30 Things To Take Into The New Year

Hey positive people! It's December 31, 2011, around 10PM my time and only 2 more hours until 2012 officially begins!!!! Are you excited? I know I am! If you aren't, you need to get excited because it's truly a blessing to be alive, well and ready to see a new year! Everyone didn't make it this far, but if you are reading this YOU DID! So GET EXCITED! GET HAPPY! And BE THANKFUL! I understand that 2011 may have not been "your year" but any year lived through is a year to be celebrated and a reason to be thankful, so with all of that said, I can't complain and neither should you. I know sometimes some of you may get tired of my positivity, but I've just always been the type of girl who sees the glass as half full rather than half empty. I was raised to have hope & faith that anything is possible through hardwork, dedication, and God on your side. Positivity is just something I can't shake and just like in 2011, I plan to spread it around as much as possible in 2012, too. If you don't like it, sorry, but I can't and I won't stop. And this is the attitude that everyone reading this who is trying to live a positive life has to take when out there in a world full of negativity. Don't get me wrong, I am in no ways perfect and I most definitely have my down & negative days, but at the end of every day I try to remember that I have much more to be thankful about than to complain about, so I just gotta' make the best of it and press on.

I recently came across a list of "30 Things To Stop Doing To Yourself" that I thought I would share. I think they are perfect to take into 2012 and beyond! Check 'em out and please HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

30 Things To Stop Doing To Yourself

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.
11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Food For Thought: Be Thankful!

Hey positive people! It's been awhile but I'm back! :) It's December, Christmas is almost here, and I felt like I should at least get one post in before the new year hits. So how's it going? Are you feeling the holiday spirit or feeling the holiday stress? Me? A little bit of both. And I think that's common. With all the commercial hoopla that surrounds Christmas and New Years, we often forget to stop and be thankful for the true meaning behind Christmas and how blessed we are to live to see another new year. (Tomorrow is never promised and EVERYDAY is blessing!) Christmas time should be a time of loving, giving & sharing with family & friends, not being stressed out and/or going into debt buying presents. The Christmas tree, decorations and lights are nice, but if you don't really understand or recognize why CHRISTmas should never be shortened to X-Mas, what are you really celebrating? Think about it. So I end this short but sweet post with this, take the time out this holiday season to appreciate and be thankful. Remember, no matter how bad your current situation may seem, it could ALWAYS be worse! And God never puts more on you than you personally can handle, so know that no matter what it looks like now, no season lasts forever.


Wishing everyone who reads this a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Jonelle

Most of All

Most of All 

author: unknown 
Thanksgiving Day brings to mind
the blessings in our lives
that usually go unnoticed:
a home that surrounds us
with comfort and protection;
delicious food, for pleasure
in both eating and sharing;
clothes to snuggle up in,
books and good entertainment
to expand our minds;
and freedom to worship our God.
Most of all we are thankful
for our family and friends,
those treasured people
who make our lives extra special.   HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

"It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself." ~Muhammed Ali

Hey positive people! How's it going? I haven't made a post on this blog in awhile so I wanted to stop by and hopefully encourage you. ( But don't worry, I'll keep this post short & sweet. :) ) Affirmations & inspirational quotes are kinda' my thing, so when I ran across this quote from Muhammed Ali, I felt the need to share: "It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself." In other words: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING! In life there will be many challenges, some you take on yourself and others life just hands you, but being afraid of them will never help. You've gotta' to believe in yourself! And have faith that you can take on any adversity that comes your way! If you don't believe in yourself, you'll never accomplish anything. And if you don't have faith in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to? Consider Muhammed Ali, now this is a man who had some high confidence & self-esteem, to the point where most just considered him conceited. But sometimes it takes that much confidence to overcome your challenge. The bigger the challenge, the more confidence you need! And look what he was able to accomplish! He became one of the greatest fighters in the world! And whether you're into boxing or not, you can't deny the impact he had, not just in boxing, but period. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says, you have to stand tall and remember that anything is possible if you believe! And if you just so happen to fail, try again! And again, and again... sometimes the challenges you will face are great, but I'm a firm believer that you are never given more than you can handle, so DON'T GIVE UP and KEEP ON BELIEVING!

