Photo via Google Images

A WOMAN IS OFTEN MEASURED BY THE THINGS SHE CANNOT CONTROL. SHE IS MEASURED BY THE WAY HER BODY CURVES OR DOESN'T CURVE,  BY WHERE SHE IS FLAT OR STRAIGHT OR ROUND. SHE IS MEASURED BY 36-24-36 AND INCHES AND AGES AND NUMBERS, BY ALL THE OUTSIDE THINGS THAT DON'T EVER ADD UP TO WHO SHE IS ON THE INSIDE. AND SO IF A WOMAN IS TO BE MEASURED, LET HER BE MEASURED BY THE THINGS SHE CAN CONTROL, BY WHO SHE IS AND WHO SHE IS TRYING TO BECOME. BECAUSE EVERY WOMAN KNOWS MEASUREMENTS ARE ONLY STATISTICS, AND STATISTICS LIE.

Thank you, 

for this great ad.

Your thoughts become your reality . . . .

....not just a little, but a lot! And not just the good thoughts, but the other ones too!

"If you see it in your mind

you will hold it in your hand."

-Bob Proctor

Do you realize what that means? That means that your future, beginning today, will NOT unfold based on your past or based upon the existing conditions of your life, but that it will unfold based entirely upon your thoughts and dreams, your beliefs and expectations.  This is why all things are possible! All things comes from thought, and your thoughts are determined by you.

How cool is that?

From the book Choose Them Wisely

It's all how you look at life . . . .

There are several versions of the definition of optimism, my favorite being, "a tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things; to be hopeful and confident that all will work out for the best." Please don't confuse this sort of optimism with Pollyanna(ism), which means to be unreasonably or illogically optimistic. As much as I live the life of an optimist, I am also a realist, so I choose to take on the attitude that recognizes life's challenges, but simply choose to believe that all WILL work out for the best. I believe this with all my heart. People who are optimistic don't deny that problems exist; they learn how to adapt while searching for solutions. I know, I know, there are days when nothing seems to go right! Some days it's very difficult to see the silver lining in the clouds, but it's important that you do, especially for your physical and mental well-being! The staff at Mayo Clinic talks about how optimism can improve your health, so you might want to check that out here. And this one, by Web MD, will give you tips on how to become more optimistic.

Robert Brault once said that "an optimist is someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha."  (I got a visual on that one, and it made me smile.) 

Optimism is a choice. It's all about how you look at life. Each day we can choose whether to live like Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh's chronically gloomy friend, or to rise above it. We can choose to see the good in front of us, even when faced with bad situations. Hanging outside Eeyore's front door is a sign that reads "Eeyore's Gloomy Place: Rather Boggy and Sad." Choose to hang a better sign on your door!

"The average pencil is seven inches long 

with just a half-inch eraser,

in case you thought optimism was dead."

-Robert Brault

Photo via lovelylivtyler

"To promote the highest development of mind and soul, a sunny disposition is indispensable; the brighter, the happier, and the sweeter the disposition, the more easily and the more rapidly will any talent develop; and it is a literal truth that a sunny disposition is to the talents of the mind what a sunny day is to the flowers of the field."

-Christian D. Larson

Graphic by Pennywishes via etsy

Savor the journey . . . .

From the book Love Life

by Kobi Yamada, Dan Zadra & Kristel Wills


Photo via Getty Images

It's called choice . . . .

. . . . and it's all yours.  Happy Monday! Not only is it the beginning of a new week, but it's a perfect  time to begin making changes in our life that might enhance our day, create a new path, or change the way we feel. There is nothing more empowering than the moment you realize that IT IS possible to re-create your life. It is possible to turn that poor attitude in to a more positive outlook. It is possible to begin that exercise program that you've been putting off. It is possible to be a happier person, more peaceful, more in touch with the love and the wisdom that is at your core......because that's where your beauty lies. And that's where you'll find the very essence of who you are, and who you were meant to be. Begin to listen to your heart, and trust it. Realize that you can make choices that will allow you to begin living your life in a happier and healthier way. What changes would you make in your life, and what are you waiting for?

"If you limit your choices 

only to what seems 

possible or reasonable, 

you disconnect yourself 

from what you truly want, 

and all that is left is compromise."

