Healthy & Wealthy & Wise

I’ve been researching ingredients used in skin care and body care products lately, and what I’ve learned is frightening. Many of the common ingredients used are harmful to us and the environment. Needless to say, I’ve been getting more and more interested in all-natural skin care.

So when I found out that plain old avocados are great for making your skin softer, I was all ears.

Check out this video where Kate Somerville, yes, THE Kate Somerville - celebrity skin expert, shares some of her recipes for all natural face masks, including a great avocado one.

They’re almost good enough to eat!  Almost.

Thanks to WeLoveBeauty.com for making this great video!

Here’s a great way to start attracting more of what you want - be truly grateful for what you already have.

One way to do this is to keep a Gratitude Journal.

Just get a notebook or journal (or you could do it on your computer) and spend a couple minutes each day writing down everything you’re grateful for.

Most of us are thankful for our houses, our friends and families, and all the essential things we have, but don’t forget the little things too.

Like when someone holds a door open for you. Or the sales clerk who was extra helpful and friendly. Or when you found that $10 bill in your coat pocket. Write down everything that happened during your day that made you feel good inside.

Doing this on a regular basis will not only help you attract more of what you want, you’ll also start noticing more “good” things in your life. And you’ll naturally start feeling happier.

It really works - try it!

You may have heard of this generous soul.

He bought lottery tickets for family and friends as Christmas gifts and one of them ended up being a winning ticket worth $1 million. In the interview he said that it wouldn’t be right to ask for any of the money back. He told the winners that it was their ticket and they could do whatever they wanted to with it.

And then, because he owns the store where the ticket was purchased, he got a commission for selling the winning ticket and he took all his employees out to dinner with that money!

What an awesome attitude to have! How many people would be bitter and jealous because they’d given away the winning ticket? Or feel like the winners “owed” them part of that money? This guy’s happy to have helped someone and said he’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Think of all the well-deserved prosperity that’s coming to him!

Watch the video here.

With Thanksgiving just behind us, I’m reminded of how important food is in our lives.

Sure, it provides nourishment to keep us alive, but there’s much more to it than that. Food has been associated with fun, festivities and pleasure for thousands of years. Most of our holiday celebrations are centered around food.

But with that being said, I believe that most people today have lost their connection with food. How many times last week did you sit down with your family to enjoy your meals? Or were most of them eaten while rushing out the door, or in your car on the way to somewhere else?

When was the last time you sat down and actually savored a meal? Even during Thanksgiving dinner, how many people wolfed down too much turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie while watching football?

I believe that the single biggest change you can make to improve your health is this: slow down and enjoy your food. This means focus on what you’re eating. Savor each bite. Chew slowly and try to chew each bite 30 times before you swallow it.

Most of us have gotten used to chewing each bite of food less than 10 times before swallowing, but our bodies actually get more nutrients from the food if it is broken down first in the mouth. So chewing is the first step in the digestion process.

By slowing down, you’ll be able to relax while you’re eating. This is so much better on your body.

Studies have shown that people who eat while they feel “stressed” tend to get fat faster, fatter in the belly, in particular. This is because when we’re under stress, our bodies naturally release stress hormones, which slow metabolism and promote fat storage.

Eating more slowly also helps keep you from overeating. We’ve all heard that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that it’s full, right? Well, if one person is shoveling food in and another is taking their time and chewing each bite 30 times, who do you think is going to end up eating more? And probably gain more weight?

So if you’re busy, like most of us are, aim to slow down for just one meal per day. Maybe you have some quiet time during your lunch break. Or perhaps you can find an extra 15 minutes to enjoy your breakfast every morning rather than eating it in the car. Better yet, try to sit down with your loved ones every evening and share a relaxing meal together.

Just doing this one small thing will do wonders for your health. And as you notice positive changes, shoot for doing it more often. If you could do this for every meal of the day, I think you’d be amazed at how great you feel after just a short time. Try it, after all, what have you got to lose?

I get migraines. A lot.

I’ve never been able to figure out why I get them, but they started shortly after my first child was born.

