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It is what you think about.

evolutionyou.net | old joy

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. —Dale Carnegie

  • If only I had that thing
  • If only I could be more like that person
  • If only I were in that place
  • If only I were doing that

Do you ever catch yourself having these thoughts? Do you ever feel the pull of that green-eyed monster, jealousy? Do you ever find yourself wishing, hoping for something different, something more? Of course you do. We all do.

These thoughts are natural. It is in our nature. It’s alright that these thoughts visit, what matters is how we deal with them.

Stop worrying about all of the things that you are not. Stop worrying about all of the things that you don’t have. Focus on what you are, on what you have, and on what you are yet to be. Be present. Be grateful for the ten thousand beautiful things that exist around you right now.

No matter how bad you think it is, no matter how far down you’ve been; now is the time to get back up. Get back up and shine. So many people have so little and choose joy anyway. Be one of those people. Choose joy.

I always find that the quickest path to joy is gratitude. Give thanks. My list is never-ending but here’s a little glimpse.

Thank you, heaven, for my ears that hear; my feet that walk; my eyes that see; my hands that write; my voice that shares; my mouth that tastes; my heart that loves; my nephew that makes me smile permanently; my friends who lift me up when I can not do it on my own; my family who loves me unconditionally; my fiance who challenges me to constantly grow and loves me the best way he knows how to; my blog that allows me to create positive change in people’s lives. Thank you for the beautiful sunsets, delicious late summer days, the cicadas that sing me to sleep at night. And thank you for the hard times, too, they show me how sweet the sweet ones really are.

In love & light,
Dena

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  • Carousel — 03.05.10

    Oh, why hello my gorgeous readers! It is so wonderful to see you here on this beautiful Friday afternoon (or whatever day/time it is where you are). This week came in like a lion and is heading out like a lamb… typical March weather in the North Eastern US. Last week received over three feet of fluffy white stuff (snow!). Currently the temperature is on the rise and it’s beginning to melt. Is this a sign that Spring is on its way? I sure hope so!

    And now on to this week’s charming Carousel. I do hope you enjoy…

    1. Quick easy tips for travel health and Living in the now: Two awesome posts from Vagablogging this week. One contains common sense tips to keep you healthy while on the road and the other talks about the importance of fleeting moments in time. Lovely.

    2. This is So Inappropriate!: “Your choices always carry tremendous weight, even when you feel like you have no choice in the matter. We don’t need enormous reserves of skill or advantage to make big differences to what happens to us — and to the manner in which we ‘happen’ to the world.”

    3. The Sure Fire Way to Sabotage Any Relationship: In this post, Jared explains why trying to “get back to the way things were” is like signing your relationship’s death certificate. Do you agree?

    4. 5 Travel Lessons You Can Use at Home: This post is far & away, one of the best that I’ve read on the topic. Can you take travel lessons and apply them to your life? Can you use these lessons to live the life of your dreams 100% of the time? Yes, you can! This post will tell you how.

    5. Avatar’s Impact: How To Train Like A Na’vi: Have you seen Avatar yet? I saw it once in 2D and then again in 3D—yes, it was that good! I love Amber’s take on the movie in this excellent post. “While the special effects and imagination behind the film are awe inspiring enough, what excited me the most was the vital ecological message that’s reaching millions. The fact that people from around the globe are beginning to see the significance of our connection to all organisms is incredible.” Yes, yes, yes! Exactly. She’s hit the nail on the head.

    6. What Are Values?: Many people pay Tim Brownson good money to help them define values; but in this post, he’ll show you how to do it for free! I absolutely love (& agree with) the way that he introduces the post: “So what I’m really saying is this is some heavy personal development shit that needs your total concentration and commitment if you’re going to get the most out of it. And make no mistake, it’s the single most powerful thing you can do if you genuinely want to understand yourself.”

    7. how to: focus in batches: “Limited resources force you to focus on your creativity.”

    8. Coping with Major Life Changes: Excellent tips to help get you through some of life’s most challenging moments.

    9. The War Over Wolves: One topic that I haven’t written too much about yet is wildlife & environmental conservation. It is one of the things that I am most passionate about. This post from the National Geographic Blog broke my heart a bit. Despite my inclination to preserve as many creatures as humanly possible, there are always two sides to every story. I’ll be making some posts on this topic in the near future.

    10. Olympians’ daily food choices as important as their rigorous training: Want to learn to eat like an Olympian? Is the food that you put in your body really that important? After reading this, I say YES!

    —————————

    That is it for this week’s round up. I loved all of these great posts and I hope that you will, too. Perhaps just the burst of inspiration you were needing to get your weekend off to a great start?

    Have a lovely weekend. Spread love & light!

7 Comments

  1. Being thankful for all that life gives us is a sure fire route to joy. Friends, health, family are all important and bring us joy. Key approach to daily life is to sluff off the bad stuff and don’t spend time thinking about it. Concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and doing good where you can. It’s not spectacular, but, it is the right thing to do and will bring you daily joy.

  2. Such good advice, Dena. I have a long list of things for which I’m thankful. It does get me through the hard times.

    I hope you didn’t shake too much up in New Jersey. xo

    1. hey andra! the earthquake was intense but i was in the car and didn’t feel a thing. this hurricane on the other hand… lots of water and the wind is still blowing. i’m ready for sunshine & calm weather now. 🙂 hope you are safe & well. <3

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