God's Favor

Hello and TGIM! Now you may be asking yourself, "What's 'TGIM' ?" TGIM stands for 'Thank God It's Monday". I know for most of us, Mondays can seem like the worst day of the week; the weekend is over and a new work week is starting all over again. But the reality is, seeing a new Monday is a blessing. We're reached another Monday; another day and that's definitely something to be happy and grateful for. So while I will always be happy to say TGIF at the end of the week, I think Mondays deserve a shout-out, too! 

Now on to the other part of this post, God's favor. I had to speak on this today because I have seen through very recent events that have happened in my life that I definitely have God's favor and I want to publicly acknowledge and thank Him for that. God's favor... that's a pretty touchy subject. Well, let's start out with the question that some may be asking, "What is God's 'favor'?" Now this is just my opinion, and I am no theological expert, this is just my interpretation, but God's favor is when it seems that God is ordering the steps of your life, you are being protected from harm and danger, even when you try to do wrong, God pulls you back in the right direction, He knows the future is always looking ahead for your good, even when you don't realize it, so He orders the steps you make accordingly. Now all of us have God's favor to a certain extent; we're living, we're breathing, we're here! But I think the big difference is most of us don't listen when we know it's God who is talking to us. That right there could be the difference! Listening to that little, soft voice that tells us right from wrong. I try to listen to it more times than I ignore it, but I'm not perfect. I don't claim to be any more special than you or anyone else walking on this earth, but recently, and as I look back at my life, I know that God has been looking out for me from the beginning and is definitely protecting me from harm. Maybe because I asked Him along time ago to order my steps and just as He promised in His word, ask and you shall receive because He has been ordering my steps for a long time. So if you're reading this and going through some hard times in your life at the moment, I urge you to pray and allow Him to order your steps as well. (And when I say "order your steps" that doesn't mean He's going to make you a robot that will only move on his command, but He will give you the wisdom to know right from wrong and most importantly, the wisdom to hear His voice when He speaks to you and obey.) God can't and won't fail so if you keep your trust in Him you can never go wrong! And remember, sometimes God has you go through some trials in your life to be a learning lesson for you that will make you a stronger, better person. (This is always the hardest pill for me to swallow but it never fails, whenever I come through a bad situation, I learn from it and I'm stronger & wiser from it.)

So to sum it all up, I think we ALL can have God's favor, if we just listen and trust in Him. 

TGIM eveyone! And have a wonderful week!
Jonelle

Sunday Inspiration: A Spirit of Gratitude

"Don't confuse your path with your destination. Just because its stormy now doesn't mean you aren't headed for sunshine." ~Unknown

How would you feel if you woke up today with only what you thanked God for yesterday? So many times, we’re so focused on everything that’s going wrong in our lives and what we don’t have that we fail to give thanks for the many blessings we DO have. Acknowledging the good things that are happening in our lives ensures that we attract more of the same, and helps us develop a spirit of gratitude.
 
By focusing on our blessings, we attract more joyous experiences to come into our lives, opening up channels of positive energy that allow our hopes and dreams to flow. Acknowledge that God shows up in our lives daily in the form of dreams manifested, goals accomplished, hopes fulfilled and prayers answered. By giving thanks every day, we are telling God that we appreciate the blessings we receive, and that we believe we are worthy of receiving all the good things in life we so desire. So give Him thanks, everyday, no matter what's going on in your life, good or bad.

Have an amazing week!

GOLDEN

Hey, positive people! How's it going? Hope you've been having a fantastic week! Only one more day until the weekend begins so no matter how rough your week may have been up until this point, I know you gotta' be happy about that! My week has been pretty good but I'm always happier the closer it gets to when I can officially say "TGIF!" :)

This post is going to be short & sweet. It was inspired by one of my favorite songs: "Golden" by Jill Scott.  Everytime I hear it, I get motivated and inspired to live life to the fullest!  It reminds me that no matter what anyone says or thinks about me or my life, I'm going to live my life like it's golden because IT REALLY IS! You've only got one life to live, one mind, one body, and one time to get it right. Everybody makes mistakes - that's normal and expected, but my advice is to live each day like it's your last, making the best decisions you can in order to live a positive, happy, healthy life!

LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE IT'S GOLDEN!

  

Be encouraged!
Jonelle

What God Has For Me, It Is For Me!

