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How can I be the most loving person I am capable of being today? A journal writing session
Published January 13, 2012 | 
Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov
Sometimes everyday life challenges us and keeps us from being the most loving people we are capable of being. A goal of mine is to live my life with love being my compass. This is not always easy.
This morning’s journal writing session serves as a reminder and a way of focusing on being that loving person that is inside of us.
In your journals, write: How can I be the most loving person I am capable of being today? Then list as many things as you can think of. I love doing this exercise in the morning when I am first waking up. It sets a positive tone to my day. If at first I was leaning towards getting a grumpy start, this exercise is capable of changing my outlook, mood, and immediately around considerably! Pretty powerful stuff for something so simple.
Ready to give this a try?
As I often do, I will start with a few ideas for my own journal entry and then it will be your turn.
Let’s see..
How can I be the most loving person I am capable of being today?
1. Greet my husband with a smile, hug, and kiss when he wakes up this morning and when I see him when I first get home later this afternoon.
2. Forgive his snoring from last night.
3. Patiently listen to my daughter describe her day when she is home from school.
4. Greet every one of my students with a smile as they enter my classroom this morning.
5. Complain about nothing.
6. Be generous with compliments with everybody I encounter today.
7. Love myself by eating healthy food, drinking plenty of water, and working out.
I will stop here and finish in my private journal.
Have a blessed day full of love.
Debra
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It’s back to school time! Encouraging our teens to get enough sleep
Published August 21, 2011 | 
It is back to school time. How do we make sure our teenagers are getting the sleep they need? With younger children, it is easier to get them on a set bedtime routine. I have two teenagers and I find they like to do their own thing. Our high school starts very early in the morning. What to do when all summer long they have been staying up all night and sleeping in most of the morning?
Here are a few suggestions I read with great interest two weeks ago from USA Weekend’s front cover article by Madonna Behen (August 5-7,2011): What keeps teens awake (and how you can help them get better sleep)
1. Make the bedroom a technology free zone
2. Cut the caffeine after noon
3. Encourage a consistent bedtime routine
4. Be a good role model
Let’s see… how am I doing as a parent? My daughter has a tv, computer, cellphone, and Ipod in her room. I do encourage her to write or read an hour before bedtime. We call this “quiet time” I think she actually takes me up on that suggestion most nights…
The caffeine issue: that’s a good one to be aware of. Even if our kids are not drinking coffee, there are many soft drinks and energy drinks on the market to tempt them. This would be a good topic to discuss as a family.
Bedtime routine: the quiet “unplugged” time an hour before sleep time really helps. A hot bath is also something my teenager enjoys and it relaxes her.
Be a good role model: good advice for us parents. If we are staying up at all hours of the night on our computers, etc. what kind of message are we sending? Something to take a look at…
What time is a good time for our teens to go to sleep? On a school night I feel 10:00 PM works for my family. Much earlier, good luck! For a good article about teens and their sleep needs read this from National Sleep Foundation: Teens and Sleep
In Peace,
Debra
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Considering challenges as a gift: a healing concept
Published July 5, 2011 | 
What if we took challenges and things that we perceive as an “issue” or a “problem” and reframed them in terms of being a gift instead? What would then happen?
Are there issues or challenges in your life that you can reframe and begin seeing the gifts in them rather than a problem or something to be sad or angry about?
Secondly, is there anybody in your life (including yourself) that could benefit from healing energy? For example, maybe you know someone who is under the weather or has a serious illness. Whether it is a cold or cancer, perhaps it would be helpful to think of them as healthy and well rather as sick. I don’t think sick people or poor people or anybody under distress need our pity. What they need is affirmation of their wholeness and health and prosperity.
In Peace,
Debra
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Posted in Affirmations, Affirmations, anxiety, Benefits of Journal Writing, Depression, Family life, Good Health, Happiness, Love, Parenthood, Positive living, Prosperity, Self-empowerment, Spirituality, stress | 
Aspergers syndrome, autistic spectrum, good health, healing energy, marijuana addiction, positive affirmations, prosperity | 
Leave a commentTime to call it a day. My bedtime prayer for tonight.
Published June 25, 2011 | 
Time to call it a day. Put it to rest. My mind and body
wish simply to be, and certainly not do (at least for now).
Dear God,
Thank you for such a beautiful day-
a day filled with inspiring ideas,
loving moments,
bike rides and yoga on the beach,
and adorable thirteen year olds (my daughter and her friend)
eating pizza and delighting and giggling about everything…
God, may I rest peacefully tonight so that
I can wake up and be present for tomorrow, which will indeed be a gift
if granted to me in the morning.
Peace.
