L. Krystalina Soash's Blog: Your Positive Potential

LOL... Can you relate to the story below? I can, keep reading...




Here's
a story I heard in a 12-step support meeting years ago that goes like this: 



Three very
big, burly guys wanted to go moose-hunting, knowing there was no moose
where they lived, they packed up their moose hunting gear and flew out to
Northwest Territory. They'd done this before. They arrived up north,
got their room and after a few phone calls they hired Joe, a helicopter
operator, to drop them off at a mountain top for moose hunting. They told Joe
they'd radio in when they were ready to get picked up with their moose.




Hours
later Joe gets the call "We're ready, we got ourselves a Big One!" Joe arrives at
the mountain top and steps out of the helicopter. Eying the BIG moose he turns
to the three big burly guys and says, "Fellas, I don't think we can haul all
three of you and this Big moose in this helicopter".




Surprised
one of the big burly guys responds, "Well, why not? We did it last year!"




Hesitantly
Joe says, "Hmm, … Okay…"




Throw
in that BIG moose and throw in those three big, burly guys. Shortly after
takeoff, they crash landed!




"What
happened?" asked, one of the big burly guys.




"We
crashed landed! Said Pilot Joe.




Where
are we?" the question continued.




 "We're just a few feet from where we crashed
landed last year!' Pilot Joe yelled out.




Remember, learning is a gift that grants us insightful
opportunities; if we're willing to pay attention. Insightful opportunities such
as learning from our past mistakes or better yet, learning from others' mistakes
can be lifelong lessons so we can live a better life. Then of course there
are some of us (me included) that just have to test the waters for ourselves. Testing the water? Well, that's another blog for another day. Stay tuned :) 

 

~Krystalina







 
                       

Woo-Hoo... It's a brand new year !

I know many of us have set out some awesome goals to accomplish. That's' great, however, let's remember to place our beauty sleep as a top priority, okay? If you have a tendency to neglect your required beauty sleep, beware; because one day you'll wake up, look in the mirror and be in for a BIG SURPRISE! Those dark circles will have appeared out of nowhere. Yes, we joke about getting our beauty sleep, but it's a fact that getting a restful night's sleep can do wonders for our appearance.

Following is just one helpful tip on getting a get a good night's sleep so you may wake up feeling refreshed in the morning, or as some of us like to say "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."

Here is the helpful tip:

Tip: Don't read newspapers or sift through your bills. You'll either have nightmares or those news stories and bill due dates will cause restless sleep. Try to read materials that are uplifting, inspirational, or write in your gratitude journal. These activities will help you relax so you may get a good night's sleep.

I'm a morning person and my restful sleep is a priority as I tend to have more energy when I sleep well and I'm sure you will too. Here's to a good night's rest so you may do your part to avoid the surprise of dark circles.

Here's to our positive potential in the year 2012.


~Krystalina





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Have you ever had good intentions to better your life? Yep, I have, many, many times throughout the years.



Now, here's something interesting. Pursuing a better way of life doesn't have to happen the hard way, though some of us tend to take that route, yep, been there done that. And why would we take the that route anyway? It's either because we don't know any better or because we just choose to do it our way without a guide. Either way we choose it's a risk.



Can you relate? If you can, I encourage you to keep reading...



Any time we have an intention to better our life, we have the opportunity to help others with what we've learned along the way. As long as we're moving forward and learning from life, we open ourselves up to learning new skills and with those skills we learn to cope with life when we encounter obstacles. Here's a huge benefit, with those new skills we're better able to serve others, and by serving others we learn that we have been granted the capability to give. Now isn't there an ancient saying that says it's better to give than to receive? 



Learning is a gift that grants us insightful opportunities, if we're willing to pay attention. Insightful opportunities such as learning from our past mistakes, or even better yet, learning from others' mistakes can save us a lot of headaches, heartaches, tummy aches, joint aches, etc. You get the picture.