Hey, positive ones. I gotta' admit, as I write this I'm a little sad. No need to go into my personal drama and don't worry, I'll be fine, but have you ever been in a situation where you the plans you had in mind for your life were suddenly flipped and now you don't know where you stand? That's kinda' how I'm feeling now. Now as a positive person who believes and trusts in God, I know that no matter what happens, at the end of the day, I'm going to be alright, but I'd be lying if I said it doesn't get hard sometimes. Those are the times that I try to remember that saying, "What God has for me, it is for me." Even though I'm usually the encourager, sometimes I need encouragement, too, and that saying helps me out a lot. So that's what I'm saying to you today, too: "What God has for you, it is for you!"

There's never a need to worry, just have faith and trust in the Lord knowing that if you allow Him, He will direct your path. Sometimes we need a reminder that it truly is all in God's plan - everything that we're going through, all the trials and tribulations, the pain & heartache, and even the good times - they're all necessary in making us into the people that we were born to be. You see, I may be grown, but I haven't stopped growing. I once heard someone say that if you're the exact same person today as you were a year ago, that's a problem, and I believe that to be true. Each year we should be coming away with a new perspective on life and where we stand in it. Not trying to get too deep here but the blog is called "Mind & Soul", right? :) I'll end on this note, know that whatever you're going through, God is right there, ready & willing to guide you through it. He knows what's on the other the side. He has a plan for your life that no man can interfere with. WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU, IT IS FOR YOU!

Be encouraged!
Jonelle

Food For Thought...

Proverbs 3:5-6  
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
Psalm 55:22  
²² Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

DO YOU!

"You can't let other people tell you who you are. You have to decide that for yourself." ~unknown

Hey positive people! This post is going to be a short but sweet one. I think the majority of us have spent a fair amount of our lives trying to be this image of ourselves that we think others want to see. We've often felt that we need to look, talk and even walk a certain way to please other people. Well, after 29 years of living on this earth, I've come to the conclusion that I refuse to change anything about myself in order to try and please other people. I'll give you several reasons why. 

The first reason being, YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE! If this is truly your goal, give it up now because it's an impossible task to accomplish. Why? Because of my second reason, which is no matter what you do, not everyone is going to like you, and vise-versa. But you know what? That's okay! Really! It is! I know we would all like to live in this "perfect" world of everyone loving each other but that's just not reality. I'm not trying to breed any negativity by saying this, but it's the truth. And you don't necessarily have to like a person's personality to get along with them. All "getting along" takes is common courtesy and consideration for others feelings and that should be possible for everyone to do if they try. And the third and final reason why I refuse to change anything about myself in order to try and please other people is I have to be free to be me! I refuse to let anyone make me feel like not being me is okay.

As the quote above says, "You can't let other people tell you who you are. You have to decide that for yourself." So I say, DO YOU! You can pretend and be an okay someone else, but you can let the true you shine and be an awesome you! So embrace yourself for who you are! DO YOU! Why not? No one can do you better!

Staying Sane In An Insane World

"Staying Sane In An Insane World." What a title, huh? You know how I mentioned in my last post that when you're in a bad mood it may seem like everyone around you has an attitude but the reality is that it's really only you who is in the bad mood? Well, switch that up, turn it around, because we're doing a complete 180 in this post. When trying to live a happy, positive, moral, and in my case, Christian life, there are many times where you may feel like the "odd man out" but in reality, it's not really you, but them. And when I say "them" I don't want you to think that I mean anyone who isn't a Christian (I'm not that close-minded and I have no prejudices), I'm talking about the negative, amoral people out there who are more interested in spreading & promoting negativity rather than keeping it positive. They out number us and sometimes it can truly feel like you are the only sane ones in an insane world. But know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. While positive people like myself may be "unpopular", there are plenty of us around.

I've found that people who have a passion for fitness and being healthy are some of the most positive, inspiring people to be around! You just can't be a "negative nelly" when you've got all those endorphins going! A couple of years ago, I went to Orange County, California for Chalene Johnson's "Camp Do More - 2010" event. It's a 3 day fitness camp held at The Hilton Anaheim Hotel. I went by myself, not knowing anyone. I just knew that I loved Turbo Kick and I wanted to be around some like-minded people who felt the same way I did. I came out of the whole experience meeting a lot of new people, making a lot of new friends, and feeling like it was easy to do so.

