Peace

Life gets crazy and it's easy to get lost in the drama, events and routines. I know that no one else ever gets wrapped up in themselves and their own little bubble of worries and problems, but I do. Lately I have had my blinders on to the outside world and been consumed by my own life and emothions.

However I do realize that this funk inhibit me to live the life God designed for me.

I want to share with you somethings that have helped me jump out of a self pity mood and helped me refocus on my mission and purpose in life. These are also things I have started doing with Taydem and have been able to shift his mood and thinking! No they are not profound, they are simple. And you may have heard them before.

1. Write down five things you are thankful for. My mentor shared this with me and had me start a thankful journal. Every morning in the shower I would think of 5 things I was thankful for and then write them down when I got out. On the way to school Taydem and I go back and forth saying what we are thankful for. We always ended up having more than 5 things but it is so lovely to hear what he would say!
My List Today 1. Ezekiel Bread with butter 2. Rubber bands 3. Dr. Abby 4. Greatest Grains samples 5. Alex making me lunch (a huge salad...ummm)

2. Do something for someone else. Doing a good deed for someone else is an instant way to shift your focus off your own life. Do a random act of kindness. Cut your neighbors grass, pay for the persons coffee in line behind you, by your friend flowers, surprise someone at work with a treat.

3. Write down or say out loud all the GOOD things that happened. It is so easy to let one, little, bad thing ruin your day. By reminding yourself of the many good things that happened you can change your state. I see this so clearly with Taydem, we could have had the best day ever and I would say no to one thing and it would instantly turn into the worst day ever and I never let him do anything or I am so mean. But by talking though all the amazing fun things that we did, from the little things (samples at the grocery store) to the big (going to the park for 2 hours), and thanking God for what he blessed us with, even this stubborn boy changes his state.

4. Give 5 Complements. Look for the good and beautiful in other people and tell them. Watch the reaction to a true, genuine complement, that joy is contagious.

5. Rock out to music. This is awesome for children. Flip on their favorite song, get up and dance with them, sing along and watch their state change instantly. Some of my boys favorite: Beat It, ABC 123 (yes they like Michael Jackson), Big Big House by Audio Adrenaline, I like to Move It from Madagascar. Its On by Superchick is my favorite mood changing song.

6. Focus on what you are ignoring and get to the cause. Chances are your feelings are REAL. Stress, worries, and problems are a regular part of life and they create emotions. I have found that working through the emotions, like crying or getting angry, is healthy. Don't hold the emotions inside, they build and multiply and get blown out of proportion. Talk through the issue with someone who will listen. Ask that person to just listen while you vent. If you are like me when you get the problems out you will realize that your issues are not as overwhelming as they felt inside.

What do you do that helps you or your children flip out of a depressed, sad, self centered mood?