10 Tips to Happiness

I read that today was the most depressing day of the year today, it's hard to prove or disprove however I can see why getting up on this particular Monday morning could be a little hard.  For a lot of people it's the first day back in the office - back to the routine & grind after weeks of visiting with family and friends, Christmas parties and not having a schedule to keep to.  It sparked an idea for today's blog...10 tips to stay happy, after all we're only 6 days into the New Year and it's far to early to feel doom and gloom!

1) Make being happy a choice - Medical depression aside, we all have the ability to make being happy a choice.  We can choose to look at the negative, or we can choose to look at the positive but it really is up to us to be in control of our emotions.

2)  Connect with friends & family - With so many ways to connect, we really have no excuses, whether it's FaceTime, Skype, text or an old-fashioned phone call there are plenty of ways to stay connected.  There is nothing like a FaceTime date with my niece and nephew that puts a bigger smile on my face.  I'm an avid Facebook user, but I don't consider messaging someone on their page as reaching out, why not use it to set up a face-to-face coffee instead.

3) Pay it forward - An act of generosity whether big or small will bring positive feelings for  the giver as well as the receiver.  The next time your in line for a coffee, buy the coffee for the person behind you, they'll appreciate the surprise and pass on the good vibes.  Or offer to take a group photo for a family of tourists - they'll look at their photos when they get home and it could be the one photo where dad isn't missing!

4) Eat well - Good food does a body good.  We all know that eating processed, fried foods can make us feel blah after the fact so instead fill your body with fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, good fats and healthy grains.  

5) Exercise - Going for a brisk walk, a run through the park or any type of activity that gets your heart rate going will help release endorphins.  It's these endorphins that help stimulate the brain and cause one to have feelings of elation & contentment.  Even better call up a friend and head to the gym together, you'll kill two birds with one stone.

6) Read more - The average person watches almost 35 hours of tv/week, that's almost as much time spent at the office.  Can you imagine how your life would change if you used even half of that time to read & learn something new - perhaps learn a new language, teach yourself how to invest money or start a blog.  Malcolm Gladwell, author of the book, Outliers: The Story of Success, repeatedly discusses the "10,000-hour rule", this rule states that anyone can become successful in a field if they practice a specific task with 20 hours of work per week over 10 years. 

7) Practice gratitude - Counting your blessings has many benefits, the first of which boosts your mood; it strengthens relationships; it enables people to bounce back from setbacks; it's a depression fighter; and it elevates your social status as people see you as more generous and empathetic.  Start keeping track of your blessing through the 365 Grateful Project and it'll help you find at least one good thing in your day every day!

8) Smile - Share a smile with a stranger or two, you'll not only brighten up their day but it'll help to brighten yours as well.  In a city like Vancouver many people feel isolated, so when you pass a stranger on the street instead of putting your head down and pretending you don't see them, look them in the eye and give them a smile.  They are sure to pass it on to the next person.

9) Get close to nature - I understand that it's easier to get close to nature when we had a spectacular weekend like we did out here on the West Coast with sunshine and relatively warm weather, but even on the Prairies where I grew up playing in the snow or going cross-country skiing I remember it made me feel alive to be outdoors.  One of my happiest memories was going for a walk in the middle of winter with the bright white snow surrounding me, the sun glistening on the icicles hanging from the trees and enjoying the tranquility and quiet of the moment.

10) Sleep - There is nothing like a good night's rest to help make one feel better so make sure to get 7-8 hours per night.  Although it's two hard rules to adhere to most times...we really should turn off the electronics after 8 pm and they should be kept out of the bedroom, that includes laptops, cell-phones & iPads not just TVs. 

I hope the stats were wrong and you all had a Happy Day but if not, hope these tips help you to stay positive next time you feel blue.

xo,

Kimmy 

#365 Grateful

A good friend of mine, shared a fantastic link with me yesterday as she knew two important passions for me....taking photos whether on my iPhone or Nikon AND practicing the art of gratitude.  The #365 Grateful Project was created by Hailey Bartholomew to help combat her depression and it's a project I am happily going to take on for 2014.  

I feel like I've always been a grateful person, but it's when I was in the network marketing industry that I was taught the skills of really practicing the art of being grateful.  I keep a gratitude journal, however don't write in it as frequently as I probably should.  I am hoping that if I practice this project with intention, one year from now I can look back at 365 days of amazing experiences and memories.  There are some schools of thought that say you should write in your gratitude journal every day, while others say once a week as some tend to find this as a chore but I guess in the end it doesn't matter as long as we take some time to breathe in and count our blessings. This is the exact reason why I'm excited to take on this project - it will force me to take a few minutes every day (even if I'm feeling sad or grumpy - let's face it we all get that way sometimes) to find something, anything no matter how big or small to be grateful for.     

I can definitely understand that when things are falling apart - your relationship is strained, your lose your job, or perhaps you've come down with an illness it's difficult to feel grateful, but that's exactly the right time to start practicing gratitude.  It's these feelings of positivity that will add up that can help you begin to feel better emotionally, physically and spiritually and thus bring about healing.

To follow my project, feel free to check it out on my Facebook page under the Photo Albums.  

xo,
Kimmy

  

Simple tips to start the year right!

