11 Things You Should Start Doing For Yourself Today (Reposted)

Reposted from my good friend Riversurfer... She found this at "R" Hub Blog .... Thanks RS! It's a spectacular post so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

“Enjoy everything that happens in your life, but never make your happiness or success dependent on an attachment to any person, place or thing.” Wayne Dyer

You deserve to live a more balanced, harmonious and happier life, starting today and starting now. Today, not tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow is where your life is, where your life starts. Take good care of yourself, “begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake…” Francis Bacon

Focus more of your attention on yourself and pay close attention to all of these things for they are meant to help you create a more balanced and happier life, because you deserve the best life has to offer.

1. START BREATHING PROPERLY, SOFTLY AND DEEPLY

When was the last time you paid attention to your breathe? Whether you believe it or not, we forgot how to breathe, and what we call breathing is nothing more than shallow breathing. Take deep breaths throughout the day, pay attention to your breathing and know that by doing so, not only will you improve your health, but you will also train yourself into becoming more present and engaged in the present moment, more present and engaged in your own life and the life of others.

“Shallow breathing is the root of all evil but conscious deep breathing restores and secures our souls.”Desmond Green

2. LET GO OF YOUR PERSONAL HISTORY – ENJOY THE PRESENT MOMENT

Let go of your past. Have a clear image of where you want to go, know how you want your future to look like but live in the present moment, for the present moment is all you ever had, all that you have and all you’ll ever have. Know that every time you identify with your past, you deny yourself the right to grow and evolve, the right to advance in life.

“By referring to previous struggles and using them as reasons for not getting on with your life today, you’re assigning responsibility to the past for why you can’t be successful or happy in the present.” Dr. Wayne Dyer

3. LET GO OF ALL THOSE THINGS THAT NO LONGER SERVE YOU

Find the inner strength and courage to let go of all those things that no longer serve you, of all those things that no longer bring joy and happiness into your life. You and I know that “There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.”

4. FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR PAST MISTAKES

It’s okay to make mistakes. If we don’t make mistakes we don’t move, we don’t grow, we are stagnating. Forgive yourself for past mistakes and know that forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself, forgiveness “is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” Robert Muller

5. FORGIVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HURT YOU

Start forgiving those who have hurt you, because you see, “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” Catherine Ponder

6. RELEASE ALL JUDGMENTS YOU HAVE PLACED UPON YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Whenever you catch yourself being judgmental towards yourself and others, repeating these words to yourself will help a lot: “Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.” Wayne Dyer. I use these words whenever I feel like my mind is getting ready to become judgmental, and I have to admit that they do help me be more open minded and tolerant both toward myself and others.

7. EXPECT THE BEST FROM LIFE

Expect the best and you will receive the best. Open your eyes and see the beauty that is present all around you, open your eyes and see yourself as the beautiful being you really are. Expect the best from yourself, from those around you and from life, because you see, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Paulo Coelho

8. NURTURE THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Love yourself, accept who you are and work on pleasing yourself before pleasing others, nurture yourself first before nurturing others. It is very important to start with yourself and I will give you one example to understand why that is.

You know how when you are on the airplane the flight attendant is giving all the passengers the instructions as to what to do it an emergency and they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first? Well, the same goes here. You will not be able to help others if you don’t help and take care of yourself first. Nurture the relationship you have with yourself so that you can be able to nurture your relationships with others.

9. START TREATING YOURSELF AS YOU WOULD WANT OTHERS TO TREAT YOU

Because if you yourself are not being kind and loving towards your own person, you can’t expect others to do so, right?. You can’t expect others to do something for you that you yourself are not capable of doing. Start treating yourself in the exact way you would like others to treat you.

“Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?” Fanny Brice

10. START TO NURTURE YOUR MIND, BODY, HEART AND SPIRIT

Work on nurturing your mind, your body, your heart and your soul, because “If you nurture your mind, body, and spirit, your time will expand. You will gain a new perspective that will allow you to accomplish much more.” Brian Koslow

11. DEVELOP AN ATITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Start developing “an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” Brian Tracy

Know that who you are right now, where you are and what you have is more than enough and appreciate it all.

