Ever heard of DUMB goals?  I am sure you have heard about SMART goal setting....but DUMB?  Watch this awesome video from Brendon Burchard!  I LOVE it!

     I absolutely LOVE when people with so called "disabilities" are using their challenges to inspire and help others!

     Here is a quick audio with James Jones, owner of Be Fit Be Able, and why he chooses exercise as a way to stay strong and motivate others with disabilities!

I am always trying to "help or heal" people, especially family members.  This can be somewhat draining on my emotional state!  So when I received this email from Natalie at Mind Movies, it made me feel much better!  I absolutely LOVE simple tips that help!  Enjoy!

By Kristie Blankenship at SelfGrowth.com


You can also read this post on The Empower Network!

There are some things in our lives that we just need to stop doing. They aren't good for us and they mess with our mindset.

I don't know about you, but I have found that some things I have done for so long that I just do them without thinking. Yet, some of those same things are just ruts that we get in and can't get out of. A lot of them are about how we think about things.

Here is a list of 7 things that we could SO do without!

1. Over-thinking things.
How many times do you find yourself fixated on some thought or idea and you've thought about it so much that you have it totally out there like in fantasy world or something or get so worked up about something because you've imagined all sorts of imaginary happenings? Stop thinking so hard. I know this is one area I'm really needing to work on some more because the way I'm made up I tend to think and think and think about things. Thinking about things is good, but only if you keep it balanced. Don't over think things.

2. Stuff my feelings.
There are different ways we all deal with our feelings. One way is we don't express them and just stuff them down inside. While it may be appropriate sometimes to not express our feelings and emotions, always stuffing them down inside without letting them out and expressing them is not healthy in more ways than one. When we stuff different emotions down inside and don't deal with them or express them or handle them, we are asking for trouble. This causes stress to build up, which we all know causes so many illnesses in itself. Without going into a lot of detail, for the purpose of this article, let's just say that we all need to express our emotions in a healthy way. If you need to cry, just do it. Don't feel ashamed because you feel however you feel. Emotions are just emotions. What you do with those emotions is what counts. Choose to deal with them in a healthy way.

3. Filling up all your time slots-juggling too many things at once.
Okay. So, I imagine we've all been guilty of this -- being WAY too busy. Do you fill up all your time slots on your calendar with stuff that keeps you so busy you have no time to relax? Stop. Breathe. I know we all have responsibilities and things we have to do to keep things going, but there is a point when too much is just too much! Let some of it go. If you really want peace and happiness in your life, you have to find more time for yourself and spending time doing the things you love and being with those you love to be around. Juggling too many things does nothing but keep you run down all the time, stressed out, and feeling like you never can get it all done. Believe me when I say that the more simple your life is the more peaceful you will be. So, slow down friend!

4. Tolerating stuff from other people.
We all have a personal space around us that we don't like anyone to cross. The closer we are to someone usually the closer we let them in. That being said, there are some things that we just shouldn't tolerate at all and sometimes we have to set boundaries. I have had to do this in my own life. There are some things I absolutely won't discuss with certain people. I know I'm not going to change their mind and all it does is upset me when we have certain conversations. I let them know I won't discuss it and if they insist, I leave. I refuse to stand there and listen to someone criticize me and talk down to me or go on and on about how they disagree with my decisions or actions. There are some things we have to take a stand for. If someone is always making you feel bad every time you get around them, either set some boundaries with them and gently let them know you won't put up with it or get some new friends. Respect yourself enough to stand up for yourself. Yes, you may have made some mistakes in the past, but you don't have to listen to anyone harp on them every time you see them. You will find yourself a lot happier if you hang out with those who lift you up, inspire you to do great things, encourage you, and make you happy!

5. Creating or tolerating drama.
I hate drama! I know a lot of people that can't survive without always causing drama or being involved with someone else's drama. Why would I want all the stress it brings? I can't stand being in a conflict with someone let alone being involved in their drama. If you are involved in creating or tolerating drama, you aren't going to find any peace. Most of the time, all drama does is accuse, point fingers, exaggerate, and make people feel bad. I find that drama is never uplifting to anyone. Just remember this, what you reap you will sow. If you create drama about others, more than likely others will be creating drama about you.