As one year closes and another year opens, many people reflect on goals achieved or not achieved.  I know I am and upon reviewing some of my goals, perhaps they should have been re-visited half-way through the year when I knew that realistically they were not going to be achieved.  I feel both defeated that I didn’t achieve the goals, however hopeful that tomorrow is a new day and that it will be a fresh start.  

I know that setting goals can be scary, stressful and even overwhelming because one doesn’t know where to start so I thought I’d put together some suggestions to help get started.  

Most people’s resolutions, goals typically fall under these 7 categories:

• Career
• Finances
• Family & Friends
• Health & Wellness
• Spiritual
• Community
• Fun & Recreation

Some may be more important to others and perhaps some may not even enter into your goals, everyone is different.

If your looking for some guidance and want to ensure you’ve created some positive steps for living your most blissful life ever, here’s a few suggestions to help you feeling accomplished 365 days from now.  Most people’s goals tend to revolve around the first four, so I’ve decided to tackle these ones specifically in this posting.

Career:  If your looking to either change your career or enhance yours skills, read 10-15 minutes everyday on that particular topic or if you don’t like reading, listen to audio books to and from work.  Knowledge is power and when broken down in small chunks, you’ll realize how manageable it is to find 10 minutes to read and all of a sudden you’ll have read through an entire book in no time.

Finances:  Paying off debt or saving money is always at the top of people’s lists and somehow at the end of the day, for 95% of the population there is never enough.  You should always pay off high-interest cards first before saving money, however it’s good to put it out to the Universe that you want to save. So start with a $1 a week.  Don’t start next week or next month, but this Friday open up a bank account and transfer a $1, next week put in $2, the week after $3 etc, at the end of 52 weeks you will have saved $1,378!  I guarantee it will leave you feeling accomplished.

Family & Friends:  In this digital world, particularly Facebook, posting a Happy Birthday greeting on someone’s page seems to be the norm.  However, to make someone feel extra special, what about a handwritten card; a phone call or a Facetime date – it’s that added touch that strengthens the relationship because let’s face it anyone can write “HBD” on Facebook – does that really tell your loved one your thinking of them?

Health & Wellness:  This is typically at the top of everyone’s goal and you see it all the time at the gym - the first week in January the gym is packed, by mid-month or the third week in it’s back to the norm because people have already forgotten about their goal!  Start slow - make a date with a friend to keep you accountable and go for a 10-15 minute walk, 3 or 4 times a week or if you can’t make a date in person call up a friend to keep you company.  Every week add another 5-10 minutes.  Before you know it, you’ll realize how much you love the feeling of breathing in fresh air and moving your body!  Of course don’t forget to stretch when you get home.

Every day is a new day and a new opportunity, so let go of the past and start realizing that you are truly capable of anything you set your mind to.  Surround yourself with your cheerleaders and a positive support system and you’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished a year from now.

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous start to the year!
xoxo,
Kimmy

Reflection

With only two days left in 2013, I'm definitely looking forward and not backward as this year was filled with many changes.  Mostly career wise.  I've heard it said before that 2013 was not a banner year for business and I can definitely agree that was the case for myself in Q1.  I found myself needing to go back to the corporate world, after having worked for myself in the network marketing industry over the last few years.  I'll be sure to share some of my experiences about the industry in the future.  I'm definitely grateful and happy for the experience.  

Thankfully, when one door closed another one opened and I found myself in the signage industry in outside sales.  There is comfort in having a 9-5 job, especially one that allows you to grow as a person and learn new skills and I realize that I love the routine of going into an office and having a purpose every day.  However the entrepreneur inside of me still remains.  Thus the reason for this blog, I have learned how important it is to have multiple streams of income and lets face it, if most of us eliminated TV, there is a whole lot of extra time for other endeavours and passions.  

I've decided that 2014 is the year that I achieve the financial goals I've had year after year.  The first is to get out of credit card debt.  I happened to find my goals from 2007 and on the top of the list...pay off credit cards.  Well, I'm not ashamed to say it because I know a LOT of people are in the same boat, but I pay off a credit card and then it gets racked up again.  6 years later, I still have that same goal.  It's sad when you think about but it's time to take control and start living within my means instead of outside of my means.  After all I'm not getting any younger and I have a whole lot of dreams to fulfill.  

What I'm hoping will get me there is the budget that hubby and I put together and of course the key is to bring in the extra streams of income.  I've never put myself on a budget, but I decided to give it a try with the Christmas presents this year.  I have to say, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I found thoughtful gifts but still remained within the budget.  

As for extra streams of income, I'm fortunate in my day job as I'll have an opportunity to make commissions so I'm making a plan and making sure I achieve them for the upcoming year.  I've also decided to teach myself about investing and the stock market.  My husband had investments for a number of years but unfortunately 2008 and a number of other factors took that all away.  I realized that it's not just a man's "job" to look after the family's financial investments so it's time to teach myself.  

I'll be curlin up with Robert G. Hagstroms's book - The Warren Buffet Way (Third Edition) and a cup of tea for the rest of this rainy afternoon.

xoxo,
Kimmy