Category Archives: positive

All About Today

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Sometimes it’s fun to reminisce about the past – to romanticize how things used to be, to remember a time when things didn’t seem so complicated.

And sometimes it’s fun to visualize the future – dreaming about how wonderful your life is going to be, hoping that everything will turn out exactly how you planned.

And sometimes it’s fun to look at your life right now in this exact moment and recognize all of the wonderful parts of it – how everything is working out just as it is meant to – how you are just where you need to be.

So on that note, let’s think about what we love about our lives right now.

This is a great exercise to do on a day when you are feeling positive and happy! You’ll be able to list many things very quickly.
It’s also a great exercise to do when you are feeling a bit down – it’s an instant mood booster.

We can always find tons of things that are absolutely perfect about our lives.

And even if the big topics (love, home, job, kids, self care, etc.) aren’t seeming so great at the moment – there are always little things that add up quickly (like a beautiful, sunny day, or your favorite song coming on just when you needed to hear it, or eating the most delicious dinner, or chatting with a friend who really loves you, or having all of the lights turn green on your way home from work, or not having your cats fight for one day, or receiving a surprise check in the mail, etc…)

So let’s all think about what IS working in our lives TODAY.

And let’s reminisce about the past and dream about the future another day.

Today is all about today.
And what a great day it is!

A Gratitude List

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It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to write a post about gratitude! 

Feel free to click here (or below) to learn more about our Gratitude Project. 
Okay – now for today’s post:
 
 Happy June! 
Today’s post is about keeping a gratitude list. 
 
There are so many ways you can do this – and you get to decide what feels best for you. 
Some will choose to have one notebook (like our I Am Grateful For… book) that is designated to hold list upon list of all that you love about your life. Some may keep this list on their computer. Others may just tell their loved ones around the dinner table each night what they are grateful for. 
It’s completely up to you! 
 You may choose to write a gratitude list every day, once a week, or whenever the mood strikes. 
And that’s completely okay! 

When we focus on gratitude and everything that is going right in our lives, our thoughts end up attracting more positive events and feelings. This is the kind of snowball effect that we can welcome with open arms!

So let’s all take some time today to write our gratitude list.
And then continue this practice when it feels right.

Here is mine:
 
I am grateful…
 
that I have a great start on writing my new book: 50 pages written so far, and an outline for the rest!
 
for self-care days – staying in my pjs all day, lying around, reading, and doing exactly what I want to do – whatever that may be.
 
that today is one of my self-care days!
 
for healthy green smoothies.
 
for a loving husband who supports me in everything I do.

that things seem to slowly be working themselves out between our new kitty and the older one who likes to bully her.

for sun showers – beautiful and refreshing.

that my sweet Biddle cat is such a mama’s boy – perfect for every day, but especially a self-care day.

that I am keeping my word and not working during this sabbatical.

for so many exciting possibilities and opportunities on the horizon.

for our local library – I am constantly amazed by their wonderful selection of books.
 
for all of your wonderful comments and feedback about this blog.
 
for a supportive community that understands that going within and taking care of ourselves is crucial for lasting happiness and finding our way in this world. 

In gratitude,
Jodi





Saturday Selection – OWN

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This week’s Saturday selection is Oprah’s new television network: OWN. 
Like many of us, I grew up watching Oprah. I have learned so much from her show over the years and continue to be inspired by all that she does to empower each of us to live our best lives. 
And while I am going to miss watching her show each day, I am so happy that she’s now able to spread her positive message and reach so many through her new network. 
If you haven’t seen the shows on it yet, I would definitely recommend tuning in. 
Each is handpicked by Oprah herself, and they are filled with feel good vibes that will definitely have you coming back for more. 
Here is Oprah’s plan and vision for the network:
I said from the beginning that this was an opportunity for me to step out of the box and make the kind of shows that make my heart sing.

OWN’s mission statement is to create mindful, not mindless, television 
that helps its viewers live their best lives.
Here are some of my favorite shows so far:

Oprah handpicks celebrities who are masterful at what they do. People who can help teach us what they have learned so far on their journey. I absolutely loved them all, but Oprah’s was definitely my favorite. She has so much wisdom, and I took so much away for my own life after watching her.
Peter Walsh is the decluttering expert, and in this show he helps hoarders get to the heart of the matter knowing that it’s not about the material things but rather about something much deeper. I love the breakthrough moments in this show – that moment when the person realizes what is really driving the clutter. That is when the change can begin.
Lisa Ling travels our country and shows us a glimpse into certain subcultures that we may not have otherwise been exposed to. She is such a compassionate reporter who truly does a wonderful job of telling their stories.
A surprise favorite: 
This chronicles Naomi and Wynonna Judd’s journey together – both through the country as they tour for their final concert together and also their personal journeys of growth and learning how to better communicate and love each other. It’s very raw and very real.
There are so many other great shows in the works that I’m very excited about.
I just love that there is an entire network built on positivity, growth, inspiration, and quality.
And I trust that Oprah will continue choosing shows that reflect this wonderful mission.
If you haven’t tuned in already, I would encourage you to do so.
A daily dose of warm fuzzies and positivity 
goes a long way in helping you create a happy life.
And this network definitely does that! 