Bad Times and Good Times

It was a bit of a roller-coaster of a day. On the good side, my food drive is extended for another month! I'm excited and grateful for that. On the bad side, someone I love very much is having a hard time and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm finally at a place in my life where I could, but I'm not allowed in. I feel helpless and it's as painful as hell. I don't want to sound selfish, though. The pain is mine, a result of something I did, and I'll own it. She has enough going on, and if I can't be there with her right now, God will be. And I'm thankful for that.

The meditation of the day seems pretty relevant to my life lately...

I believe that all sacrifice and all suffering are of value to me. When I am in pain, I am being tested. Can I trust God, no matter how low I feel? Can I say, "Thy will be done," no matter how much I am defeated? If I can, my faith is real and practical. It works in bad times as well as in good times. The Divine Will is working in a way that is beyond my finite mind to understand, but I can still trust in it.

There's alot more going on out there than just me. Sometimes I forget that.

Just finishing up some laundry, gonna eat some pizza, then wind down. Storage Wars is on all night. What I like about that show is that it's good, mindless fun. Something relaxing to veg out to after a long day.

It'll be another long day tomorrow. But ya know what? Tomorrow isn't here yet.

Goodnight, friends.

The Blahs and Blogging

Kinda started feeling down again. I don't know if it's the loneliness, feeling a little overwhelmed, or being in a tight money spot right now. Probably all of it. It just means that I need to be plugging away harder and putting my nose closer to the grindstone. And there are people there if I need to talk. I couldn't be more grateful for them. I don't know what condition of sanity I would be in right now without my support system. Teresa and I speak everyday, so I have to give her a gigantic thank you for listening to all my moaning over the past months.

And moaning helps sometimes. As long as you don't cross the line to self-pity and "being a victim". That's a true characterization of many alcoholics. Messing everyone else's lives up and then saying, "Woe is me..."

What is something positive I can do right now to feel better? I'm writing in my blog. That's a big one. I need to clean. That refocuses me into better thinking. I'd call someone or call my sponsor if I felt like I needed a good chat. I may read in bed later too. That one just came to me.

So what do we do when our foot is stuck in the mud? We pull it out or we sink up to our knee. ;)

Goodnight, World!

Marvelous and Majestic

I will never forget to say thank you to God, even on the greyest days. My attitude will be one of humility and gratitude. Saying thank you to God is a daily practice that is absolutely necessary. If a day is not one of thankfulness, the practice has to be repeated until it becomes so. Gratitude is a necessity for those who seek to live a better life.

I love that today's meditation deals with gratitude! I hate to name-drop, but I do talk to a pretty important guy everyday. To say that you have the ear of the most powerful force in the universe is somethin' else... Ok. I'll stop being cheesy. It's true though.

I thank God every night (and throughout the day) for everything he's done for me. I am a different, better person, and I couldn't have done it without him. I thank him for the people he has put in my life. People that have made me better. People who really love me. :) I thank him for everyday that I have on this planet (I know that I'm not guaranteed another one...). I thank him for every sober day on this planet too. I thank him for putting me in a position to be of service to other people. And every once in a while, say I'm hiking up a gorgeous mountain pass knee-deep in snow, I whisper my gratitude.

That's Hatcher Pass, BTW. Haven't been there in forever and it's one of my favorite places on earth. My Alaskan peeps know what I'm talkin' about.

True gratitude requires humility, though. I have to say that I am truly humbled by all the marvelous and majestic things God has put in my life! I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me...

Until tomorrow, my friends... Goodnight.

Hatcher Pass. This is me with my bro

before I moved up in 2001. For more info

on the pass click here...

A Little Quality Time

Jeremy told me this morning that it took about 10 minutes to wake me up last night. I had fallen asleep while writing. Apparently, when I finally woke up, I thought I was still in New Orleans. I asked him what was going on and what he was doing there... I literally fought sleep all day yesterday.

