by Corné | Dec 7, 2023 | Empowerment, Habit, Health, Motivational
If you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the holidays can be a real setback. Watching your diet is next to impossible with so many Christmas feasts to tempt you. Germs are hard to avoid on a train or plane ride to visit relatives. And, if traveling doesn’t make you sick, a little too much Christmas eggnog just might. Follow this advice to keep yourself feeling happy and healthy this holiday season.
* Whether you’re hosting the family Christmas festivities or simply attending, keep yourself focused more on fun traditions and activities and less on dinner and dessert.
* Go light on the gravy. Using less sauce or gravy on your foods should lead to a healthier meal.
* Don’t underestimate a healthy breakfast. A good breakfast can keep you from feeling hungry later in the day and resorting to less-than-healthy Christmas treats.
* Stay away from holiday stress. Stress makes you feel anxious and irritable, and even harms your immune system.
* Plan fun family activities that get you moving. Sledding or ice skating are both fitness-friendly options.
* If you plan to travel using mass transit, carry sanitary wipes with you and wipe down surfaces in your area. Make sure you get the armrests, tray table, and seat belt buckle.
* Keep yourself active, even if you’re traveling. If you have to wait for your flight to be ready to board, walk around the airport terminal rather than sitting to wait.
* Chew gum after eating a meal to help resist the urge for after-dinner snacks.
* If you’ll be staying in a hotel this holiday season, try to find one with a pool or fitness center. This will give you a place to get active in between family functions.
* Drink plenty of water. It’s easy to forget to stay hydrated during a busy holiday season, especially if it gets cold where you live.
* Instead of candy, encourage your family to eat fruits like apples and oranges. They’re a healthier way to satisfy cravings for sweets.
* If you’re going to be drinking wine or eggnog, make sure you know your limits. A Christmas morning hangover can be devastating, especially if you’re going to be around excited kids who want to open presents.
* For every alcoholic beverage you drink, try to also drink a glass of water. This will leave you feeling hydrated and hangover-free the next morning.
* Consider using a fitness app on your smartphone to set fitness goals and keep track of how much exercise you get over the holidays.
When all is said and done it’s important to remember not to get down on yourself, in the event you “slip up” during the Christmas holiday season. After all, it’s typically the time to spend with family and friends enjoying yourself.
You can always get back on track after the holiday is over. That’s what the new year is for, or so the experts say. If it makes you feel better, you can even try to be a bit more health-conscious in January and February. Things usually have a way of evening out!
Have a Blessed Holiday Season and stay Safe!!
by Corné | Jun 3, 2023 | Change, Empowerment, Inspirational, Journey
Moving forward in life can be difficult when you’re weighed down by the past. Whether it’s a past relationship, a career setback, or a mistake you regret, dwelling on the past can hold you back from achieving your goals and finding happiness. Here are some practical tips on how to successfully leave the past behind and move forward.
The first step in moving on is to accept what happened. Acknowledge the situation for what it was, and allow yourself to feel the emotions that come with it. This can be difficult, but it’s an essential part of the healing process.
- Forgive yourself and others
Forgiveness is crucial in order to move on. Forgive yourself for any mistakes you made, and forgive others for any wrongs they may have done to you. Holding onto anger and resentment will only hurt you in the long run.
Regrets can also hold you back from moving forward. Accept that you can’t change the past, and focus on the present and future instead. Learn from your mistakes and use them as an opportunity for growth.
- Surround yourself with positivity
Surround yourself with positive people and things that bring you joy. This can include spending time with loved ones, engaging in hobbies you enjoy, or even just taking a walk in nature.
Mindfulness can help you stay present and focused on the moment. This can be especially helpful when you find yourself dwelling on the past. Try meditation, deep breathing, or other mindfulness practices to help you stay grounded.
Practical Examples:
- If you’re struggling to move on from a past relationship, try writing a letter to the other party (even if you don’t actually send it). Get all of your emotions out on paper and then let it go.
- If you’re dealing with a career setback, focus on building your skills and finding new opportunities. Take a class, network with others in your field, or even consider a career change.
- If you’re regretting a past decision, try reframing it as a learning experience. What did you learn from the situation? How can you use that knowledge to make better decisions in the future?
In conclusion, leaving the past behind can be challenging, but it’s essential for personal growth and happiness. By accepting what happened, forgiving yourself and others, letting go of regrets, surrounding yourself with positivity, and practicing mindfulness, you can successfully move forward and create a better future for yourself.
