Morning Quote

"Nothing parallels the absolute value of person who is willing to get up and try again after getting knocked down harder and harder every time."

Forgive Not For Their Sake, But For Your Wellbeing

Good afternoon everybody! Today is showing to be a little muggy in Jersey but its all gravy! The topic of today however is a special one, definitely something to really think about!

It never really occurred to me to write a post about something such as forgiveness because I honestly never had to truly forgive somebody for doing me wrong. I'm not saying I have a perfect life without struggles with people, but I've never been in a situation where forgiveness was something to fully focus on...but I'll take a swing at it!

Forgiveness to me is the act of dismaying a wrong which someone has placed upon you, someone your close to, or any other third thing. Here is Googles definition. However, whatever way they define it, the strength that I can imagine someone needing to forgive someone who did an absolute wrong is incredible.

But to put it in simple terms, let's use the two words: letting go. Many people don't know how to let go and that is what is crucial to forgiving another person. People can be ruthless, merciless, and downright nasty. So being able to let go of an action which brought an emotional meteor crashing onto your personal planet takes an incredible amount of inner strength. However, how might you feel if you were able to let go?

Think for a minute. Think about all the mental processes you're taking out of your day to think about how much you loathe somebody. Think about what you could be thinking about which will make your day more productive. Think about the stress you're enduring while the other person is living their life with possible ease. 

Its a tough thing to do to forgive somebody...but its the better thing to do. You'll be able to move on with your life with simplicity, less hate in your heart, less stress on your mind, and knowing that they are the ones who will have to live day to day with a pit in their stomach. Build up that inner strength and do what you know is right!

Try Out New Things

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Have you ever wondered why most of the new things you try won't simply work? Yet, you go and attempt the same thing somewhere else, in a new place and suddenly BAM, it works? That is because you have fallen into the power of getting out of your comfort zone! 

Your comfort zone, simply put, is an area where you find yourself most comfortable. For example, I am a football player and I constantly train at my home gym. I know everything there is to know about the gym and I find myself doing my best. However, when I try new training methods or whatever, it is a really slow process. So my coach advises me to train at another gym with other trainers. I feel very uneasy at this suggestion because I don't know how the other trainer operates the gym and I don't know his regiment style. Yet, when I go over to the other gym to train, I find his style very easy and worthwhile. Why? Because I'm receiving new methods of training and my learning processes grow exponentially! 

Staying in your comfort zone can only get you so far. You can always still thrive in it, but it is necessary to engage yourself outside of it because you won't be getting any new sources of information as long as you refuse the outside sources. It is a perfectly natural process to get out of your comfort zone to learn new things. Here is a link to a FORBES article about someone stepping out of their comfort zone, engaging themselves in unfamiliarity, and achieving what they might not have achieved before. 

So remember, step out of the old, and take in the new!

Word for the Weekend!

Good afternoon everybody! It is a delightful weekend ripened with opportunity! I want to introduce the word for the weekend which I want you to focus deeply on. The word is mindful. Being mindful is looking past your thoughts and seeing everything for what it really is. Jon Kabat-Zinn claims,

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way;

On purpose,

in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” 

So simply put, being mindful is focusing on everything without the garble of your mind's voice screaming in your ears to judge what you see. You see all objects and people just they way they are. I find being mindful truly amazing because the beauty in everything is clearly seen. I'm not clouding my mind with doubts, skepticism, or foreshadows. I see all things with simplicity and it truly proves that the world is a genuinely beautiful place. However, it can be rough to see things like that, so here are some easy steps to achieving mindfulness.

How to be mindful:

 1.       Take a deep breath and relax your mind.

2.       Let your thoughts flow out and start to focus on every bit of detail meshed into one thing

3. Lastly, feel what you see

Three easy steps to seeing the world in a new, more beautiful perspective.

Breakfast Stitch

HMMMM, breakfast time! Now doesn't the picture look so good?! One of the most fundamental moments in the average person's daily routine! Not only does breakfast settle the hunger which brewed inside of you from your (hopefully) 7-8 hours of sleep, it also provides you with the energy which will carry throughout the rest of the day! It rejuvenates your mind, revitalises your body, and in some instances....frees your soul!!! So always remember, BREAK the fast, and get into the fast line with your day!!

Empathy Stitch

The Best Paper and Pen

Everybody goes through problems and struggles now and then. Some are able to control their outcome through crystal clear thinking, while others are lost in the sauce. One technique I know which helps you get out of the sauce is by writing down the problem, writing down any solutions which might fix it, and take it step by step. However, I recently started to understand a better solution.

The best technique I know which can help solve almost any problem, is by talking to somebody. Let them be your confidence. Let their minds be your paper, and their ears be your pen. Talking to somebody that you truly rely on opens up a new world of solutions because of what they give in return, empathy.

Empathy is the ability to feel for someone else. To be able to understand one another on the emotional level. Talking to someone who can understand how you truly feel allows you to express more information  because they urge you to look even deeper to find your solutions. Looking within yourself for answers definitely finds solutions, however, fusing that technique with talking to somebody else increases your chance for a solution 10 fold!

All in all, whether or not you're the one having the issue or not, volunteer your time to listen to somebody. Take the time to understand how they feel and how you might really feel in their shoes. Not only does it find solutions, but it builds stronger relationships and tighter bonds.

Step Up Stitch

STEP IT UP

So I've looked up this ongoing debate on whether or not a guy should make the first move or the girl should. Well...it has been primary tradition for the male of any species to court the female. It shows the female that the male is secure in his masculinity, and has  confidence in himself. However, I've read and heard from a lot of men claiming that since women are trying to bring themselves to the level of men; that they should be the ones to confront a man. 

So if you asked me on who should do what, I say fellas, STEP UP YOUR GAME! For centuries men have been the ones to confront the woman because it proves to her that you can be a man about what you want. We as men are supposed to be bursting with confidence, filled with masculinity, and not let anything stop us from getting what we desire. 

So guys, if you want that cute blonde or sexy brunette, go up to her and do what you feel is the right thing to do. Trust me, even if you fail, the simple gesture of confronting her will prove that you have confidence in yourself...and THAT is what women fall for.

Good luck!