3 Good Things

I stumbled upon an interesting and useful exercise that I decided to do every day from now on. Exercise is very simple:

"Think about 3 GOOD things that went well today in your life 

and WHY they went well"

Unfortunately we tend to take good things that happen in our lives for granted and we don't think about them too often. At the same time we focus on bad things and problems so much that they overpower us and control our lives. 

It's time to try and change that. Let's start with something small and simple. Focusing our attention on positive thinking help us to increase level of happiness in our lives.

So...just before sleep try to reflect on good things that happened in your live that day and why they happened.

need some help with examples? Here are mine (Saturday, Jan 25th 2014):

• I bumped into M. today. I haven't seen her for ages. It was such a nice short conversation. Made me smile.
• Had a chance to test another photo-editing application. I discovered new ideas that I can use in the near future.
• Created and proposal for the client. Finally I figured out a interesting idea and was able to create a good proposal. Happy me.

As I mentioned earlier, simple-good-things that happened in your life. Try to finish your day with something positive!

First Day of Winter

The first day of winter in Phoenix area is almost always the same - great. Somehow this year something happened and look what I noticed early on the morning on the firs day of winter:

First time in almost 3 years I experienced a foggy morning.

Waiting

What do you usualy do when you have to wait?

Can we wait patiently and what does actually mean to "wait patiently"?

I'm at the car service ...waiting and waiting. But that's ok. I have few options: I can get impatient and complane but is this a right option for me? no...all I'm going to achieve is: get nervous and make those people there nervous as well. It's just not worth it. Second option looks so much better: I can use the time as best as I can. 

I decided to find a place I can sit and work ("do my thing"). That way I'm not wasting my time, people who work here (car dealer/service) are doing their work - everything looks ok. 

 

(photo: nope..that's not my car)

So what do you do when you need to wait for someone or something? Do get nervous or maybe you try to utilize the time you have? 

...and just the tiny little thing I'm NOT looking forward to is the invoice, but ohh well I like my car and I need my car to work.

What's Next?

 Families gather together for Thanksgiving/Hanukkah or ... Black Friday - depends on the family.

I'm new here and close proximity of Thanksgiving and Black Friday surprise me. One day people talk about  how much they are thankful for everything and how happy they are to be able to spend time with their family members and the next day...well the following night they are fighting at the store over  a TV set. 

All that Thanksgiving mood is gone the moment some people step into the "shopping mood". I get it that retailers are 'fighting' over customers, after all it's the time of the year - holiday season when big/small stores are making the most money. Of course they are going to fight over customers.

...so maybe this time of the year.... we can try to slow down.

What Does It Mean to Be Fabulous?

"Just because you are 71 doesn't mean that you passed being able to be good and converse with people, and hold on to a job." says one of the main characters of a British TV documentary called "Fabulous Fashionistas."

The group of six women (from UK) that talk about their lives and fashion. They are older adults but what does that really means? I think it means being fabulous.

No matter the age we can become great and fabulous! 

Here is the link to youtube video:

http://youtu.be/nahrW6KMtp0

another comment I heard during the movie that I'm going to remember:

 "People must look at me and think "That poor old (81) woman, who does she think she is? and I don't give a toss."

Just be who you want to be. Don't worry about what other people are going to say...they can say whatever they want ...it's up to you what are you going to do with it.

Autumn...Winter...It's Getting Cold

It's here...autumn. But you and I know that.

Some of my friends have already experience some snow...SNOW already? Yes...it looks really great on all those pictures they share. The thing is that for the last few years I did not have too many opportunities to see the snow around here...and I'm not sad about that :)

Autumn and winter for me at this moment mean: less heat and more of great weather. I try to enjoy every moment of it.

That's the reason I like Arizona...that weather (now) makes me smile.

Dia De Los Muertos

Dia de Los Muertos, November 2 2013

Living in Arizona I learned something new about celebration of All Souls Day. And this is what I've been told and experienced today.

"The celebration of All Souls Day is for families to invite their deceased loved ones into their homes. They build a path of flowers to guide them to their homes where an altar is mounted for them with photos, diplomas, food, clothes of the decedent. Later the celebration moves to the cemetery where the tombs are decorated with flowers, food, religious amulets, candy skeletons and other items that were treasured by the decedent. The families share stories of the deceased with other people in the cemetery. All Souls Day is observed differently in every region. For example in Mexico, families celebrate with a supper and the bread of the dead. 'The bread of the dead' is a very special part of the celebration. It is customary to break the bread with skeleton inside, the belief is that the person who bites the skeleton will have a good luck."