Everyone who knows me well knows me to be a very positive and optimistic person, and very few outside of my family ever see anything different. Honestly, that's because that's who I am...my closest friends and family can attest to that, but it's not how I've always been, I've had a dark period of my life where I was very negative. So how did I change? After I lost my previous husband I had a grace period before grief really hit...I thought I'd dealt with all of that as he was slowly dying and it was done. (I now understand the "denial" period of grief.) I also spent that time remodeling and refurnishing our house with the inheritance money, figuring whenever it was gone I'd just get a job...this was 2007-2008. It was amazing how fast that money disappeared! And when it was gone, there weren't any jobs, the market was depressed. All that I could find were temporary jobs, and the only way I kept paying the utilities was through those and borrowing money from my friends and family. I got very depressed. Then I came across the books "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne and "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay, and honestly they changed my life. I learned affirmations about being worthy and loved, that all is well in my world, and to wake up every day giving thanks for all that was around me. I learned to ignore the negative and focus on the positive because you get what you focus on the most. I learned to send out vibrations of abundance and love, and to forgive myself and everything around me...and it worked. I started getting better temp jobs that I liked, each one being better than the last as I tweaked my manifestation visualizations, and finally landed one that lasted long term, though it never went permanent and cut down from full time to part time...but by then I'd also met Steve and was remarried with two of our four sons living with us, and we were starting a Reiki business together so it was all good. We've been through a lot of changes over the years, and there have still been times that it's been scary for us financially with both of us being self-employed, but through it all I continue to live with "an attitude of gratitude" every day, focusing on all of the positive things in my world from bird song, sunshine or rain to either of us getting a new client...and I focus on the positive things in the lives of those around me too, being genuinely happy when someone has success in any aspect of their lives. I'm human and it's not always easy, but the core of my nature is sunny and optimistic so if I get into a negative state I don't stay there long. It might be harder for some whose nature is more pessimistic, but everyone can achieve living in a state of gratitude if they try. It's a matter of looking around you and seeing the beauty in what's there, seeking things to appreciate and be grateful for, and consciously trying to find that silver lining in every cloud that does come along. My father gave me a perfect example of that last one! When 9/11 happened, my parents lost the majority of their retirement fund and decided to invest the last of it into a clothing consignment store. They had some issues with shoplifting, but overall were doing well. Then they got a new neighbor in the strip mall, a man they later found out who had burned down his previous businesses but had not been proven to be at fault...and his new business became the eighth that he torched. They lost their entire inventory to smoke damage and my father's comment in our phone call about it was, "Well, the fire trucks are close to our store and our sign is in all of the news footage so we're getting a ton of free media coverage!" Yep...that's where I get it from. My dad is one of those chronically happy and optimistic people as well. He never needed to read about it, it's just who he is, and I guess this apple didn't fall far from his tree. But there are still times that I need to remind myself to focus on all of the beauty and abundance around me. So, when I get down, depressed or into a negative state I just focus on the thought "attitude of gratitude" and start looking around and giving thanks for everything I see, then I turn inwards and focus on giving thanks for everything (and everyone) that I can think of for at least a few minutes straight several times throughout that day rather than just my morning and evening sessions. Try it, and I think you'll find it makes a huge difference in your life! ...read more
By The Mystical Haven December 07, 2016
Learning how to flat iron your hair will save you money and time spent at a hair salon. The process is quite simple and only involves a few simple steps. When flat ironing your hair on your own it is important to make sure your hair is washed and well conditioned. ...read more
Consuming carrots provides beauty benefits such as glowing skin from within, but carrots can also be used topically in homemade beauty treatments. Carrots act as a natural acne treatment, provide moisture to dry skin in a homemade moisturizer and add naturally add softness and shine to hair. ...read more