The bottom line is that we should never stop learning from life, when we stop learning then we're headed for trouble. So let's keep on moving forward, learning, and living a better life.



Here's to our good intentions ~ Krystalina



                         
                 

"Yes, yes, I'll do it tomorrow," we've all said it at one time or another, but some of us say it more often than we'd like to admit. You may have many things you need to do, but instead tell yourself you'll do it later. But you can stop procrastinating! Procrastination means that later turns into tomorrow, tomorrow turns into next week, next month, next year, even the next decade. Take for example that old chair in the garage, when did you say you were going to fix it?



Excuses can be relentless and you may be feeling powerless over them. But wait a minute! Could you possibly have legitimate reasons for procrastinating? Either way procrastination wins, but only because you give it that power!



Do you find yourself procrastinating by using any of these excuses?



-- I don't have the time.



-- I hate making lists.



-- Maybe they'll forget I said I'd do it.



-- I'm waiting for (name) to arrive before I start.



-- If it needs to get done, it will get done.



Honestly, the above list may be excuses, but any of those listed below may be legitimate reasons.



• You'd rather do it for yourself instead of someone else.

• You honestly can't do it all by yourself, you need help.

• You don't want to make a commitment for fear of failure.

• You don't have the work space in the house, the garage, or the office.

• You don't like being told what to do.

• You lack the skills and supplies.



If you're honest with yourself you'll see the difference between excuses and reasons. You'll also notice that excuses come easy, but reasons can be resolved.



Sometimes you just might have a legitimate reason for not getting things done, but depending on the importance placed on that reason, it won't get done by making room for excuses.



Procrastination doesn't have to win; you can eliminate excuses and/or resolve those reasons.



Take that power back, it's Yours!



Positively Writinghood

Does addiction to substances hinder you from achieving your positive potential? Are you on a path to recovery? It's a tough road to travel and it's a process, not a destination. Fortunately there are others on the same road and they're called 12-step groups.



When it comes to recovery, you never arrive. To arrive, means to get there, to unpack, and relax, just like when you're on a vacation. To arrive also means to get to your designated area, just like at your job.



Some people like to believe that because they've abstained from their addiction for a while they're cured and no longer need to continue working on their recovery. However, here's proof that recovery is really a process in a 12-step program.



Here's something to think about in regards to the three proofs that recovery is a process in a 12-step program:



1. You admitted that you were powerless over your addiction, that your life had become unmanageable. To continue in your recovery and have a manageable life, you must admit your powerlessness. If you were to deny this first step you would be lying to yourself. Honesty is a process.



2. You came to believe that a Power greater than yourself could restore you to sanity. Restoration of your sanity is a gift that doesn't come overnight. It's the efforts and the belief that a Power greater than yourself can work with you to help restore you. Restoration is a process.



3. You made a decision to turn your will over to the care of God as you understood Him. When you made this decision, you took action with the awareness that you would get better results in your life by carrying out your Higher Power's will instead of your own. Turning your will over is a process.



With your daily practice of these three steps, you're proving that recovery is a process while reaping astounding benefits on your way to reaching your positive potential. Remember, when it comes to recovery, you never arrive. Apply these principles and you'll have your own proof that recovery is a process, it is not a destination.



Here's to your awesome day!



Writinghood

Have you been practicing some new positive self-esteem statements or behaviors lately? Be advised that you're being watched by others.



You may have been struggling with low self-esteem for years but when you start practicing some empowering statements or behaviors someone might say to you, "Wait a minute, now you're being over confident!"



So right away that statement prompts you to ask, "What's the difference?"

Take a look at the following descriptions of healthy self-esteem and over-confidence, then decide for yourself.



Healthy Self-Esteem:



• You're satisfied with yourself

• You don't judge yourself harshly

• You can laugh at your own silly mistakes

• You're resourceful

• You take responsibility for your own actions



Over-Confident:



• You don't care what others think

• You will do it your way

• You blame others for your mistakes

• You feel you don't need anyone for anything

• You are overbearing



There's a fine line between having a healthy self-esteem and being over-confident. Having a healthy self esteem is defined as having confidence in your own merit as an individual and not having to rely on outside approval for your overall self-worth. That's a tall order for someone who struggles with low self esteem issues.