6. Trying to change people.
I know I have been guilty of this one. Why do we try to change people anyway? Is it because we don't appreciate them for who they are? maybe don't like something they do or the way they act? We are all different. None of us are the same. You do realize don't you that you aren't perfect either? I'm sure there are things about you they aren't that crazy about either. Let's just give everyone the benefit of the doubt and accept them for who they are. Give each other a little space. We are attracted to people and like them and don't really always know why; we just like them. When we start faultfinding and nitpicking, we are damaging the relationship and not enjoying the uniqueness of the other person. Just enjoy one another in all their glory. Each one of us should be able to be our true selves and not try to fit the mold of what someone else thinks we should be. You are unique yourself. You are special. Just remember, so are they.

7. Own other people's problems!
Raise your hand if you don't have any problems of your own. No hands? Imagine that! What we have to realize is that we have our own problems, which are enough for us to handle. Yes, we always look for a way to help our children or loved ones or friends when they have a problem. This is normal. This is love. Where it begins to be a problem is when we start to "own" their problems. Don't become so engrossed in other people's problems that you get stressed out, ill, find yourself thinking about it nonstop, and basically have unknowingly placed yourself right in the midst of the problem when you don't need to be there. This is their problem. You might be able to help or might not. Step back and let them handle it. If they ask for your help, don't over obligate yourself. Help in any way you feel comfortable, but remember that the other person will only grow if they learn to handle their own problems. Always bailing your kids out when they need money? "Oh, but mom or dad, the phone will be cut off if I don't have the money today!" I have given in to this one countless times (I have 5 kids), but eventually you realize they aren't learning the lesson of blowing their bill money and then suffering the consequences! This is just an example, but it is a hard one to learn when we just want to help them. They are grown ups now. Let them learn what they need to learn. If this example didn't resonate with you, just remember this: You aren't doing yourself or them any good if you are letting yourself get involved in their problems when it is not appropriate.

These are just 7 things we need to stop doing forever. Can you imagine how many there really are? This is a good start though! If we conquer these 7 things we are coming along and will feel better about ourselves and find more peace.



About the Author:

Kristie Blankenship is a happy entrepreneur, wife, mother, and grandmother who loves blogging and sharing her day to day life in her blog. Feel free to come by and say hi at http://www.athomewithkristie.com

 
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For those of you who truly know me, you know that I absolutely LOVE the sun and always have!  My parents used to say, "you're gonna get wrinkles early" and my friends would fear the possibility of skin cancer coming my way.  And yet, at almost 40 years of age, my skin is still quite youthful!  Am I just lucky or are there some benefits to sun exposure?

The following article from SilfGrowth.com answers this question!  Oh, and by the way, read this post on The Empower Network!

Happy Sunning!!  XXOOXX!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At this time of year, even the slickest of city slickers among us love to get outdoors and enjoy the warmth and beauty of natural sunlight. However, we also inherently know that excessive exposure can be dangerous.

Excessive UV exposure can cause premature aging of the skin, marked by wrinkling, sagging, age spots and a sallow complexion. Skin cancer can also be triggered by overexposure, and basal and squamous cell carcinomas affect millions of people each year in the US alone. Melanoma, though less common and not typically caused by overexposure to UV light, can be one of the most lethal.

Ironically, one of the best ways to prevent skin cancers of all kinds is to optimize your vitamin D levels with natural sunlight exposure. In fact, vitamin D can reduce your risk of many cancers, including those of the skin, by as much as 60%.

Often called 'the sunshine vitamin', vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone, and provides a staggering number of health benefits. Studies have shown that optimizing your vitamin D levels can help you prevent at least 16 different types of cancer, including pancreatic, lung, ovarian, prostate and yes, skin cancers.

The sunshine vitamin can also:
Support healthy kidney fiction
Promote healthy teeth and bones
Support cardiovascular health
Eliminate Seasonal Affective Disorder and lift moods
Help normalize blood pressure
Enhance muscle strength
Maintain a healthy immune system

Would you like to know how to get the benefits of sun exposure while avoiding the health risks? Here are 10 useful tips on how to do just that.

1. Be like Popeye.
A 2009 report in the International Journal of Cancer shows that people who ate the most folate-rich leafy greens, such as spinach, had half as many skin cancer tumors as those who ate the least.

2. Get an Oil Change.
If you regularly consume packaged or processed foods, your cells are loaded up with damaged, oxidized fats from corn, soy and canola oil. Oxidized fats in the skin make you more prone to sunburn and sun damage. Make sure to get the right balance of omega 3 to omega 6 in your diet and use cooking oils that resist oxidation, like coconut oil.

