A few weeks ago my grandma passed away, and I find that death has a way of making me really reflect on the kind of life I want to lead. She died 5 days short of 5 years apart from my other grandma, who was the first person I ever lost that I was talk-to-you-every-single-day kind of close with. Admittedly, this grandma and I weren't as tight, but she touched a lot of lives and made people laugh with her in-your-face North Jersey sense of humor. When I visited her in the hospital a couple weeks back as she neared the end of her battle with cancer, I was thinking about how a few short months ago, she had my husband and I hysterically laughing when she shared with us how she had been eating marijuana laced goodies to deal with the pain, but had to stop eating them because they were giving ... [Read More]
happiness
Face Your Fears to Get to the Best Things in Life {Skydiving 2017}
"The best things in life are on the other side of your fear." This is the quote I was repeating in my head last weekend, as I dangled my legs over the side of a plane from 13,000 feet in the sky. Earlier that day I was feeling mostly excited, but at this moment, I was feeling mostly terrified. Just go for it. Adrenaline pumping, I refused to look down at that second, but I took a deep breath and let go, backflipping into the air with my tandem instructor. We went flying - literally - out of the plane and into the sky.... and then, stillness. I could barely catch my breath, but I had my eyes wide open as I tried to take in everything about that moment. I gazed out at the Pacific Ocean - the ocean that I've marveled at every time I go for a coast walk, to practice sandy yoga, ... [Read More]
Want a Positive Life? Hang with Positive People
Hey friends! While I tend to keep it light with my Friday posts, I must be feeling philosophical, because today we're going deep and talking about relationships, and how you have the power to create a happier life by choosing who you spend your time and energy with. Ready? Okay, let's dive in! One of my favorite quotes in the world is, "Respect yourself to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy." I think of this quote partly in terms of the people that I surround myself with. Awhile back, I made a conscious decision to let go of the people that weren't bringing light and love into my life or in some way helping me to grow as a person. I think that people's vibes have the power to rub off of you, whether you're aware of ... [Read More]
Ways to Feel Happier
''C'mon, Get Happy!" Last night I was reading the latest issue of Shape magazine, and as usual when I'm enjoying a magazine, I tore a few articles out for future reference. One of the articles I liked was called ''C'mon, Get Happy!" and discussed a blueprint to help one feel more joyful. The author's strategies to feeling happier resonated with me, and I thought I'd share them with you: Embrace ''Good Enough" - The idea here is to resist the urge to be a perfectionist. Wanting everything to be flawless all the time stresses you out and isn't attainable. Strive to do things well and your best, but don't go so far that you make yourself nuts. Talk Yourself Up - According to new findings, sharing accomplishments and good news with others multiples the joy factor. In other words, ... [Read More]