How important is humor? Laughter is one of the first things a newborn exhibits.  Try going an entire day without even a small laugh and see if you can – I bet you can’t.  People don’t avoid pleasure which is why many of our decisions are made based on the level of pleasure we will benefit.

Laughter is the best medicine.  We have all heard that saying and we know that when things are looking down, we want someone positive in our lives to lift us up out of our rut.  Laughing not only improves our mental state, it has been proven to benefit our circulation, lungs and muscles.

Even American College of Cardiology, Michael Miller, M.D., of the University of Maryland reported that in a study of 20 healthy people, provoking laughter did as much good for their arteries as aerobic activity. He doesn't recommend that you laugh and not exercise. But he does advise that you try to laugh on a regular basis. The endothelium, he explains, regulates...

The 80/20 rule sounds like a mathematical formula and in some ways it is but don’t fret, this isn’t a lesson on statistics.  The rule came from an Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, who stated that 80% of the Italian income was earned by 20% of the Italian population.

What this means is that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your inputs.  To put this another way, 20% of your activities equate to 80% of your happiness.  Instead of focusing on income, we will focus on your overall well being or happiness factor.

To prove this theory, look at the distribution of wealth and lately with the shrinking of the middle class, this is even more apparent that a small portion of the population controls the majority of the economy.  Look at business, the top earners are a small percentage of companies and earn the largest portion of income.  And if you look at your own habits, you most likely spend most of your income on few things like your mortgage, car...

Attitude is the one thing all human beings have complete control of and yet many unknowingly choose a negative attitude.  If we understood the power of our own attitude in our lives, most of us would change it immediately.  How many times have you been told to change your attitude?  That is a common order from most parents and teachers! 

Attitude is created by your thoughts, feelings and actions.  Your mind controls feelings and decides whether these feelings will be positive or negative through your thoughts.  Your body then follows these thoughts through actions and behaviors.  It sounds simplistic because it is. 

Through our thoughts, we create an attitude.  This attitude is expressed based on how we internalize ideas.  Our mind and body move into a new vibration of conscious awareness known as feelings.  These feelings are then displayed through actions and behaviors that produce the results in our lives.

Attitude [Thoughts...

Ask anyone you meet if they have ever been hurt by another.  You will hear a resounding YES! Now ask how they handled the hurt and you will hear many different stories about resentment, revenge, internalizing, depression, anger, and sadness but few stories about forgiveness.  Why?  Why would anyone hold onto pain if they don’t have to?  What is it in our nature to harbor ill feelings or hold onto past pain?  Studies show that holding onto emotional pain transpires into physical illness.  Dis-ease has been linked to our mental wellbeing.  If we have the power to heal ourselves, where do we start? What is Forgiveness?

• Forgiveness is not balance on the scales of justice

I read this somewhere once and it really hit home for me. For those of us who have been wounded deeply by others either emotionally or physically, accepting that the wound and the act of forgiveness are two separate things can bring a sense of freedom. It is more about...

So many people wish life was easier, with less challenges and obstacles but without challenges, life becomes stagnant and we stop growing.  Challenges help us uncover who we are and allow us to become better people and even draw us closer to our creator. My greatest times of growth have been during my most difficult challenges.  Can you relate? When I have a challenge, my very first step is to pray for wisdom and direction then I implement a simple 4-step method.

Let’s examine a very simple 4-step method to overcoming challenges.

First,  state the problem clearly.  When we are faced with challenges, we tend to avoid the issue and run the other way burying our heads in the sand hoping it goes away.  Or we may say – ok, there is an obstacle, instead of heading right to it and plowing through, I am going to look for another path and even though that is not the way I want to go – it looks easier… less headache… but rarely does...

What does your closet look like?  Is it all tidy and color coordinated and arranged by season?

If so, move on… And for the rest of us who have closets full of clothes from ten years ago that we will fit into one of these days –  or that style will surely come back – or this is a classic – it will go with everything… You know who you are… or maybe you can’t even close your closet because the shoes are spilling out onto the floor…

Life is like a closet.  We hold onto past thoughts and emotions and we think if we hold on to it long enough and tight enough something will change – it will fit now – it will be all right – or we hold on because we can’t let go of the pain.  As one of my mentors says – let the dead bury the dead.

It is time to clean the closet and let go of all that dead weight. It is time to organize and compartmentalize all those things in that closet – put the...

Fear is critical to our survival.  It keeps us protected from legitimate threats and danger.  If we only had life threatening fears, we’d be a very different society.  Instead we have additional irrational fears based on traumas, bad experiences, or those all too often handed down fears from our ill-advised relatives.

Stop for a minute and think about yourself. You will be glad you did. Looking at your fears, take a quick inventory in your head of what you are afraid of.  Heights is usually at the top of the list and a legitimate fear although some go to extremes, but there is a danger element in falling.  What else makes your list?  Wild animals? Fear of failure? Spiders? Rejection? Pain? Flying? Swimming? Public Speaking? Relationships? People? The color blue? I call this the terror barrier. How do they hold you back?

Fears are thoughts that we create based on experiences either that we have had or others have had and have imprinted onto...

Being thankful everyday for what you have is a mind-altering experience. A National Institutes of Health study found that when you express kindness or feel gratitude, your hypothalamus floods your brain with dopamine. Dopamine contributes to feelings of pleasures and satisfaction.

This week my attitude of gratitude was tested to the maximum. I had to make a choice as to what my focus would be. Do I focus on gratitude, God’s plan in the midst of the situation or just have a pity party? It can be easy to get in the mindset of feeling sorry for ourselves or others when things don’t go as we planned. Do you ever feel this way or is it just me? It always gets back to our choice. Do we Trust God and His plan for our lives? We know what Romans 8:28  promises "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Yet, how often do we get upset when our plans are not followed, or things aren’t what...

What a grand emotion love is.  Imagine a life without love.  Research says a baby’s brain will not develop properly in the absence of love.  Wow that is powerful!  Love is very powerful. Look at your own life experiences.  Can you recall a time when you felt unloved?  How did that make you feel?  Depressed? Lonely? Anxious? I know I have felt all of those emotions and more at times... I have also felt so fulfilled, full of love for others, appreciative and at peace when I feel loved. 

Imagine a life full of love! Do you have that now?  Are you content with the amount of love you have in your life?  Are you giving love to others?  Are you receiving love?  If you aren’t completely happy with your relationships both giving and receiving, then it may be beneficial to learn what options you have to create that life.

Did you know you could sit down right now and begin the process of creating that perfect life you...

Worthy Ideal

 Webster defines “ideal” as a standard of perfection, beauty or excellence; an ultimate object or aim of endeavor.  A worthy ideal is more than a goal - it is that which inspires the soul to move onward and upward to a greater awareness of the sheer beauty and abundance of life - real life.

 How do we develop this?  What is the process to define our own personal worthy ideal?

 The first step is to allow ourselves to be completely free, relaxed and quiet.  Our minds need to be quieted from all the endless chatter it experiences throughout the day and night.  Even in our sleep our minds are working. 

 Meditation is an age-old practice to quiet one’s mind.  There are many ways to meditate - laying still, listening to soaking music, focusing on breathing, walking, sitting, standing, floating in a pool, , soaking in a tub or my favorite, hiking a mountain...  the main ingredient is to be in a place of...