I say all that to say that not only is exercise a positive habit, good for not only your body but your mind & soul as well, but being around like minded people helps you realize that you're not alone in this world. There are other positive people out there, living their day to day lives, trying to make a difference, just like you. While I have to admit that I am sort of bias on the whole exercise thing, I can accept that may not be your "thing". Everything's not for everybody. But finding an interest and surrounding yourself with other people who share that same passion is essential!

So, yes, this world can be crazy sometimes, most times in fact. But it is possible to make it through! Have a wonderful Friday everyone and TGIF!


Your friend,
Jonelle

Taking Control of Your Bad Mood

So you're in a bad a mood, maybe someone said something to you out of line or in the wrong way, maybe you're still thinking about an argument between you and a friend the other night, or it could be that you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, but whatever it is, you are NOT a in good mood today. So what do you do? Me? I try to either stay to myself or have as little contact with people as possible until I'm out of my funk. What do others do? I've found there to be 2 other paths that most people take. Some want to talk about. They may complain out loud or make some obvious verbal hints that they are in a bad mood, hoping you take the bait and ask them "what's wrong?" Or some may just walk right up to you and start venting. The second path I've seen people take are the ones who take their bad mood out on any and everyone that crosses their path. If they're having a bad day, EVERYONE is having a bad day. These are just 3 different paths to take, I'm sure there are many more, but which one is the right path? Not everyone is the kind of person who can work it out on their own and talking it out may be their best therapy. The third path mentioned, making your bad day everyone's bad day, is definitely not the right path to take. It may work in making you feel better at the moment, but in the long run you're going to lose a lot of friends.

I've come up with 3 steps to take when you find yourself in a bad mood. I think the first and most important thing is to recognize that it's not everyone else but it's YOU. When you find yourself in the position where it seems like everyone around you has an attitude and is saying things to tick you off, realize that if it's EVERYONE, then most likely, it's really ONLY YOU. YOUR THE ONE WITH THE ATTITUDE. Recognizing you're the one with the problem is step 1.

Step 2 is to find a way to relieve that stress, because all any bad mood or attitude is is pent up stress, no matter what the reason behind what caused it. So find out how to release it, whether that be spending some alone time with yourself, venting to someone (preferably someone who is already a friend because venting to potential friends is often is a good way to not make any new ones - no one really wants their good mood ruined by your bad one).

And Step 3 is moving past it. Our moods, up or down, no matter what the cause, are really up to us! I'm not saying that it's easy, you can't expect to say "I will be in a good mood" and instantly your mood is brighter, but willing yourself in a better mood is possible. Allow yourself to get past whatever was bothering you and move on.

Taking control of your bad mood isn't as hard as it may seem, it just takes some honest self evaluation, and that's the hard part. But hey, if you can't be honest with yourself, who can you be honest with? So keep these steps in mind whenever you find yourself a little cranky. 

It's All In The Plan

So I guess you've been wondering, "Where has she been?" My goal had always been to write a new post in Mind & Soul at least once a month, but life has had me busy... very busy! But busy in a good way, though, so I'm not complaining. :) God has really been blessing me lately and I am so grateful.

My prayer since I was 12 years old has been for God to order my steps and it is truly awesome when you can sit back and look over your life and see God doing just that. Even when I want to turn left, it's as if my feet are set in stone because God won't let me make a move that is not going to be in my favor.
I'll admit, this can be a little annoying at times because all of us, myself included, are impatient when it comes to God. We see the hear and now and we want what we want when we want it, without realizing that God sees the future and is always getting us prepared for what's to come next.

I say all that to say that no matter what you're going through, know that it's all in God's plan. Even the mistakes that we make, while some are things that God wouldn't have had us go through if we had chose to listen to Him, God will turn that into an experience that we can learn from. With God, NOTHING IS EVER IN VAIN.

I know sometimes it can seem that we pray and pray, waiting for God to answer, but my mother once told me and I believe it's true, God ALWAYS answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes we're told to wait, and sometimes the answer is no.

Don't ever think that God has forgotten about you because He cares and would never leave you.