On the other hand, over-confidence is defined as going over your quota in your level of confidence for example, over stretching your merit unrealistically to an exaggerated confidence point. As you begin to practice your new empowering statements and start changing your behavior to raise your self-esteem, you'll want to go through this checklist and ask yourself which description you fall into.



This of course, is but a short list to help you identify the differences between having a healthy self esteem and being over confident. Check it out and see how you can boost your self-esteem and avoid being over-confident.



Here's to OUR positive potential,



Writinghood

You've heard the phrase embrace change. Well, I don't know about you, but for me embracing change is definitely out of the question!



The world is full of advice on embracing change, yet I've never heard anyone say they embrace losing their skin elasticity due to aging, or embrace going gray or even embrace losing their hair. And most certainly I've never heard anyone say they embrace change when they lose their job or lose a loved one. For me the real key has been not to embrace change but rather to work with that change.



So how in the world do you go about doing that? Like this:



1. Accept the fact that what is, just is. If you've lost your job use your skills to get another one. You are far more knowledgeable and skilled now than when you first started the job you just lost. Change says ~ That milestone has served its purpose, it's time to move on to the next one as there are several yet to go.



2. Realize that life must have its ups and downs. It's a law of nature that to every up there must be a down, to every hot there must be a cold, to every joy there must be a sorrow. And of course, what goes up must come down. Better yet, Nature shows us this fact with the displaying of summer versus winter. Change happens without our permission.



3. Apply your years of acquired wisdom. With every experience forward you have knowledge from the past. Acquired wisdom comes with age and experience. What you knew yesterday, last week or even last year is not the same as what you know today. Apply that wisdom to that change and become a better person inside.



4. Appreciate what you have now. Look at the many positive things in your life that you have right now, because there are others in worse conditions than you. And that is a guarantee. The greatest things to appreciate right now are your beating heart, your brain synapses, and the breath of life. Never take any of these for granted.



Embrace change? Not I. I'd rather work with change. I have found that life is a flow of give and take, and these four points have proven to be very realistic answers to change. Go with the flow and don't fight that change. Think about it, when you fight any life change you end up frustrated, hurt and miserable. Yes, grieve the loss of your job, your loved one, you natural hair color and/or your skin elasticity. You cannot bring back any of these back (naturally), but you can work with that change, accept life and turn the page to a new chapter.



There are new adventures to be had :)



Writinghood

Woo-Hoo...It's another beautiful day :)



I'm sure you're familiar with the concepts such as mindful eating, mindful walking, and mindful just about anything. The purpose for any type of mindful anything is to help make us aware of our thoughts and actions that can guide us into making healthy choices. So in the spirit of being mindful today, what do you say we try the following just for today?



Optimism: Optimism is the tendency to hope, believe and expect a beneficial outcome for all persons involved. Optimism can be a very healthy tool for living a fulfilling life. Optimism can help carry us though those tough times.



Mindfulness: Mindful is being actively attentive of our thoughts and being watchful of our actions. Being mindful benefits us and those around us by keeping us in check of our thoughts before our actions unfold.



Gratitude: Gratitude is the feeling of appreciation and we may choose to be grateful at any given moment during our waking hours. It doesn't have to be a special moment. We can be grateful for our breath, our health, our family and friends.



So in the spirit of thinking OMG, what do you say we become willing participants and try these thoughts on for size? Are you with me, at least just for today?



Let's go for it!



Have a Fantabulous Day !



Writinghood

Sometimes in life it's a whole lot easier to compromise and keep a healthy relationship than to get what we want and lose a valuable loving friend, spouse, partner, or significant other.



Before we talk further about compromising, let's first define the term compromise..



