Happy Love

Happy Thanksgiving!  I’ve got so much to be thankful for…caring family, wonderful amazing friends, stable career, and the list goes on and on and on… just very thankful for everything God has blessed me with.  I’m surrounded by so much love, and love in all forms is a special thing.  Thank you to all the awesome people in my life!

I’d also like to share a very special Height of Happiness.  One year ago today, my boyfriend Ryan told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and asked me to marry him!   I was  lucky enough to find such a  genuine guy who makes me laugh every day, and is always willing and ready to take me on.   He’s one of the  most positive forces that surround me.  He always finds a way to be optimistic about any situation, and that has really helped me overcome challenging times.   We all need supportive people like that in our lives.  I can honestly say that he has helped me want to be a better person.  I can’t thank him enough for being who he is, and always believing in me.  He’s definitely one of the reasons I wake up with a smile on my face.  I can’t wait to marry him.  Very thankful for the Happy Love.

– sharon

Season of Change

“You can’t avoid change, it’s mandatory, progress however is optional.”    – Bill R. Good Jr.

They say that fall is the season of change.  Maybe this season we should try to find something to change about ourselves…in a good way of course!  Change is inevitable anyways and we might as well make the most of it.  So let’s make it count.  Steer it towards something that makes you a better and happier person, whether it effects you or someone else.  Whatever it may be, big or small, there’s always something we can improve.  Try to step outside your box.  We should always strive to grow and learn… and it’s fun to shake things up a bit.

Here’s a few ideas: 

• Try something new.  It revives the soul.
• Ever find yourself saying “I always wanted to….” Now is the time to do it!
• Show some selflessness.  Do something nice for someone else…even if it’s for a stranger.
• Give up a bad habit.
• Start a journal…or a blog!
• Tap into your creative side.
• Stop being  negative about….
• Give someone a thoughtful gift for no reason.
• Smile at the person who can usually get under your skin.
• Tell yourself that you will wake up in a good mood everyday.
• Care more about what we put in our bodies.  Eat good, look good, feel good.
• Get physical.  Challenge yourself.
• Give yourself some more “me” time.
•  Find something to laugh about every day.  Laugh out loud and from the heart.

Have fun and good luck!

– sharon

Firework

So my fave feel good song of the moment would have to be Katy Perry’s “Firework”.  The message is empowering, and it’s set to a sweet beat.   It just sounds like fun, and there aren’t too many songs in mainstream media that are so encouraging!  I’m sure you’ve heard it by now, but here’s a youtube.com video with lyrics for your listening & viewing pleasure…enjoy!

“maybe your reason why all the doors are closed…so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road” – katy perry

It’s been a while…

Where has the time gone?!?  I can’t believe this year is almost over already, and I haven’t written a blog in months!  Thankfully co-blogger, Cat, has been holding things down here at HOH. =)

 

So there has been a lot of changes and situations in my life lately that have kept me pretty busy and consumed.  Some great, some bad, and some eye opening.  However, many situations are out of my control.  I’ve had to adjust my mindset and perceptions of things several times the past few months, and that’s not always an easy thing to do.  I guess I could say I’ve sort of been standing in different lines at the same time, trying to figure out which moves to make, and waiting for the resolutions to come.  Nonetheless, I just try to remember to take on each challenge as it comes, and remind myself of a lot of the things that the blog entries we write on HOH are all about.  When life gives you lemons, right?  Doing my best to be positive, and believing that it will all be okay goes such a looong way!  Things could definitely be worse, and in time they WILL get better.  Seriously, having positive influences in your life is such a powerful thing!  They’ve really helped me keep my head up!  Always remember, the world has a funny way of working itself out…and it always will!  We will keep growing!  Have a nice day!

– Sharon

The Stress Free Zone

We can all get caught up with the demands of life sometime.  Stress is a natural reaction to feeling overwhelmed, and that’s why it’s really important for us to make sure we all take time to calm ourselves down when we feel like we’ve got a little too much on our plate.  Here’s some ways that can help:

1. Take a walk:  Excercise is one of the best stress relievers!  It’s a good way to release some pent up physical energy and clear your mind.
2. Go Outside:  This one is a life saver for me.   I need to spend at least a little bit of time outside every day.  If you’re at work in a confined space, take a break and get some fresh air.  It’s a good way to break up your day and calm yourself down.
3. Breathe:  Sometimes we can’t get away, but we can try and control our breathing no matter where we’re at.   This technique gets people to slow down and focus on their breathing to help them calm down. It works wonders! Inhale…exhale…
4. Close your eyes:  Usually when we’re stressed out, all of our senses are working overtime.  Sometimes if you just close your eyes for a few seconds, it can help to relieve all of the overstimulation and help us refocus.
5. Change your attitude:  It’s so easy to intensify a situation when we’re stressed out about things.  If we can take a minute to change our attitude about it and focus on the positive, it can help calm us down, think more clearly, and get things done in a more effective and stress free way.

All of these techniues used at the same time can be even more effective.   When you really need to… go for a walk outside, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and change your attitude.   Let’s get in a stress free zone.  Hope this helps!