I don't know about you, but whenever I'm going through some rough times in my life, it feels good knowing that God is still there and this bad time won't last forever. You might have heard that saying, "for everything there's a reason and season"? Well, that's really true! It's all in the plan.

Giving It 100%

Hello lovely people! :) It's June 23, 2011, which means almost in the month of July. Seven months have passed and it feels like the year just started! Time has a way of just flying by! So how has the positive life been treating you? No one ever promised you (I know I certainly didn't) that life would be easier or problems would disappear when you have a positive attitude (in fact, it can often feel just the opposite), but I do believe that having a positive attitude, mind, and soul will help you deal with the problems much easier. You now, hopefully, have a new outlook on things, so you don't react to problems as dramatically as you may have before. It's just life! Problems are going to come and go, that's just the way it is, but the attitude you take while handling them is the real issue. As I've said before, and I'm sure I'll say again, I'M NOT PERFECT. I write this blog in an effort to hopefully encourage and motivate all who read it, but serves as a source of encouragement for myself as well.
Somewhat like therapy for my mind and soul; an online journal or diary to keep me on a positive path. But like I said, I'm not perfect, so while I'm a naturally positive person, life has a way of testing that, and until a couple of weeks ago, I was letting the small negative situations and people in my life really effect me in a bad way. That's until I decided–with God's help of course–"NO MORE! I'm remaining positive, GIVING IT MY 100% OR NOTHING AT ALL!" No more complaining, discussing, thinking or agonizing over people and/or situations that I can't change.  I finally realized that God is in charge, He's the director of the show which I call my life and He's never going to give me more than I can handle, and with Him, I CAN DO AND CONQUER ALL THINGS! So why am I stressing? The key is, I've got to do my part by giving it my 100%!


So what about you? Do you pledge from this day on to give it your 100%? I'm not saying there will never be times where you or I will not feel stressed out or sad, that's unrealistic, I'm just saying that from this day on we will make a concentrated effort to remain positive and rise above the negativity around us. Key word being "concentrated". I've learn that being positive, even if you're a "naturally positive person", doesn't come natural. You may be blessed that 9 times out of 10 you have always had a more hopeful, optimistic way of seeing things (that would be the kind of person I am) but remaining that way takes effort! (Trust me, I know.) So take the pledge! GIVE IT 100%!

Guess What? YOU'RE BLESSED!

Hello my positive ones! I'm keeping it short but sweet today. Now I'm assuming since you're reading this, you woke up this morning, and with the full seeing capabilities, too (hey, you may have to have some assistance on hand, in other words, glasses, but no matter, you're still able to see). You're living, you're breathing, so matter what hardships you may be currently facing, Guess what? YOU'RE BLESSED!

Be encouraged!
Jonelle

P.S - A book I read from time to time says that for everything there is a season. A season only lasts for a certain amount of time before a new one begins, so matter what you're going through, remember that in time, this too shall pass. And count it all joy because guess what? YOU'RE STILL BLESSED!

P.M.A

Hey positive ones! It's been a long time, huh? Sorry about that, but I have to admit, I haven't been in the most positive mood lately so that makes it kinda' hard to try and spread positivity to others. Life most definitely has it's ups and downs, taking your emotions along for the ride, but as of today I'm developing a new, more positive, attitude! So I thought I'd get this blog up and rolling again. I just want to take the time out right now to thank the people who follow it. I hope it inspires and encourages you!

Think, Do and Be POSITIVE!

So "P.M.A"... what is it? P.M.A stands for Positive Mental Attitude. As I said before, life can really take you on an emotional roller coaster sometimes, but I heard this saying recently and it struck me as being so true that I haven't been able to get it out of my mind: "85% of your success will be determined by how much PMA you have." Your success in achieving your personal goals, hopes & dreams, relationships, career, and life in general all depend on your attitude. No matter what the situation, this will always remain true because the way you respond to situations (i.e- your attitude) always determines the outcome. I'll give you an example, have you ever been in a conversation that winds up turning into a full-blown argument just because you didn't like the attitude coming from the person you were talking to? Or vice versa (maybe that person didn't like your attitude)? The whole situation could have been easily resolved but one or both of you chose to approach the situation using the wrong tone or over react in some way. I know I've been there before and I'm pretty sure everyone has at one point and time in their lives. That's why I've made a declaration to maintain a positive mental attitude, period. Sure, it can get hard, but what was my last post about, "When The Going Gets Tough... "? Sometimes you just gotta' stand and take the good with the bad, realizing that for awhile there may be more bad than good. Now I don't want you to think that I'm "perfect" (not that anyone is) or that I never make mistakes or haven't failed at living this philosophy, because I do mistakes and lately I've failed miserably at this way of thinking. This blog is also a reminder for me to follow my own advice.

