We Are Each Responsible For Our Own Life

                                              "We are each responsible for our own life,
                                                    no other person is or can ever be."
                                                                      - Oprah

As human beings we have a tendency to take responsibility for the good things that happened in our lives and we blame unfavorable things on others or circumstances.

Do you know any person that likes to blame their misery or failures on someone else?

I am sure you do. Or maybe you are that person that is usually blaming someone else or you blame circumstances when things go wrong in your life?

My boss makes me miserable. My parents did not support me when I was a kid. My brother beat me up all the time when we were growing up . The economy is to blame for my financial problems. My spouse is never there for me. My kids drive me crazy.

Throughout my life I have met many men and women who are still grumbling and complaining about earlier unhappy experience in their lives. They are blaming their problems on other people and circumstances. They are angry with parents, siblings, bosses, ex-spouses, children and friends. And when they talk about the past you can see that they are still fuming over these people.
Unfortunately these people are trapped in the past and they can't get free. They are living behind invisible prison doors.

The problem is that every time you blame someone else or make excuses, you are giving away your power. You automatically get weakened and diminished.
If you are not able to take personal responsibility, no progress is possible and you will remain stuck where you are.


                             "The choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."
                                                             - Eleanor Roosevelt


Accept total responsibility for your life and you will be amazed what a difference it will make.
Set yourself free by letting go of blame.

I know there are times when our lives are significantly influenced by outside forces. Like losing a job due to downsizing or poor economy
I also know that there are a lot of really bad people out there doing really bad things, but blaming someone or something that happened to you isn't going to help you. Actually you will remain attached to this person for the rest of your life if you don't stop talking about them and  stop blaming them. You will remain a prisoner in a prison that you have created yourself.


If the problem is poor personal relationships, addiction, poor health, overspending, joblessness or excess weight..... the minute you say....I am responsible....you reclaim your own power.

People might have been really bad to you and caused you a lot of pain. Your parents were really bad role models, your ex-spouse was abusive to you. Yes, at this time you were a victim and it wasn't your fault. But it's up to you to do something about the situation. Remaining a victim won't create change.
You have the power to take responsibility for what actions you choose to take. It's when you focus on what you can do and how you should act that you gain power.


                                                   "Accept responsibility for your life. 
                            Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go,
                                                                    no one else."
                                                                    - Les Brown

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Stress Less - Weigh Less

                                                    "The greatest weapon against stress is
                                            our ability to choose one thought over another."
                                                                  - William James


Nothing is permanent.
Don't stress yourself too much because no matter how bad the situation is.....it will change.

Do you feel like you are a victim of your hurry and worry lifestyle? 
Here are a few practices to optimize your mind, spirit and your body. 
It only takes one idea to change your life and today I will give several ideas that you can implement to your life to feel better right away.

Change Out Toxic and Dis-Empowering Thoughts.

It all starts with your own thoughts. Whatever your thoughts are your body will follow. Whatever you are thinking you will feel in your body, whether it is true or not. Your mind is very powerful and you have to make sure that you use it the right way.
Unfortunately toxic thoughts are everywhere and we've all got them. My questions to you is.....how much do you believe your own toxic thoughts?
Positive people don't buy into those toxic thoughts instead they turn those negative thoughts into allies.

How do we do this?
First have the courage to identify and describe the toxic belief you have about yourself, another person or a situation. I always recommend to get the thought and belief out of your head and put it on a piece of paper and then confront the belief.
Ask yourself.....is this really the truth? 

Now when you have identified the negative thought it's time to re-phrase that thought or belief into a positive phrase or statement instead.

Finally, repeat the newly claimed positive statement or phrase over and over again until you feel it to be true.
It will take some effort but it will work.


Stop Worrying
Worrying is a waste of your precious time. Worrying is stressful and it increases the body's production of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone and we don't want to increase it in the body by worrying excessively. 
Instead focus on how to decrease your stress level. 

Ask yourself.....what can I do to reduce the stress in my life?
Take all the time and the energy that you used to put into worrying and put it into finding some great exercises that can help you relieve some of the stress.
Overthinking only complicates your life. Think less to limit stress.


Eat Right

There are plenty of food that can stress and inflame your system which will cause your body to bloat, retain fluids and it can also create a variety of allergic reactions. 
A few example of foods to limit or completely stay away from. Processed and refined foods, food high in sugar or sodium, caffeine, alcohol. 

