Share your emotions.

 

Share joy and sorrow alike.
~ Duke Shanxiang, Zhou Dynasty

People, especially those who are close to you, want to be a shoulder for you to cry on when you have sorrow, just as much as they wish to share in your joys. Do not feel you are a burden to others when you have trying times in your life. Let others lift you up. As they lift your spirits, their own hearts are lifted. You are empowering them and giving them a sense of value and purpose. Share your joy and sorrow alike.

All rights reserved. ©2015 by A.K.Orobko

Make Time…for YOU!

Make time for those things you truly want to do. Worry not. The things that need your attention, will get it, but with more joy! The key is to schedule your time with balance in mind. I have found this to work really well for me! I find that I am getting so much more done because I am able to put forth more enthusiasm and energy to all my tasks because I scheduled in some “fun”.

I know during this time of year is a season of preparations, parties, shopping, decorating and loads of busyness. It does not have to take the wind out of your sails if you take the time to take a breather or two daily. And, yes, life happens when you make plans.

So, keep it flexible. You already know what you need to do. Just include an activity or two that will give you a spark. For me it is creating art to music. One song takes 5 minutes maximum. With a bit of set-up and clean-up, it is a total of ten minutes; and, wow, I am ready to do the next “need-to” task. What activities can you “squeeze-in” that will make you blissful? Balance is the solution!

Related articles

• Follow Your Heart (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)
• Tips for Making Time to Pray (essentialthingdevotions.com)
• Busy=Mummy.Fact (thebusymummy.wordpress.com)
• Balancing Precariously (iamthewarden.blogspot.com)
• I’ve Just About HAD it with “Passion” – (onequalitynote.wordpress.com)
• Managing a Job along with School (rtannw.wordpress.com)
• Gifts of Christmas – God with Us (essentialthingdevotions.com)
• A Life of Luxury: Choices, Trade offs, and the Benefits of Busyness. (mothersugar.wordpress.com)
• The Glorification of Busyness (superaalifragilistic.wordpress.com)
• Joyous Busyness – Thankvember NaNoROW, 11/28/12 (shanjeniah.com)

Share Your Ups and Downs

Share joy and sorrow alike. ~ Duke Shanxiang, Zhou Dynasty

People want to be a shoulder for you to cry on when you have sorrow, just as much as they wish to share in your joys. Do not feel you are a burden to others when you have trying times in your life. Let others lift you up. Share your joy and sorrow alike.

 

My Joy…Their Joy

What brings you joy, ultimately brings joy to others. ~ Dr. Angi K. Orobko

Most often, I find when I am doing what I really enjoy, I bring joy to others, whether it is in my art, in my writing, in my teaching or in my creative life coaching practice. My enthusiasm and joy radiates from me to others. Guess what? Your passion and enthusiasm will shine through in those things that you honestly love to do! Really!

Your PASSION and ENTHUSIASM will shine THROUGH…
in ALL those ACTIVITIES that  you really LOVE to DO!

It is a joy to watch someone truly get into his or her groove, no matter what the task, job or activity. It is a lift to be around people who love their jobs from your local grocery cashier, to the postal worker who delivers your mail, to the police officer who is directing traffic around an unsafe situation, to the teacher who instructs your children, to the news reporter on your local television station, and so on and so forth.

Also, if you choose to put joy in your work at hand and really appreciate it, you will get a lift from your job. It will almost feel like playtime instead of WORK. So, as we close out November, the month of gratitude, consider putting in a bit of joy and gratitude in all you do! Let us greet December as the month of the joyous and generous spirit. December is such a magical month.

Related articles

• Grateful to be a Creative Life Coach (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)
• A Wife Finds Joy Again after Years of Grief (peacefulwife.com)
• Ease, Imagination and Joy ~ Message from Archangel Gabriel (aquariuschannelings.com)
• Don’t Let Things Steal Your Joy (itsphillybaby.wordpress.com)
• Life Plan: a PDF (squisheddiorama.wordpress.com)
• Still have your joy? (thelordswitness.com)
• Choose to have fun! (whatiamiswhatichoose.wordpress.com)
• Where Is My Joy? (patcegan.wordpress.com)

Shine Upon the World

We are ALL natural beauties; it stems from within our heart and spirit; and shines upon the world if you allow it. It starts with a smile in your heart. When you are in a blissful state of mind, and you are not harboring any negativity, your natural beauty shines brightly upon the world. You really do glow!

If you take a moment to pause and release the stresses of the day, you will feel it. A great way to do this is to take one to three long, deliberate breaths as you really experience and delight in that moment. It is yours to enjoy. No matter how busy our lives are, we can take a full minute for ourselves, even if it is in the privacy of a bathroom stall (and what a great place to release all your stress).

