Dislike Writing? Try Creating A Visual Journal

Do you have ideas or thoughts buzzing around inside your brain that you want to capture, but you dislike writing? Beyond creating the simplest of to-do lists, is sitting down to write a form of torture? Even if you have a script or prompts to help you, are you unable to get any words out of your head and down on paper?

Writing a diary or journal has been done since ancient times to record lives and events. Yet, journaling as a powerful self-help tool has massively gained in popularity since the 1960s. A New York City psychologist by the name of Dr. Ira Progoff began offering workshops in the use of the Intensive Journal method. Today people keep a journal to both record their feelings and to improve themselves with the knowledge they gain from it.

You can purchase a variety of journals online from stores such as Amazon as well as in bookshops. Coaches and therapists also use journaling to help clients. It is also incredibly easy to journal on your own in just a plain paper notebook or digital notebook.  However, all journaling has one thing in common and that is writing.

So how can you journal if you dislike writing?

Draw or doodle pictures.

From simple to complex, any kind of picture that expresses your emotions and situation will help. After you've drawn the picture, you can label and annotate it. If you leave a blank page opposite your drawing then you can come back and review it later and jot down any additional thoughts, emotions, and responses. Quite often this simple method will get you writing quickly.

Why not try using different types of pens or pencils to make your journaling more interesting and stimulating. Color is also a good way to convey emotion.

Mind maps, diagrams, and graph paper.

If you are journaling about a problem, then you might consider using a diagram such as a mind map or decision tree. Diagrams are powerful because they are visual and help you to see patterns and connections more easily. If you are trying to decide, then you can illustrate the different outcomes and results to help you formulate the best decision. Graph paper is good for creating graphs and charts. Again, adding in color not only makes them more attractive but can highlight connections.

Use prompts.

Using a simple prompt such as a word or question can help break the blank page syndrome and inspire you to unburden yourself onto the empty page in front of you. You mustn't feel that you need to write a lot or even in full sentences. The journal and act of journaling must relate to your needs at that moment in time and this will vary day-to-day.

You could consider purchasing a journal designed for the specific use you need. There is a lot of weight loss, gratitude, happiness, habit tracker, and other journals available. Many of these will include prompts and recording methods that don't require a lot of writing.

Create a vision board/ collage.

Get some magazines or newspapers and cut out words, phrases, paragraphs, or even articles that relate to your situation or emotions at that point. Add in pictures that you find that could demonstrate how you are feeling or want to feel. Get some colorful stickers to ideas or emotions. Again, you can annotate it to make it truly personal. Leave a blank page so that you can revisit and review later and add in additional journaling.

Use speech to text.

While writing using a pen and paper is probably the most powerful method of journaling you can also use dictation software such as Google Docs Voice Typing, Microsoft Dictate, or Otter.AI. You'll need the software and a computer with a microphone to use this method. It may be easier to begin your journaling journey by speaking to the computer and imagining you are chatting to a friend or just yourself. The software will 'write' what you say, and you can save the document so that you can review it later.

You may choose to keep your journal electronically in which case you can review it and add any later thoughts and feelings by typing or dictating through the speech recognition software. Or you may decide to print it out and keep it in a binder. If you do print it out, you can embellish it with those stickers you got or make additional notes on the hard copy.

Don’t make it a chore be flexible

Journaling does not have to be undertaken every day for a set period that doesn’t suit you. Many people journal every day for 20 minutes as that is the method that suits them best. However, it may be that twice a week for 10 minutes serves your purpose.

Alternatively, you may choose to only journal when you feel you need it. Some days it may be that you choose to use a prompt or picture to kick-start your writing. Other days you may find that the words flow, and you can write without stopping.

The main points to remember are that the journal is a personal document designed to help you and that it is designed to be used and revisited. It's a living document and there is no correct or incorrect way for you to create or use it.

My final thought.

I keep two journals. I have a gratitude journal I use in the morning and a stream of consciousness journal I write in before bedtime. I am not strict about the amount of time I write, nor do I beat myself up if I miss a day, and neither should you. It’s your journal and it should be of benefit to you and not add to your stress.

For more information, check out these posts.

How To Start A Journaling Practice And Actually Stick With It.

