One of the most difficult things I had to learn how to do was to accept help from others.  For someone independent and self-sufficient, learning how to accept generosity from others was and still is very difficult.  For me, there was a sense of pride in being able to take care of myself and my family.  I struggle when I have to accept help.  Sometimes I accept help because I need the help.  Other times I accept help because it is the right thing to allow someone the opportunity to be kind and neighborly.  I never thought I was…

It is a priority of mine to make sure that I set myself up to have a great day.  I find that with a little preparation, the odds of that happening increase significantly. 1.  Give Thanks Every morning when I get up I give thanks to God.  I have found that starting the day with the right mindset is important for me and prepares me for the day ahead.   I don’t allow myself to think about anything disruptive to a good start to the day. As I begin my daily exercise routine, I thank God for what I can…

You need to love yourself before you can find fulfillment.  It starts from within. Courage It takes courage to begin self-evaluation.  Taking a look at what you like about yourself, and what you wish you could change, can be very challenging.  Looking at yourself with an open mind and a clear perspective is essential.  Some tend to take an overly negative approach to self-evaluation and some lack the ability to see their weaknesses.  Stepping back and looking at yourself takes courage, I always pray for clarity in that process.    Happiness Joy and happiness start from within.  To experience…

Sometimes all we need is a change in our perspective.  Changing one’s perspective is not easy, but it is a choice that you are able to make.  You can choose to focus on all the things that went wrong or you can choose to focus on what is good.  Sometimes finding what is good takes time, sometimes it takes creativity, other times it takes perseverance.  The key for me is to FOCUS on the positive, the good.  That is often very difficult; but if I don’t look for the good, I often find myself drowning in negativity…