I am whole and ever thankful.
Amen.
Debra : )
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Twenty ways to stay centered in love
Published February 12, 2011 | 
Staying centered in love comes with many benefits. Among them are: feeling positive and calm, better health, improved relationships,having a solid grounding, and sleeping better at night. Love is a wonderful compass to guide one’s life. As Valentines Day approaches, I felt like focusing on ways to help us stay centered in love. Here is my list at the moment. Perhaps in your journal you can write a list of your own…
Twenty ways to to stay centered in love:
1. When your partner or spouse angers or irritates you, remember the reasons why you fell in love with her or him in the first place.
2. Do nice little things for the ones you love. Acts of service are a very loving gesture.
3. When your kids are driving you crazy take care of yourself. Take a walk. Take a bath. Hire a babysitter. We parents have more to give our offspring when
we are taking care of ourselves and practicing self love first.
4. Start your day with a loving intention. Intentions are incredibly powerful and they work!
5. Meditate
6. Play, laugh, and have fun with your loved ones frequently.
7. Get some perspective. If you feel an upset coming on, will it really matter much tomorrow or next week or next year?
8. Are you the kind of person your mother would be proud of even when nobody else is looking?
9. Read inspirational books and biographies.
10. Surround yourself with loving and positive people.
11. Be an active member of a community: join a church, a club, etc.
12. Cook and invite people over for dinner. Breaking bread with others is a wonderful act of love.
13. Volunteer.
14. Tithe.
15. If you don’t have a pet consider getting one. Our furry friends are wonderful mentors of living unconditional love.
16. Make love be more important than being right.
17. Make love be more important than having material wealth.
18. Focus on the things you appreciate in your life including all of the people you love and who love you.
19. Make love.
20. Forgive easily
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You know you are too nice if you do these ten things…
Published January 17, 2011 | 
Those of us who are prone to anxiety and people pleasing suffer from what I call the “nice syndrome”. We are, simply, too nice. Yes, there is such a thing.
You are too nice if:
- You have a hard time saying no.
- You smile frequently out of nervousness; especially in social situations
- You put others’ needs in front of your own.
- You worry a lot about what others think of you
- Your behavior is dictated by the goal of meeting others’ approval
- You have anxiety because you worry about everything
- You are a perfectionist
- You are afraid of failure and rejection
- You want to be popular and well liked
- You seek others’ advice before doing anything.
We can be nice and care, just not too much. When we are being too nice we are shortchanging ourselves and the world because we are not really being ourselves.
I was always that little perfect kid who made straight As in school and had to be popular. I always did the right things so that my parents and teachers would be proud of me. I went onto college and then law school. I got married and had kids and attempted to be the perfect mother. I was a girl scout leader, soccer mom, Sunday school teacher, etc. etc.
It has always been an important value of mine to be thought well of: that I am a good caring person (which ofcourse, I am), etc. Some of this is very good. I do have a nice life. I am not a criminal locked away somewhere.
However, being nice all the time has really had some consequences that have not been good for me. I have beat myself up with negative talk all my life. I never feel like I am successful (even though, really, if I change my perspective I have lived an incredibly successful life). I have a hard time asserting myself. I am shy at times. I have social anxiety. I have lost countless hours of sleep worrying.
The lesson tonight is this: You don’t have to be so nice all the time! Feel confident with the knowledge that you are enough, just as you are. So be it!
In peace,
Debra
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How can I be kind to myself today? A journal writing exercise
Published November 30, 2010 | 
We all have a basic need for love, nurturing, and kindness. It starts with taking care of ourselves. I think it is especially important during stressful or challenging times to make an exra effort to step back, ease up on ourselves, and just be gentle.
I am experiencing one of those challenging times myself right now. Although I have a lot of absolutely wonderful things going on, I am also a school teacher- and if any of you are in public education you may be able to relate that it is just not easy right now. Many of my colleagues and myself included are feeling quite beaten down already and it is not even Christmas yet. I also have a thirteen year old daughter whose mood swings can be stressful on the whole family.
As a centering tool, I like to journal in the morning. Sometimes I focus on gratitude, or a particular intention I want to set for my day. This morning I am feeling the need to focus on ways to be kind to myself. I give so much of myself to my students during my work day. I know I will have more to offer them (and my family later in the evening) if I take this time now.
So, getting out my journal, my entry would look something like this.
I am going to be kind to myself today. I set an intention now to:
- take this time now for my journal writing before getting dressed for work.
- don’t rush on my drive this morning (I have a 25 mile commute).Enjoy my XM radio.
- Breathe deep and slowly.
- Walk into my school building knowing that I am a terrific teacher. I will smile with the thought of it.
