March=prison sentence

I find I am not a big fan of March. Never have been. Not where I live. It's sort of like if you've been dieting hardcore for 3 months and then someone gives you a candy bar for good behavior but then says "wait, never mind!". March is supposed to be the first part of spring! You get a couple of lovely warm days, then the cruel wind blows, making it more miserable than winter. I dressed my 5 year old up in snow gear yesterday so she could go out to play- snow boots, snow coat, hat, gloves the works and she came back in after 5 minutes completely demoralized by the freezing wind. This month is the hardest for me to stay positive. So I did the only thing I could think of...

I got my favorite brownies. These are the best brownies of all time. The End. Seriously, try them. These are garenteed to put a smile on your face, even if it is March. Then I covered them in chopped up skors bars and I could feel those clouds lifting.

Also, my flowers are starting to come up in my little garden! I can't remember what they are but I am excited!

The princess nail polish is for size comparison only.

One more thing, I never really gave an update on meditation. Not only was my sleeping improved but a few nights ago my husband out of the blue just said "well, you seem happier lately." I wasn't trying to prompt him or anything. "For how long?" I asked. "A couple months" he said. I can only guess it's the meditation. I don't feel bursting with happiness, I just feel like things role off my back so much faster.

That's all for now folks.
Janae

Yeah, he's mine.

I have a little story for you, about how human kindness can affect everyone around us.

Yesterday there was no school so my nephew Austin came over to hang out with us while his mom was at work. Elle was out for preschool too and it was a cloudy yucky day so I decided to take all the kids to this really cool McDonald's play place to let them play and have lunch. We were all sitting down eating when I realized I needed Mayo packets to make fry sauce for everyone ( I love fry sauce and I will make it when not provided!). I asked Austin to go get it so I could sit with the little kids.

Austin was gone for about 10 minutes. Way too long to run up to the counter to ask for Mayo. I started getting nervous, I couldn't see the order counter from where I was, so I got up, leaving my own kids to wander away and saw that Austin was standing at the counter getting the packets. "Odd", I thought. There wasn't very many people in line.

When Austin came back and sat down he said "do you know what took me so long?" "What" I said. "There was a man with crutches trying to carry his food tray back to his table and he wasn't going to make it, so I got out of line and asked if I could help him. He said yes, so I carried his food for him so he wouldn't drop it, and he said thanks! But then I had to get in the back of the line again."

My eye's immediately misted over right there. You see, Austin is only 8 years old. Some how an 8 year old boy knew that he could help someone who needed him. I saw plenty of Adults and older kids in that line but it was Austin who noticed him and gave up his place in line without a thought to run over and help this guy. As we were leaving, this guy flagged me down and asked "is Austin yours?" I gave it a moments thought, and decided for simplicity's sake to just say "yeah, he's mine". The man then recounted the story for me again, saying that it was completely spontaneous and how grateful he was that Austin had helped him. He had a huge smile on his face from ear to ear. It looked to me like he had brought his 4 year old son by himself- crutches and all- to play.

Sometimes we have our eye's set so keenly on our goals we forget to stop and look around. Maybe there's someone we too can help who "isn't going to make it". And that can make all the difference for that one person. We too can be like a certain 8 year old boy to make this world happier for everyone. That act of kindness not only had the man on crutches smiling, but Austin and I as well. It can have a rippling effect on everyone around you.

Austin wins my nicest person of the day award, hands down.

Kindness to you all,
Janae

Get the 'tude.

Last but not least in my best of the best positive habits is Gratitude. I've already talked about gratitude a bit, but it's just that important. I've read story after story of people who healed themselves from broken hearts, depression, divorce, emotional abuse etc. by just focusing on gratitude. For me, when I'm feeling really down, I HATE it when people say the ever so patronizing phrase "count your blessings! see what God hath done!" I then imagine burying those people in the ground with only their heads showing and pulling out the lawn mower for a little landscaping. I'm not a violent person I swear, that's just what this phrase does to me. So don't worry, I'm not going to over simplify all our problems down to "count your blessings". I've got some sure fire ways to getting you into the groove. The gratitude groove. Ah yeeeah!

Let's review. Gratitude journal: you must write down things you are truly grateful for. It does something to your brain to actually see it and review it.
Give out mental awards: This may not seem like something related to gratitude but it's all in the same family. We're trying to get our mind to habitually gravitate towards noticing whats right with the world and our lives, not whats wrong; because Lord knows that comes too easy on it's own!

How could I make gratitude a little more fresh? So when I was meditating yesterday a picture of my Dad popped into my mind. My Dad and I have had a complicated relationship but through it all, he's still my Dad. The reason I thought of him while thinking of gratitude is that he has MS. A disease where your immune system attacks the lining of your brain that deals with muscle function. People with MS quickly learn to cop an attitude of "use it or lose it". Meaning that every muscle that you don't stretch and massage will be lost forever to you. Even so, you will slowly lose muscle function until you become statue like. My father is now in a wheel chair with only limited use of one hand and speech. About a year ago, I noticed a journal sitting out on my parents kitchen counter labeled "Ron's gratitude journal". This was before I'd even thought of doing one myself. I didn't pick it up or look through it but it has occurred to me that probably the things that are in that journal are each and every thing that he still CAN do, and every muscle that he still has some control over. How important would a simple finger be to you? If you're like me, you've probably never even thought about it. Now, how important is that one finger that can still sort of bend to my father? My dad has never once expressed any anger for his situation, and never once have I heard the words "Why me?" come out of his mouth. He's told me that he's grateful everyday that he can still speak to his wife, children, and grandchildren. If someone with only use of one hand and speech can find things to be grateful for I think I can too.

I didn't mean to tell this story as a big bummer, I just can't help but think how much we take for granted good health. Every single toe and every single bone and ligament is amazing. Your heart is the first organ to start working as a fetus and is the last to shut down when we die, but always pumping to keep us alive. So today, thank a body part. Even the body parts that aren't your favorite (ahem, my thighs). Thank them all because someday you could lose them. Although I don't know if I would be sad to lose my thighs...

Ok, that was a little heavy, so here's a joke for the day. Since laughter is a great positivity booster I'll start doing this with every post. yay!

A man and a woman who have never met before find themselves in the same sleeping carriage of a train. After the initial embarrassment, they both manage to get to sleep; the woman on the top bunk, the man on the lower. 
In the middle of the night the woman leans over and says, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm awfully cold and I was wondering if you could possibly pass me another blanket." 
The man leans out and with a glint in his eye said "I've got a better idea ... let's pretend we're married." 
"Why not," giggles the woman. 
"Good," he replies. "Get your own blanket." 

Read more: http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=48#ixzz1Fw0f8l00


Thanks to all of you who read this convoluted blog. You all rock.
Janae