(Are you aware that there’s a bee  on one of the cactus flowers?)

On my drives to different places, I occasionally listen to self-improvement audios.

Here are some reasons why listening to self-help audios are awesome:

• Listening to positive talks/affirmations uplifts my spirit
• Makes me think more positive thoughts
• It keeps me in the present moment
• It keeps me very grateful and humble
• It gets me to my destination quicker

This morning,  I was listening to Louise Hay’s, “101 Power Thoughts” and she had something that resonated very well with me. It was to “Be Aware.” Also known as being present or mindful; it reminded me to notice all the things around me. Especially when I am driving, I have to be aware to stay safe and relaxed. Many of us are so blessed to have our senses to enhance our lives that sometimes we take them for granted. Being aware allows us to hear, smell, touch and feel all that surrounds us. Being aware also allows us to slow down and to take three breaths and listen to our bodies. Whenever you have a couple of minutes of down time, just relax and go within and be aware that everything in your life is happening for you to experience something new and wonderful!

Photo Credit: http://www.eonline.com/news

The other day, I was catching up on an episode of  “New Girl” starring Zoey Deschanel before the season finale aired tonight and I really resonate with some of their jokes and I found myself (literally) laughing out loud and that was a very good feeling. I think laughter is great way of releasing. Throughout the day, we tend to build up a lot of stagnant energy that has nowhere to go. Personally, I think releasing through laughter is a great way to let it go. Luckily for me, I can find comedic shows and have a good laughter release ever now and then. So don’t be afraid to laugh or smile at something (even if it’s a little mean or weird) just remember to give it much peace and light to that thing or person and let it go.

If you find t hard to laugh because you have to take things seriously at work or at school, then make it a point to look or read about something funny or happy during your breaks. That simple energy you create for laughter and happiness allows for your spirit to be uplifted.

(Just for fun, here are my predictions for the show, I think Jess and Nick will eventually start dating and perhaps in the last show-get married. Maybe Cece and Schmidt too but who knows! They’re still a new couple but they’re entertaining. Winston and his current gf will probably break up but his boss might promote him to something bigger and better, beyond his dreams.)

Much laughter to you,

Kimbundance

It’s very obvious that there are many distractions in this physical life. I can admit to this because most times I get so caught up in the, “What do I have to do now?” and I forget to breathe and take it slow. I have tried very hard to take three deep breaths throughout my day; inhaling and exhaling very slowly to the point where I fill all my lungs with air. This reminds me to slow down and remember the most over-looked function of our bodies; our breath.

Being mindful helps us to take it slow and of course there are times where things must be done before deadline but taking three breaths will remind us to become centered and remember out true purposes in life. I see people who are so rushed and stressed throughout their day and I think to myself, “Relax, it’s ok! Your world does not surround around just one thing!”

So here are 3 things that can help you to quickly de-stress throughout your day:

1. Take 3 Deep Breaths: Inhale fully in and exhale fully out and clear your mind while you’re doing those 3 breaths. This may center yourself and make you feel more grounded.

2. Think & Smile: Think of something really funny or something that makes you smile, this will remind you of simple joys and true happiness. Smiling is also a way to send messages to your brain that you are happy! So try smiling at other co-workers you pass by or even strangers on the street, you’ll never know how it may brightens someone else’s day.

3. Drink for Clarity: Drink WATER and as you take a sip or gulp, think pure, fresh and new thoughts. Just as water is pure, re-freshing and good for you, so are positive thoughts. More positive thoughts equals a happier and more energetic  day.

I hope these quick tips helps you to be more mindful and swiftly get through your day!

We must think highly of ourselves and look into the mirror and love ourselves. When we begin to love who we are, we being to radiate to every person we meet. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson very differently while growing up. The term, “self-confidence” was taught to me but loving oneself and finding happiness within oneself was never talked about. It wasn’t until I reached my 20′s was when I really understood what loving and being comfortable in your own skin really meant. Therefore, I ask you to put yourself first sometimes and listen to what your body wants for you to live a happy and healthy life. Remember to slow down once in awhile; take some time for yourself and meditate, repeat positive affirmations or sing out loud. Once you begin getting into that habit, your life will change for the better.

Try these affirmations and repeat them to yourself daily, because you are a wonderful person and I believe that you have a great human being =)

Repeat these to yourself and believe it with all your heart:

“I am a beautiful person, inside and out.”

“I radiate love everywhere I go”

“I am happy with myself and the decisions I make.”

“I am happy and healthy.”

Simply saying the words, “thank you” and expressing gratitude can sometimes be overlooked at times. Especially during hours that we are unconscious of the acts we are doing or when when we are being rushed throughout our day. For me, I have noticed what being grateful can do to change your own life and the lives of others. In the morning when I wake up, I immediately thank the universe for allowing for me to wake up and live another day. With those powerful thoughts, I can vibrate at a higher and happier frequency. If I were to wake up and get mad that I had to wake up so early, I would vibrate at a lower frequency of anger and ungratefulness.

Sometimes we can overlook the people in our lives and forget to say, “thank you.” For me, this happens once in awhile and I forget to truly appreciate what others do for me. So perhaps, we can all make it a habit to be more grateful and remember to thank those people, place or things in our lives that help us get through our daily tasks. Our thoughts create our future and what a great future it would be if we could express our happiness through gratitude.

