Have you ever filled your head with thoughts of if only I was younger/older, skinnier/bigger, prettier/plainer, book smart/street smart, if if if. Or I’ll be happy when I make more money, I am thinner, I am in a relationship, I have the job of my dreams. Or how about the I should have thoughts? I should have completed my degree, I should have exercised today, I should, should should. Then there is the shouldn’t that fill our heads. I shouldn’t eat that, I shouldn’t buy that, I shouldn’t, shouldn’t, shouldn’t. Frankly, all the excuses we use to hold ourselves back from living the life of our dreams is exhausting.

You are cordially invited to join me in living your best life. I can’t tell you what that looks like as the joy of living is we all desire different things so your best life will look different from others. I can tell you living your best life is filled with thoughts that empower you. It is filled with loving thoughts, happy thoughts, abundant thoughts, healthy thoughts and peaceful thoughts. Your thoughts are in the moment of today, appreciating your yesterday for bringing you to this moment, and looking forward to your tomorrows knowing that each positive thought breeds more positivity in your life. Your best life is filled with thoughts of seeing the perfection of imperfection and knowing the journey IS the living your best life. As when you are feeling good about you, others, and the world, you are living your best life.

Affirmation: I invite amazing people and experiences into my life and welcome them with open arms.

(S)he Said:

“Love…Force it and it disappears. You cannot will love, nor even control it. You can only guide its expression. It comes or it goes according to those qualities in life that invite it or deny its presence.”  ~ David Seabury.

“We have nothing in our history or position to invite aggression; we have everything to beckon us to the cultivation of relations of peace and amity with all nations.” ~Franklin Pierce Adams

“Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth.” ~ Susan Taylor

Soulful Links:

Subtle Invitation ~ Mariah Carey

Standing Invitation ~ Stonewall Jackson

Be Our Guest ~ Beauty and the Beast

For the next week, I invite you to accept my invitation of living your best life by:

Appreciating the big and small miracles each day. When you begin to appreciate the smallest miracle, they grow and grow. Appreciate something as basic as the sun coming up each morning. It’s easy to take something that happens daily for granted, but there are parts of the world that doesn’t see the sun for a long time.

Choosing positive thoughts and feelings. You might not have control of the outer world, but you do have control of your reactions to the world around you. Choose thoughts and feelings that empower you and others.

Being aware of your conversation with yourself (what you are saying in your head) and to others. Simply be aware of your conversations and ask yourself later, without judgment, if you are empowering yourself and others by your conversations. I think you’ll find a lot of conversations are founded in fear rather than love (gossip, judgment, frustration, anger). From awareness, you can choose if it empowers or dis-empowers you.

Starting each day excited about the possibilities and potential that are ahead of you today.

Mostly, I ask you accept my invitation and say YES to living your highest self and shining bright while allowing others to shine their light bright! Perhaps we’ll create the Northern Lights worldwide.

Until next time, this is an open invitation – ALL are welcome.

Keep living big, loving big, and laughing along the journey.

~ Carol

Looking for a way to stay focused on Living Life Fulfilled? Make sure to surround yourself with people who lift you up, inspire you, support you, and simply love to laugh and have fun.

More than ever before, world news comes to you at lightning speed from online news sources, breaking news on TV, and Social Media such as Twitter and Facebook.  The news is slick, savvy, and often fear based. I was recently asked how do I stay positive with so much going wrong in the world. It was such a great question, I felt I should share my response with you. She shared information on a tragic situation going on in the world, so how do you pull the positive in such tragedy?

Many of us have had those thoughts of feeling sorrow, sadness, and despair for events happening in our life as well as the world, and thus feel powerless with no control.

So, how can I stay positive while seeing the challenges others in the world are facing?

Sometimes the only positive in heartbreaking events far above my ability to comprehend, is knowing love lives there too, and I hold on to that.

I don’t have a magic wand to cure the world from sorrow and fear with one swoop. But what I do have is the capacity to be the best world citizen I can be.

Some days that might look like getting involved with organizations that share missions of positive solutions and focus on love, health, peace and abundance rather than have a fear focus of fighting.

Some days it’s the simple gesture of free hugs and creating global free hugs twice a year to allow people to know they matter.

Most days it looks like personally living a happy life and by others seeing my happiness, aspire to be happy as well, trickle effect.