Had a great home-cooked omelette for breakfast, took a walk around the neighborhood with Jeremy and the girls, had a BBQ sandwich at Cracker Barrel with Lacie's family, came back and watched the girls open presents, went to Target, and now watching the Saints game with my bro!

I'm so grateful to have this time with my folks! Simple, quality time. It doesn't have to be spent at an amusement park, or waterskiing, or skydiving. Some of the best times I've ever had have been spent in a living room watching a DVD or playing a game with people I love. ;) Apples to Apples rocks.

Simply put, love your loved ones like there's no tomorrow! Enjoy any time God gives you to spend with them.

Goodnight, all!

Thank You

It's a late night and I have to be up very early. Just wanted to write a quick post thanking each and every one of you who have read these pages. There's still alot more to come, trust me. I learn something new everyday!

It's a blessing to have such a wonderful support system. Your prayers and encouragement are part of what keeps me sober and recovering. Even the ones I don't even know who read this regularly... and there are alot... you may not know it, but you are part of my recovery too. :) And the ones who are suffering who get some kind of inspiration from these words, that in itself makes my opening up to the world worth it.

This blog also serves as my journal. I go back often and read what I've written. Sometimes I say to myself, "Wow. You've come a long way since that night!" Sometimes it reminds me that there is still more work to do. Sometimes I'm proud of how far I've come, and sometimes I'm humbled.

Thank you again for being here for my recovery! Thank you to the love of my life who I know is out there somewhere rooting for me. When you are ready, you aren't going to be disappointed, I swear. Last, and most definitely not least, I thank God for this wonderful gift he's bestowed upon me.

Have a great night and peace be with you.

One Day at a Time

Busy busy busy today. Just took a time out for lunch. Been making my way around doing some job hunting before work. Would like a better full-time job, but will also take a second part-time gig to supplement my current income (for now). It's not as hard as it sounds. I'm confident that if I keep my nose to the grindstone, I'll be in a very good spot soon.

I have Wed. and Thurs. off this week, so I'm already working on a list of goals. I'll make a couple of meetings on each of those days... oh.... and I finish my 5th step Wed. night.... Gotta call Second Harvest. After the first of the year I'm doing a food drive for them where I work. Just have to round up some banners and containers.

I'm getting ahead of myself, though. One day at a time.

Well, there ya go. Just a quick post. Nothing mind-blowing so far today. Except that I'm alive and sober. That's a gift right there, and I am eternally grateful for it.

I get off late, but I'll write more tonight.

Where the Wind Will Take Me

The past few months have been a whirlwind of serenity, enthusiasm, gratitude, sadness, and sometimes despair. So. Today I decided to stop the train and get off for a few minutes.

It's been really nice not having anywhere I have to be. I'll still go to a meeting tonight, but other than that... anything goes.

First I got up, got ready, and went to Subway. Then I hopped the streetcar down to Audubon Park. It was bittersweet without Sarah there, but faith tells me that we will be back feeding the ducks again sometime soon. I haven't been to the park since well before all of this tragedy I caused took place. It was pleasant and quiet though.

After that I trekked over to The Fly. It's the Riverview area behind the zoo. Meditated, read a little Big Book, and helped a wounded lizard find cover. I like that the boy scout in me is coming back.

Now I am at my old haunt on Magazine and Jefferson. It's a PJ's coffeehouse. After this I don't know, and I am comfortable with that. I'll write more after the meeting...

Male Jay and Today's Meditation

Have to go in to work earlier than usual for a closing shift so I can't write much. I'll be able to write more tonight when I get off. Just wanted to share the Meditation for the Day. We went over it earlier at the Mustard Seed. Had a larger crowd than normal. It was a good meeting though. Lately I've found something kinda funny about the group. There are two Jays there. A lady and myself, so now I am known as "Male Jay". Maybe I should go back to being called "Jimmy".... Just kidding.

