One of the most awesome Saturdays I've ever had May 4, 2013

3/28/13 Good day

What a great day beyond the muck of my brain. Woke up in a close and lovely friend's home to have her home to myself in Pacific Beach. I had full access to Netflix and proceeded to watch a film on street art. I ate some grapes, drank coffee, and looked through a book about traveling in New York City. Then I was inspired and used her straightener and makeup and did myself all purty. I also wore my friend's clothes that were much more fabulous than how I usually dress. I felt beautiful.

Then I went to the bay by her house and sat, thank, and took photos of myself. I took in the air and water.

Then I walked about 2 miles to Mission Beach. I went and sat in the sand for a little while, pulling my shirt down to tan my shoulders. It was such a beautiful day. I love feeling the heat of the sun. It is like a drug and provides me so much internal and external warmth and energy.

Then I walked back to Pacific Beach and went into a shoe store. I got five pairs of shoes for teaching - really scoring.

Then I went to Buffalo Exchange. I literally said out loud when I got there, "Uh. I don't want to shop right now!" I was complaining about the privilege and gift of shopping. Well, I got an even greater gift inside that has never happened to me when trying on 9 articles of clothing - they all ended up fitting and working! I got them all! To know something about me, I struggle getting new clothes and shoes. I am picky and things just don't tend to fit right. It was wonderful.

Then I went into Fred's Mexican Cafe and talked to my kind waiter for about 7 minutes to figure out how we can make their veggie burrito vegan (the rice were cooked in chicken broth, etc). It was also happy hour so in the meantime it was being prepared, I had myself a blended House margarita as I sat looking through the window towards the road. I was skimming more through my friend's book on New York. My phone was also dying so I had to figure out a way to get home.

My burrito came out and I happily ate my custom-made meal. I talked on the phone with my lovely friend who hosted me so kindly, and she gave me great advice that pushed me forward - pushed me forward just to be happy. It was a moment for me, and I have been happier 7 hours since that conversation and life already has a whole new glow. I just have to keep it up.

It's been a great day because I took time to be in nature, ease my mind, take in the sun, buy things for myself I will need for my interview, summer of training, and once I'm a teacher. I'm also happier now and feeling more liberated and in connection with my friends. Spent a bit today reconnecting with wonderful souls I am blessed to know. They filled me with love, support, kind words, and happiness.

Life is good.

~Jess

My life has gotten better. I admit, I had issues before.

Everything is okay.

Making Life Good!

Surely you remember the good old days – those fun-loving pastimes when the whole world seemed a bit brighter. Let’s travel back in time. Shall we?

Here’s how to get back to good…

1. Accept reality so you can change it.
To move forward in life you must first accept the reality of what it is. This acceptance provides you with an important starting point from which you can move in any direction you choose. To deny this reality or to fight against the past will merely waste your time and energy. To wish that things were different, or to pretend that they are, gets you nowhere.

Instead, visualize the possibilities and the path forward with a calm, collected mind. Then determine the next logical step that will take you in the direction of your vision and step forward. Read The Road Less Traveled.

2. Tap into the abundant resources around you.
When you adopt an attitude that life owes you something you set yourself up for frustration and unhappiness. Realize instead that life has already provided you with a world filled with abundance, and that creating meaningful value out of this abundance is up to you.

No matter who you are, where you’re from, or what your socioeconomic status is, a life of fulfillment requires commitment and effort from you. It is through positive, productive choices that you line up life’s abundance in ways that uniquely express your personal dreams and values.

3. Guard your dreams and go after them.
You need space to try things and create things. It takes a long time to recalibrate if you let people pull at you all the time. A lot of stress comes from reacting to stuff. You have to keep a certain guard up against these negative influences.

Build an emotional barrier and allow yourself to dream and explore the passions that speak to the essence of who you are. Then let those dreams and passions pull you steadily through the practical, hands-on work of bringing them to life. Work through each day with diligence and persistence, doing what’s required. And as you do, stay close to the dreamer that always lives within you.

4. Loosen your grip.
Sometimes you can hold so tightly to what you know that you deny yourself the opportunity to learn and experience great new things. And in the back of your mind you know this and it bothers you. You become so worried about losing comfort that you cease to be comfortable.

When you’re willing to let go a little, you can actually discover and enjoy a lot more. Because when your energy is not consumed by possessiveness and fear, you have more energy available to experience life.

Instead of striving to hold tightly to everything, let it come, let it go, and let the next moment bring its own unique wonder. Read The Untethered Soul.

5. Think about the possibilities.
Each new day greets you with no rules except the ones you place on it. So greet it with open arms and positive thoughts. Let the possibilities inspire you and keep you going. Others may call you an idealist or naive or some other belittling title, ignore them.

Life is not about what you could do, it’s about what you will do. Write this down: “My life has unlimited possibilities.” Choose to find these possibilities in everything that comes your way, and no problem will ever be able to conquer you.

6. Replace “I can’t” with “I can.”
The power of the phrase “I can’t” is frightening. It makes strong people weak, happy people sad, blinds those who can see, turns the brave into cowards, robs the brilliance of every genius, causes the rich to think poorly, and limits the potential of that highly capable brain inside your head.

Replace “I can’t” with “I can” and then try again. When you experience a negative circumstance in your life, do not dwell on it. Be proactive – direct your attention to the possible action steps that will bring you to a positive result.

7. Help others feel better about themselves.
There’s nothing more rewarding than helping someone realize their own self-worth. Your life will not likely be measured by a single great achievement; it will be measured by thousands of small ones that all compound on top of one another. Each time you perform an act of kindness or bring a smile to someone’s face it gives your life more meaning.

So act like what you do makes a difference – it does.

8. Save some love and respect for yourself.
You can be the most beautiful person on the inside and out in the whole wide world, and everybody who sees you is awestruck, but if you yourself don’t see and feel it, none of it matters.

Every moment you spend doubting your self-worth – every moment you spend negatively judging yourself – is a tragic moment, for it is a moment of your life that you chose to throw away. Don’t do this. You only have so many moments.

The love you seek is seeking you at this very moment, you just have to open up to it.

9. Purge unnecessary headaches.
As Albert Einstein once said, “Excessive possessions, seeking outward success, extreme publicity, luxuries – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.”

In other words, in thinking, be down to earth. In necessitates, keep to the essential. In conflicts, be fair. In leading others, guide instead of controlling. In work, tap into your passion. In relationships, be completely genuine and present. Keep it all straightforward and simple. Read The Power of Less.

10. Indulge in life’s priceless little pleasures.
The foundation of a good life is all around you. Experience the joy in life’s universal elements…

To find the fresh air and a light breeze exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening stroll; to be thrilled by the sun’s warmth and the flickering stars at night; to be elated over the sound of a rain shower or a wildflower in the Springtime. Etc.

These are some of the greatest rewards of a truly good life.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/01/11/10-ways-to-make-life-good-again/