Remember, your thoughts become things. When you think joyful and beautiful thoughts, then joy and beauty become reality. You will feel a warmth in your heart and being. Really, you will. You only need to embrace it, choose it and believe it. Let your inner beauty shine upon the world.

(The image is from my art journal; you can find out more about my art journal experiences on my Blissful Art blog as I will be posting more on the process and my techniques in the days to come.)

Related articles

• I learned to Love From You (creativelybecomeindifferent.wordpress.com)
• My naked shots – thoughts about my body… (confessionsofadizzyblonde.wordpress.com)
• My Heart Broke a Little more Today (jpgumnut.wordpress.com)
• Meditative Thought: Our True Nature (awakenedlifenow.com)

Yard Sales are…

Yard sales are not just an opportunity to purge your clutter; they are also great to reconnect with schoolmates, socialize with neighbors and meet new people!
~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

Yesterday during the yard sale, I had the opportunity to socialize with many people as they browsed. It was delightful! I got to know my neighbors better, met new people and I got to spend quality time with a schoolmate.

It was wonderful to get to know my schoolmate at a deeper level. I learned, like me, she was a victim of bullying in high school. I had no idea. Bullying reared its ugly head in many ways during our time in high school. I would love the opportunity to capture everyone’s story.

As I socialized with browsers, there was a lovely eighty-plus-year-old woman who shared her story of being bullied in her school years. I always knew that bullying transcended the years. I dare say it goes as far back as to when humanity came to existence. Her comment that lightened the moment was that she outlived her tormentors. It made me pause and ponder.

The yard sale gave me an opportunity to promote myself and Hearts That Care as many asked what I do for a living. I got to share with them that I am an anti-bullying expert, education specialist, and an advocate of kindness; as well as,  inspire positivity, creativity and productivity to empower people( from bullying themselves, being bullied and bullying others and the environment) through speaking and training engagements, programming, art, writing, and one-on-one life coaching.

The highlight of the yard sale was being able to give out six Gifts of Love. The recipients were filled with joy. The eighty-year-old woman said I made her day. It is so true, when you give of yourself, you receive so much more in return. It is a double blessing. Below are images of the bags that went home with some phenomenal people. I am so grateful!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Related articles

• Don’t Overspend on a Lawn Mower or Other Home Maintenance Equipment (242/365) (thesimpledollar.com)
• Saying no to senseless clutter (blarneycrone.com)

Joy in Action!

 

Enthusiasm is joy in action; it is having passion, fervor or zeal for something. It is extreme positive energy in the present moment! ~Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

Enthusiasm is one of my favorite words as it expresses joy in action; it is having a keen interest, excitement, fervor or zeal in a cause or subject. It is cheerful and exciting because it expresses a higher level of energy. It is being passionate with joy for those items in our life that we consider important. Enthusiasm is a word that has its origins in the Greek language for “inspired by God.”

Enthusiasm is tossed into a group of such delicious words  such as: ardor, avidity, conviction, craze, dash, devotion, eagerness, earnestness, ecstasy, élan, emotion, energy, exhilaration, fanaticism, feeling, fervor,  fire, flame, flare, frenzy, fury, gaiety, glow, gusto, heat, hilarity, hobby, impetuosity, intensity, interest, joy, keenness, life, mania, mirth, nerve, oomph, orgasm, passion, pep, rapture, relish, snap, spirit, transport, vehemence, verve, vim, vivacity, warmth, zeal, zealousness, and zest

Norman Vincent Peale stated, “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” I agree wholeheartedly with Norman Vincent Peale. I have yet to find people who are not affected by my enthusiasm. I have that effect on others even animals.

This leads me to a quote by Charles Schwab, “A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.”  And, Vince Lombardi said, “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” (He cracks me up!)  Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”  Have you ever seen anything worthwhile done without enthusiasm?

In the words of Henry Ford: Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.

In my words, enthusiasm is the twinkle in my toes and the wiggle in my nose; it is the swing in my hips and the smile upon my lips! Enthusiasm is the thumping of my heart to the beat of my ideas that drums out a rhythm of inspiration for all to see.

Oliver Wendell Holmes wonderfully sums it up, “It’s FAITH IN something and  ENTHUSIASM FOR something that makes LIFE WORTH LIVING. Are you embracing your ENTHUSIASM FOR something?

Related articles

• Words to Live By: Enthusiasm (onewebstrategy.wordpress.com)
• Enthusiasm (artistoftheeveryday.wordpress.com)
• Choose Joy (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)
• Adventure (Dr. Angi’s Law #6) (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)

 

Ten Things that Instantly Make Me Happy

Just thinking about joyful things instantly make me happy! ~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

I am certain there are more than ten things that instantly make me happy; but, these are the top ten things that make me instantly happy that I can think of at the moment! I encourage you to create your own list.

