Finding My Spiritual Self

I am currently looking to enhance my self spiritually. I feel that I am lacking the compassion and humanity I once had. I think that this is due to many things that result to my own self-hatred and becoming reclusive. But now I am in a state of mind that I want to embrace my life and get in touch my my humanity by strengthening my faith and helping people in need, extending myself, and finding a way to love myself. I have begun listening to meditation and nature sounds podcasts on itunes to try to learn how to clear my mind and find clarity so that I can study increase my biblical knowledge and research ways to help people in my community. I know this journey will be hard but I want to make a conscious decision to change, be happy, be healthy, be compassionate, be loving, and to be open and receptive of people that need me. I look to my church to learn more and do better.

North Atlanta Church of Christ
http://www.nacofc.org/#/video-audio

10 Ways to Encourage your Partner to Attend Couples Counseling

I have learned over the years that a relationship is about compromise and learning about the person I am with. Through counseling I learned that men and women really do have a different way of communicating needs, wants, and love. I learned that my husband showed his way of thinking of me or that he loved me by keeping up the mechanics on the vehicle or doing things I asked him, especially if he knows I don't like doing them myself. We decided to go to counseling before we got married and that short amount of time in therapy still helps us today. I encourage others to seek counseling to enhance or mend a broken relationship if it's not too far gone. I know how hard it is to get your significant other to participate in something like counseling because they don't believe in it or don't feel it will help. I came across this article, 10 Ways to Encourage your Partner to Attend Couples Counseling, that gives tips on how to get your spouse or significant other to at least try therapy.

Home | GreenYour.com

I am hoping to find ways to use natural or organic things in my everyday life. I want to change my foods, cleaning products, even my makeup to a healthier version. I found this website that has allowed me to learn more about going green and all the products that I can use for myself and my family to be healthier and help the environment at the same time. The website, Home | GreenYour.com, also gives many different links to the products that you may want to check out.

Finding your way to Serenity within Chaos

I have been trying to figure out ways to calm down or release tension when I am stressed or just need a moment of peace. I was watching Oprah and they were talking about ways to be happy. The two that stuck out to me were 1. find time in your day to sit in silence and  to just be or try to get centered and 2. get involved in a group that requires you to attend. The second one I am working on. Although it is hard to find a quiet place with a three year old, I have found that meditative music/sounds help me to center myself or puts me in a calmer state of mind when I have been pushed to the maxed. I cam across Jim Butler on itunes when trying to find soothing music. This music not only helps me during the day but it also helps me at night. I can say that I have slept deeper (the ones I listen to is called "Deep Energy" ;) when I play this music throughout the night. I think it would be a good idea for people that are having a hard time finding time to just think or be to find their moment of silence or if silence doesn't appeal to you maybe adding these soothing tones to your "me" time will.

Counseling Practice

I am currently in school completing my master's degree in professional counseling and I am constantly coming across information that will help me in the future when I open a practice. This article, The Online Therapy Myth: What Online Counseling Wont do for your Private Practice | Start a Counseling Practice, helps you truly understand what does behind expanding your practice by making online therapy available to your clients. It gives you the myths and truth behind the work that this aspect of your business will entail.

I hope that I will one day have a successful business were I am truly making a difference in someone's life.

~Enhancing

Be Inspired.: Quote of the Day

I believe that these following statement are ones that we should strive to live by.

Be Inspired.: Quote of the Day: "'People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of alterior motives. Be ..."

Being an active participant in life

I realized that I am so sick of my being an active participant in my own life. I moved to Atlanta in 2009 and I have yet to visit any historic sites or taking the opportunity to just get out and "smell the roses." I really hate that I am stuck in this rut. The main reason that I don't get out the house is because of my significant weight gain within the last 5 years. I am making strides to lose the weight and find my confidence again. This has been the number one reason why I have secluded myself from experiencing from the world around me and lost touch with who I am...the real me. I hope to work on the inner me as well as the outer me. I don't want to miss out on my life, journeys that I am supposed to take, or meeting new people.

~Enhancing...

Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea

I have many days of stress. Whether it's me thinking about school, buying a house, or stressing about losing weight. It gives me great anxiety to the point where I can't think. I am trying to find natural ways to enhance my life and health. I wanted to find out the Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea and how it can alleviate some of the stress. Meditation is also a way I looking to enhance my mental clarity and lower stress so that I can approach problems calmly. I drank a cup of chamomile tea yesterday and I can say that it did seem to calm me down. I hope that others are able to find ways to approach life and stress in a calm and zen-like way.

To Stress or not to Stress

I know that stress is not good for your health or waistline but it's unavoidable. I am trying to purchase my first home and I want to get the best bang for my buck but I have to clear up my credit issues. I urge people to really look at their credit report and get a grasp on what is on there and what can be disputed or paid off. I know it's overwhelming but if you tackle it now you can avoid alot of problems. Employers are now using your credit report to decide whether to give you a job so really in the long run it will PAY off, in more ways than one, to repair your credit. This will enhance your life because you will have the piece of mind f a good credit score when you need to utilize it.

Free Yearly credit report from all 3 bureaus:
www.annualcreditreport.com

Essential Oils

I have really been thinking about what I am putting in my body and into my environment. I really like my home to smell good but what am I putting into the air. My good friend bought me an essential oil diffuser and I thought about how much better this is than spraying a smell good chemical in the air. I started to research the benefits of essential oils. I want a space that I can breathe easy and also protect my young son and husband from breathing in harmful chemicals. Many of the essential oils are used in making all natural cleaning products. I think that using essential oils would enhance your quality of life and mood!

Here are some essential oils websites or you search for them on Amazon:

http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/
http://www.wellingtonfragrance.com/Essential-Oils--C35.aspx
http://www.sensia.com/essentialoils.htm


Info about essential oils:
http://www.diylife.com/2007/07/24/make-home-fragrances-with-essential-oils/
http://www.healthylivinganswers.com/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-home-fragrance.html  (Watch the Video!)

4 Months to Lose

I graduate in May with a Master's in Professional Counseling. It's been a long journey!! I am now on a journey to enhancing my life and one way is to lose the weight that has been holding on to me for the last five years. I REALLY want this to be my last but most successful try at this. I know I can't have a happy life if I am miserable and unhealthy. I have 85lbs to lose. I really want to lose most of this by graduation in May. I will check in periodically to record an update of my progression.

Good Luck to others that are on the say journey.

Personalization when taking on Organization

It can be very fun and exciting when personalizing your space. Personalization can also help you become organize. My life I feel is very disorganized. I wanted to start the new year off working on getting organized. This will help me in my personal and family life and also in my future career is a therapist. I wanted to start by keeping up with the many things I had to do on a daily basis as a wife, mother, and student. I recently found a lady that makes personalized planners. This was a way for me to begin the process of organizing my life while putting very personal touches on it. Amanda, of Creative Nest Designs, created a personalized planner for me. It helps me to keep up with many events, ideas, or daily things I need to keep up with. It came out really nice and allows me to take control and keep up with the things going on in my life.

I have listed below sites that can create a personal planner and other personalized things:

http://creativenestdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/11/time-to-order-your-personalized.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64410800/lorna-style-completely-personalized-day?ref=sr_list_10&ga_search_query=personalized+weekly+planner&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=handmade