Here's today's meditation.

Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest, which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our A.A. fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.

It's a little late for Thanksgiving Day. I know I've said it recently, but if we are truly grateful for what we have, everyday is a thanksgiving. ;)

Thanks and Giving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has become two separate words for me. I said a bit earlier on FB and at my meeting, "Be thankful for what you have and give alot."

My day started out better than I expected. I got up, got ready, and headed down to the mission. I'd been calling for days about volunteering, got no one, so I decided I would just show up. They were closed until the nighttime check-in. Ok. Well. I know where Bridge House is, only too well, so I went there. That's where the action was. They were feeding folks up into the afternoon. I checked in, went around to one of tents, and got to work. Mostly ran food and helped put things up at the end.

I was a little put off last week that I couldn't work Thanksgiving. Since I'd be alone this year, I thought work would keep me occupied. God wanted me somewhere else, however, and I am so blessed that that was where he wanted me. I thanked everyone before I left and started downtown to look for lunch. Decided on an oyster platter at a place I've never been to before. It didn't disappoint. Couldn't eat all of it though.

After that I stopped and checked out the Thanksgiving parade. It was more like a pre-Bayou Classic parade, but I enjoyed it.

Then to my meeting. It was fairly small, being the holiday and all. One of my friends moderated and started the topic "What are you grateful for?" No one saw that coming. I really like something he said while sharing. It's something his sponsor told him. "Two of the most important tools in recovery are gratitude and humility." Someone else mentioned that gratitude requires humility. I've never heard it put like that, but it is so true. Anyone can say thank you. True gratitude is a feeling, and I'm feeling grateful for a heck of alot today.

My thought for the day....

Thanksgiving is something that happens 365 days a year if you have true gratitude and love in your heart.... And folks in need don't stop needing after Dec. 25th. Be thankful and give.

Peace.

A Huge Thank You

What am I grateful for? (And I thought I was going to have some trouble coming up with something to write about. Not at all, as you'll see.) Had a good meeting. Grateful for that. We talked about pessimism today. I shared that there are some dark clouds in my life right now. As far as my recovery and life success in general goes, I'm very optimistic. More than optimistic actually. I can see all the doors opening up for me. Already walked through a few of them. Working hard will ensure that those doors stay open. Just waiting on one more to open and everything will really start falling into place. It's a red door. With a butterfly knocker.

What else am I grateful for....? My health. Just got my blood pressure checked and it was in the normal range. I've lost a lot of weight the healthy way. I walk a lot and don't snack. Quitting smoking. Going to aim for tonight being my last smoke. Tried recently but the hold-up kinda threw me off schedule. Still have bad dreams over that. All in all, though, I believe I'm in really good shape.

Thankful for my sponsor and my program. I talk to Karl everyday. I can't thank him enough for the work he is doing with me. I'm grateful for AA and my program, without which, I'd either be dead or laying in a gutter somewhere. It's given me my life and all its infinite possibilities back. I'm thankful for the people I've helped so far. They help me heal. My meetings, sponsor, program, service work... it all helps keep me focused and serene.

I'm thankful to God for being able to wake up this morning and draw another breath. And for helping keep me sober for another day.

Last, and by no means least, I am thankful for you. The person who is reading this right now. My friends, family, and complete strangers. I write this blog for me. It's the best therapy I've ever had. I write it for you too. I write it for those it helps and for those who care enough to see how far I've made it. I am truly grateful and in complete awe at all the wonderful words every one of you have sent my way. You play a large role in keeping me on the straight and narrow. Teresa and Dad especially. Thank you for not giving up on me. There's one more person that I am so thankful for that words will never be enough to describe. She's sitting alone in an apartment right now, perhaps reading this. She is the best, kindest woman I've ever met. I like to think she's out there waiting... seeing what I'm going to do. I like to think that one day we'll be married with kids of our own and will have put the bad stuff far behind us. If she's willing or if there is even a chance, I couldn't be more grateful for anything else.