To me, there are 3 factors that are vital for growth in our lives, these 3 include:

1. Things we have to do in life to sustain a living and further our individual knowledge and development. IE: Going to school, getting that degree, working, etc.

2. Doing things that don’t benefit us as human beings-such as being stagnant, irritable and unproductive.

3. Feeding our passion, which simply means, investing in something that we are really good at and love to do. It’s investing large amounts of time, effort, and energy into something that we find time to do because we love it. IE: painting, cooking, blogging, fixing cars, etc.

Now, number 1 is favored by many because it’s the mainstream and safe choice to make. Don’t get me wrong, number 1 is required in order to learn and gain knowledge, and it’s important too.  Number 2 happens to a lot of us when we lose motivation for our goals and begin to lose sight of the light. I have met some people who have gotten into this state of being and it is hard for them and the people around them, it’s important to give them much light and peace. They are not hopeless, but at a stage of transition or have a different view of life. For number 3, it requires a person to step out of their comfort zone and to take risks that don’t necessarily mean great returns immediately but it is a learning process. And the more risks we take, the more chances we get of making a huge impact on our lives and possibly, the lives of others.

Investing in our passion is something we never learn in school. I can’t recall a time when an elementary or high school teacher told me to do what I love, or engage in some activities that I actually liked to. Getting good grades was the only main goal in school and nothing else.

Therefore, it’s important to keep the good points we learned in school and realize what exactly you’re good at, no matter how off-the-top it may be- just go for it! We live in a society that is starting to shift and if you’re not feeding your passion, a big part of your “living” isn’t really true.

with gratitude,

Upon gathering some cracked-open seashells at the beach one day, I realized that no two shells where alike and that no two people in this world are alike. I thought that that was really amazing because from that realization, I can truly appreciate different attributes from different people.

There are times when we may judge too quickly when we see someone or something that is “different” and we forget to notice the good and beauty in other people and/or other things. I think society always tries to dictate what is “normal” and what isn’t.

Ultimately, this perspective takes away our own sense of opinions and views. Being open and non-judgmental are great attributes to have nowadays because it lets us see more of what life has to offer. If we shy away from what is different, we shy away from reality. What a better place this would be if we could only accept and realize that different is reality.

[Beautiful Buddha statue at a temple in Hacienda Heights, California]

Growing up, I was pretty shy and didn’t speak up much on topics that interested me; I just kept those thoughts to myself. As I grew older, I developed more opinions and had new experiences that made me knowledgeable in more areas. Then I remembered how shy I was when I was younger and how people typically saw that as an “undesirable trait.” Now that I look back, I think that being quiet is a positive trait because it can keep us peaceful and humble. I think that throughout the day, there can be so much noise that it’s important to actually be quiet and go within. 

At times, we can overhear so much gossip and negative talk about others, ourselves and the world we live in. The best thing to do at times like those is to keep quiet and remember that you have placed yourself in a new state of peace in which nobody can make you fall into their negative trap. Speaking negatively about others causes you to be stuck in a rat race of irrelevant fluff.

If we honestly and humbly want our lives to run smoothly and to ultimately be happy, we’ve got to  take  it upon ourselves and not talk bad about others and ourselves, especially the ones we love and care for. Once we stop gossiping and we are unconsciously speaking only good things about others then that’s when we know we start to develop a good state or peacefulness.

One way I bring joy into my life is being grateful for my dog. 

 Having joy come into our lives is a wonderful feeling. We tend to be more relaxed, happy and overall in a great mood. We can think clearly which allows us to make better decisions and we can encourage other people by motivation and not manipulation.

Here are 3 ways to bring joy Into Your life:

1. Be grateful for every single thing you have. You’ve heard it many times before, there must be some truth to it! Being grateful allows the universe to see that we are thankful and that more goodness can manifest into our lives. When we are grateful, we are not only setting a great  example but we are accepting all that is good or bad in our lives and moving forward.

2. Take a Break. Whether it be a 5 minute break or a whole day, take some time out to either meditate or do some positive affirmations. Repeat these affirmations over and over again. For example you can affirm, “I am abundantly safe, happy and wealthy and all great things surround me.” This is a personal affirmation I like to say myself in the morning and whenever I am walking somewhere. If you are nervous or worried try the affirmation, “Out of this, only good will come, I am happy and in good hands.”

3. Notice Every thing. Look around you and try and find the beauty & usefulness in all things that you can sense; put those 5 senses to use! The more you are aware, the more you will know how much you do have.

One positive factor that keeps life moving forward is acceptance. It is a form of surrendering and embraces the fact that we will always be given curve balls in life. We are given situations in this lifetime to understand and accept another person or situation for who/what they are. We think that we never choose the situations we are in, when in reality, that’s exactly what we are doing. We always choose what we want and don’t want in life. That’s why the power of intention and visualization is so important.

Having to accept someone or something for its faults makes us more understanding individuals.

So the next time there’s a difficult situation in your life, remember that surrendering all your worries is a good start and begin to accept that there are some things you cannot change (yet). Surrendering has always had a weak connotation to it but it also a form of letting go. Surrendering allows the universe to take full control of your worries and an answer or resolution will arise before you know it!