Here's to letting go of the past and embracing the limitless possibilities of the future. May your journey forward be filled with joy, growth, and new beginnings.
by Corné | Apr 22, 2021 | Change, Empowerment, Encouragement, Motivational
Feeling ‘down the dumps’? Wishing you had something better to say about the day than a mumbled ‘fine’ when someone asks you how you are? The solution might be simpler than you think…
Our attitudes really are everything. When we’re not feeling great about our lives or how the day is going, everything can seem to go wrong. The problem is, that life isn’t a steady thing. You might have a one really good day followed by another equally bad one. With so many things outside of your control from the weather to politics, it might seem impossible to ever truly feel good about anything.
The answer lies in your thinking. By being able to think positively, you will find your entire outlook changes.
How do you develop the habit of positive thinking?
Rephrase
The obvious answer is to use more positive words. Instead of saying something negative, either out loud or in your head, try to find a better way to say things. For example, work isn’t grueling so much as it might have interesting challenges. While this might seem artificial and forced at first, the more you work to rephrase things, the easier it will be to find a more positive spin.
Reframe
How many times have you talked about having to do something? This alone has a negative connotation, as though you’re being forced into something you don’t want to do. Instead of trying to drop the word ‘have’ in this context, try inserting ‘get’ instead. You don’t have to do a presentation by Friday. You get to do one. Hear the difference? This is how you change a task into an opportunity.
Reorient
Sure, disasters are going to happen. Not everything you attempt is going to turn out exactly the way you’d like it to. Rather than focus on the disaster, try changing your focus. It might be time to shift to a slightly different method or goal.
Relax
It’s so hard to be positive when you’re absolutely exhausted and feeling like you’re in over your head. Sometimes the best way to cultivate better self-talk is to cut yourself some slack and take a break. Things will look brighter when you can come back refreshed.
Reassess
Being positive should never be about closing your eyes to tragedy or injustice. Bad things are going to happen in the world. But someone with a positive attitude will be able to look beyond the tragedy to the next step. Positivity finds solutions where others only see problems. Here is the birth of activism and change.
“Positive Thoughts ~ Positive Vibes”
Peace, Love & Kindness
by Corné | Mar 10, 2021 | Empowerment, Journey
If you are unhappy where you are in life, it could be you are not creating the right vision of yourself. Think back to recent thoughts you had. Were they negative thoughts or feelings like you’ve hit a roadblock?
Focus on who you want to become
Shift your focus to a life that you want or the person that you want to become. This must be your own dream, your own vision. The biggest mistake you can make is to strive to be someone else. Also start from where you are currently so that you are not totally unrealistic about what you want. This will only discourage you.
Various pathways to your goal
When you create a positive image within your mind, it will set up neural pathways to help you reach your goals. The more you reinforce this mental image the more pathways will be created. If there is information available online that can help you with your vision, use it to your advantage.
Determine a clear vision with very specific action steps
When you have determined your vision and the steps you believe will help you get there, continue to imagine that vision. Do this on a daily basis. Your brain will get so used to this vision it will become a subconscious process.
If altering your vision your brain will form new pathways
This is not to say you can’t alter your plan or your vision. There may be something you thought you wanted, but as you progress, you find this not to be the case. There is nothing wrong with that. If this happens, create another vision and move on from there. Your brain will form pathways for this new vision.
If your vision is fine but the plan is not getting you where you need to be, don’t be afraid to make changes to it. Plans are only guidelines. They can be changed as needed. This can happen when new information comes to light along the way, information that wasn’t available when you first got started.
Create a winning vision for yourself and stay focused
Be prepared for criticism while creating this new vision for yourself. It is yours and yours alone. People may not understand what you are trying to accomplish. Hold to your beliefs and prove them wrong. Your critics are not the ones who have to live with the vision or end result, that you have for yourself. You will find when you reach your goals, those same critics will suddenly be on your side. They will even claim to have been there for you all along. It’s annoying, but that is how people behave. It’s not worth the aggravation. Just move on with your vision and let them think whatever they want.
Stay Strong! Follow your Dreams and Vision for Yourself!
Peace, Love & Kindness,
by Corné | May 22, 2020 | Coaching, Empowerment, Encouragement
Mentoring is a long-term process based on mutual trust and respect. Mentoring helps build a positive and concrete change in individuals. It boosts the transfer of knowledge from the mentor to the individual.
