Acceptence (Managing Stress)

Adjusting Your Attitude

How you think can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.

Stress management strategy: Accept the things you can’t change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

• Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

• Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

• Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Positive Wednesdays + BLOG HOP 3rd Edition

Positive Hops

A blog hop is when bloggers enter thier url, blog name or their name and often email address in a linky. This information comes up as a list.

Bloggers then click and follow other members on the list. You should leave a comment on the person's blog and he or she will follow you back.

Jioning a blog hop enables bloggers to meet fellow bloggers, increase their reader base and following. It also helps bloggers to find blogs that they might not necessarily find.

So, if you have not entered your link please do so or you won't be listed on the hop.

RULES

1. There are NO rules.
2. If you are a new follower leave a comment and I WILL FOLLOW YOU BACK.
3. Have FUN!!!!!

 

Have You Found It?

Guys i am feeling so blessed at this moment in time. It is unbelievable! I have always heard that you should find your passion and stick with it.  I am excited because i think i have finally found my passion. Guess what,  it is blogging. This is coming from a person who went through a period of not wanting to write even a sentence. 

But, i am loving it. Recently, i had to take a little time off because of personal and professional engagements. Guys i literally ached. I know it sounds crazy. But i did. That is how i knew. I LOVE this!!!!

So thank you all for coming to my blog and reading my rants, my thoughts and just for sharing in my personal journey. I am blown away that people actually take the time to read my words.

Thanks You All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DIY Sundays- Cutting Your Phone Bill

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.
I find that i spend quite a lot on mobile calls. It has got to the point where i have not been in contact with close friends unless they call me. Not only are my friendships dying but also i am losing the comfort of my inner circle.
With this in mind, i thought that many of my readers might be having a similar problem.  That is why i jumped at the opportunity to share what i have learnt about this amazing company called Straight Talk. no they are not paying me to say they are amazing. But just think about it. Any company that offers products and services for the budget conscious person is definitely amazing in my book. 
Here are the reasons why i am impressed:

•  cell phone bills are cut in half
• there are no contracts
• Great nationwide coverage and excellent reception/connectivity. Hook, line and sinker
•  Straight Talk only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung.

What really grabbed my attention was the break down of the monthly plan.

Monthly Plan
“All You Need Plan”- 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data.
• Unlimited Monthly service  includes calls, text, picture messaging, and web- $ 45
• 1 Year- unlimited calls, text, picture messaging and web - $499.00
• 411 calls are included at no extra charge.
• Free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees
International Long Distance:
• Straight Talk International Long Distance Service is a flexible prepaid calling service that enables you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at low rates. Call a friend
Phone Selection:
• Reconditioned phones are available from $10.00 with camera, mp3 player, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability.
• Amazing smart phones; touch screen phones, and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth® Android on Straight Talk
 I am dying of jealously.  Why aren't they in Jamaica? I would love to make use of these great offers. I am just thinking what i could use the extra money for. I bet you are thinking about that new shoes you had your eyes on or that new child related  item you want to get.

The Journey Continues!!!!!

Firstly, Somehow i feel like i have been saying this quite a lot but nonetheless i will say it again. I have not given up on blogging and sorry that i have been M.I.A. There are days when i want to blog so much it hurts. But, I am finding it hard to pencil in blog time on my busy schedule. I would like to think that this situation is a work in progress. I am sure, you will be tired of seeing me pretty soon. Just to say however, that I am currently working on some personal projects and i look forward to sharing them with you soon.

Secondly, I know that for my United States readers, especially, you are preparing for fall and then winter. But, i just wanted to know if the climate has changed for you as yet. I swear that the sun is literally sitting on Jamaica.The days are blazing hot! I know that the summer equinox was on the 21 of September and therefore summer has officially ended. However, i am still waiting for summer to go to sleep or at least take a nap; so i can get a breath of air.


Thirdly, I want to remind you to keep positive. It might sound like i am one of those annoyingly happy persons. the reality is I am far from it, trust me. Like you i have days that kick me in the stomach and drain the energy from my body. Yes, i have those days when i don't want to get out of bed. However, I have learnt that all of this is apart of the human condition and we just need to learnt how to control it. 

Here are three quick tips that i use daily:

Surround yourself with positive energy. I have been hearing this quite often. However, i did not begin to understand the concept until recently. I woke up one day and i said today i will not dwell on the negatives and i will not accommodate persons who do. So for that day i did exactly that and i realized that by the end of the day i felt refreshed. Then, i continued that week and the week after that. I realized that i was able to get more done, i felt better and i was more focused. To me this was amazing after all, my typical day would begin at 5 am and end at 10-11.