Journaling Is The Gift Of Self-Development

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Be Independent And Stand On Your Own

Gram’s Wisdom 37

Independence is an ability that not everyone is born with and even those who can have it are unwillingly suppressed. Of course, everyone must become somewhat independent as they grow up towards adulthood, but it’s much easier for some people to embrace their independence than others. Avoiding independence as an adult creates difficulties in many areas of your life, especially as you enter business and romantic relationships. Learning to be your own strongest supporter is crucial to success in any area of your life.

The Consequence of Independence.

Gram told me that it’s hard for people to comprehend that they, themselves, are responsible for all the incidents in their lives. Many people will argue that point, they believe that things happen to them. But the truth is the choices you make structure your life. Your decisions inform your direction. Being realistic about this is healthy and necessary. If you know you can rely on, and take total care of yourself, you can accomplish anything.

My Gram was widowed at 28 and raised 6 children under the age of 8. She knew a thing or two about standing on your own two feet. She assured me that standing on your own is as much willpower as education. Once, Gram told me that learning to stand on your own two feet isn’t about asserting that dependence is always an unattractive or undesirable trait. Gram said it is healthy to be able to believe in others.

What you don’t want to do is place your potential for happiness in someone else’s hands, or under someone else’s control. She said you want to form your own opinions about who you are, not rely on someone else’s treatment of you to tell you whether you are a good person.

 She called that an unhealthy dependence and felt it was harmful to a relationship. In other words, you should never depend on someone else to do for you, what you should do for yourself.

How can I be an independent, not a codependent person?

When you become overly dependent on someone, or codependent, you become a burden. Some personality types may enjoy having a codependent relationship - but these are not healthy personalities, and they do not result in healthy relationships. Instead, you should strive for healthy independence in your life because it gives you many choices that collectively can create a successful, fulfilling life.

You must learn to trust your judgment, make your own decisions, and not second guess yourself. There is great strength in being able to decide for yourself and not having to rely on anyone else for validation of the choices you make. When you do this, you build healthy self-esteem, you become a stronger person, and you become the type of person that others look up to.

One of the healthiest things you can do is learn to be by yourself and enjoy your own company. Don’t be afraid to go to a restaurant, art gallery, or movie alone. Don’t be afraid to go anywhere alone! Learn to appreciate being by yourself, even if you’re surrounded by people. Take walks alone. Go to the park alone and read a book. Go to the beach alone and listen to the waves. Learn to make your own life an adventure, independent of anyone else.

Four tips for becoming more independent.

1. External Forces - Becoming free from external forces allows you to make your own decisions and be satisfied with the outcome. If you have healthy self-esteem, you will rely on yourself for decisions and choices. You won’t look at others for validation, and you won’t constantly be worried about second-guessing yourself. You’ll have an intelligent basis for your choices, and you won’t be swayed by culture, society, religion, or upbringing. You will be free to think for yourself in all instances.

2. Internal Reactions - When you are free from internal reactions, you aren’t emotionally reactive. You have reasoned responses to situations rather than emotional knee-jerk reactions. You think about things. You weigh options, benefits, and drawbacks. You educate yourself to make good judgments. And you’ll direct your life in such a way that you will experience happiness instead of regret.

3. The Past - Freedom from the past is one of the biggest freedoms you can experience. So many people live in the past as if they can change it. Nothing in the past can be changed, ever. The only thing you can do is move forward having learned lessons about what to do and what not to do, what works and what doesn’t. Fixating on past mistakes holds you captive to those mistakes, even if you want to move forward. You’ll be controlled by mistakes instead of taking your life in a new, healthy, positive direction. The past needs to be left in the past, the lessons learned internalized and used to make smarter assessments in the future.

4. Love - The freedom to love unconditionally can help you heal from the inside out. Learn to love unreservedly, and then love those people you might most want to hate. Allow yourself to feel compassion, patience, peace, and passion. Learn to let go of drama, negativity, and all the other things that you feel hold you back. Allowing yourself to love unconditionally gives others what they need. Allowing yourself to be loved unconditionally allows you to get what you desire.

Those with a healthy sense of independence can give of themselves without feeling used up or taken advantage of. They can respond happily to the needs of others and are a source of amazing positive energy to those who know them.

