7 Steps to a good Day

BAD! Kitty Art Studio

Quote for the day

***

'Walk in the light'

Laminated 8"X 10" Collage above by

HMBT 2006

$55.00 + Shipping

***

"Giving names to things is a way of knowing them and of seeing them as well. Knowledge deals importantly in names, and naming requires the sort of vision that discerns that these two objects are of the same kind and those other two are not. "

~Allen Lacey

***

Living your life well is living with purpose and joy.

Not there yet?

There are seven big ways to waste and deplete your energies without even noticing.

If you're feeling dark, down and drained it'll prevent you from reaching your dreams. To see your energy rebound dramatically; here are seven important things to address:
Cancel Regrets

The past is irreversible; it's forever gone.

Many people, instead of licking their wounds and moving

forward a little wiser, torture themselves by staying fixated on

"what might have been, if only… " There is no surer way to prevent

yourself from having the energy to move towards your dreams

than by allowing yourself to stay mired in the past.

Indulging in regret roots you in the past and limits your energy today.
Stamp Out Repeated Patterns

If you've ever heard yourself say, "I don't know what it is, I always pick such losers" or "This always happens to me" then you've got a repeating pattern.

This means you've got some learning to do.

Start by writing down a list of the similarities in every

re ococcurrence your pattern.

Then write down the first moment you began to wonder

if it was happening again. Next, figure out how you convinced

yourself to stick with it despite your intuition that something was amiss.

You should see a point in each situation, relatively early

in the process, where you noted something

and yet still convinced yourself to stay the course.

If, for example, it's the bad boyfriend situation,

and each time it started with you waiting in vain for him to show up.

Write down on a card, "Stood up = No go", leave it

where you'll see it everyday. Tell your best friend and

ask her to remind you if it happens again.

Just taking this small action to unravel your patterns

will make you more in charge of your life.

When you're in charge of yourself; you'll feel on top of the world!
Unmask Your Anger

Do you erupt with anger when you're cut off in traffic?

Or do you 'flame' people on blogs, usenets or internet forums?

Have people accused you of being self-righteous,

difficult or confrontational more than twice?

Then your anger is telling you that you need to do something.

If you spend too much time cleaning up after your co-workers

and kids, it's a sign you're not setting appropriate limits.

If you're allowing yourself to work 70 hours a week,

you're not giving yourself adequate rest and recovery time.

It usually only takes a few minutes to unearth the causes

of boiling frustration. However, if it's something big from

the past, then your anger is telling you it's time to get

professional help. Anger is hard on the body and mind; it erodes

your health, saps your energy and damages your relationships.

Get a handle on your anger and your overall energy should skyrocket.
Make an Attitude Adjustment

Quick, grab a pen. What areas of your life are bothering you?

Make a list. Then, without thinking, write down

the first song lyric, proverb or cliché that pops into your mind.

Say that you're having turbulence in your love life,

and "Love it or leave it" is what comes to mind,

then that's how you really regard the issue. This is a direct

way of accessing your subconscious wisdom. Once you know your inner wisdom on the situation, act on that knowledge

and it will release an enormous amount of stored energy.
Kick Down the Bully

No, not the kid that picked on you on the school grounds.

The bully that drains your energy and stamps on your

dreams is much, much closer.

The next time you make a mistake

listen to how your mind reacts. If it's something like,

"I'm such an idiot" then your mind has let in the bully.

First, you need to catch the bully in action. Notice what

you say to yourself. And when it's bullying, replace it with the truth.

For example, instead of invective about being stupid,

tell yourself, "Next time I'll spend more time preparing my presentation." Eventually your bully will get sick of being

blindsided by the truth and will leave you alone.

And your mind will be free to be creative and playful again, which will energize your entire life.
Curb Negative Energy

Pay attention to when you feel blame or envy and complain about others.

This often shows you where you're letting yourself

down either by not speaking up for yourself, by not letting

your light shine, or by not honoring your own values. If your co-workers

work habits drive you to distraction, is it that you hate

to watch procrastination in action?

Are you a procrastinator yourself?

Be honest, act on what you learn, and you'll find your energy

levels surge.
Be Here In The Now

This is the hardest to remember and the easiest to do.

No matter what's happening, good or bad,

take a moment to feel your weight on the floor or in your chair.

Take a long, slow deep breathe starting from your

belly, and then push it out slowly using your abdominal muscles.

Do this when you're not stressed and it'll come

more naturally when you are. Settling into the present

moment frees up so much energy, so much focus and so much joy that it's amazing how little time we spend there.

by: Martine Jeanne Craughley

***

What are the areas in your life that need attention? What are you working on to make life better? Right now I am working on Kicking the Bully Out, and Living in the Now. I think it's important that we open a dialouge about our true lives and selves. With the holiday's a-coming, we all need to be reminded of the most important relationship we will ever have. The one that we have with ourselves...because no matter where we go, who we have around us, we always have to go to those places with ourselves in tow. I really would like to know...what are the things that you need to look into? How will you take action to help yourself? Think about that and get back to me. I would really like to know. I hope that with open dialouges like this one we can help each other to become the selves we really want to be.

I am working on Living in the now, by not being totally pissed off that this is the fourth time I have written this darn article this morning because my computer or blogger one...keeps eating the damn thing. And I am working on Kicking the Bully out of my head by not allowing myself to be upset with myself for not being a time traveler, and being able to go back in time to change the future or the past me. The past is just that, done and over. I need to feel like my life has meaning beyond the obvious things like my family and my pocketbook. I create art and words everyday. I spill my guts and cry my tears...but I need to feel it in a deeper way than the surface of life. I need to feel my life is moving forward...I need rocket fuel. I get those needs met by listening and paying attention to my inner voice...the one that keeps me up at night.

How do you do what you do?

What are some ways that you can improve your level of living...internally?

The truth of living fully isn't always in our own brain pans...sometimes we need to hear how and what others have done or are doing to make things make sense to ourselves. Today I will work hard to be positive about my lot in life, look into my own internal broom closet and do some sweeping out. I am reaching out into the world today...to ask you...

What do you do? How do you feel about it?

Tell me. I really need to hear it today, and I have the feeling that many of you may need to say it. In teaching the teacher gets to learn twice.

***

To all I wish the best of all Mondays,

Heather

www.badkittyartstudio.com