Feeling incredibly grateful. For my family, for my struggles and the many sacrifices we are having to make right now in order to get where we want to be. I read two books recently, one by Dr. Wayne Dyer titled Wishes Fulfilled, the other The Power is Within You by Louise Hay. I love both of these beautiful humans for so many reasons. I love the way they love and serve others. I love their steadfast commitment to be truly happy. And I love the way they self-reflect.

These books helped me reconnect to my deeper, spiritual self and really take some of my own time to reflect. I learned that I have a lot of negative talk. Self talk, gossip, judgement. From these two sources came a couple of incredible and immediate actions to take to change these bad habits. The first: stop, consciously remove a thought from your mind, and replace it with another. Dr. Dyer's exact words:

"Whenever you're experiencing discomfort or sadness, rather than trying to change the thought behind your emotional state, instead just put it back on the never-ending conveyor belt of thoughts, and then select a different thought. Keep doing this until you've selected a thought that allows you to feel good, and you're no longer condemning yourself for creating unhappy thoughts."

This can be exhausting and tedious. But it works. And it's great.

The other, from Louise - every time a negative thought or bad memory comes up, or even the onset of anger, in any situation, immediately stop and release it with love. The words Louise uses: "I bless you with love and release you and let you go." It's tough to recondition your mind to forgive yourself and forgive others and to let things go when you are so used to holding onto them. Our feelings are familiar, like old friends, and even when they are toxic, we feel like we are losing something when we let them go. The more you do it though, the easier it is and the lighter you feel. I am happy to release toxicity and unburden myself. These exercises have me feeling more and more like myself. My truest and happiest self.

Both Dr. Dyer and Louise talk about setting your intentions CLEARLY for God and the Universe to respond to. Louise advises, say to what you want most: "I accept for myself          ." Your subconscious she warns, cannot distinguish between positive and negative meaning, or meaning at all for that matter. So, "I don't want to be sick" vs. "I am feeling incredibly well" gives your subconscious either "sick" or "well" to work with. It's that simple.

It's lovely the way books and people come into our lives just at the right moments.