Found this article I thought I would share!!
The word “Solstice” is rooted in two Latin words: sol meaning “sun” and sistere meaning “to stand still” because it appears as though the sun and moon stop moving across the sky. To me, celebrating the solstice serves as a beautiful reminder that my life is a part of a larger order, always changing, always renewing. So it’s the perfect time for reflection and re-affirmation of what matters most and what I wish to cultivate in my work and in my life.
I use rituals to celebrate the winter solstice in ways that have meaning for me.
Me – I make a day of it. That’s me. I’m on a mission.
I light candles and play music that inspires me. I take a walk, take in the fresh air and the magic and beauty of everything around me. I meditate longer than I usually do — with special healing meditations for myself and the world. I drink special tea and I fast. I take my self-assessment and watch my video and I notice the thoughts that come to me: The celebration of accomplishments; the recognition of the values I embody, the relationships I have strengthened, the obstacles I have overcome; and the observation of what’s lingering, what’s out of alignment with the me I am in the process of creating. I write in my thankfulness journal. I re-affirm my commitments, prepare new ones. I do a lot of wondering and just going with the flow.
Again, that’s me.
What could your ritual be?
Visit a place outdoors that’s special to you—a trail you can walk or a field you can lie down in, a hillside or rooftop perch that provides the perfect view, or a quiet place in your mind.
Watch the clouds, the trees, the sunset
Take a walk
Write a poem
Read a book that inspires you
Reconnect with someone
Make a list of what you are thankful for
Make a list of loving wishes for your family, friends, co-workers or the world
Reflect on your aspirations for the coming months — creating the next version of your highest vision of yourself
Prepare a simple meal of organic grains, winter vegetables, and herbal teas
Eat alone and enjoy the solitude of your own company
Bathe in epsom salts
Breathe
Meditate
Be silent
Light a candle
Sing a song
If you have children in your life, you might organize some special activities to share with them, such as:
Identifying winter plants on a short walk
Spreading a pine cone with peanut butter and bird seed and watching from a window as the birds eat from it
Drawing pictures of winter scenes in your neighborhood
Cutting pictures from magazines that remind them of what they are thankful, pasting them on paper and then talking about it
Writing an acrostic poem in which you use “solstice” as the root word and use each of its letters as the beginning of a line in the poem.
Watch together from a warm window as the sun sets and give thanks for both the darkness and the light.
What’s one thing you could do to re-establish your connection with nature and family and what matters most to you? What’s one thing you could do today to feed your spirit and nurture your soul?
For additional ideas and inspiration, take a look at these:
Inspiring Video: Resolutions, Intentions, and Affirmations for a Life Well-Lived
Self-Assessment: For a Life Well-Lived
Blog: Reflection is a Powerful Action
Blog: What’s Your Poem?
Blog: What’s Your “I Have a Dream” Speech?”
Blog: Turning Tragedy into Inspiration: What is the Future you are Creating as you Experience the News of the Connecticut Shootings?
Audio Book and PDF: Thankfulness Guide with 100s of Activities and Rituals to Practice Thankfulness
© 2012 Mary J. Lore and Managing Thought LLC All rights reserved.
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Fun and Meaningful Activities to Express Thankfulness
November 21st, 2012 Posted in Audio and Video, Calm, Peace & Happiness, News, Thankfulness
Nov, 21 2012
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I am so excited to announce the release of my new book which includes hundreds of activities for families, organizations, and individuals to express appreciation and ignite the power of thankfulness. It’s an audio book and a PDF all in one! So I can be with you in your car and you can print out the exercises and facilitation guidance.
Here’s a fun one to use this weekend to help family and friends know the difference they make in our lives, and create a ripple effect of considerable magnitude.
1. Give everyone a blank 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper and a pen. If you have a large group, you may want to give everyone two pieces of paper paper-clipped together (You may want to splurge for nice paper and Sharpies of various colors.)
