Does a Body Good

There are times when we all feel a little bit slow and tired.  This is normal but also a sign.  A sign that something isn't quite right. 
For many of us our days are spent working and getting the kids off to school.  Maybe your day is spent getting little odds and ends wrapped up.  Whatever your day is filled with, there comes a time when you need to unwind and give your body an opportunity to heal.  Our bodies are meant to be in motion.  They are made to move, work, stretch, rest, and relax.  We ask a lot of our bodies on a daily basis and sometimes we need to let it re-energize.  I have three great ways for you to re-charge
1.) drink water.  Our bodies are nearly 70% water and we need water to survive.  Water cleanses our cells and purifies our system.  It can flush out toxins and waste products that build up as a result of stress.  
2.) Stretch.  Our bodies can get tightly wound and our muscles need a chance to breathe.  Take 15 minutes and stretch, this also releases toxins and allows your body to get back in balance.
3.) Breathe deeply, exhale completely.  Much of the time our lungs are not filled nor emptied completely.  That leaves unclean air in our system.  Take a deep breath, hold it for three seconds, and exhale until you can't go any farther.
These three things are sure to clean and rejuvenate even the most tired body!   

~Breaths You Take~

Breathe.  Let go.  And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.  ~Oprah Winfrey

I came across this quote this afternoon.  It stopped me for a second and I had to think.  Today is a Monday and Monday’s are always hectic.  We are always trying to catchup from the weekend and sometimes it just makes my head spin!  I don’t like it that I spend the good part of every Monday chasing my tail and failing to enjoy the world around me, espassialy this time of year.  I want to have a chance to enjoy the holidays and spent time just living in the magic of Christmas. 
I think that many of us business owners forget to take a second to just take a deep breath but, at least for me, those deep breaths are what keep me alive- litterally.  I need those few seconds to regroup and unwind.  Those deep breaths clear me head and energize me to keep going.  This time of year the breaths are full of cookie baking, pine trees, and hot apple cider.  We have to take the time to “Breathe” those things in and “Breathe” in the moments we have because the breath we have now is the only one we can say we have for sure. 
To me a breath can be as simple as actually taking a deep breath but is can also be having coffee with my mom or stepping away from the computer to take a phone call from my dad.  It can be coloring with my 6-year-old cousin or playing a hockey game on the lake.  Some breaths may mean more than others but each one is important so, I challenge you to take more ”Breaths” this week.  Seeing that Christmas Eve is Friday and Christmas Day is Saturday, I challenge you to do one thing every day this week that makes the day, the season, or this Christmas your most memorable yet.  I will do that same and tell you what “Breaths” I take this week.
found at: http://xandrepress.wordpress.com/ 

Being happy...

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

~Your Time~

Now is the time that everyone starts talking about gifts for Christmas, New Year's resolutions, and good times past.  Many people would like to suggest that a new outfit will give you that boost you need, that a trip to get away from it all would make things right, a certificate the get your hair and nails done is just the thing you need.
I am not saying that all of these things are not great ways to generate a little extra happiness and peace but all of these things are here today, gone tomorrow. 
I think that in times such as these, we are all looking for a little pep talk, a new way to shake off the dust, an opportunity to revive the lives we live.  These days, things can be tough and even exhausting at times so I challenge you to give yourself a different kind of gift this year.  The gift of time.

I challenge you to give yourself time that is all your own.  Time to read a chapter in that new book, time to take a deep breath, time to have a cup of coffee with your sister, time to get that massage or facial, time to take that yoga class, time to share your thoughts and feelings with someone who will listen, time to feel the sun on your face.  Give yourself time everyday, even if it is just 5 minutes, to just be you, to take a step back, and to have something that is all your own.

Strength For Today

Freedom (1960's)

To stand forth in strength;
The strength of wisdom,
The strength of knowledge,
The strength of power,
The strength to stand tall,
The strength to say nay,
The strength to be proud,
To be strong, able and wise,
Down this road true freedom lies...

Karl Stuart Kline