Case of the Mondays…

What’s your attitude when you get up on Monday mornings?  Mondays get a bad wrap most of the time, but here’s a few general reasons to look forward to them:

• It’s the start of a new week and a new adventure
• You have a job to go to and get ready for
• It’s a good day to reflect on the past week
• You get to brag about all the great things you did over the weekend
• You can be glad that the not-so-great things that happened the week before are over
• It’s a good day to avoid crowds at dinner and the mall
• A lot of holidays are observed on Mondays, which could mean a long weekend 
• Monday is usually a day to start a new goal
• Something good will happen

We all have to face our Mondays whether we like it or not.  Its better to start off your Monday, or any day of the week, with a smile on your face and a good attitude.  Starting off with a positive attitude could determine the rest of your day… so make it a good one!  Have a nice day!

Feel Good Food

Next time you go grocery shopping you might want to pick up a few of these items.  You’re diet can help to naturally manage stress in your life.  Certain foods can help you relax and stay calm, reduce a cranky mood, and decrease stress or tension.    Here’s a list of food that can make you feel a little happier:

•  Brown rice: A good source of B complex vitamins and fiber that can reduce stress and anxiety, while increasing concentration.
• Avocados: Contains potassium and vitamin E can help calm nerves.
• Salmon: Contains Vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids that will prevent depression if regularly incorporated into your diet.
• Bananas: Contain Vtamin B6, which your body may need more of if you drink a lot of alcohol or are on birth control pills. Also, contains potassium that can reduce tension.
• Chicken liver:  High in folic acids which pomote feel good neurotransmitters from the brain.
• Blueberries: Full of antioxidents that can protect your body from the effects of stress.
• Almonds: When you’re stressed out they will help lower blood pressure and keep oxygen circulating in your body
• Spinach: Contains magnesium that can keep you in a calm state
• Tuna: Contains Omega 3 fatty acids which can keep your adrenaline in control

 

Happy News: A Baby Girl!

A height of happiness for one of my dearest friends…I got a message that she delivered her first baby this morning at 3:59 am.  It’s a baby girl! What an exciting new adventure. They’re going to be awesome parents! Sooo happy for them! Congratulations!

Quote of the Day: Keep Moving Forward

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  

– Walt Disney

  

I watched the Disney movie “Meet the Robinsons” last night.  The movie is about a young inventor who is faced with challenges in his life, and eventually overcomes them, in the creative and heartwarming way that Disney is known for.  This movie is filled with inspiring life lessons. There were great messages about moving forward, never giving up, failure being acceptable, and the importance of learning from your mistakes.  

 

Here’s the dialogue from a scene where the main character, Lewis, is confronted by someone from his past, whom they call Bowler Hat Guy.  The Bowler Hat Guy chose to hold a huge grudge against Lewis because he couldn’t let go of the past. 

 

Lewis: Goob, I had no idea!
Bowler Hat Guy: Shut up! And don’t call me “Goob”! How many evil villians do you know that can pull off a name like “Goob”? Bleh!
Lewis: Look, I’m sorry your life turned out so bad. But don’t blame me you messed it up yourself. You just focused on the bad stuff when all you had to do was… let go of the past and keep moving forward…
Bowler Hat Guy: Hmm, let’s see… take responsiblity for my own life or blame you? Dingdingdingdingding! Blame you wins hands down! 

  

You can allow the past to consume you, inhibiting you from learning from it and really moving forward, like the Bowler Hat Guy who refused to blame himself for his own unhappiness. Or you can put the past behind you, grow from the experience, and become a better person.

 

The movie ended with the Walt Disney quote above, which summed up the movie perfectly. Our lives are designed to move forward and whether we like it or not, life will go on.  Keep Moving Forward!

Spring Cleaning

Have you seen that show on TLC called Hoarding: Buried Alive?  Just watching that show and seeing those people’s living environment makes me want to cringe a little.  Of course that’s on the extreme end of a cluttered environment.  For the majority of us, we might just have a pile here or there, a dump drawer, or closet that we stick all of the “etcetera” stuff into.   Some people believe that if there is a lot of clutter in your environment, then the chances are that it probably exists in other areas of our lives too.  I know that when things are in order in my life and my surroundings, I do feel more relaxed and more at ease. 
 
So many things we hold on to because you tell yourself that I might need this one day, or this was my favorite shirt or pair of jeans (even if you haven’t worn them in 2 years and they hardly fit), and other excuses like that.  Living in a disorganized place can take up energy and increase your stress.  If you find yourself looking through a pile of old papers trying to find that one important document you need, then it’s probably time to invest in a paper shredder.  Or if you’re stressing out digging through your closet to find that sweater you wanted to wear for dinner tonight, then you probably have a whole bunch of clothes that are just taking up space.  It can be draining.  If you haven’t worn something in over a year or two, then it’s probably time to make a donation and give some of those things up to people who can really use them. 
 
So this pertains to the next upcoming thing on my “To Do” list.  I realized that I’ve got a lot of things I can probably sell or donate, that aren’t a necessity to me anymore and are just taking up space.  They will probably be more of a benefit to someone else.  The concept is that if you simplify your surroundings, then you simplify your life.  As time consuming as it might be to initially go through all of the “extra” stuff I haven’t used, or even remember owning, it’s probably going to be well worth it.  Spring cleaning here we go…