So when you're facing life's obstacles, remember "85% of your success will be determined by how much PMA you have" and choose your actions and words wisely.

When The Going Gets Tough...

Hello people! How's it going? Keeping it positive and spreading the positivity I hope! :) Me? I'm alive and healthy which is most definitely a blessing so I can't complain. I gotta' admit, though, lately, with life's little ups & downs, I haven't had the most positive outlook. It happens and I'm not immune, but the one positive thing I can say about it is at least I realize that my attitude needs adjusting and can now take the proper steps to change it. (Realization is half the battle.)

So I'm going to keep this short and (hopefully) sweet. The topic of this post is "When The Going Gets Tough... ", you know the old saying, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going"? Well, unfortunately, that's not always true. Life can really beat you up sometimes. Knock you down until you feel you can no longer keep moving or "get going", and in those times, in my opinion, the "toughest" thing you can do is stand. All of this is figuratively speaking of course, so you may be wondering, what do I mean by "stand"? Standing is what you do when you do when you've done everything else, you've cried, you've  yelled & screamed, you've let out every emotion you can think of and still, the problem and/or situation you're going through remains there, and it's not going away. So you just stand. In life there are going to be problems and they're not going away until God says so. Every situation we go through has a reason and a set time for it to pass, whether we'd like to believe that or not. (And believe me, I am not the most patient person so this doesn't naturally come easy for me.) But remember, God never puts more on us than we can bare.

So I write this blog today not to discourage you or get you depressed, but hopefully to ENCOURAGE you! And let you know that you are not alone! The going is going to get tough, there's no doubt about that, but when it does, stand, and know that you CAN take it and you WILL get though it! 

Keepin' it positive!
Jonelle

The True Meaning of Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?', but she fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.  In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow."

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!

20 Things To Remember To Reduce Stress

1. Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!
   
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
   
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
   
4. Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
   
5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
   
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
   
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
    
8. Never buy a car you can't push.
   
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
   
10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance!
     
11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
     
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
     
13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
     
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
    
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
     
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
     
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull.  Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
     
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
     
19. Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.
     
20. It was I, your friend!

I thought this one was too good not to share! Hope you enjoyed it! 

Keep it positive!
Jonelle

SUCCEED AT FITNESS IS HERE!!!

Hey! Just dropping in to tell you all that my fitness and nutrition site that I've been working on, Succeed At Fitness.com, is here!!! It's officially up and running so go check it out! Succeed At Fitness was created to help others succeed in fitness by achieving a healthy mind, body & spirit through exercise, nutrition, and positivity. Look to Succeed At Fitness. or encouragement, tips & tricks, reviews and so much more! The best thing you can ever do for yourself is get healthy. A healthy mind, body, and spirit is essential to achieving total fitness. Let's succeed at fitness together!

The plan is for the site and both of my blogs ("Mind & Soul" and "Confessions Of A Fit Girl") to all work together so if you'll notice the new links to your right you will see that you can now access Succeed At Fitness.com through this page. Pretty neat, huh? :) Enjoy! And please let me know what you think of the site!


Thanks,
Jonelle 

Change

Hello positive ones! Well if you've been a follower of Mind & Soul for awhile, I'll bet you've noticed something different... that's right! My web design has been changed!! I thought it could use an update and I love the color green so I'm giving this a try. Lots of new, exciting things have been going on and will be coming up in my web world in the days to come. Starting with on this Friday, April 1st (yes, April 1st and no, this is no April Fool's Day joke), I'll be launching my new fitness and nutrition website, Succeed At Fitness.com! (If you'd like to take a sneak peak, click here.) Combined with this blog, along with my other blog, Confessions Of A Fit Girl, I'm hoping Succeed At Fitness will be a powerful resource to help people totally succeed at fitness by achieving a healthy mind, body, & spirit through exercise, nutrition and positivity! I'll be announcing the launch of the site on here, as well as Confessions Of A Fit Girl, so you won't be able to miss it! (If you're on Facebook, check out my Succeed At Fitness 'Like' page, once you've 'liked' that page, you can also friend me while you're at it. :) )