When I get one, I spend the next couple of days lying either in bed or on the couch with ice packs on my head and all the shades drawn. Sounds don’t bother me too much, thankfully, as I have 4 kids, but light and smells do.

When I went to bed last night, I could feel one coming on, so I took some of my medication and crossed my fingers as I fell asleep, hoping that I wouldn’t wake up in pain. At about 4:20 I woke up with the left side of my head throbbing like it was about to explode.

Ugh.

The baby was fussing a little in her crib, and as I stood up to go check on her, I almost collapsed from the pain. I found her binky (pacifier) for her and stood by her till she fell back asleep, then crawled back into bed myself.

About 2 hours later, my alarm clock went off so I crawled back out of bed to get the boys up for school.

They’re great. When I have a bad headache they pretty much get themselves ready so all I have to do is lie on the couch and watch the time to be sure they don’t miss the bus.

They got out of the door on time, and I waved in the excruciatingly bright sunlight as they got on the bus. Then I fixed the baby her bottle and crashed on the couch again. Suddenly I had an urge to check my email. I’m not an email junkie! I swear!

In my email was the weekly EFT Insights Newsletter from Gary Craig, founder of EFT. I always love reading it and this time, there was a video about a lady who had shoulder pain and Gary used EFT to relieve it.

I’ve used EFT for my migraines a couple times in the past, but watching the Master, I picked up some new techniques that I tried this morning.

Watch the video and see for yourself:

It was great! Thank you, Gary!

My pain went from about a 7 down to about a 2, where it’s at right now. That’s tolerable for me. I may go back and keep doing EFT until the pain is totally gone, or if the pain starts to get worse but for now, I’m thrilled to be able to enjoy my day!

Hope yours is great too!

Kim

Let Go and Let God…how wise that saying is!

I’ve heard it for most of my life, but only recently has it held any real meaning for me. I used to think that it meant asking God for something and then waiting for his answer - usually a “no.”

I said my prayers faithfully every night as a child, but I didn’t really thing God heard, much less answered them. In my child’s mind, prayers were for asking for things like a pony ( I never got one) or for my mom and dad to get back together ( they didn’t), even though I knew deep down that they’d never be answered.

Besides, if I did get something that I’d prayed for, God never got the credit, Mom or Santa did. Let Go and Let God really meant “go ahead and ask for it, but you’re probably not going to get it.”

So now, as I’m studying the Law of Attraction, this saying has taken on a whole new meaning for me.

Now it’s saying that if we want to attract something into our life, we put out the intention and then have faith that it will show up. In the Law of Attraction, the two main things are to know exactly what you want and have absolute faith that you’ll get it. Let God or the Universe take care of the details.

It’s kind of like ordering a meal at your favorite restaurant.

You tell the waiter what you want and then enjoy yourself while you wait for it to be brought to your table. You don’t keep checking with the waiter to be sure he understood your order and you certainly don’t go into the kitchen to make sure the chef is preparing it!

It’s the same with the Law of Attraction. You ask for something and patiently believe that you’ll get it.

As soon as you start questioning whether or not you’re going to get it or how it’s going to manifest, you’ve lost the faith and you’re cut off from what you want.

The hardest part really is the letting go. But it’s the key to getting what you want in life.

A couple days ago my son said, “Mom, I need a new pair of shoes for basketball - by Monday.” Hearing this, I felt that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Ugh.

Unwanted thoughts were zipping through my head, “How are we going to pay for them? We don’t have enough money to buy basketball shoes.” I thought to myself. But remembering the Law of Attraction, I squashed those thoughts immediately and said, “Okay, we can go shopping this weekend.”

I felt so conflicted. Do I tell him that we really can’t afford new shoes right now? I know he needs them - his first game of the season is Monday night. But there’s really no need to make him feel guilty just for needing new shoes. It isn’t his fault money’s a bit tight for us right now.

Besides, if I show him that I’m feeling lack, what kind of example is that setting for him? How can I teach him about the Law of Attraction and that he can have anything he wants in life if I’m still figuring out how to get what I want?