2. Have everyone write their name at the top of the paper (or both papers if they have two) and then pass it to the person on their right. (If someone refuses to participate or is absent from the gathering, write their name on top of a piece of paper for them.)
3. Give everyone a minute or two to write at least one thing they are thankful for about the person whose name is at the top of the page. It could be something about their personality, a talent or skill they have, how they touched you or helped you in the past or present (If you have young children at the table, you may want to allow more time so an older child or grown-up can write what they want to say for them.) Ring a bell to indicate they have about 30 seconds left and ring the bell to indicate that time is up.
4. Instruct everyone to pass their paper to their right.
5. Continue steps 3, 4 and 5 until everyone has the piece of paper with their name on it back in front of them.
6. Give everyone a minute or two to read what’s been written for them.
7. Invite everyone to read aloud what’s on their sheet of paper. Ask who wants to go first, and next and so on until everyone has shared.
8. To conclude, thank everyone for sharing and thank them for the difference they make in your life and in the lives of others.
9. You may want to provide a folder, an envelope or a plastic sleeve for them to put their paper in or a ribbon to tie around the paper rolled into a scroll.
This activity works great around the dinner table, around a conference table at work, in a circle in a classroom, in any group to which we belong.
When we invoke the power of thankfulness we tap into an incredible power within ourselves and others. We rekindle the spark of love, re-ignite our creativity, re-invoke our state of wonder and restore our sense of purpose. We become inspired.
And it is when we are inspired that we achieve significant, meaningful, long-lasting results.
How could you express thankfulness at Thanksgiving?
For more on thankfulness and to purchase the digital download of the new Managing Thought Companion Guide: How to Access the Power of Thankfulness, click here.
©2010-2012 Managing Thought. All rights reserved.
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It’s the Launch of Mindfulness Monday™- and You’re Invited!
July 12th, 2012 Posted in Audio and Video, Calm, Peace & Happiness, Goals & Resolutions, Health and Wellness, Inspiration & Motivation, Managing Fear, Managing Thoughts, Feelings & Emotions, News, Positive Thinking & Affirmations, Reflection & Learning, Resources, Self-awareness, Stress Management, Vision, Purpose & Intention, Wonder, Possibility & Creativity
Jul, 12 2012
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Everything that we say, do, and create first begins in thought. Everything.
I can’t begin to describe how powerful each of us is – how powerful you are. Every thought we have is creating. For better or worse. Individually and collectively.
Most of us have no idea what we’re thinking. We think we’re thinking positively, we’re not. We think we are focused on what we truly want – we’re not. We keep living each day like we did yesterday – stressed, uninspired, trying to figure out our true purpose.
The good news is we all have the ability to be aware of our thoughts, know if the thought is working for us or against us, and choose powerful thoughts that serve our purpose.
Mindfulness Monday isn’t about thinking “happy” thoughts. It’s about choosing thoughts that are in alignment with who we truly are and what we truly wish to create in this world.
We all have the ability to turn worry into wonder, fear into inspiration, stress into purpose. We do. It takes practice.
We’ve mastered all the thoughts that are not working for us. Now it’s time to master thoughts that serve our purpose.
A Year of Mindfulness
With 60,000 thoughts a day, you may be wondering where to start. Many people, having read my book or attended one of my workshops, have asked me for support and coaching, on a regular basis, to help them deepen their experience and make Managing Thought a way of living.
That’s why I created Mindfulness Monday, my new 52-week online course in Managing Thought®. I believe this is the very best way to change the way you think and re-open your connection with your highest awareness.
Mindfulness Monday gives you training a little bit at a time, spread out over a whole year.
A Guided Experience
I am your guide and mentor for this year of Mindful Mondays and I am committed to ensuring that you get what you need from this course.
Each powerful thought brings significant results. As these powerful thoughts are repeated and mastered gradually over time, we start experiencing our true nature: We are happy, healthy, creative, expansive, full of energy, and inspired. We are fully present, on purpose, at peace, and playful.