CHANGE. I know, I know, that's a scary word for some of you. It's one of those words that's met with either total joy or hate. Me? I take it with joy, I thrive on change! Why be afraid of it? Change in your life is the only thing constant that you can truly rely on. Whether it be for the good or the bad, change is inevitable. So I say, why not embrace it? I think the real fear that most people have about change is the stigma that all change is bad. This is so untrue! As I look back over my life, I can see all the changes I've went through, not just physically but mentally, and I thank God for them! I've come a long way, baby! No longer the shy, overweight girl who cared so much what other people were thinking or what they were going to say that she often didn't speak her mind or do the things that she really wanted to do. Now stands a fit, confident, young woman whose afraid of trying nothing, knows that she can achieve any goal she sets her mind to,  and who could care less what other people think. Now don't get me wrong, I'm no superwoman, I still have my insecure moments, everyone does. And I would never want you to believe that change happens overnight. But just know that not all change isn't bad. And you've gotta' realize that it took the good and bad changes to make me into the strong person I am today. If you think about it, I'm sure you could say the same. You know that old saying, "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger"? It really is true. I'm not saying that all the bad things in life are fair and actually good for you, but it's my personal belief that God never allows any situation that happens to you be in vain, you're always going to come out stronger and wiser.

So when you're faced with changes in life and you feel somewhat out of control, relax, take a step back, realize that God is still in control, and this change, be it good or bad, will all work out for your good in the end.

Expect The Unexpected!

Good day positive ones! It's been awhile but I'm back with another encouraging word to hopefully motivate you and help start your day off right. Although you wouldn't know it from looking out of the window in my neck of the woods, Spring is here! And with Spring officially here, I thought it was about time for all of us to do some Spring Cleaning. Don't worry, I'm not about to tell you to pull out a vacuum or broom! :) I'm not talking about that kind of cleaning. I'm talking about the cleaning out our minds and souls of all negative thoughts - whether that be negative thoughts towards other people or ourselves. I've discovered that often times we can be our own worst enemy, doubting ourselves before we even give others the chance. We go through life in a constant state of negative thinking, always expecting the worse when what we should be doing is exactly the opposite! Why not expect the best? EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED! And expect that unexpected thing to be something that will positively impact your life and the lives of others. Positive thinking doesn't hurt so I sometimes wonder why we run away from it so much... Is it because we don't want to be let down or disappointed? Well, that's just silly! Sure, things aren't always going to work out the way that we hoped, but that's life. And no matter what it looks like, have faith that in the end, you're going to get your just due! I'm a big believer in the saying, "What God has for me, IT IS FOR ME!" Maybe a certain situation you are facing now isn't working out the way you would have hoped or planned, but it's not over! What will be, WILL BE! So stay positive, always hoping and expecting the best! It's mid-March, heading into April, and I'm sure we've all faced some difficulties from January until now, that's nothing new, but it's how you handle them that really counts, and it's never too late, now is the perfect time to clear your mind of all the negative thoughts... the doubts, the worries, the hard-feelings & grudges, ... the list goes on and on. Start expecting the unexpected! I do! And I'm expecting a miracle!

The Golden Rule

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  

I know you've probably heard that saying a thousand times, but have you ever really took the time to get into what that truly means? I try to live my life by this saying but I'll admit that it's not as easy as it sounds. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" means that no matter how unkind or mean a person acts towards you, no matter how bad your situation is or how you feel life has treated you, you've still got to show everyone walking in this world with you the same kindness & respect that you would want to receive from them. And that my positive peeps is no easy task! I've recently been dealing with people in my life that have put me to the test! I'm proud to say that with God's help I think I'm passing. :)

It's hard remaining positive in such a negative filled world. Just think about it... every time you turn on the t.v or radio, pick up a newspaper or magazine to read, or even open your Internet browser, the news is filled with negative people and situations that make it real easy for you to jump ship and join the rest of the world. (I personally think this is one of the reasons there as so many negative, mean spirited people in the world. As we all know, we are often a product of our environment.) Getting past that alone is hard, but I also realize the circumstances and situations that a lot of us have had to go through (and are still going through) in our lives, and those things can cause us to develop a negative spirit as well.