I guess the best thing to do is find a way to buy him some shoes for now. Take a little out of the grocery fund for next week and eat a few more “lean” meals. They’re healthier anyway, right? And I’ll just keep working on manifesting and attracting more than enough money for the things we need.

Then, as things do begin to appear in my life, I’ll tell my kids and explain how I was able to manifest them. I’ll let them know that Law of Attraction does work and can work for them too. By showing them the new things that are appearing and contrasting it with the way things were before, they’ll see firsthand that it works and will be able to believe easier.

And hopefully, they’ll know that they can have anything in life that they want. They’ll grow up with a zest for living and a quest to be the best they can at whatever they want. And best of all, they won’t have to grow up with the limiting mindset that I still struggle with.

Update: The morning we were getting ready to go shopping, my mother-in-law stopped by and gave me $20 towards the shoes. Cool! And then at the shoe store, we found a pair that were marked down to $19.99. He liked them and they fit, so we were both happy. I love this Law of Attraction stuff!

Well, I’m off to manifest some checks to come in the mail. After all, Christmas is right around the corner…

What are you thankful for today? Did you know that spending time being grateful for what you have - even the smallest things can actually make your life better?

Believe it or not, there is scientific proof that being consciously thankful on a regular basis improves your overall quality of life.

In fact, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Robert Emmons, PhD, did a study on three groups of participants. One group was told to focus only on the negative things that happened to them during the day. The second group only paid attention to what they did during the day, such as going shopping or playing golf, and the last group was told to focus on the things that happened to them for which they were grateful.

During the course of the study, Dr. Emmons found that the participants who practiced daily gratitude experienced less depression, envy and anxiety than their counterparts in the study. He also found that the ones who made the conscious effort to be grateful were happier, healthier and were more helpful to others. They also had more energy, optimism, enthusiasm, and joy in their lives.

Gratitude is one of the easiest things you can do to bring more abundance into your life. Start celebrating even the smallest blessings. If you find a quarter on the sidewalk, pick it up and feel grateful. If you get a great parking spot, give thanks. If someone holds the door open for you, thank them and mean it.

There are so many opportunities every day to express gratitude. Just say a little prayer to God, the Universe, or whomever it is you want to give thanks to, whenever something happens that makes you smile or feel really good inside.

Or start a Gratitude Journal and write down the things you are grateful for each night before you go to bed. If you don’t have a lot of time, just write down three things that happened to you each day that you’re thankful for. Then, if you’re ever feeling down, you can read through your Journal and see how truly blessed you are.

Make gratitude a habit and you’re sure to see more and more good things coming into your life.

Suggested Reading

Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons, PhD

Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You by Deborah Norville

Here’s a neat video I found on YouTube that shows how to do EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).

Anyone can learn EFT to reduce stress, relieve pain, conquer fears/anxiety, overcome cravings, and much, much more.

EFT has helped me so much in relieving some of my pain from migraines. It doesn’t totally take them away yet, but I still haven’t been able to figure out what’s causing them. Once I do that, I’ll be able to get rid of them for good.

I’ve also been using EFT to help me clear some of the blocks I have to money. Will let you know how that goes.
EFT is wonderful! Try it for yourself!

I’ve been reading a lot of articles and books that discuss finding your “ideal” career lately.

Yesterday I came across an article called, “Effortless Success - How to turn work into play and succeed on a massive scale” by Jonathan Fields of JonathanFields.com.

Turn work into play, huh? This excerpt from Jonathan’s article talks about exactly what I’ve been looking for:

“Have you ever lost time doing anything? You know what I’m talking about. Those moments when you become so absorbed in what you’re doing that an hour becomes a minute and a day becomes and hour. You blink and it’s time to go home, but you’d kill to be able to stay just a little bit longer.

Think back. How long has it been? Now, I wonder how much more enjoyable life would be if you could recreate that magical sense of total-absorption, effortlessness even in the face of extremely hard work. Imagine how rich each day would be if you could bring this experience not only your play, but to the way earned your living.