You might also want to get some blood work done to see what specific foods you might be allergic to in an effort to decrease the inflammatory response that food can have on the immune system.
(I am allergic to gluten and I stay away from it all the time because it will upset my digestive system and cause bloating and other uncomfortable symptoms in my body).

Eat a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts and fish.
Stay away from any food that will leave your body inflamed.


Exercise

Most of us know that doing some kind of exercise on a daily base is an important component in feeling good and also in shedding unwanted pounds.
One thing that I believe is that you have to find some kind of exercise that you enjoy doing, or it will be difficult for you to maintain the habit.

Find a workout buddy is another way to keep yourself on track. Especially in the beginning when motivation and willpower might be in short supply.
Keep a workout journal to keep yourself on track.

Don't be a "weekend hero" at the gym either. Doing this might be setting yourself up for some kind of physical injury and you end up on the couch recuperating for several weeks.
Stress the body just enough so that the body adapts to higher degrees of performance.


Sleep

A good night sleep will help your body to regenerate, rebuild and restore.
Develop a good sleep hygiene. Dark and cold bedroom, no electronics, don't exercise right before bedtime and don't eat or drink anything before you go to bed. Stay away from alcohol. It has a tendency to help you feel relaxed and sleepy but in a couple of hours it will wake you up and it will then keep you awake.
Have some kind of sleep routine before you go to be. Examples of this can be.....

A gratitude journal or any kind of journal.
Some kind of mediation that will work for you.( I mediate with my two dogs for 15 minutes right before bedtime. We call it "Snuggle Time" and we all three love it.)
Listen to some calm and relaxing music.
Read a book
Here - come up with your own______________________________


Learn To Say NO

It's OK to say NO to requests for your time.
A lot of people are stressed because they are overextending themselves and they will constantly walk around with a feeling over overwhelm.
You can do it all, but you don't have to do it all. If you identify with this it's time to get to know the power of "NO".

Learn to put yourself first. I know this is hard for many people, especially women that have grown accustoms to putting the family's needs above their own. But we must realize that we are not good to others if we are worn out all the time and out of touch with ourselves, our health, vitality and passion.
Learn to set boundaries when it comes to giving away your time too freely. Yes, I know that it takes courage to start putting your foot down and in the beginning. Some people might get upset with you, especially if you have been a "YES" person for a long time.
But in the end they will respect you for standing up for yourself.

When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you also start to attract better.


Smile

Never underestimate the power of a smile.
When you smile it will automatically change the vibration in your body. Smiling will make you feel great. If you haven't used your smile for a while.....it's time to bring it out again and start using it. The more you use it, the better you will feel and other people around will start to respond positively to you. Use your smile often because you can never run out of smiles.

Everyone is equipped with a smile. If you meet someone without a smile, give them one of yours.
Never leave your home without one and don't forget to bring one home with you.

Hugs are great too. A hug is guaranteed to lower you stress level right away and it will give you a warm feeling of wellbeing. It will make you feel like everything will be just fine.



Try some of these easy solutions.
You can implement them right away to curb your stress and melt off excess pounds.

                                                           www.karinglannstam.com

It's Never Too Late To Change Your Life

                                                   "Never be afraid to start over.
                                               It's a chance to rebuild your life
                                                 the way you wanted all along."


Have you been doing the same thing for a long time?

Is it working out for you?

Doing what works, requires insight and also courage.

It is a lot easier to keep doing exactly what you have been doing for a while.

Changing something means that you have to get out of your comfort zone and that can be very frightening and darn uncomfortable.

But if you want something different, then you have to do something different. You can't keep on doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

Today you might want to slow down and take a look at yourself and ask.....
How are things working out for me?

And if you don't like the answer.....things are not working out for you.....then it might be time for a change?

And if you want something you've never had, you've got to do something new.
You've got to stretch and grow.

Today.....start to challenge yourself to do things that you've never done before.


                                                     It's time for a change.
                                                            New energy.
                                                          New attitudes.

                                                         www.karinglannstam.com

Are You In The Process Of Getting Where You Want To Go?

                                                           "If you want something.
                                                                      Go get it.
                                                                       period.
                                                                 - Will Smith


Are you a person that is in the process of getting where you want to go?

If you are on a journey of bridging the gap from where you are today to where you want to be in the future, here are a few simple rules!

First you must decide exactly what it is that you want to accomplish. Be crystal clear.
Describe in detail your objectives.

