☺ Motivational Mondays! ☺

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We're taking back Mondays!!!

"Motivational Mondays" are fabulous tips to get you excited and pumped for the week! 

Feeling low? Moody? Down on life? Well, that's what these posts are for! Time to feel awesome again and get some Positivity rolling! Just because it's Monday doesn't mean you can't have fun, smile, and enjoy Today! Apply these tips to your week and try to tell me that you don't start to see an improvement in your life! ;)

It's all about You! Change your perception, change your attitude, love your life! xo

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☺ Law of Attraction tip: Remember to pay attention to your words. If you're not feeling super healthy, or you're feeling sad, or you're feeling down about something, then try to switch the way you talk about it. It's so easy to complain and speak out loud the negative things you are feeling. But our continuous focus on the negative is going to keep it there. So stop talking badly about it, and try to switch your thought habits. Focus on progress, focus on the end goal. I know it can be hard to do sometimes, but try try try, or things won't change.  

☺ Make Better Use of your Time! These past two weeks have been so fantastic! Instead of watching mindless television or searching for movies to watch, my husband and I have turned off the TV in the evenings and spent that time on more valuable things. We've switched things around (since he only works 3 days a week) so that more time is spent together outside during the day doing fun things we enjoy, you know, quality time!, and in the evenings we both pursue more creative endeavours (like I use that time for drawing and writing). We also play with our cats more--after all, they are farrrr more entertaining than our TV… seriously, our cats are hilarious! ;) So, switch things around! When you're with people, spend Quality Time with that person, and no guilt over spending time on your hobbies. It's a much happier balance without wasted time.  

☺ Spend an Hour on your Hobbies…  every single day… at least an hour. Every Day! Yes, I'm continuing on the above mentioned tip, because time spent doing the things you love is absolutely irreplaceable and needs to be done more often. I know you can squeeze in at least an hour! No more excuses! Do something for You! 

☺ Talk! I know I've mentioned this one before, but open communication in any relationship is the biggest key to success and closeness, and understanding one another, and resolving conflict, and growing in the relationship. It is probably the single most important key (other than speaking, breathing, and feeling Love). I can be so terrible with speaking up, and I know others have the same issues or else people would talk more. I let things fester, because I'm afraid to talk about it, I don't feel like it will improve, or I'm afraid of offending the other person. Well, festering and not talking is far worse than your expectations of an outcome. Talk, or you'll never move forward. And resent is not a pretty thing!    

☺ Have a Good Laugh! Make sure that every single day you have a good laugh. If you're not laughing every single day then that's just plain not good. I won't allow it. Make yourself have a good laugh. It's easy. Just find a silly youtube videos, watch a silly movie, play with entertaining kitties (again, I know, my kitties are just reaaallly funny ;p). Do whatever you need to do but have a good, genuine, deep laugh. It's worth five minutes of your time! 

☺ Focus on Your Happiness! Remember that your goal isn't to make others happy, it's to make You Happy. You cannot control another person's happiness, but you can control your own. So make your goal to be so happy that by just being around you, you make those around you instantly feel happier. Be a Positive Influencial force and you'll do far more good than trying to make others happy. ^_^  

☺ "For a brief moment in time, you were a moment in someone's life. A mere extra, passing through their thoughts in milliseconds, but milliseconds of their story nonetheless. For every person you've exchanged eye contact with, you have made a contribution to their existence, be it significant or not."

Spend time on Youuuuuu! Never forget that importance! Now get out there and create a damn good day! ^_^ 

Much love from me to you! 

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☺ Tips for making Relationships Work ☺

Everyone has ups and downs in relationships, whether it's a significant other, friend, parent, sibling, or what-have-you. If you don't then I bow down to you! But, as I often like to say; that's okay! Ups and downs are part of life, helps to keep things balanced and so that we grow and learn from one another and through those tough experiences. It keeps us on our feet. 

