This Week's Stress Reducing Tip - #1

Scenario: The rush to get out of the house...

Do you often run late in the morning? Are you always fighting the clock trying to get out of the house and get to work, to an appointment, or to school on time?

Here are a few time management tips:

• Get up 15 minutes earlier.
• Prepare for the morning the night before:
• decide what you will wear to work or school the next day
• iron your clothing
• set up the coffeemaker
• set the table for breakfast

What other activities can you do beforehand to alleviate the ‘morning rush’? Please share your tips...

Have a joyful day everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

To learn more about how you can live a flourishing life, please visit my web site, www.liveaflourishinglife.com.

It's Not About What We Get...

Over the next few days the Number One question most of us will be asked is, "What did you get?"

While the Christmas season is rooted in the Christian faith, a faith that teaches benevolent and charitable giving, the Buddha, too,  offered a succinct lesson in giving and getting.

When we give to others, we give without expectation of reward. We give without attachment to either the gift or the recipient. The practice of giving is thought to be one of the most basic human virtues, a testament to the depth of our humanity, and for Buddhists, one's capacity for self-transcendence.

So as we move gently out of the fray of holiday shopping and into the peace of Christmas, keep in mind that it is not about what you get, it is about what you give.

Have a joyful Christmas everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

To learn more about how you can live a flourishing life, please visit my web site, www.liveaflourishinglife.com.

Beat The Odds...

Odds are most people will gain weight during the holiday season. In fact, it's been reported that many people will gain 6 - 13 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

Holidays parties, get-togethers with friends and family, often leads to over-indulging, making "Start a diet" the number one entry on most folks New Year's Resolution List.

We don't like to think about limitations and diets during the holidays. It puts us into a deprivation frame of mind. And let's be honest....the holidays are more about indulgence than denial.

Rather than going whole hog or wallowing in restriction (and beating yourself up when you fail to limit your intake), just be mindful. Think about what you are eating and savor the moment, savor each bite. Place rather than pop those goodies into your mouth, let your taste buds take over.

We tend to over eat when we eat mindlessly. So eat whatever you want this holiday season. Do so mindfully....and you'll beat the weight gain odds.

Have a joyful holiday everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

To learn more about how you can live a flourishing life, please visit my web site, www.liveaflourishinglife.com.

Optimism

An empowering, constructive attitude that creates conditions
for success by focusing and acting on possibilities and opportunities.
~ Max More

The number one factor influencing resilience is a positive or optimistic view of yourself and confidence in your strengths and abilities. I want to be clear. When I talk of optimism I do not mean that rose-colored glasses, Pollyannaish way of looking at the world. Optimists see tragedy just fine. Optimists know bad things happen. But what separates optimists from their pessimistic brothers and sisters is how they move forward in their thinking and actions relative to those events.

Much of the way we view the world has been shaped by the messages we received as children. (Habits that serve us; habits that don’t serve us. – Aristotle) So, let me ask: Do you view yourself as an optimist or a pessimist? Your comments are most appreciated!

Have a joyful day everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

To learn more about how you can live a flourishing life, please visit my web site, www.liveaflourishinglife.com.

The Multi-tasking Morass

It is not surprising that modern day life is often referred to as the "culture of distraction." We are bombarded with information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And yet, most of us cannot get enough. We channel surf, search the Web, talk and text, drive and text, drive and talk, drive and talk and text. It is no wonder we are driven to distraction!

Not only are we less focused, we are not present-moment oriented. And in our efforts to skim through volumes of information, we truly miss out on quite a bit by paying only partial attention.

*Excerpt from Live A Flourishing Life

Have a joyful day everyone...
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

Accept What is Not in Your Control

"Never cease trying to be the best that you can be. That's under your control. If you get too engrossed and involved and concerned in regard to the things in which you have no control, it will adversely affect the things over which you have control." - From John Wooden on True Success (View video)

The frustration or anger that can well inside us from situations that are not only out of our control, but have nothing to do with us, chips away at our peace of mind and releases stress hormones which, left unattended, can lead to health-related problems.

The capacity to manage strong feeling, emotions, and impulses involves being able to:

• take action without being impulsive and responding out of emotion
• put emotions to the side when clear thinking and action are required
• use thinking as a way of managing one’s emotions

When we allow ourselves to get worked up, particularly over the small stuff, we are needlessly causing our bodies to go into fight-or-flight mode.

To learn more how to management circumstances that are out of your control, visit Live A Flourishing Life.

Have a joyful day everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

Elizabeth Edwards - A Resilient Spirit...

Elizabeth Edwards wrote, "I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces: ­ my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined."

Ms. Edwards resilience didn't simply ignite with her cancer diagnosis. She faced numerous  trials and tribulations during her life -- the death of her son Wade, the harsh scrutiny of the political spotlight, a deceptive spouse -- and did so with strength, courage, and admirable grace. Her Facebook postings the past few weeks shed insight into her resilient spirit.

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered," she wrote. "We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."

Thank you, Elizabeth... rest, now, in peace.

Live a flourishing life...
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

Elizabeth Edwards passed away on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. She was 61 years old.

Characteristics Of Resilient People - 3

The ability to hang tough during difficult times

Resilient people are good at managing their emotions. They stay calm under pressure and persevere.*

Many of us grew up being told, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Or perhaps you were read the childhood story, The Little Engine That Could ..."I think I can; I think I can."

These statements represent some of our earliest lessons of an attitude of resilience.

What resilience-based words of wisdom do you recall?

Have a joyful day everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life™.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

*Excerpt from Live A Flourishing Life