Then figure out a plan or strategy how to reach your goal. How are you going to get there?
Put the plan in writing and study your plan on a daily base.

Avoid people that tell that you can't do it, or that it can't be done.
These people will never take a risk in their life. They are stuck in their comfort zone either because of fear, laziness or both.
Maybe you are trying to accomplish something that they themselves have been trying to do for years and they see you as a reminder of their own failure and lack of effort.
Stay away from these people. They are dream killers.

Get yourself a mentor to guide you on your way to crossing the bridge from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow.


To Your Success,
Karin

www.karinglannstam.com

Letting Go To Move Forward

                                   "I'm learning how to walk away from situations and people 
                                    who threaten my peace of mind, self-respect, or self-worth."


I am confidently saying "NO" and without guilt to things and people that consume my time and energy.....and it feels great.

How about you?

Are you doing something right now, that isn't serving you?
If you are.....get rid of it!

If you want to make something to happen or to make some changes in your life.....you must create a vacuum.

Once you have created a vacuum you have now made room for something bigger and better to move into your life.
Something that is more in alignment with what you want and what you are trying to accomplish with your life.

But first you have to create the space for something new to move in.
Don't be afraid to let things and people go that don't longer serve you and your dream.


A Few Great Questions To ask Yourself

What is weighing you down right now?

What do you need to do away with today, to improve your life?

Why are you afraid of letting go of some people/things?

What is the worst thing that can happen if you let go of something or someone?

What is draining your mental/physical energy?

                                             
                                    "If you want greater prosperity in your life,

                                          start forming a vacuum to receive it."

                                                       - Catherine Ponder

                                                          www.karinglannstam.com

Money and Thoughts

                                           "Too many people spend money they haven't earned,
                                                          to buy things they don't want,
                                                     to impress people they don't like."
                                                                     - Will Rogers


Everything around us is energy.
We live in a vibrating Universe.

You are energy and I am energy and we all vibrate.
The only difference is that we vibrate at different levels.
Some vibrate at a higher level and some at a lower level.

Your thoughts are energy.
Your thought are energy and depending on what you allow to occupy your mind your vibration is in accordance with your thoughts.

If the majority of your thought are that on fear, anger revenge or jealousy your vibration will be of a lower level.

The opposite is also true. If the majority of your thoughts are on joy, love, gratitude and growth, your vibration will be of a higher level.

Money is also energy.

Money and thoughts are both energy.
Are you wasting your money?
Are you wasting your thoughts?


Do you waste your money on things that you really don't want?

How many thought are you wasting daily on things you don't want to show up in your life?

Time to look at where you waste money and where you waste your thoughts.

Since it's all energy maybe it's time to stop wasting energy on things that you don't want in your life?

                                                         www.karinglannstam.com

Why Are You Waiting?

                                                              You are what you do,
                                                           not what you say you'll do.



What do you really, really, really want?

Do you know?

If you know what you want or maybe you need to figure it it......are you ready to commit to achieving it?

When you decide to do something and you are committed to achieving it, you will cut yourself off from any other thing.

If you have decided on pursuing a great goal, the worst thing you can do is nothing.

                                                                    "Don't wait.
                                                       The time will never be right."
                                                                - Napoleon Hill


Do something TODAY, that will bring you closer to your goal. It doesn't matter how small of an action step,  make one that will get you going in the right direction.

You know, you can get it.


                                         "The future depends on what you do today."
                                                                - Gandhi

                                                         www.karinglannstam.com

Are You Happy?

                                               "Happiness is a journey...not a destination."

                                                                - Ben Sweetland

Are you happy?

Do you even know what will make you happy?

When people are being asked what they want, most of them answer..... happiness. 

They want to be happy.

I want to be happy too and I am sure you do too.

But then here is the second question, what will make you happy? 

What does happiness look like to you?

Most people can't answer this question. 

They know what will make then unhappy, but not what would make them happy.

My question to you is.....how will you ever be happy if you don't know what happiness looks like to you?

Now, it's different for everyone of us. But what is it for you?

How are you ever going to be able to create happiness in your life if you don't know what it is?

By the way, happiness is an inside job. It has to be created from the inside if you want it to last

And yes, happiness is a muscle. The more you use it......the happier you will be.

Now let's try this again...….What will make you happy?

And what are you going to do to be able to create it?

Remember....the more you practice being happy, the happier you will get and the more happiness you will attract into your life.

Tip!

Do things that will make you happy!!!