Compromise in this context means to settle a difference between two individuals or parties involved. It means to agree and settle for less than what we originally desired. Healthy relationships function very well when it comes to compromising, that is, on the condition that we realize that we can't always get exactly what we want.



Oh well, that's life!



It's very true that compromise may be a difficult thing to do for some of us but if we're open-minded and see things from another person's perspective, we'll see a different point of view we might not otherwise see.



AHA! But...



What happens if someone wants to compromise but doesn't know what to expect? Worse yet, what if someone wants out of a compromise after saying okay? Wanting out of a compromise can most definitely cause very ill-feelings among those involved. In an effort to better understand what a compromise involves let's consider the following points before committing to a compromise in a relationship.



(A) Compromising means agreeing to keep the end of your bargain in settling a situation. Your word carries a lot of weight when it comes to trust. In order for this compromise to succeed you must be willing to say what you mean and mean what you say. You are either in the compromise or you are not.



(B) Compromising means not complaining later that you didn't get what you wanted originally. When things get a little hairy, and they will, you must remember not to complain about what you really wanted and didn't get. This behavior causes very uncomfortable feelings between both parties involved.



(C) Compromising means committing from the heart with good intentions. When you agree to settle an issue, do it with sincerity realizing that you're not the only one giving up your entire wish, do it knowing that the other person is also willing to give up part of their desire for you.



Following are three everyday examples of compromising in a relationship:



(1) Your husband wants you to fly out with him to California for his PowerPoint presentation, but you're afraid of flying. He compromises by turning his flying time into driving time, so you both agree to take turns driving and go sight-seeing along the way.



(2) Your partner is an awesome cook and you really feel like having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, but your partner is tired after a stressful day and doesn't feel like cooking. You compromise by ordering 'spaghetti and meatballs to go'.



(3) You want to build a fully solar-paneled home, but your significant other needs to have access to electrical devices for his or her business. You compromise by combining both desired features by having partial solar-paneling and partial electrical outlets in specified parts of your home.



Compromising is a wise choice for relationships in the long run, it's a whole lot easier to compromise and keep a healthy relationship than to get exactly what we want and lose a valuable loving friendship, spouse, partner, or significant other.



Here's to OUR successful and fulfilling relationships!



Writinghood

Yep, It's True...



We're surrounded by many clichés that sound as if they apply only to rehearsed scripts, but what about real life situations? Well, seriously, some of these clichés may appear to fall in the category of 'easier said than done,' but are they do-able!



Let's find out. Following are some hilariously funny things you can do next time you get upset and you just know you'll get in trouble if you lose your temper. Are you ready, here we go?



1. Breath! Remember to breathe so you can get the much needed oxygen to your brain and don't do something you'll regret. For some inexplicable reason you seem to forget how to breathe when you're in an emotional state of upheaval, in this example, angry. Your body will do things you don't even realize it is doing. Have you ever looked at someone who is about to throw an angry fit? I mean seconds before the mouth opens, really angry and not saying a word, there is no breath exchange in their lungs. Do they know it? Probably not, because their body is simply reacting to the emotional state of being angry.



2. Blink! Remember to blink, or at least make an attempt to blink. Not blinking is another interesting and inexplicable body reaction to anger. Notice how some people will give you that icy glare before the mouth opens to shout out those 'not very nice words'. Give it a try, blink as soon as the thought to blink crosses your mind.



3. Smile! Remember to smile, Ha-Ha, what a task! This specific facial distortion, called a smile, goes against those irritating and irrational feelings you may be experiencing while having your angry fit. But will give you the most results, rephrased, will give you the best results. Have you ever tried to smile when you're angry? Try it. It will cause you to laugh. It's a very difficult task but very doable. You emotions will change in a heartbeat. You'll even get the giggles, you silly person you!



Okay, here's the drill in a nutshell for the next time someone cuts in front of you, or if you can't find your car keys, or even if someone takes your parking spot...



1. Breathe

2. Blink

3. Smile



And have a great day!



Writinghood