3. Eat the Peel.
Lemon and orange zest (the colorful part of the peel) contain d- limonene, an antioxidant that can reduce your risk of skin cancer by up to 30%. You can see results with as little as 1 tablespoon per week.

4. Make Time for Tea.
A 2007 study in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that drinking 2 to 6 cups of hot green tea a day helps prevent skin cancer and may reverse the aging effects of the sun's rays. Drink it hot to reap the greatest amount of catechins, the antioxidant with proven anti-cancer properties.

5. Eat Real Food.
Research has shown that antioxidant vitamins C and E can drastically reduce the severity of sunburn, which reduces the occurrence of cancerous mutations. In addition, eating a healthy, whole food based diet provides the nutritional support your immune system needs to fight off cancer and other illness. Fresh, raw vegetables contain an abundance of powerful antioxidants that fight free radical damage related to sun exposure, protecting you from burns and cancer.

6. Indulge in Topical Treats.
Skin needs care from the inside out and the outside in. Topical use of ascorbyl palmitate, a fat soluble form of vitamin C, is an incredible panacea to skin, especially after sun exposure. Unlike water soluble forms of C (ascorbic acid), it deeply penetrates the skin without causing irritation to deliver anti-aging effects and cancer prevention where it's needed most. Ascorbyl palmitate comes in a silky powder form that can be mixed with your favorite moisturizer or plain water. If you are already sunburned, mix it with pure aloe vera gel and coconut oil for the ultimate healing salve.

7. Avoid Evil Sunscreens.
Contrary to popular belief, many sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate. Other ingredients commonly found in sunscreen, such as oxybenzone, are also harmful and can become even more dangerous when exposed to UV light -- crazy, but true!

To truly protect yourself, stick with natural mineral-based sunscreens, such as Aubrey Organics or Desert Essence, that use titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as active ingredients.

8. Get Your Pink On.
Astaxanthin, a natural pigment produced by the Haematococcus pluvial microalgae, is a powerful 'internal sunscreen'. The pigmentation in this antioxidant is what makes salmon (and pink flamingos) pink. The algae produce this antioxidant to protect themselves from UV damage, and it is therefore very helpful for people who want to reverse or prevent radiation damage from the sun.

When it comes to scavenging free radicals, astaxanthin is a heavyweight champ: it can be 65 times more powerful than vitamin C! So, this is one weapon you definitely want to add to your sun-protection arsenal. There are two ways to get more of this potent antioxidant into your body: taking supplements made from the Haematoccous pluvialis microalgae and eating seafood (salmon, and krill, for example) that consumes the microalgae.

9. Timing is Everything. 
In this part of the country at this time of year, UVB rays (the kind that cause your body to make vitamin D3) are penetrating the atmosphere and reaching the ground between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Anytime before or after, the sun is in too low of a position (less than 50 degrees above the horizon) in the sky for any of the UVB rays to reach your skin. If you sun yourself at these times, you will be exposed primarily to UVA, which without the UVB to balance it, can cause much damage and even skin cancer.

I like to use this rhyme to remember when to get my daily dose of sunshine:
UVA, stay away
10 to 3 for UVB

For best results, go out during the UVB hours, and spend just enough time in the sun to turn your skin the lightest shade of pink (if you are fair skinned). The darker your skin, the more sunlight you will need to reach optimal D3 levels. NEVER burn, as this is a sign you have had more radiation than your skin can handle.

10. Hold the Lather.
D3 forms on the surface of your skin, and your skin oil is what helps the body absorb the D3 and take it into the bloodstream. If after sunning yourself you immediately take a hot shower with soap, you wash all the D3 down the drain. Wash with soap only where necessary (groin, armpits) and just rinse the rest of your skin with warm or cool water. Avoiding over-washing will give your skin a healthy glow, and ensure you optimize your vitamin D levels.

Follow the tips in this guide and you will be able to enjoy the sun all you want, reap the health benefits from exposure and greatly minimize your risk of many diseases, skin damage and cancer.

Happy summer! 

Written by Carisa Holmes

We have all heard it....a pyramid scheme, a scam, only the people at the top make all the money.  I have heard this objection for years, but my friend, David Colister, politely addresses the topic at the Estes Park Leadership Retreat 2012.  This is the funniest explanation I have ever heard!! Take 6 minutes and 39 seconds out of your day for a great laugh!