- Enjoy my students. Don’t worry about the other stuff.
- Actually take my lunch time for myself rather than working through it.
- Do not bring work home this evening.
- Take a nice walk on the beach this afternoon when I am home from work.
- Know that I am enough and I am doing my best.
- Take a bath tonight.
- Work on writing my wedding vows (I am getting married in March).This always makes me happy.
- Prepare a delicious fish dinner tonight while listening to my jazz music and drinking my Pinot Noir.
I will stop there but I am feeling better already.
Now, you do it : )
I wish you, my dear friends, a wonderful day!
Debra : )
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Five ideas to get balanced quickly when stress is overwhelming you
Published September 1, 2010 | 
Stress is actually good for us in small amounts. It gives us energy and focus. It is good to be challenged. If we had absolutely no stress in our lives think how bored we would be. Too much stress is not good, however. We need balance.
How to get that balance when life is overwhelming us?
Five ideas:
- Meditate on a serene image or the word peace
- Move your body!
- Sip on a glass of wine and focus on something you enjoy
- Get silly, crazy with your kids: jump around and tickle them, make up goofy stories, etc.
- Tell yourself “I Am enough”
Debra : )
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Posted in anxiety, Parenthood, Self-empowerment, stress | dealing with stress, exercise, getting balance, playing with your kids, wine | 1 CommentThank you God! A prayer of gratitude
Published August 13, 2010 | 
When I was a child we learned a prayer that we sang, giving thanks to God. It went something like this:
Baruch atah Adonai, Thank you God!
Thank you for my mommy, thank you for my dad-
Thank you for my……
I can hear the tune in my head but I don’t remember the rest of the words. Essentially, we sang a list of things that we were thankful for. We sang about the blessings in our life. We acknowledged and thanked God for them.
My childhood religion happened to be Reformed Judaism. I am sure that no matter what religious background you were brought up in, you may remember something from your childhood too? A bedtime prayer perhaps? Giving thanks at the dinner table?
The practice of gratitude is so important and powerful. I believe life just works better when we come from a place of thanks and we are mindful of our blessings. Life is so rich! Let’s be thankful for each day.
I encourage us today during our quiet reflective times to express a prayer of thanks to God, the Universe, or whatever spiritually works for you. In your journals, you can write down a list of things you are thankful for. You can think of them during a meditation or while taking a walk. You can sing them to a tune like I did as a child.
The feeling of gratitude can show up in the way you go about your day today: your stride, how much you smile at others, how kind you are to other drivers on the highway etc.
I feel so blessed and thankful for many things on this morning.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Thank You God!
Debra : )
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Posted in Affirmations, Benefits of Journal Writing, Family life, Journal Prompts, Love, Meditations, Most Popular Posts, Parenthood, Prayers, Prosperity, Self-empowerment, Spirituality, walking | bedtime prayers, blessings, god, gratitude, Jewish prayer, journal writing, prayers, thanking God | Leave a comment“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of mankind can unfold” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce Making time to play
Published August 11, 2010 | 
We know children need to play. But guess what? We adults do too! It is especially important as we get older to be playful and do fun things on a regular basis.
Play for adults:
- Energizes us
- Is good for our brains
- Is good for our bodies
- Will help keep us young
- Gives us a chance to break out of our regular routines and recharge
- Gives us opportunities to connect with others in a positive way
- Keeps us from feeling stagnant and bored.
- Gives us something to look forward to
- Will improve our work performance on the job
- Will improve our abilities to be good parents, spouses, teachers, etc.
- Will help us sleep better at night
With all of the many benefits of play, how can we do it more? Most of us do have responsibilities and busy lives. We just have to schedule play in and make it happen (and not just on the weekends and vacations!).
Today during your quiet journal writing time, think about ways you can get more play into your daily life. What kinds of activities would you like to do? Will these be solitary or with others? When?
It doesn’t have to be a big planned thing either. Little playful breaks can do wonders for our spirits.
I will start a list of a few ideas and then you continue with your own:
- Hula hoop!
- Turn on some music and dance around in your living room
- Play cards, Scrabble, or board games with friends and family
- Do puzzles
- Take a bike ride
- Go to the beach and build a sand castle
- Try an improvisation class at your local community theater
- Make funny faces at your kids and spouse
- Tickle family members
- Play hide and seek with kids
- Have a picnic
- Do something you haven’t done since you were a kid: go rollerskating, bowling, boogie boarding, etc.
I will stop there, but there are many things we adults can do. We are never too old to play. In fact, it is absolutely essential that we do find time to play. We need to make play a priority.
So write down your list of ideas and go play!
Debra : )
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