Another thing is, before you leave your bed in the morning breathe positive energy into your day. I find that i take 2 minutes to exhale the tiredness, pains, doubts and anxiety in the morning as well as to inhale good things that i want for the day. I generally speak good things into my day. For example: today is going to be an awesome day i claim it! or today i will laugh, i will be happy, everything will be great! I find that when i center my energy i am able to have my contact sessions with an average of 150-200 students daily and still maintain sanity and inner peace.

Finally, get a personal organizer. I am still wondering how i survived so long without one. First of all, no one taught me how to be organized. I have always had the notion that you just get up and do what you have to do. Fullstop. However, thank God for the internet. Through the internet i have discovered the value of a personal organizer. Now, I have my new organizer (my first one ever) and i find that i am less stressed, more focused and procrastinating less because of it. I think i will write a post about my journey.  

Just remember its up to you to create the environment that you will thrive in. No one will do if for you. After all, no one knows you like how you know yourself.

Update + Awards

So i have been off the grid for a while. A number of things has happened and a lot has changed. So, here are my updates.

9/11
I wont say a lot because every time i think of September 11 i get very emotional. But what i will say is let us never forget.

Burglary
I mentioned in a previous post that my home was burglarized. I am happy to say that my hangbag was returned with the papers to the car and all.  The only thing that was missing from my bag was my MP4. I am feeling very blessed.

Work
I am back at work with my kids. By now most of you might have guessed that i am a teacher. One of the reasons, why i have been away is that the new school year started September 5. I have been busy  in one meeting or another for the last two weeks. It's a lot of work, my average class is 45 to 46 students. I most say i am finally getting use to the idea. It's crazy i know but it works somehow.

Awards
While i was here and away i awarded a couple of blog awards by my follow bloggers. I must say that whenever i am given a blog related award i am extremely honoured. I started blogging to fight the blues and i never thought that i would have so many readers much less recieving any kind of award.

My First Award is from Kassandra one of my new followers. This award is the Versatile Blogger.

My second Award comes from the wild child herself  Stacey. The Liebster award (“Liebster” is the German word for friend or love) originated in Germany. The aim of the award is to bring more attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers. I feel especially honoured to be given this award; since it is for bloggers with under 200 followers and she still choose to give me.

   



Please click on the link and check out these blogs. Who knows you might just make a friend.


Stay tune for part 2 when i hand out these award to my fellow bloggers.

5 Back to School Saving Tips- DIY Sundays

For today's DIY Sundays it is my pleasure to present a GUEST POST from Nadia Jones. This post kick starts my 100th posts celebration. I hope you find this beneficial.

Glitterfy.com - Back to School Glitter Graphics

With summer over, you’re probably scrambling to buy all the right supplies for your kids in time for the first day of school. And if you’re like most parents, you’re looking to buy the best quality products for your kids with as little damage as possible done to your wallet.  Here are five easy to follow tips that’ll help you save money while you prepare your little one for the new school year.

Look Online First

Often you can buy a good deal of your child’s school supplies without ever leaving your house. Sites like Amazon.com feature clothing, school supplies, and textbooks all at discounted rates. Amazon.com compares the store price products to their price so you can see just how much money you’re saving. Often the savings on these retail sites exceed 50%!  If you plan ahead, you can order all your supplies well before the back to school season starts.  Also be sure to join store email lists to hear about the latest deals. Retail sites will often send coupons and insider tips to discounted material through their email lists, so join the retail lists of retail stores near you and start saving!

Budget Yourself

Take a good hard look at your finances and determine the amount that you can comfortably set aside for school shopping. Don’t overstretch your funds school shopping simply because you can find most supplies at low prices. Once you’ve drawn up a healthy budget, do everything you can to stick to it. If you stick to your budget you’ll be less likely to impulse buy. If your child wants the next trendy new (and expensive) thing for school and you can’t afford it, simply tell them that it doesn’t fit in the budget and move on.

Start Early

You’ll find that you’re less stressed when you shop early. Whether you’re shopping online or not, people tend to be more level headed about their purchases when they don’t feel rushed. If you start early you can shop in easy to handle spurts: one day you look for uniforms, another day you check out the bargain-priced notebooks. While you might miss the back to school sales, you can take your time shopping around for the best deals in town and skip out on the huge crowds.

Recycle

If money is really tight, don’t hesitate to shop at second hand or thrift stores. These stores regularly have high-quality clothing sold to them simply because they no longer fit the owner. You’d be surprised to find that the variety in thrift stores runs from every day clothing to high-dollar uniforms. Also keep in mind that those supplies leftover from last year—unused notebooks, stray writing utensils, etc—work just as well as newly bought materials. Use what’s left around the house and save your money for more important items.

Always pack a lunch for your child

This tip is a classic that always works to keep school spending low. Schools offer lunches that can be costly, and many of them don’t even serve food for a balanced and nutritious diet. Take charge of your children’s diet (and save some money in the process) by packing them healthy lunches that cost a fraction of lunches served at the cafeteria. Pack plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoid sugary drinks and snacks.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.