My final thought

There can be no better feeling than the sense of freedom and accomplishment when you stand independently on your own two feet, meeting other people as an equal.

For more information, read these posts.

10 Key Lessons In The Art Of Being Self-Reliant

Don’t Wait For Others To Believe In you

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Believe In Yourself

Gram’s Wisdom 34 Believing in you

Should you believe in yourself? The plain answer is no one else will. Try accomplishing anything, and guess what? You will have an uphill climb to your goal. Sure, you will get there eventually, but any doubts you have will make it much more difficult than it needs to be.

You can’t do everything yourself. At some point, you are certain to need the help of someone for something. If you don’t believe in yourself, how will you ever convince others that they can or should?

I think I must have been 12 or 13 when my Gram thought I was old enough to absorb this lesson. This was a tough one for me. I honestly didn’t believe in myself. But I had believed in her all my life.

Gram told me if you believe in yourself, there is little that can stop you from doing whatever you want to accomplish. It gives you the ability to push forward and to defy the odds.

You will be able to handle any hurdles that come your way. You will also be able to disregard the pessimists. It gives you peace of mind when you stick to your self-belief.

A firm belief in yourself can work wonders

It’s vital to believe in yourself

Your spouse and your family will believe in you to a certain degree. However, when times get tough, family support tends to wane. It’s not that they don’t love and care about you. It’s just they stopped believing in you or your dream/goal. While this doesn’t always occur, it often occurs enough to cause disagreement.

When a spouse or parents initially give you support for a new enterprise, there is excitement in the air; they tell you to give it your best shot. When the undertaking doesn’t work out as they believe it should, they begin to question whether you should continue with it. If your belief weakens, you may take on their way of reasoning.

That time is exactly the moment that you shouldn’t stop. People don’t get ahead by quitting. Your belief in yourself should equip you with the ability to tell your friends and family to have some faith. A firm belief in yourself would give you the courage to stand up to them.

Maintaining self-belief takes perseverance

The trouble is, the path towards success in these endeavors is not a straight line. Having some bumps in the road is normal. This is what characterizes the success of the enterprise, and the people who take risks. It should be embraced and not feared. Whatever venture you decide to pursue, know that only by continuing will you make it work.

Don’t take the easy way out. Instead, prepare yourself as much as possible for unfamiliar situations. But move forward with a strong belief that you can accomplish what you set out to do.

Self-belief powers your dreams, desires, and goals

To keep that self-belief strong, you need to describe your goals. You wouldn’t expect a contractor to build a house without a blueprint. You, too, need an outline to guide you on how to continue. Too many people skip this step and wonder why they aren’t getting anywhere.

Goals are your direction but moving ahead with them is only done when you believe that it’s possible. The belief is the momentum you need to act. It helps you to concentrate on getting your tasks complete.

Confidence is built on self-belief

You will also build confidence when you have self-belief. It’s an influential tool and others will be attracted to that confidence. They will follow your lead, and you will help show them what is imaginable. When you stumble over obstacles (and you will), that confidence will help you see them through. You will know how to take alternate actions when necessary. The people following you will appreciate that as well.

Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative

Several negative forces will try to knock you down. You may even find yourself allowing it to happen. You need to remain focused on why you began your journey in the first place. Use positive affirmations to support your idea. Be consistent with your affirmations.

Unfortunately, many of the negative forces are going to come from your family and friends. They will see it as helping you prevent blunders. Many people will succumb to this negative pressure and give up.

One way to counteract this is to join groups of like-minded individuals. It can be related to your business, or it can be groups that focus on self-help. These organizations exist to try and drive the negative forces out. It’s a good place to go and receive reassurance from the group.

Attending these groups can sometimes lead to friendships with people where you can extend the encouragement of each other. You may even form business collaborations from these friendships. It’s good to know that you have the support of these people when these relationships form. They understand when everyone else around you don’t. Your self-belief will strengthen considerably from this arrangement.

Find others who can motivate and inspire you

The motivation of others can bolster belief in yourself

Think back to a time when someone inspired you. It could be a conference you attended or saw online. You might have read a profile of someone you admired. Whatever the case, the motivation of others can strengthen how you see yourself.