Most days it looks like posting a positive message on Facebook and writing an affirmative message weekly to hopefully inspire/empower people to look through a positive filter at the world.

Most days I know that without contrast in our lives, we wouldn’t be able to recognize the wonders.

Most days I understand that even in the most challenging circumstances, hope and love lives there and good comes out of it. I don’t always see it right away, but I have faith and trust it’s there.

Most days I understand worry only begets more worry, so I focus on love over fear, abundance over lack, diversity over differences, and peace over conflict.

Most days its remembering that everyone wants and deserves a life of health, happiness, peace, and security, even those we might label ‘enemy’.

There are many conflicts in the world that can be overwhelming and thus feeling far too big to fix. So each day, I choose to be my best self, forgive myself when I am not giving the world my best, forgive others when needed, and ask for forgiveness from others when needed.

I invite you to look for a better feeling place and from that space, ask yourself how you can help. I don’t know what that looks like to you, but I’m sure it will help you feel empowered. Whether it’s simply being your best self, or getting involved with others who are peacefully making a difference, you’ll know what’s right for you. Finding the peace within you about life’s challenges helps to create the peace on our outer world.

Affirmation: I see all the possibilities within any challenge I face and move forward with love.

(S)he Said:

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” ~ Bernice Johnson Reagon

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” ~ Joseph Campbell

“The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.” ~ Bertrand Russell

“Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time…It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other.” ~ Leo F. Buscaglia

Soulful Links:

Control ~ Janet Jackson

Self Control ~ Laura Branigan

Make Me Lose Control ~ Eric Carmen

For the next week, I invite (challenge) you to choose thoughts of:

Peace when dealing with any challenges, big or small, personally or worldly as through peace, conflict dissipates.

Love when dealing with any challenges, big or small, personally or worldly as through peace, fear dissipates.

Compassion when dealing with any challenges, big or small, personally or worldly as through compassion, judgment dissipates.

Mostly, I wish you to see the world as 1 person striving to live happily, peacefully, and healthfully. Be that in your own life and you will begin to feel as though you have a magic wand while being a role model for others.

Until next time, I challenge you to place your focus on love over fear, abundance over lack, diversity over differences, and peace over conflict.

Keep living big, loving big, and laughing along the journey.

~ Carol

Looking for a way to stay focused on Living Life Fulfilled? Make sure to surround yourself with people who lift you up, inspire you, support you, and simply love to laugh and have fun.

Are you looking to get ahead in your professional life, in your personal life, in life in general? We often look at the world as the grass is always greener somewhere else, when in fact, we have lots to celebrate in our own lives. Rather than celebrating our successes, we often move on to ‘what’s next,’ yet we tend to hold on to the failures in our lives and reminisce over them. I could have done this better, I should have done that, etc.

“Our thoughts create our reality – where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go.” ~ Peter McWilliams

Rather than focusing on how Bob Smith sale’s were twice as many as your own last month, focus on the great connections you made and the amazing opportunities ahead. Place your focus on the direction you want your life to go. When you begin to have a positive focus, you find yourself in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

Daily Refocusing tips:
1. Begin your day by thinking of at least three people you are grateful for and why you are grateful for them. Set your intentions for the day ahead by planning to meet the right people, at the right time, in the right place.
2. Throughout the day, stay in a place of appreciation. Appreciate what is already running smoothly in your life. Even appreciate the negative experiences, as they give you the perfect opportunity to see what you DON’T want in your life and then you can turn it around to thoughts of what you do want.
3. Be kind. Give authentic praise to those around you. Hold the door open for people. These simple gestures will make others day, which in the end, has a positive impact on you. You will be amazed at all the smiles you’ll get that lifts your mood.
4. Be gentle with yourself and others. We tend to beat ourselves up on the could have, should have scenarios. Give each moment your best shot, apologize if need be, accept the apology if need be, and let it go.
5. End your day with positive thoughts. As you prepare to go to sleep, be thankful for the day you just had by appreciating three people or events of the day. Set your focus on having a great tomorrow filled with the perfect people, in the perfect situations, in the perfect time.

Place your focus on the path ahead of you, and you’ll get there sooner than you could have imagined.

Positive Focus Productions produces event in Chicago featuring internationally recognized author/speakers that inspire, empower, and encourage people to live big, love big, and give big.

Written by Carol Miller

Originally posted: http://www.salesresultsblog.com/2010/08/02/369/