-Robert Fritz

Photo by James Strack via One League Artists

Enjoy the ride . . . .

Today looks really good on you . . . .

-Via Notes from the Universe

-Photo by Cameron McDonald via One Eyeland

From the book "be"

Give the world your best . . .

Photo via Lerkenfeldt Photography

Open up your mind and . . . .

Happy Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Come with me . . . .

Always . . . .

Graphic via we heart it

Pass it on . . . .

"Every morning you have a choice to put good energy into the world, to be the best self you can be, to open your heart and let love flow so you can feel love in return and live your dream life. Good energy. Get it, feel it, savor it, pass it on . . ."

-philosophy

A product with a great message . . . .

I am so inspired by Philosophy skin care products and their approach to celebrating the human spirit. I love that they promise to bring its customers products that inspire them to live a better life by being better to themselves. They promote their products as caring not only for your skin, but your overall well-being, stating that they take care of the mind, body and spirit. They believe that only when you feel good can you truly look your best. Philosophy uses children's pictures as a way to highlight the simple pleasures in life and remember the genuine curiosity and wisdom that is the childhood consciousness in us all. They state that children encourage us to be creative, fun and live in the moment; they remind us to believe in magic and to color outside the lines. What is "in" Philosophy jars and bottles can give you better skin, but what is "on" Philosophy jars and bottles can inspire better days. The paragraph below is just one example of what you will find on the outside of the bottles. . . .

True joy . . . .

"To experience true joy

is to feel yourself

smiling on the inside."

Affirmation . . . .

Photo by Alexa Singer

Every day I choose

to send loving, healing energy

to the planet.

What I do with my mind

does make a difference.

-Jason Mraz

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

It is possible . . . .

Photo by Becky Kiil via flickr

It is possible to be happy and joyful most of the time. You just have to look at little children and see their natural joy. You may say that little children are free and don't have anything to worry about, but you are free too! You are free to choose worry or to choose joy, and whatever you choose will attract exactly that. Worry attracts more worry. Joy attracts more joy.

- from Daily Teachings by Rhonda Byrne

Amazing GRACE . . . .

It feels good to just say the word. It is described as an "elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion or action; a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment." I think of someone who has grace as having integrity as their foundation. It is someone who commands respect in a way that no others do. You can count on them! They give you their word and you know they will follow through. They will never let you down. And they honor the people around them. Now that's grace!

They are people who are successful on their own terms and never compromise, use or abuse their femininity or masculinity. Grace is a state of being when you open up to all wonders of the world. It is when you feel at peace with yourself, so much so, that you don't need to react to what is going on around you. The band U2 says it's a thought that changed the world, and that it finds goodness in everything. Grace makes people thoughtful in every way. Who wouldn't want to be thought of in this manner? When you are not needy or pushy, you will notice that people respond to you differently. You become their calm reference point. It is an atmosphere in which people want to be in.....a much more relaxed atmosphere. And when you have grace, everything is possible.

If you want to see how much more is possible in your life when you are graceful, here are four areas of your life to start with.

1. Manners:
Don’t just be polite for the sake of it. Please, say it with a genuine smile. Listen with your full attention to what the other person is saying, without putting your own story into the picture. The benchmark is "did I just make today more wonderful for that person?"

2. Morals:
Adapt the codes of conduct which give a moral backdrop to our lives. It is not a question of can I do this and not get caught, or how far can I push the boundary. The moral code is within you. The benchmark is "can I sleep peacefully tonight?"

3. Standards:
What do you stand for? What do you represent to the outside world? Standards create the structure of your life and standards are built on what you are committed to. Integrity is the foundation. The benchmark is: "how much can I be trusted?"

4. Style:
We each have our own way to express our identity in this world. Our style is a discreet language which impacts our surroundings subliminally. The beauty of your own style reflects how comfortable you are within yourself. How do you describe your style? Is your style noisy, untidy, trashy or crude? Straighten this up and start being graceful. Do you dress to display your sexuality and sensuality, or to radiate your grace? A quick test is ask yourself "what do people remember about me: what I was wearing or who I am?" The benchmark is "how much does my life flow with ease?"

“Grace is to the body, what good manners are to the mind”

-Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Partial text by Guru Kaur