The internet gives us plenty of opportunities to view the stories of high-profile people. Just search on YouTube, and you will find hundreds (if not thousands) of videos of these people sharing their experiences. You will find books covering the same subject. However, there's usually more detail in books rather than in a video. Therefore, you should take advantage of both.

Don’t mistake motivation and inspiration for necessary action 

It’s important to have others who help inspire and motivate you. However, if you place them too high on a pedestal, you may find it difficult to motivate yourself. You begin to suppose these people have an innate ability that you don’t possess. That is counterproductive. You need to recognize they all began the same as you. Some may have had initial advantages, but even people with these advantages don’t always excel. Most people still need to work hard to reach their goals.

Another issue is spending too much time listening or reading about people who motivate you. You must take appropriate action to move ahead with your own goals. It is useful to be motivated by others, but you need to do more than go to seminars or read books. None of that matters unless you put in the effort yourself. Once that happens, others may come to you one day to say how you helped motivate them.

My final thought

Self-belief is one of the most valuable things you can do for your life and yourself. It’s not easy to think positively about yourself when you are besieged on all sides by negativity. But to believe in yourself is certainly worth any effort you make.

For additional information, please read this post by Soul Salt.

How to Believe in Yourself

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Surround Yourself With Harmonious People

Acceptance

Everyone wants to be accepted just the way they are. Open-mindedness is essential among all people because we’re all different. Focusing on the commonalities we have while acknowledging our differences can allow us to meet each other harmoniously.

Familial relationships

These are usually the most important relationships we have and just as often the ones most fraught with the potential for hurt feelings or other painful complications. Disharmony with the people you care for most in the world is one of the quickest ways to put you out of sorts and ruin what may have been a peaceful day.

To live in harmony with these especially important people that we see at the breakfast or dinner table each day is a matter of self-interest. No one wants to live in icy silence for any length of time. It’s up to you to be the one who adjusts when necessary. Why you may ask?

The simple answer is that they may not care as much as you do about the harmony in their lives. Remember ultimately you are doing this for your peace. This is your chance to be both the teacher and the student.

Hopefully, if they are on the same page, they too are striving for harmony and will willingly meet you halfway.

Friendships

If you have a handful of people you can call “friends” then you are blessed. Many people come into your life and leave after a while. That is normal and natural. The few who remain and withstand time and difficulties become like a second family. Any disharmony with them can become a major pain-point in both of your lives.

Again, it must be you who works to maintain the harmony in that relationship. Often this involves encouragement, forbearance, or forgiveness. Yes, we all must live our own lives, but most of us are not equipped to do it alone.

So, you need to be worthy of this friend because you know the loss of this friendship can be a massive hole in your life and disrupt the overall harmony you want to experience.

Harmony with others begins with yourself.

Negativity is the enemy here, as in most things. You won’t find harmony in your life by being inconsiderate, rude, selfish, irritable, unscrupulous, or insincere. This kind of behavior brings only strife and keeps the people you want to be close to at bay.

Instead, surround yourself with harmonious thoughts and things that bring you peace. Reduce your negative aspects. Create a harmonious ritual for yourself. Keep it simple. Share it with others.

Do good deeds selflessly.

This is perhaps the most perfect harmony circle. When you do things for others without a thought for yourself, the depth of good feeling you receive is nearly indescribable.  

My final thought

Look for the blessings in your life rather than the problems. Be grateful for them. Say them aloud and write them down. I believe we should be respectful of all beings in the world. We don’t live in a vacuum, our world is a connection of intersecting pieces in a universal whole. It all needs to be cherished if we are to truly live harmoniously.

I sincerely hope you will share this post with your family and friends.

Make Room For Harmony In Your Life

Harmony, Isn’t About Doing All The Things

What do you imagine when you hear the word HARMONY? I looked it up in my Webster’s Dictionary. One of the definitions describes it as a “pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.”

So many people believe harmony is all peace and life falling into place just the way it’s supposed to do. Except when it doesn’t, and then you fight an overwhelming tide rather than go with the flow of the universe.

Think again about that definition. Face it. What pleases isn’t always congruent with the parts and what is congruent with the parts isn’t always pleasing.

So, what small changes can you implement that will create a more harmonious life?