But there are plenty of things you can do to make sure your relationships are mutually respectful and loving and beneficial. When it comes to problems you may face within a relationship, there are some key things that I'd like you to remember and keep in mind before getting huffy puffy and judgemental, or accidentally hurt by taking things too personally…

First, remember; Everyone is going through something! You may not always know or understand what it is, and you don't have to. Your job is to be understanding and supportive and to not let another person's problems affect you negatively. Also keep in mind that any personal attacks directed at you are usually not a problem with You, but a problem with themselves. People have a destructive way of deflecting onto other people, so don't take things too personally. Try to always keep in mind; everyone is going through something. 

Most relationship bumps come down to one simple issue; Communication Problems, whether it's a general lack of communication or a miscommunication. Probably the single greatest piece of advice I can give in any relationship is this; Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! And to always do so in a respectful and receptive manner. Most problems can be solved simply by talking to one another, instead of dodging a problem and keeping quiet. Don't leave anything up to mind-reading, as people (usually) are not mind-readers. So speak up and say what you feel. I know, I know, so many of us hate confrontation which keeps us from speaking up when we do have a problem, but just because you need to talk about something doesn't mean it has to be done in a mean or condescending manner. Communicating shouldn't be intimidating and the more you practice talking respectfully and calmly, the easier it will get. Speak nicely, on a level of mutual respect. If the other person (or yourself) starts to get angry or yelling, simply walk away from the argument, cool off, and try again later. When I say communicate I do mean TALK, not argue. Yes, conversations can get heated, but that still doesn't meant that people need to raise their voices and start a yelling match. Listen, really take in what they have to say, and think before you speak. If you don't think it's possible to do this then try writing your thoughts out first and then talking about whatever the problem is. Be the bigger person and always stay calm and collected. Verbal abuse is still abuse so just plain don't do it. Communicate with openness, love, and respect. Always. And remember that practice makes perfect. You will learn so much about each other and work through things much easier when you remember to communicate at all times.  

Remember to Listen and Be Understanding to the other person before you jump to quick conclusions and criticism as well. Have you been in their shoes before? No? Then don't judge them for the things that they do. Remember that no one is perfect. People are not always going to act the way that you want them to. If they did then they would be you… well, actually, half the time we don't even act in the way that we see best by the ideals in our minds, but we are usually more focussed on deflecting onto others instead of facing our own flaws. Which is another point to keep in mind; is it really the other person you have a problem with? Or is it with yourself? Pay attention to this as it is often your own issues deflected onto another. 

Another thing to remember is that They are not You. There are always going to be differences of opinions. Stop trying to make others always agree with you. Everyone is allowed their own opinion, even if you may not agree with it. The point is to allow them to have their opinion and decide whether that opinion will be a major conflicting reoccurrence in the relationship. If it is, you may want to reevaluate the value of the relationship. If it isn't, then let it be and accept those differences may always be there or that you may some day be at the same level. 

Know when enough is enough. We seldom leave a relationship when we should. And we seldom see the benefits of having left that relationship until we have--and then the startling revelation kicks in of "wow!" because you realize how much better off you are. Romantic relationships can end and you can still be friends with the other person. Other times you are just on complete opposite sides of everything and you are no longer compatible. With any kind of relationship, people change, you are changing, the people around you are changing. When you are no longer compatible with another person it is simply a reflection of growth in one of you or both of you--and the two of you no longer being on the same frequency. Stop viewing this as a bad thing and accept the beautiful ever-changing cycles of life. 

Be Supportive. Again, coming back to love and respect, you should always be supportive of each other and there for each other through the highs and lows of any relationship. Be understanding and encouraging. Stand beside each other. And if you're not seeing eye-to-eye on something then get back to that communication and come to an amicable decision.  

At the end of it all, sometimes relationships are just meant to run their course and move on to something else. I'm sure most people have been there, crying and heart-broken over a lost relationship. Most of you have probably moved on to other relationships, better ones at that. The truth is that some things are just not meant to be. And if that is the case then why would you want to keep the relationship anyway? You are growing and constantly improving yourself (or at least I am assuming so if you are reading this post) and therefor your relationships are going to change as well. Don't get hung up on this as people leave your life to leave it open for others to enter it.  

