"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

Friday, November 19, 2010

Throw open the windows of your house and breathe in the fresh air!

“It raining it’s pouring the old man is snoring.” Remember that poem from when we were kids? When it is a warm rain, like it is today, I put on comfy clothes & go outside and stand in the rain. I then proceed to raise my arms above my head spin around & allow the power from the raindrops to completely saturate me. I clear my mind and listen to the rainfall focusing all of my spirit on the sounds that the rain brings. The sounds of the rustling trees, the wind blowing, & the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground. Simply amazing, a wonderful & powerful gift from God. Today it is raining and since I am still recuperating from knee surgery, I cannot enjoy today’s rain to the fullest. I cannot allow the rain drops to soak into my soul.


 Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning how to dance in the rain! So, for all of you who can dance in the rain go outside & raise your hands up to the dark cloudy sky & twirl! And just feel the rain hitting from face. Or better yet try jumping in the puddles beneath your feet while keeping your eyes closed & clear your mind. Dancing has been proven to release stress and deliver an overall sense of well being. Dance is a successful method of therapy for stress management. When I dance in the rain I feel the rain drops cover me and give me a source of energy. Keep dancing until you feel the release from all of your life’s burdens and stress!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15kWlTrpt5k

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Thanksgiving is about more than roasting the perfect turkey, viewing the Macy’s Parade, and watching the football game. Thanksgiving is about gathering loved ones and sharing a magnificent meal together. It’s about giving thanks and being appreciative for the numerous things that you have to be grateful for in your life. Thanksgiving is a time of year for both grand and small gestures to show that you are thankful for all the good fortune that has come your way during the year. At the Abston household it is about spending extra time with family and friends. One of our rituals is once the food is put away and the dessert has been eaten it’s off to the movies.
Once we arrive home Jen & I go through the newspaper ads. We each have a copy of the list of items we each would like to get. We make our plan of attack for Black Friday! We decide what stores we want to go to & which ones to hit first. Of course, the order depends on the time the stores open and we figure out the travel patterns in relations to each store. Black Friday has been a family tradition for Jennifer & I for the past fifteen years. We head out for some serious shopping as early as 4am. 

Here’s to everyone having an outstanding & memorable Thanksgiving!!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Power of the Glad Game


A sad truth is not everyone accepts or believes in the power of positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just plain nonsense. There are individuals who scoff at people who believe and accept the power of their thoughts. How often do you hear people say, “Think positive!” when someone is down and out?  Most people do not take these words of encouragement seriously. Not only that, they do not believe these words to be useful, helpful, or effective.
Now I am dating myself here, but do you remember when ABC would broadcast Disney movies on Sunday nights? At 7pm my entire family would gather around the television with popcorn in hand and watch the Disney movie of the week. One of my favorite childhood movies is the 1960 Disney movie Pollyanna. It was a family favorite. In the movie Pollyanna plays a game with her father called “The Glad Game,” in which the two try to look on the bright side of every situation.
In today’s society being called a “Pollyanna” is often used as a negative term.  A “Pollyanna” is someone who is blindly optimistic about every situation, sometimes to the point of foolishness.  I however, disagree and whenever possible play “The Glad Game”. To me, “The Glad Game” is a way to empower one’s self with positive actions.
A positive mind anticipates wellbeing, happiness, bliss, and a successful outcome of every circumstance that life throws at them. Thinking constructively leads to an incredible outcome of every situation and action. If one accepts the mind set of positive thinking they open themselves for success! Positive thinking is a mental attitude that acknowledges into one’s thoughts, words, and feelings. Optimistic is conductive to growth, progress, and triumph over all. Maintaining an upbeat outlook supports productive and favorable results.
Being Positive is an outlook in life in which thinking daily positive thoughts, and using positive words, positive quotes and phrases in daily language, become the habit, priority and the guiding philosophy in life. In short, the power of positive thinking lies in successfully applying positive measures to one's life. I take pleasure in being a “Pollyanna”.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Little Guy

Pets bring us joy and unconditional love. When owning a pet they ultimately become a surprisingly important part of the family. Six years ago, my daughter & I took in a stray that we named Little Guy. Little Guy helped make our lives special and became a vital part of our family. Today, our cat of 6 years died suddenly. I and my family members are feeling awful about the loss of our dear cat Little Guy. We are thankful for the time we had with him. He had a personality that offered us exceptional companionship. Death is as natural as life and all of us must deal with death. Little Guy Rest in Peace and the happiness you brought us will never be forgotten.