 Slow down

Are you trying to do too much? Can you become a billionaire, marry the man of the year, have a happy family, be a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and raise champion Corgis? Will doing all the things add harmony rather than chaos to your life? Probably not. But I bet you already knew that.

Sure, there’s a lot you can do, but there’s a lot you can’t do, too. Whatever you do there is a cost. This is real life we’re talking about. However, you can have a lot, and it can be harmonious.

Take a quick look at why you can’t do it all

1.  There’s a limited amount of available time.

You can’t have everything; you can’t do everything necessary to have everything. Everything you do requires time.

● Getting and maintaining the perfect abs takes time.

● Becoming a great chess player takes time.

● Building a billion-dollar company takes time.

● Creating and maintaining a successful relationship takes time.

● Being an expert figure skater takes time.

● Writing a great book takes time.

● Creating harmony takes time and is best achieved in the present moment. What do you want the most?

2.  Some things don’t play well together.

You can’t become the world’s greatest pick-up artist and be married. You can’t be the strongest woman in the world and be healthy while yo-yo dieting. You can’t live like a playboy and maximize your spiritual development.

● Certain activities just get in the way of other activities.

3. Emphasis on one thing leads to sacrificing others.

Time spent on one area of your life leaves less time for other areas of your life. There are always sacrifices to be made. Balance in life is, well, a balancing act.

Harmony, what it takes to have a lot

1. Choose your priorities.

Since there isn’t time to do everything, it becomes necessary to prioritize your time and actions. Accept that things will change when you do this. Consider the most important things you want to have.

2.Determine what you’re willing to let go of.

Prioritizing doesn’t just mean choosing what’s important. It also means deciding what you’re not going to spend time on anymore. That could be the negative inner talk that no longer serves you.

● Maybe writing that novel isn’t that important to you. Or maybe beating yourself up isn’t the best use of your time. If that’s the case, make it a point to avoid those activities.

3. Assign your time accordingly.

Once you know your priorities, use your time accordingly. If you’re ever confused about what to do, remind yourself of your priorities. Ask yourself how you can best use your time according to your priorities.

The idea that you can do everything you want isn’t true. It’s something motivational speakers and your mother told you to make you feel better. You can’t do it all. Especially if you want a harmonious life that brings you happiness rather than a life trying to do all the things that leave you feeling overwhelmed.

But you can still manage to do and have a lot. Having a lot means prioritizing how you spend your time. Wasting time is the ultimate way to limit yourself. Spreading yourself thin between too many things is also detrimental.

Always remember–you can have a lot! What do you want? Keep these ideas in mind and make it happen!

My final thought

I have lived a harmonious life filled with peace, love, laughter, joy, and happiness for forty years. Not every day but more days than not. I believe the secret is to choose what is most important to you and add any congruent parts that show up, as you go along.

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How Do You Adapt To Difficulties?

Adapt yourself

I know a bit about adapting to a situation you weren’t expecting. My husband left our daughter and me in a restaurant 10 days before Christmas. The note he left us at home said he just couldn’t take the responsibility any longer.

I thought, how could he? Her birthday is in 11 days. But I had a steady job and my daughter liked her school. Soon we found a smaller more affordable house within walking distance to school. With that decision made, our first adaptation was put in motion.

We had no family where we lived, but they were only a phone call away. Our friends were the backbone of our support system and the encouragement we received from them was priceless. A good support system of people you love, who love you back, can be essential when you’re adapting to a new way of living.

Adapt or adjust, flexibility is key.

Adapt, if you are facing a situation that will be long-term. Whether it’s beyond your control or arises unexpectedly is less important than duration. For example, you need to adapt if your new job is a 2-hour commute both ways. Adjust, if the situations will be short-term. For instance, shop at a different grocery store for a week while the city repairs the water pipe. One of these two options provides the solution to most problems, so, of course, you want to be flexible in your choice.

Problems, change, stress-they're part of everyone's life, no one is exempt. Adaptability means accepting these things as normal. People who are successful in life, are flexible and develop a mental toughness that allows them to see setbacks and failures as ways to grow and improve. They expect hurdles so, even before the challenges occur, they intend to face them and find solutions.

Are you adaptable or stuck?