Our lives and our work are filled with joy and aliveness.
In addition, through the Managing Thought Community, you also give and receive support of a whole community of men and women who are practicing managing thoughts in all sorts of ways and places—businesses, churches, hospitals, schools, meetings, improving their relationships, taking tests, and raising their children.
Every moment is a new moment. And every moment we have the ability to choose who we are and what we wish to create in this world.
When we manage our thoughts, it is the best gift we give to ourselves, our family, friend and workmates and through the ripple effect, the world.
Confucius said way back when: To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate ourselves.
It’s my personal mission to help change the world…one thought at a time.
I look forward to sharing this adventure with you and invite you to sign up today at a special VIP price.
May your thoughts bring you peace and inspire you.
© 2012 Mary J. Lore and Managing Thought LLC All rights reserved.
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The 5-Minute Gratitude Exercise That Will Change Your Life
Posted on June 3, 2010 by Victoria @ Gratitude Experiment
We divine beings having a human experience very often find ourselves in the very human experience of relationship problems that consume us, work problems that consume us, health issues the concern us, financial troubles that consume us, or just day-to-day frustrations that grab and hold our attention. Different problems…but what do they all have in common? Being consumed by them…having our attention held by them.
Now, I’m not going to tell you that the practice of gratitude will cure all your problems (of course, I’m not saying it won’t either) but the one thing that the practice of proactive gratitude will do is lessen the hold these problems have on your ability to enjoy your life, and at the same time it will create new and more harmonious experiences.
And you can do it right now…this very minute…and at any moment. You can begin with this exercise I will share here which will immediately change your experience and, if practiced consistently, will change the direction of your life.
Ready? Here we go.
1. Think for just a minute about that issue that has consumed your attention.
2. Note how you are feeling now.
3. Quick, think of something around that issue that you are grateful for. Some examples might be:
– If I’m having difficulties with my spouse I can, right now, be grateful for my best friend that I can call and talk to who will be there compassionately for me. Or, I can think of something I really love and appreciate about my spouse.
– If I’m battling an illness, I can be grateful that maybe they caught it early, or I am under really good care, or I have an opportunity to re-examine my diet, or if I’ve been unconsciously holding resentment or unforgiveness, to let that go.
– If I’m having difficulty paying my bills and am consumed with worry about where the money is going to come from, I can be thankful that I have a job, or that I have the opportunity to refinance, or there are payment option programs available to me, or that I have an abundance of love and support in my life.
These are just examples to get you going. Whatever might be true for you that you can honestly be grateful for around this issue, bring it to mind right now. There’s always something to be grateful for in a difficult situation. Some may require more searching than others.
4. Close your eyes and really focus on that thing you are grateful for. This thought usually attracts other thoughts like it. Let your mind welcome other things for which you are grateful in other areas of your life as well.
5. Now imagine that there is a volume knob that is connected to that gratitude. A knob like on a car radio (a physical knob, not the digital kind) and watch your hand reach out and turn up the volume on that gratitude. Turn it up to a point where it is comfortable, but stretches you a little bit. You are literally turning up the volume on the feeling of gratitude, and what is right with your life.
6. Now allow that feeling to bubble up inside of you like champagne bubbles bubbling to the surface and on the count of thee you are going to raise you arms to the sky and shout out a giant “Woo-hoo.” Ready? One, Two, Three…Woo-hoo!!!!!!!!!!!
7. Now notice how you feel.
Whenever you notice that you are getting sucked down into the “woe-is-me” syndrome, or consumed by your problems, do this exercise. I dare you to do it and not feel transformed.
As always, let me know how it goes for you. Reply under the comment section of this blog entry.
Many blessings. I am grateful for you!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged 5-minute exercise, gratitude excercise, spiritual beings human experience, transformation by Victoria @ Gratitude Experiment. Bookmark the permalink.
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