Saturday Selection – Hay House Radio

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I am so excited about this week’s selection: 

I first learned about this wonderfully inspirational site a few years ago through Cheryl Richardson (one of my favorite authors). She has a weekly radio show there called Coach on Call where she gives great advice to people who call in.
Over the years, Dan and I have spent more hours than we can count making our products, and while we love listening to music, sometimes it’s nice to feed our souls and have a daily dose of inspiration while we are gluing and binding our journals. This website is absolutely perfect for that! 
Hay House, Inc. 125x125
It is an offshoot of Hay House publishing, which is home to some of the best personal growth books and tools in the world. They are both founded by Louise Hay, who is a true ray of light in our world. 
Louise Hay is an amazing woman, and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for all of the wonderfully positive and inspirational work she is doing. She has given all of these talented authors and speakers a platform to share their wisdom, and I am forever grateful to her (and to them). 
In addition to Cheryl Richardson, here are just a few of my favorite authors that have radio shows here:
There are so many more – each with their own wisdom and a shared desire to help others.
With thousands of hours of archived shows by Hay House’s bestselling authors, you can immerse your soul with positive nuggets that will stay with you forever. 
To listen, you can either tune in for your favorite show and and listen to it live each week, or you can join their Wisdom Community and listen to the archives. 
If you join this community, you will also qualify for big discounts off of Hay House products and events! 
Just last night we listened to a show we hadn’t heard before called Attracting Abundance by Peggy McColl. 
We listened to two of her archived shows – one featuring Bob Proctor (amazing!) and the second featuring Gay Hendricks (a favorite of mine!).
I always learn so much by listening to Hay House Radio, but it’s so much more than just learning. It’s also about feeling a sense of community and tuning in to hear likeminded, wonderful teachers sharing their gifts to help us along our journey.
I know you will love it just as much as I do. 

Being Able to Roll With the Changes

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Change is inevitable. 

If you are a planner and like to be in control, this can be an unsettling fact. But if you can learn to roll with and embrace change, it can truly be seen as a welcome and much needed adjustment to your life when it appears.

We are going through some pretty major changes with our business, and I have to keep reminding myself that change is a good thing – knowing that without it we wouldn’t grow, learn lessons, or expand our horizons.

Our changes involve moving more toward our passion of writing and helping others – and away from anything that doesn’t fit into that vision.

This means that I am in the process of saying goodbye to a lot of products that have been with us for years. They have become old friends – and I have been very grateful to each of them.

Saying goodbye to them, though, means that I will clear up space in my studio (and my mind) for what I am truly passionate about – which is very exciting!

So if you, too, are going through a transition in your life – it might be a good idea to take a step back and write about your thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams regarding where you see your life going. Take some time to explore any feelings of uncertainty and unsettledness. It is completely normal to feel this way. It may also be helpful to write how your life will look after you have gone through this transition and are living your new life. This will be a great motivator for you to push through and not turn back because it feels uncomfortable.

Change is good for us – it helps us become our best selves.

And that is a great thing.

An Authentic Life

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Are you living an authentic life? 

When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you know and like who you see? 
Is there anything that you aren’t being truly honest about with yourself or others? 
Is the “you” that you represent to the world the “you” that you really are?

I thought it was interesting the other day when a friend posted on Facebook that they sure hoped they could live up to their profile there.

In one of his stand-up routines, Chris Rock talks about dating and how we tend to send our representative to make a great impression.

While these are funny concepts – they are also very true. We all want to be liked. We all want to please others.

Sometimes to live an authentic life, we have to rock the boat. We have to stir things up a bit. And change isn’t always easy – for you or for anyone who knows you. It may seem threatening. “But they have always been this way – maybe I never really knew them at all,” they might say.

When this happens, stand strong in your own beliefs. Stand strong in knowing that you are living your own life to the best of your ability. Live the life that feels most like you, even if it’s not how you’ve done things in the past. Your inner voice will let you know if you’re on the right track.

Live an authentic life. And when you look in the mirror each morning, you can be proud of who you see smiling back at you.

🙂

You’ve Already Gone So Far

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Imagine that you are climbing a very tall mountain. You are struggling to take each step, and all you see is the peak far, far away. You keep going though – one step at a time. And after awhile, it might feel that the peak isn’t getting any closer, and you feel so tired and aren’t sure if you can take another step. When this happens, look down for a moment. Notice how far away the ground is. Realize just now far you have already gone – how much progress you have made.

So often we focus solely on the goal ahead, which at times can feel overwhelming and so far away. Taking a moment to look back and realize how far you’ve already gone in your journey immediately puts things in perspective and does wonders for your self esteem.

So the next time you are struggling and running out of steam – take some time to think about or write down just how far you have come since you started on this path. You’ll be amazed by how far you have already gone. 
In gratitude,
Jodi and Dan