Durbano submitted 15 pages of the manuscript for her book and will have it critiqued by authors and agents at the conference.

Samples of her work are posted on: www.writingmatterscolorado.com

Read this on my Empower Network Blog too!

Let's face it. No matter how positive we intend to be and how focused we are on attracting positive people into our lives, there are times when we will come into contact with negative people. You know the type: They love to talk about all the things that are going wrong in their life. They live for the gossip about the latest tragedy in Paris Hilton's life or their neighbor's. They bask in being the first to point out why a project won't work.

These people may be tangential to your life or they may be firmly embedded in the fabric of your life (can you say "family members?"). But either way, when they come into your presence, they provide a true "test" of your ability to maintain a high, positive vibration.

So how do you deal with these people? How do you maintain a positive vibration when you find yourself surrounded by people with less positive vibrations?

Here are ten tools, techniques and insights to help you maintain a positive vibration. Try them out. Discover what works for you. Improvise, combine them, add your own. As you work within the Law of Attraction you will begin to discover your own tools and techniques for maintaining your highest most positively attractive resonance in every situation.

So here they are.

10 Tips For Staying Positive Around Negative People

1. Leave.
If possible, remove yourself from the presence of the low/slow vibrations as quickly as you can. This is the easiest and often the best way to deal with the situation. If you find yourself immersed in a water-cooler conversation that takes a negative turn, excuse yourself as soon as you realize what's happening. Admittedly, this is not always possible (think family gatherings!) so we've got 9 more.

2. Try to keep the conversation positive.
If you recognize that the conversation is taking a turn for the worse, see if you can turn it back around. Politicians and marketers call this staying on message. Your "message" is positive. The topic doesn't matter so much as the tone. So anything you can do to keep the conversation positive is staying on message.

3. Think of something positive in your life.
If, in spite of your efforts to stay on message, the conversation becomes negative, see if you can split your attention and allow a part of your mind to focus on something positive. Think of it like the "picture in a picture" feature on your TV. Insert a little positive thought or memory into the big picture.

4. Find something positive about the person to focus on.
Everyone has redeeming qualities. They may be difficult to notice in the heat of the negative moment. But they are there. See if you can find one. Maybe you like her scarf. Maybe he just got a new hair cut that looks good. Maybe she smells good. Maybe he helped you move last weekend. When you notice and focus on something positive it neutralizes the power of the negative energy.

5. Close your eyes.
This obviously may not be possible when you are engaged in a one-on-one conversation. In this case, deliberately slow down the blinking of your eyes. Closed eyes, even if closed for just a second, immediately begin to bring your brainwaves down towards the alpha state. Try it right now. Take a few slow eye-blinks and watch what happens to you physical and mental state. You are much less susceptible to negative energy when you are in that relaxing, contemplative alpha space.

6. Focus on your breath.
Again, see if you can split your attention and focus part of your awareness on your breath. Become aware of the air moving in and out of your body. Feel your chest and belly expanding against your shirt. Notice the rhythm of your breath and see if you can consciously slow your breath down.

7. Unplug your energy from the other person.
Imagine that you are literally pulling your plug out of the other person. These negative people thrive on their ability to bring others down to their vibrational level. Use visualization, feeling, or intention to pull your plug and maintain your own vibrational level.

8. Remember the prayer of St. Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Recognize that the person's negativity is an expression of their inner doubt, despair and sadness. The way that you "sow" love and hope and peace and joy is by remaining positive and allowing yourself to become an instrument of peace in that moment.

9. Stop judging.
If you find yourself being judgmental, stop. We all have moments of negativity. And, in fact, this person's presence in your life could be a signal that there is some negativity in your space that you are not acknowledging. So stop judging the person and, instead, offer your gratitude for the opportunity to explore your own tendency to drift into low/slow vibrations.

10. Don't be too hard on yourself if you get pulled down into the low vibrations!
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter how strong your intention is to stay positive, you will find yourself pulled down into that negative vibration. Be kind on yourself. As with number 9 above, judging yourself will only add to the downward spiral. If you fall off the horse, the best response is to get right back on and try it again!

Here's to staying positive! 


Read this article here at SelfGrowth.com.

You can also see this post on my Empower Network Blog!