7 Ways to Simplify Your Life

1. Practice Patience 
    If you have time to be on your cellphone and watch hours of TV, you
    have time to be patient.

2. Control Your Reactions
    Keep in mind that when you're interacting with people you need to calm
    yourself down if you're someone that gets upset easily. The way you act
    could be the reason some people seem to treat you in a not so friendly
    way.

3. Abandon Your Fake Friend
    If you feel your friend is taking advantage of you that person is not a
    real friend.

4. Go Ahead and Get Something Over With That You've Been 
    Dreading
    This thing you need to do is just hanging over your head, and once you
    do what you need to do you will probably feel so much better.

5. Get Rid of at Least One Thing in Your Life That You Know Isn't
    Good For You 
    This could be a bad habit, an unhealthy food, a job you hate, or anything
    else that drains your joy.

6. Be an Optimistic Person
    Whether you believe it or not, the way you think greatly affects what
    happens to you. It also affects how people treat you. People can feel an
    optimistic vibe and a pessimistic one too.

7. Establish a Routine That Enables You to Start Your Day In a
    Positive Way
    If you're always late, try getting ready fifteen minutes earlier than you
    normally would. Also, if the internet or your cellphone is the problem,
    get ready first and then worry about looking at your electronics.
   

Turn Negativity Into Creativity

Recently, I listened to a man while he complained about his job. I told him
he should write about it, or draw a picture depicting the situation. He looked
at me and said, "You're right!"

There have been many times I've had to rewire my brain to turn negativity
into creativity. I started this blog to help people that have low self-esteem,
because I struggled with it for fifteen years.

When my oldest son died in 2006, his classmates and teachers designed two
posters to honor his memory, so I had them framed. I've written poems about
him and I created a photograph book dedicated to his short life.

What ever your struggle is (or was) imagine what you can do to help yourself
or someone else in a creative way.

Do You Put Yourself Down?

I'm constantly hearing women put themselves down, and it's sad. This is
just a sample of what I've heard:

• "My hips are too big."

• "My arms are too big."

• "I'm too skinny."

• "I'm too fat."

• "I don't have a chest."

• "I don't have a butt."

• "My ankles are too big."

• "I don't like my knees."

• "My forehead is too big."

• "My nose is crooked."

It goes on and on and on...

If you put yourself down (like so many other women do) try to be different.
Don't put yourself down. I've noticed that when I talk to women, and they
point out what they don't like themselves I usually don't see it. They're the
only ones that see the problem. Chances are that when people see you they
don't see what you see either. I bet your hips, arms, chest, butt, ankles, knees,
forehead, nose, and body are just fine.

Designer's Block

I know a man who says he wants to be a logo designer, but he said right
now he has "designer's block." It's like writer's block. I told him to draw
a designer's block, but he didn't want to.

If you really want to do something or be something, you just have to do
it. Stop coming up with excuses and find a way.

Retouching Too Much

My son has picture day this week, and as I was looking over the picture
package choices, I was surprised by the retouching options. The option to
remove blemishes seemed innocent enough (although I survived 12 years
of school pictures with no retouching), but it was the other option that took
it too far for me. Now you can get your child's teeth whitened and skin tone
evened out as well. To me, this much retouching is too much.

These are school children taking pictures for a yearbook, not a magazine
spread. What happens when a child wants the retouching and the parent
can't afford the extra cost for the retouching? What if a parent has the photos
retouched without telling their child his photos would be retouched?

There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good in a picture, but removing
every imperfection is teaching children that they should look perfect and that
is just wrong.

Are You Your Best Self?

Are you doing your best and being the best person you can be? Only you
know the answer to that question, but if you're not in a good place right
now, maybe there is something you can change. If you have enough time
to be on the internet or on your cellphone for hours and hours; you have
enough time to improve yourself.

When I talk about improving yourself I mean taking baby steps. For ex-
ample, if you're unorganized, try to set aside at least ten minutes a day to
organize a small area in your house or office.

When you're at work are you giving 100 percent? If you aren't, whether
you believe it or not, your boss knows if you're giving 100 percent. If
you're a slacker you're hurting yourself and the company.

When you say you're going to do something do you actually do it, or are
you known for being unreliable? If you know you can't do something, or
you never intended to do so in the first place, don't lie about it.

For all of us, there is room for improvement. Make it a goal to try to
be your best self every day. 

If You Hate Yourself...

Stop! Stop! Stop saying that you hate yourself! The more you say it, the
worse you're going to feel. You need to talk to a positive friend, counselor,
pastor, teacher, boss...someone that you trust, that will let you know you
shouldn't be feeling this way. They can help guide you in a positive direc-
tion. They can help lead you to the path of self-love. They can help you
realize that the negative thoughts about yourself are wrong. Once the pos-
itive people in your life make you see what a wonderful person you are,
be sure to write down every good thing that they tell you.

No matter why you feel this way, or how long you've been feeling this way
you've got to stop it. No good can come from self-hate.

Good at Heart

Recently, I went to the grocery store, and when I got home I realized that I
had left a bag of merchandise at the checkout. I called the store to find out
if my bag was still there and it was. It had been turned in by another cus-
tomer. I believe most people are good at heart.

You see, the person that turned in my purchase could have easily kept it,
because it was already paid for. No one would've ever known that the pur-
chase was already made by me.

When you make decisions do you try your best to do what's right, or do
you find yourself making decisions that not only hurt you, but hurt other
people as well? Being nice to someone should come naturally, but if it
doesn't try being nice to someone and see how it makes you feel.

10 Behaviors That Will Make Your Life Harder

1. Taking care of someone who refuses to take care of himself

2. Spending money on stuff you don't need...when you know you
    can't afford it.      

3. Dating someone who makes you feel bad about yourself

4. Having children out of wedlock

5. Always being late for work, school, appointments, etc.

6. Allowing someone to take advantage of you

7. Putting all of your wedding expenses on a credit card

8. Being a rude person

9. Drinking a lot of energy drinks

10. Not being grateful

Love

Love compliments
Love doesn't put down
Love lets you know it wants you around
Love is honest
Love doesn't lie
Love can be great if you give it a try
Love gives attention
Love doesn't ignore
Love makes you happy
Love makes you want more
Love isn't nasty
Love is sweet
Love causes hearts to quickly beat
Love can be slow
Love can be fast
Love yourself first
Don't love yourself last.

7 Activities to Improve Your Life

1. Unsubscribe from emails you rarely check.
    If you subscribed to an email and now it's just plain annoying, go ahead
    and get rid of it. You'll cut down on how much time you spend on your
    emails too.

2. Research what you need to do to land the job of your dreams.
    Once you find out what it takes to get that dream job, you may actually
    find that it's attainable. Don't let your age, gender, or even a lack of funds
    be an excuse.
    
3. Take a class or do something you've always wanted to do. 
    You never know what good could happen if you finally decide to be brave
    and try something new.

4. Donate clothes or other items you don't use.
    That stuff you never use may not be helping you, but it could help
    someone else.

5. Whatever you're good at...do more of it.
    You're good at something. You may even be good at a lot of things.
    No matter what, go take that positive thing that you're good at and
    find a way to make it an even bigger part of your life.

6. Stay away from negative people.
    I say this all the time and I can't help it. Many problems that people
    have could easily be solved, if they just hung around a more positive
    group of people.

7. Watch a funny movie.
    What ever your favorite comedy is watch it again, or watch a comedy
    that you've never seen.