To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.
Here’s why I had a great night of sleep last night
Published July 21, 2011 | 
Like many of you, I am an ambitious, creative type of person. Ideas fascinate me. I am intellectually curious and always thinking about things and new ideas. This in itself is not a bad thing. However, where I get myself into trouble is when I either go into my past, project into the future with my thinking, or put so much on my plate that I end up overwhelming myself and my brain wants to explode or shut down. This is not the best recipe for a restful night of sleep.
The title of this post refers to the fact that I slept great last night. And I did! Here is why: I decided to give myself and my mind a break and just focus on The NOW. Very simple. I have this one moment. I don ‘t have to worry about what I need to accomplish this summer before the new school year begins. I don’t have to have the meaning of life all figured out. I don’t have to fret about the mistakes I’ve made or stressing about my mile long to do list….
I just have now, this moment. It can be used to do nothing (which is quite blissful when I permit myself to do nothing). Or, it can be used to do one thing: One task, One activity- not multiple tasks. This is very liberating. One day at a time and one step at a time thinking removes the enormous burden of thinking we have to have it all figured out (and not just this moment all figured out but the next five years or rest of our lives figured out- ugh! I get a headache thinking of that kind of pressure).
My bedside reading last night consisted of reading from the great classic, How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie.
I would like to share a few nuggets from Mr. Carnegie’s book with you:
1. “Shut the iron doors on the past and the future. Live in Day-tight compartments” (P.11)
2. “Think”, said Dante, “that this day will never dawn again” today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.(P.10)
3. “Every day is a new life to a wise man” (P.8)
4. “One step enough for me”, taken from a church hymn (P.4)
5. “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand” ~ Thomas Carlyle (P.1)
6. “Have no thought (anxiety) for the morrow” ~ Jesus (Pages1-2)
In Peace,
Debra
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Posted in anxiety, Depression, Getting a good night sleep, Happiness, insomnia, Positive living, Self-empowerment, stress, Tips to help insomnia | 
anxiety, being present, Dale Carnegie, good night sleep, ideas, letting go of past, letting of future, over thinking, peace, stress, The Now, worry | 
Leave a commentWhat Fascinates You? A Journal Writing Exercise
Published January 8, 2011 |
“Ideas are fascinating if you seek out the kind that fascinate you” ~ Raymond Charles Barker
During your quiet journal writing time today, kick back and think about what really fascinates you. If you think about something that does not excite you, discard it. The focus and manifestation of truly fascinating ideas are the stuff of a dream life for you.
I invite you to write down anything you can think of that fascinates you in your journal. Who knows? One of those things or ideas may be the springboard for something new, fresh, and exciting to come into your life!
Before signing off I will do this exercise as well. Here is my list.
What currently fascinates me:
- The rise and fall of the Roman Empire (hence this post’s image). Just watched Rick Steve’s Europe video on Italy. Fascinating!
- How people learn. I am a second grade teacher and it never stops to fascinate me how children learn and develop.
- The human brain
- God
- The human heart
- Mountains
- Oceans
- Flight
- The creative process
- Love
- Relationships
- Marriage
- health and fitness
- nutrition
- Language: different languages, dialects, and the origin of language and words
- The internet and this new world of social media and the possibilities and opportunities it represents for friendship and business. Incredible!
- What makes centenarians live so long
- What makes people happy
- Genius
- How nature restores itself (Mt. St Helens in Washington State for example)
- The pyramids
- The Grand Canyon
- Energy
- Colors
- Spirituality
- The Law of Attraction
I will stop here. This is a lot of fun. Enjoy!
Debra : )
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“A mind stretched by a new idea never shrinks back to its original dimensions”- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Published June 17, 2010 | If you are having trouble sleeping to tonight, set your overly active mind loose a bit…
Get out your journal or just close your eyes and use your imagination to come up with one idea that you think could change the world the most…
What would it be? Play in your mind or write in your journal the possibilities. Is it an invention, a program, a product, a service, or a type of life philosophy?
Think of as many details about this idea that will change the world. Details about the idea itself, how it will impact the world, the consequences…. in time, you should be getting sleepy again.
If this prompt backfires on you and you find that your mind is getting excited about what you are imagining (it is not likely but it could happen), then a better strategy would be to think of something rather mundane- but then come up with as much detail about it. For instance, think of the inside of your car motor and how it works or think back and remember all of your school teachers beginning at pre school or kindergarten. The idea is to get your mind thinking about something other than not sleeping. Once you have achieved that it is just a matter of time before your mind and body will realize that it is time to sleep.
Debra : )
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