Adaptability is a choice. It's you, making up your mind to be flexible, responsive, analytical, and solution-oriented. Choosing to adapt, instead of fighting the issue means that you give yourself the freedom to take action to find a solution. Choosing to be adaptive means you’re the victor and not the victim.

Here are some techniques to help you increase your adaptive skills:

1 | Do you have a sense of humor?

It can be a great ally for you. (Mine certainly was.) One thing humor helps you do is to get some perspective on yourself and your situation. Humor can help you see the fun in the situation when you make a mistake. It can make it easier for you to learn from your mistake.

2 | Do you control your negative emotions?

Negative emotions can get you into a lot of trouble. When you're in a stressful situation, distance yourself until you have your emotions under control. When you're calmer, deal with the situation.

3 | Do you see change as part of life?

Evaluate the way you react to unexpected events. Are you open to trying new ideas or methods? Change can be uncomfortable, but it needn’t be your enemy. Make a conscious effort to make changes in stride. This is a valuable skill to learn, and it will help you in many ways.

4 | Are you good at saying “No”?

If you're stressed because you've over-committed yourself, it's tougher to adapt to situations as they arise. Make your schedule work for you, not against you. Learn to say “No,” calmly and firmly, when necessary.

5 | Simplify your life.

Get rid of clutter and attachments that wear you out and get in the way. Decide what's essential to you and what you want to do with your time and concentrate on that.

6 | Be present in your life.

Focus on what you can control. Let go of the past and the future. They will drain you of the enjoyment to be found in the now.

My final thought

Change happens. It’s rarely fun. Normally it leaves us feeling powerless. If we allow it to. But how often, after a change has occurred, and we have accommodated it, do we wonder why we made such a fuss? I believe that the times I have taken the initiative in a new situation, I adapted to it more easily. How easily do you adapt?

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you will share it with your family and friends.

You Want To Be Forgiving

Gram’s Wisdom 23

My Gram believed we all should be more forgiving. She was the ultimate people person. The idea of losing the friendship or company of someone she liked due to a lapse in behavior or a misunderstanding wasn’t sensible to her.

If you’ve been hurt, it might feel ludicrous to think about forgiving someone who hurt you but hear me out, there are important reasons why offering forgiveness can help you.

You may have a blind spot when it comes to forgiveness, but there are valuable reasons why you should consider forgiveness as one of the options related to your anger, sadness, or other emotions tied to your situation.

There are reasons why you may want to forgive someone who hurt you

Forgiveness can restore what’s been lost:

Gram told me the rift between people can grow larger if we don’t take pains to put a stop to it. The pain lingers, the resentment grows, and the hurt takes on a life of its own. Hashing things out and forgiving can allow for restoration and resolution. The times when the issues are too serious and too big to resolve, forgiveness can still make it possible to stop the feedback loop playing in your head. If restoration isn’t possible, letting go of what is eating you up is still an option. 

The benefits of forgiving and forgetting are emotional, physical, and practical. Walking around with chronic anger and resentment can bleed into all areas of life. By finding the courage and practical ways to forgive, you can move through your negative emotions and into a better space of acceptance, healthy boundaries, and grace.

Pent-up anger causes physical illness:

Your bitterness or pain can transform into real physical illness, depriving you further than you’ve already been. Keeping the offense unresolved can lead to high blood pressure, anxieties, and worse. You do your body a favor by forgiving helping to ensure your health remains intact.

Your emotions remain unresolved:

If you carry the emotions tied to your situation, they will remain unresolved. Feeling angry, bitter, sad, or any other negative emotion comes from the place that wants justice and vindication. Mixed in with the muck and the mire are all manner of distorted thoughts that preserve your unresolved emotions. This can make a mountain out of a molehill and steal your happiness. Letting go of the blame and need for vindication makes it possible to move through the situation and on with your life.

Forgive and forget

You may agree theoretically that forgiving and forgetting is possible, but, is it? Gram would have said, Absolutely with time, patience, and grace. Having a forgiving nature may not be a natural state of being but it can become part of your relationships tool kit.

Let’s look at how to forgive, and why people don’t forgive:

It doesn’t feel fair- It feels unfair to forgive someone who might be getting away with doing a bad thing. It doesn’t fit the idea of justice to not hold someone accountable and require amends for their offense. It feels like your pain isn’t valid or important enough and that the offender is going to go without understanding the effect their actions have on you and others.

