining terms are. For example, our rule used to be no food in the family room. So they always had to eat in the kitchen. However we as parents would still eat in the family room. Mixed message, right? So now the rule is, when you are older than the age of 12, you can eat in the family room. That way, my husband and I stay in integrity by following the rules.Answer this question honestly in everything - TV, radio, books, how time is spent....etc.
• Do they have adequate time with you? Sometimes we as parents get so busy doing "adult" stuff, that our children can get lost in the background. I know that it is hard finding balance but it is important that as you take time for yourself, you take time for them as well. At our house, the morning is mine to get my chores done, school and anything business related. Then at 2:00 it is my time with the kids. This way they have my undivided attention and I make better use of my mornings :)
• Take Time. Take the time to REALLY listen intently and to make sure you FOLLOW THROUGH with what they ask of you. They in turn will take time to listen to you and follow through with what you ask of them. Take the time to explain the WHY of things. Why you want them to do something, why you don't want them to do something. Avoid and get rid of the attitude - Because I said so, or Because I am the parent.
• Do you like what you see in the mirror? Children are  perfect reflections of who we are. The way you treat them is the way they will treat you. Don't like how they are treating you? Change how you treat them! They will use the same words and actions they are taught - towards you, their siblings and towards other people. Children deserve respect and when it is given them they will happily give it in return.

The great thing about children is they are naturally great examples to us, we can learn a lot from them :)

Fitness isn't just Physical!

Exercise, eat right, exercise, be strong, tone, work out and on and on. Any of that sound familiar to you?

It seems that people are realizing more and more how important it is to be physically fit; to have more healthy clean and whole foods, and to exercise. This is super good, and hopefully will make a huge difference for our children who are said to be the first generation to die before

their parents.

I would like to take a different focus on being fit. it's not just physical! It is important to remember that health and fitness is not just about how our body looks. It's about our thought process, our perspective, our relationship with God and fellow man. It's about how we see ourselves and treat ourselves and how we allow others to do the same. The neat thing is, they all work together! You start becoming healthy in one area, it will bring health to other areas in your life.

We are in a physical experience so we often see things physically before we recognize them mentally or spiritually.

Did you know though, that EVERYTHING we experience physically is first created mentally, emotionally and spiritually?

If we have fit minds, emotions and spirituality, the easier it is to have the body we all know we dream about.

Think about it - emotional eating anyone? Usually people think that they just have to power through not eating the chocolate when they are feeling down in the dumps. What if you didn't have to force yourself not to eat the chocolate because you had been mentally "working out" and didn't let that other person's rude comment effect the rest of your day? 

And what about your relationship with your spouse, kids and even parents? What the scale says isn't going to make them like you more. How you treat and see yourself, and the world, is what makes people like you. Because when you treat and see yourself as good, you see that in other people too.

So, when you are focused on getting your 30 minute workout in and eating the right amount of calories, make sure you spend the same amount of time each day strengthening your mental, emotional and spiritual muscles too!

Here are some ideas - 

Meditation - Serves to think more clearly, strengthens the personal will and desire, brings peace and healing. Great for stress management! Here is a link for a guided visual meditation by my favorite Yogi - Chaz Rough with Yogamazing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIV7cmwkefI

Focus essential oil blend - Use this blend when increased mental alertness is required, such as driving, studying for or taking tests. Use when you have creative or mental tasks to perform and need extra concentration. http://www.godesana.com/focus.asp?site=hiabundance

E-Motion essential oil blend - Short for "energy in motion", this uplifting blend fosters the ability to use personal energy in taking appropriate action to create the visions, goals and objectives we've set our sights on - putting the energy in motion - literally. http://www.godesana.com/essentialblends.asp?site=hiabundance

Kindred Essence essential oil blends -  Representing the circular nature of the seasons and cycles of life. From birth, to adolescent, to young adult, to mid-life, and wise elder-hood, then the return to dirt within mother earth and our creator.There is a Kindred Spirit Blend to assist, teach and nurture each of us along the way. Whether we're struggling with a life challenge, wondering about a life-question, or just wanting to navigate the inevitable daily 'ups & downs', the Kindred Spirits can assist.  http://www.godesana.com/circle-of-vitality.asp?site=hiabundance