As we all know, life isn't fair. I wish that it was, but it isn't and there's no changing that. Sometimes you are rewarded for your kindness and other times kindness is its own reward, either way, know that good things come to those who honor God's word. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" isn't just the golden rule for life, but it's also one God's commandments. He knows, better than you or I, that it's not going to be easy and we're going to fail at times, possibly many times, but His word still remains the same, and I personally believe that you can never be punished for keeping God's word. Things may seem bad but I guarantee you that if you treat people the way that you would want to be treated, there will be a reward in the end. Sometimes you see it and sometimes you don't. For instance, sometimes the reward is the positive change your actions of kindness and goodwill made in the person's life who you didn't even realize was watching and taking note of your positive example! Funny, huh? :) It's amazing how God works sometimes! And being kind to others can actually reward you in the long run as well because you never know when that person you treated so nicely may be in the position to help you out one day. 

So while I realize it can be hard, I encourage you to keep The Golden Rule.  It helps spread the positivity around, and that's what we're all about, right? :)

Thanks for taking the time to read this my positive people, hope it hit your mind & soul in the right places. 'Till next time...

BOOM! There He Is!

Hello positive peeps! It's been awhile but I haven't forgot you. This will be a short but very meaningful post. I basically just wanted to take some time out to write about how good God is. Does that offend you? I hope not. I realize that everyone whose reading this may not be a Christian like myself or even think about God but I do and I can't honestly say that I apologize for me giving Him thanks because I will never be ashamed of the One who gives me the positivity that it takes to keep this blog and this girl (i.e - me) running.  I named this blog "Mind & Soul" for a reason, "Mind & Soul" was created to inspire, encourage, and spread positivity (check the banner up top) and it's my personal belief that the only way a person can really have that effect is by having God in their lives. He inspires me to inspire you and I think that is awesome! I was inspired to write this post because God never ceases to amaze me! Think about it... just when you think you've got this thing called your life all figured out, BOOM! There He is! Coming right out of what seems like nowhere to shake things up a bit, but no worries, it's always for your good! You gotta' love Him, or at least acknowledge Him, for that! I know I do!

So that's it, just a quick post to remind us all where all our blessings and positivity come from. I'm no superwoman nor am I perfect. I don't do this alone, none of us do. We have to remember to be thankful for someone who will never let us down. Just remember, when things seem to be at their lowest point, never fear or worry because just when you think you can't take it anymore, just when you've accepted what you think is how it's going to be, BOOM! There He is! 

More positive posts coming soon... Hope everyone has an awesome day!

Unexpected Blessings

Hello positive peeps! I know I'm a little late but HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you & your loved ones brought in the new year safe and sound. If you're reading this, I'm sure you did. :) So how's that new year's resolution of "letting it go" coming along? I know it's hard but I hope everyone is giving it a sincere try. I can honestly say that since I wrote "Let It Go" I have made a concentrated effort to let go of past hurts and negative thoughts that I had towards certain people and situations, and guess what? It worked! I'm feeling happier, lighter and FREE! In no way did this change of spirit come overnight (that's unrealistic), but before I really realized what was happening, I found myself at peace with the situations and people that I originally thought I would just never be able to find peace with. You know the saying, "ask and you shall receive"? It's true! And it really is that simple! I asked God for the strength to let it go and He gave it to me, just like that! I recently heard someone say to me, sometimes we have to forgive others before they ever ask for forgiveness, for our own sake, not theirs, and I've found this to be very true. And you know what we get in return? The blessing of peace of mind. Not only that, but when you're truly at peace, having a positive mind & soul, with no old grudges or negative thoughts in the way, there's lots of room for God to allow more positive blessings to come into your life. Those are what I call "unexpected blessings" because they appear to come out of nowhere. But in reality, they were always there, just waiting and ready for you to become open enough to receive them. So don't block your blessings! Let whatever "it" is go and get ready to receive your unexpected blessings starting today!