Relationships should always be mutual and respectful in all aspects. You should both want to be with the other person, spend time with the other person, be kind, loving, understanding, respectful, and be willing to grow and work together, change together, and evolve together. And this is the case in any kind of relationship. 

For any relationship to survive these things must be present: Gratitude, Respect, Communication, and Love. Follow these rules and you'll transform all of your relationships into mutually beneficial, loving, and wonderful experiences. 

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☺ Sharing Beliefs without being Pushy ☺

It's sometimes difficult when you have strong moral values or opinions on certain subjects and then are faced with someone who is absolutely ignorant to the topic. Let's face it, there are an awful lot of people in the world that would rather turn a blind eye to the world than open up to the truth. If you are reading my blog then I am going to assume that you probably have lots (or at least a few) pretty strong values of your own, whether it's on animal rights issues, veganism, eco-consciousness, being healthy, finding your higher self, or anything else. So chances are you know what I'm talking about, and even if you don't, chances are you have at least witnessed heated arguments, people getting defensive, or people with pushy points of views. Usually it's just people getting overly passionate in their beliefs but they often come out looking like an asshole. It's sometimes difficult to discuss a topic--even when provoked--and actually get your point across while being pushy. But you also don't want to keep your mouth closed on the topic either. Because it's important to you of course, and a part of you, and you truly Want to share what you know and try to change the world and be a positive influence--or at least get them to open their eyes more on the subject. 

The key is communicating properly. And that means being warm and kind in dialogue on any subject--especially when you are challenging someone else's point of view (even if you know you're right ;)). People don't like to be wrong. They don't like to feel alienated or challenged or angered. And people can be incredibly stubborn with their opinions. It's a sort of self-defensive mechanism. Don't put them on the defensive, engage people in an open and respectful manner. This gives a chance at a friendly conversation, and you are much more likely to get your point across in this way and will make them more open to hearing another point of view. 

There are better ways to share your truth and opinions without reaming someone out because you don't agree with what they're doing or really tickles your nerves. Don't be judgemental or condescending. Just share information in a positive and open manner. You can still be passionate, but stay non-judgemental and try to keep the conversation friendly, engage them so that they are interested. If they don't look at all interested then you may just want to just drop the subject. Perhaps it's not the right time, and trying to share your point of view will only anger them, make them shut down, or perhaps make them hold even tighter onto their stubborn belief. Respect their own boundaries and opinions. You don't have to agree with everyone, in fact you certainly won't, and there is nothing wrong with that. The last thing you want to do is be preachy and condescending. People never respond well to that, and that will only fire up a negative reaction in yourself as well. People do not respond well to negativity. People are much more likely to listen to you and absorb what you have to say if you are kind, light-hearted, and engage them in the conversation.

Sometimes it has nothing to do with the way you are communicating with people as well. You could be talking to someone in the absolute most sweetest and warm-hearted manner possible and they still just might not want to listen to you. Know when to step back and when to engage a topic.

The fact is that most people just don't know, so sharing information, and letting them know what you know, could change their values and points of view altogether. Think about it; how many people know just how cruel the meat industry is? That the veal industry is directly linked to the dairy industry? That dairy isn't actually good for you? That there are chemtrails in the skies above us? That the news and media are not truthful and are used to manipulate and control people? That the medical industry is corrupted by pharmaceuticals? That animal testing is medically inviable? That our diets directly affect our mental health? That you don't need drugs to get better from something? That vaccinations do more harm than good… okay, so I could go on and on, but you get the point. Most of this is not common knowledge. The truth is that most people just haven't thought outside of what the media and society tells them--because they have no good reason not to believe it. So share information and let them slowly warm up to the concept that what they think they know, they might not actually know at all. 

A compassionate approach has a far bigger impact and people are much more open to it. Be respectfully honest and arm yourself with some facts, so that you can respond well to their questions or what they may have to say. There is nothing wrong or preachy about sharing information in a kind conversation. Be sure you are educated on the subject so you can appropriately answer their questions--or point them in the right direction if they do take interest in what you have to say. Be kind and positive! Communicate in a respectful, open, and non judgemental manner. It's the best advice I can give. 

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