Affirmations - I like to listen to Carol Tuttle's CD " Affirmations to change your life now" while I am doing my daily exercise. There are affirmations for your health, relationships, depression and more. It's one of my favorite things to do! https://ct.liveyourtruth.com/store/ct/cdsdvds-carol-tuttle 

EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique is a powerful way to let go of old thought patterns and emotions that no longer serve you. Something you can easily do anytime, anywhere :) http://www.emofree.com/

A Thankful Heart

Have you ever paid attention to what people say might actually be true? Things like "I feel you" or " Your giving off good vibes"? Do you think that actually happens?

I do.

Let's look at the word e-motion. It means, energy in motion. So what is energy? We could get down to the nitty gritty and talk about atoms and electrons, but I will spare you and myself :)

You know the electrical impulses in your body? The ones that are detectable by lie detectors and other instruments? That is energy.You send off "vibes" that is felt by all around you, whether you recognize it or not. That energy has different frequencies, or speeds of vibration. Think of how you hear, it is a series of vibrations, that your inner ear detects and translates into the sound. The higher/quicker the vibration, the harder it is to hear.

My dad was a deisel mechanic for 25 years or so, and that was one of the key things in keeping equipment running at top notch, making sure everything was in harmony and at the right frequency. If it was off just a little bit, things would vibrate wrong and you would have a broken peice of machinery that costs more than we understand.

Our bodies are the same way! We vibrate on different frequencies and the higher our vibration the greater our health, in every aspect. Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual. When we aren't vibrating at the right frequency we experience "brokenness" or disease, hurting a powerful piece of machinery that is more valuable than we could understand.Just ask a mother.

What does this have to do with Gratitude?

Gratitude is the highest vibrating frequency we can experience. So lets do some math - Gratitude = health, happiness, radiance. The more gratitude we have, the more we experience those things. The more we experience those things, the more we have that we are grateful for. And the cycle keeps going and going! And we seek and experience more things that help to support those things - high vibrational foods, drinks, exercise, movies, music, conversations... and on and on.

The key is getting the ball rolling. These days it can be tough to find things we are grateful for among all the low-vibrational things that happen around us. 

Here are some easy tips that aren't overwhelming to help you raise your vibration for a happy healthier you!

• High Vibrational Foods - These are easy to add, RAW, certified Organic foods that will help you feel great!

• Smooth Vitality -Smooth Vitality creates a feeling of satiety (fullness), is high in antioxidants, improves cardiovascular function, increases good cholesterol/decreases bad cholesterol and is a great energy source!
• Green Vitality - Drink your greens and feel your body become alive with energy! Raise your pH, alkalize and energize by adding Five Alive Green Vitality to your daily diet!
• Cell Vitality - Cell Vitality's unique structure oxygenates and feeds the cells - cleaning and "tuning up" our body's systems all day long.  

• Essential Oils - Essential oils are the oldest and some of the most powerful therapeutic agents ever known to man.They are the life blood of the plants and some of the highest frequencies on the planet. So whether we use essential oils and essential oil blends to relax, for stress reduction, or perhaps to calm an upset stomach, or relieve back pain, or even disinfect a cut, essential oils are indispensable! 

• Gratitude - Gratitude supports one in finding that place of compassion and forgiveness, both for self and for others. It is helpful whenever we feel spiritually numb or feel the need to consciously reconnect to our divine nature.
• Delight - Formulated specifically to appeal to the inner child in each of us. It reminds us to 'enjoy the journey' and not take ourselves or life's challenges too seriously. It can literally support us in 'lightening up'.
• E-Motion - Short for "energy in motion", this uplifting blend fosters the ability to use personal energy in taking appropriate action to create the visions, goals and objectives we've set our sights on - putting the energy in motion - literally.
• Rose -  Rose perfumes have been popular since perfumes and body fragrance's first began. To wear as a perfume apply to the wrists, the heart, the neck, or anywhere you feel inspired. Apply as often as needed to release anxieties, worries, sorrows and to feel beautify, sensual and deserving of love.