It feels good- The only reason someone holds onto negative feelings is that they are getting something out of it. Holding a grudge and being hostile feels good. It feels good to know someone owes you for their transgression. It feels good to be the center of other people’s sympathies and caring inquiries. 

With these things in play, it’s possible to forgive and forget.

A | You see the big picture

From knowing it is in your best interest physically and emotionally, to know that it’s ultimately best for others, forgiveness can come when you see a bigger picture.

B | You see more than one angle to a situation

In rare cases, you can look past the offense and examine the circumstances in totality. Find it in your heart to forgive and, in some cases, build a relationship that transcends the situation.

C | Your understanding overrides your emotions

Don’t allow emotions to rule the day. When understanding decrees, forgiveness will happen. Understanding sees the benefits despite the apparent loss. When understanding nudges emotions to consider moving on, forgiveness is possible.

Forgiveness is always possible when the keenness of the situation diminishes, and the bigger picture comes into play. Allow yourself time, patience, and grace, and you can find forgiveness.

My final thought

We all draw a line at what seems to us to be unforgivable and rightly so. At the same time, we know when we forgive a transgression against us, it brings us peace. I believe like my Gram, that in the end, forgiveness is a choice. I choose to look for every way I can to forgive someone and to keep them part of my life.

This post is in response to my 3rd most popular post and I have linked it below.

How Forgiveness Makes Us Happier and Healthier

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What Is Manifestation?

Manifestation is a bit of a buzzword in society today. Everybody is talking about it, writing about it, practicing it, or trying to apply it to their life, but do we know what it is? Manifestation is sometimes referred to as the law of attraction, or even your karma.

It’s the idea that what you put out into the universe, whether actions, words, or energy, will come back to you eventually (Hurst, K., 2012, July 8, What Is The Law Of Attraction? And How To Use It Effectively).  The idea is that to be on the receiving end of good things we need to be thinking and doing good things.

So how does manifestation benefit us and how do we integrate it into our lives? Truthfully, manifestation is at this moment working in our lives, but most of us are oblivious of this fact. Therefore, many of us are manifesting negative things and outcomes simply because our thoughts and actions are more negative than positive.

For manifestation to work more favorably for us we need to be deliberate about changing our thoughts and consequently aligning our actions so that we begin to manifest good in our lives.

Visualization

The first step of manifestation is visualizing what you want for yourself. Whether you want good health, success, or love, you must first be explicit about what you want. Then you can begin visualizing what your life would be like with that thing in it.

Visualization moves you from simply desiring something to actively evaluating how having that thing will impact your life. Many people use vision boards as a visible way to practice this concept. By consistently seeing the things you want in life and the impact those things will have on your life, you increase your level of expectancy.

Belief

Once you have a clear vision of what you want and how your life would improve as a result, you must believe that it can happen. It’s one thing to want something, it’s another thing to fully expect that something will come into your life (Bernstein, G. 2016, December 13, The Five Principles For Manifesting Your Desires). Moreover, your belief system must go from a thought process that believes it can happen, into a thought process that believes it will happen for you. It is with this trust that you can then attract those things you desire.

Behavior

A final key to manifesting the things you want in life is to behave as though those things you desire have/will happen. You may be able to visualize and believe, but it can be a challenge for people to behave as though the thing they want will happen. Frequently, people do visualize and believe, yet they still make decisions that reveal they have doubts. Behaving as though the thing has happened or will happen demonstrates a level of confidence that is more likely to attract what you want in your life.

Through the principles of manifestation, you can attract a host of positives for the mind, body, and spirit. Active practice of manifestation can be linked to improved mental and physical health, positive friend, and romantic relationships, and even success and financial prosperity.

Because manifestation is principally about shifting your mindset and alignment of actions and behaviors to match that more positive mindset, there truly is no limit to what you can manifest. So, create a practical way to include manifestation in your daily life and see what good will come to you.

My final thought

I think it is in our belief that we make manifestation a tool. Having a positive mindset just affords us a way to get the best results.

This is in response to my 2nd most popular post and you can find it just below.

Simple Ways To Manifest Your Dream Life

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