1. Seeing a butterfly flutter by.

2. The scent of home-baked breads, cookies or pastries, especially if there is a hint of cinnamon.

3. The warmth of the sun on a cold winter’s day.

4. A cool, gentle breeze off the ocean on a hot summer’s day.

5. Rainbows.

6. Waterfalls.

7. Seashells.

8. Sasha, my fur-baby, greeting me at the door after I have been out.

9. Sandcastles.

10. A full moon on a clear night.

These are in no particular order as each of these equally and instantly bring a smile to my face, joy to my soul, and tickle my heart! I would love to know what instantly makes you happy. Please share in the comments below.

Related articles

• Foster Monday: Sasha (washhumane.typepad.com)
• Lessons from Puppy Dogs (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)
• We Are All Someone Special (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)
• Wake Up Happy! (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)

Wake Up Happy!

Just because I am not a morning person does not mean I cannot wake up happy!  ~Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

Here are some tips on how to wake up happy that work for me. First of all my bedroom is my sanctuary; therefore, it is cozy and comfortable. The walls are painted in a soothing blue and I have lots of pillows on my bed. I am totally able to relax in my bedroom. I keep the temperature around 72 degrees year round. Sometimes I use fragrances like lavender and soft ambient music to set the mood before I go to sleep. Occasionally I will have chamomile tea or milk before bedtime. Setting the stage is important.

Schedule your sleep so that you routinely get up the same time every day. You will want to have plenty of time in the morning to leisurely take your bath or shower, dress and have a healthy breakfast. This should be a sacred time for you (and your family).

How you are roused from you sleep each morning is also important. Use an alarm clock that can wake you using soft, gentle or happy music whether it is a radio station that plays that type of  music or a CD/mp3 of your favorite ambient or happy music. One of my favorite radio stations is K-LOVE which has some amazingly inspirational music. There is one song that gets me in a great mood each time I hear it called Good Morning by Mandisa.

Good Morning by Mandisa

Another great thing to do is have either your comfy robe and slippers handy or simply have your clothes set out for the day (prepared the night before). My best mornings are when I have everything ready and set out the night before like my outfit, my supplies and writing materials, my purse, my cellular phone, sunglasses and keys. What makes it even better is having breakfast planned/ready so I can eat in a relaxed state. My lunch has been prepared the night before (usually leftover dinner) so that it is ready to take with me out the door. Taking a little time the night before to prepare for the next day make the following mornings wonderful!

One of the BEST things to do to GUARANTEE a JOYFUL morning is to simply CHOOSE to be HAPPY. No amount of preparation and scheduling is going to make anyone happy if they have not already chosen to be happy. So, CHOOSE to WAKE UP HAPPY! I dare you!

Reaction…Let’s Keep it Positive

We can choose how to react. No one can make you feel anything you do not choose to feel. ~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

Even in the face of negative actions and verbose, we can choose how to react; however, reacting positively takes discipline. It takes practice of mentally rehearsing the following: “This action or words are not personal. It is not about me (my character); it is about them. What they said or did has nothing to do with me personally; it has to do with what is going on with them and/or how they choose to react.”

One of the keys to joy and happiness is consciously choosing joy even in the face of negative situations. There are so many examples you can mentally rehearse around, for instance: The store ran out of a product that I wanted or perhaps even needed. We can react with disappointment, blame and anger; or, we can choose to stay positive and discuss a solution with the store attendant or manager. What are the alternatives? How can I make this lemon into pie?

Consider that example from the negative point of view: We get reactive and blame the store attendant, which may lead to anger and a heated exchange of insult and negative language. Does this reaction get you what you needed from the store? Of course, NOT! It just leads to high stress levels and negative impressions. Pursuing the matter from a more positive angle may not always get you to a solution, but you will feel better, more joyful and less stressed. Right?

Road rage is one of those reactions most would like not to admit. This usually occurs when we are in a hurry and need to be somewhere at a specific time. Consider the following: “We are where we need to be, always!” If traffic is holding us up, there is a reason for it. It is not the fault of the other drivers. If another car cuts you off or didn’t see you because he or she is using their mobile phone, be grateful that you were able to prevent an accident. Bless the other driver that he or she make to their destination without causing injury to themselves and others. And breathe. Getting angry will not get you anywhere faster. It only raises your blood pressure. Right?

Consider every situation in your life that has brought ill-feelings. What alternative ways/feelings could you have chosen? Learn from these experiences, as each moment in our lives are opportunities for growth and development.

Related articles

• Attitude…The Great Secret of Life (velindapeyton.com)
• How Do You Manage Your Anger? (coalitionofpositiveenergy.com)
• Don’t React but Simply Act….. (happy2livenow.wordpress.com)
• Who has anger made you ? (ask.metafilter.com)
• Practicing Patience (akissofbliss.wordpress.com)