What would it take, I wonder, to have a job where you worked harder than ever before, earned more than ever before, and succeeded bigger and faster than ever before, but felt like the whole experience was natural, so engaging, so intrinsically-rewarding, you’d have paid to do it as a hobby, had it not have been your job?”

I’ve been trying to find just that. I love to write and this is the closest I’ve come so far, but something tells me I haven’t quite found what I’m looking for yet.

Are you one of the lucky ones?

So what I’d like to know is, are you one of the lucky few who truly love their work? Do you find that it isn’t work at all, but actually fun? Do you get so into it that you forget yourself?

Or are you one of the millions of people who suffer through day after day going to jobs they hate, never even realizing that they could have something more?

In the article, Jonathan discusses a book called “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who spent years studying professionals, actors, artists and athletes- the people who are able to put themselves into the “flow” regularly. What he found was that those who used this kind of “deliberate practice,” excelled at their professions. Being in the flow made them work harder, but they enjoyed it more. They experienced an almost “effortless success.”

But how do you get into the flow?

“Csikszentmihalyi identifies the following fairly universal experiences while in a flow state:

• Working toward a clear goal with a well-defined process – The task, big or small, must be as defined as possible and the steps needed to get there must be laid out in detail or at least highly-delineable along the way. Getting there does not have to be easy, but you need to be able to see, even in the distance, where you are going.
  
• Cultivating deep-concentration – the nature of the job must require an intense sense of concentration. Examples would be a fast-moving game like ping-pong or a gymnastic routine. In a work setting, leading a high-stakes, face-to-face negotiation, drafting a document, writing a blog post (ha ha ha), creating a detailed artistic rendering or coding of a computer game, animation or program would qualify.
• Lack of a sense of self-consciousness – you become so engaged in the nature of the work that are no longer aware of yourself, but, rather feel a sense of total absorption in the task. It’s like that old sports adage, “be the ball.”
• Altered sense of time– time seems to either stand still or literally fly by in the blink of an eye.
• Ongoing, direct feedback – either through people or the testable nature of the task, you need regular enough feedback to be able to constantly adapt, correct course and make progress toward your goal. For example, when writing a computer program, you can constantly compile, test and de-bug the ensure you are on the right track.
• Task is highly-challenging, but doable – the task must be hard enough to finish that it requires a significant investment of your attention, resources and energy that lead to the sense of absorption. But, it also has to easy enough to allow you to believe that a solution is, in fact, possible, or else you’d just give in.
• Control over the means – you must have the ability to harness the resources to get the job done.
• The activity is meaningful or intrinsically rewarding, by the very nature of doing it – while the end result might entitle you to a big outside reward, like a bonus, raise or high sale-price, the essential nature of the activity is so rewarding that you would do it at the same level, even without he extra motivation of some kind of external prize. For example, most great artists don’t paint for a paycheck, they paint because the very process of painting is so woven into who they are that not painting would be akin to not breathing.

Do all of these elements need to be present? No. But, the more the better, the deeper the flow and greater the sense of effortlessness.

So, this gives great insight into the qualities we need to add to create more of a flow experience in our work. That covers the “effortless” element of effortless success. It lets us enjoy the journey and find flow. But, how does it lead to success on a bigger, better, faster scale?”

It could take 10 years

Jonathan goes on to say that even with deliberate daily practice, it generally takes 10 years to become truly great at something. That’s a little discouraging.

But after thinking about it, I decided it doesn’t have to be. I’ve been looking for the thing that gets me into the “flow” for a few months now - that thing that I love doing so much that I forget everything else.

But the author isn’t saying that it takes 10 years to find it, he’s saying it takes 10 years to be truly good at whatever it is you’re doing.

Whew! I can live with that. I’m not trying to be the next Tiger Woods or Mozart right now. I’m just trying to find what makes me happy. Getting great at it can come only after we find what it is that we love to do.

Your #1 focus

So I think trying to find what you love should be your number one focus.

The only way to really enjoy life is to get away from that life-draining job you hate and do what you love to do. Once you do that, I believe you’ll naturally get better at it.

And hopefully, in what literally seems like no time at all (but could really be 10 years), you’ll excel.