ADVANTAGEOUS FASTER PROGRESS
You cannot know everything there is to know about how to get where you want to be in life. While it’s possible to learn the needed skills, this will take time and likely a lot of money. Instead, what if you had someone who can help guide you to success? Working with you in making decisions, solving problems, and developing skills.
GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND SKILL
A mentor is someone who currently is where you want to be. The relationship you have with a mentor can be an official one. Or it can be informal such as following in the footsteps of someone you admire. Mentors have experience and have gone through the growing pains towards success. They will know what kinds of training you may need or skills to develop.
BUILD ON INVALUABLE FEEDBACK
A mentor can give you needed feedback on what you are doing right and wrong during your development. This kind of advice is invaluable. You don’t want a mentor who will hold back. Make sure you give them full permission to be completely honest with you. Most worthwhile mentors will have no problem doing this for you. Identifying your weaknesses and strengths. It may be a hard pill to swallow, but you will be better off than having mentors who sugarcoat your progress. That won’t help you in any way.
ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS
The mentor(s) you choose should have the experience or skills you desire to learn. Be sure to ask lots of questions about what they expect from you and ask what you can expect from them. This expectation is important. You won’t have any other means of knowing whether the mentoring relationship is going to work.
If someone you are considering mentoring you has an issue with you asking a lot of questions, it is a sign they may not be right for you. It can also be more difficult to sever the relationship once it has begun.
FREE VS PAYING FOR MENTORING
Should you pay for mentors? It depends on what you currently have available at your disposal. What do you intend to receive from this kind of arrangement? If, there is someone who can act in a mentoring capacity and they are willing to do this for free, then consider doing it. But, paying for someone to help you lets you hold them accountable. This is a crucial aspect of mentoring. Without it, you could be spinning your wheels, going nowhere. You don’t want to waste time. The entire reason to take on a mentor is to save time in getting you further in your development.
Choose judiciously!
Peace, Love & Kindness
by Corné | May 10, 2020 | Empowerment, Habit, Inspirational
I did a quick count before I started writing this post. I have at least 360 Applications on my iPad. I supposed that qualifies me as an App-addict 😀
I am one of those people who, if I need some information now, it must be only one click away.
It was a difficult decision and took a little bit of thought, to pick my top 5 used applications.
How I approached it, was to go through my day, from start to finish. I came up with the following.
YOUVERSION
For me, my daily devotions, and my meditation time, is very important and non-negotiable. As it set the trend for the rest of my day.
You can use YouVersion online or download what you need. For when you are somewhere without internet availability.
Your all-in-one Bible App. Free of charge. Explore more than 2000 Bible versions, some already in the audio version available. Create Prayers. There is a huge collection of study plans available. Study alone or with friends
It is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and other operating systems.
My belief is, that when you pray, you talk to God. When you Meditate, you listen, and God speaks.
INSIGHT TIMER
The Meditation App with the world’s largest free library of more than 30k guided meditations, 5k teachers, and, a meditation timer.
Insight Timer is a smartphone app and online community for meditation. The app features guided meditations, music, and talks posted by contributing experts.
It helps you to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, sleep deeply, and improve happiness.
Meditation has physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits.
Here is the link if you want to try it out: << https://insig.ht/SZfVpxUGurb >>
TRELLO
After I have started my day in the right way/manner, it is time for some planning and tasks to complete.
I prefer Trello to keep organized. I like the flexibility and creative way that you can use it. It makes planning so much more creative and fun. I am using the Free version.
You can organize cards into lists. The cards can be tasks, notes, projects, or shared files.
According to Wikipedia: Planning is the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve the desired goal. It is the first activity to achieve the desired results. It involves the creation and maintenance of a plan, such as psychological aspects that need conceptual skills.
Planning is a whole concept on its own. Something that I struggled with for a long time.
The best part is when you can tick off done tasks!
CANVA
<< https://www.canva.com/join/freedom-remind-classic >>
Canva is a graphic design platform that allows you to “Design anything” and “Publish anywhere”.
I do all my social media designs in Canva. It has beautiful design templates. Simple to use interfaces. It is available on the web and mobile. ‘Endless’ resources.
For someone creative, this is a must-have application!
JIGSAW
<< https://link.jpchd.veraxen.com/image:id=40180098809500000 >>
This is a free jigsaw puzzle game for adults. It helps millions of people all around the world, to keep their minds sharp. Choose a picture from the 10,000 HD collection of puzzles. Choose the number of pieces in a puzzle.
I enjoy this, after a long and/or busy day to relax!
Try them for yourself!
Peace, Love & Kindness
