“There are no endings, just new beginnings.” — Unknown

When something good comes to an end, we tend to feel sadness and loss. And that’s natural. We had something good in our life, we want to keep that feeling around. And then something new comes our way.

When something that wasn’t so good comes to an end, there may be feelings of relief. We take in a deep breath and say, “Thank goodness it is over.” Then we look ahead and see what else we can begin.

Both situations actually have the same result. When something ends, good or not so good, we need to see it as a new beginning. Say “thank you” for the previous experience — because we have learned something from either situation. Take a deep breath, and say “What’s next? I’m ready.”

“When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.” — Unknown

Get in the habit of asking, “What’s good about this?” Training your brain and heart to ask and search for the good will help you to set a new way of viewing the world automatically, no matter what the situation or circumstance. And you will also find that happiness finds you no matter what the circumstance when you put out that pattern or habitual frequency of thought.

Since the late 70’s, when she took her first gourmet class in food preparation Denise Altenberg has dedicated her life to getting back to ‘real food’ and making food as fun as it should be. She loves food — eating it, preparing it, and I especially feeding it to others. Her mission is to get everyone she comes in contact with off diets for good. With that goal in mind, she became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Practitioner, and launched “The Nutritional Gourmet” in 2004. As a consultant and teacher, she assists clients from all walks of life and all levels of health issues. Her goal for her clients is to create a life of longevity and great health through great food and get you on the right path to one of the most valuable and energizing relationships of your life – the “guilt-free” relationship with your food.

Listen to Denise on Real Life Radio

Hello, this is Owynn (NOTE: my niece).

This year I am volunteering with my school, and the World Vision 30 Hour Famine Program. Last year, over 100,000 teens across the country did the World Vision 30 Hour Famine, and raised over $4.5 million. This year I am joining them by fundraising for children in countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, India, Cambodia, and Ecuador.

During the Famine, I will fast for 30 hours; I will drink only water, in order to feel just a fraction of what they go through everyday of their life. In addition, I will raise funds to help provide nutritious food, clean water, medicine, and shelter for children.

This is where you come in; I am writing today to ask if you would consider donating to support me in the Famine. The good news is, a little money goes a long way: $30 can feed a child and their family for one month. This year, I am aiming to raise $250 to help children and families around the world. Any help you could provide me would be greatly appreciated. To donate, click the following link:

https://www2.worldvision.ca/famine/20030954

If you need more information about the Famine and how it helps children around the world you can visit famine.ca or contact me. Thank you so much for your consideration and kind heart.

Owynn

“One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other’s stories.”
— Rebecca Falls

I have always had the opportunity to listen to the stories of my friends and family. They often turned to me for a sympathetic ear or even, from time to time, a shoulder to cry on. I may not have always had the perfect thing to say to comfort them, or know the right advice to get them through. But that wasn’t what they really needed anyway.

We all need a safe place to share our stories so that we can release our emotions and move on to a healthy, happy state of mind. Switch the roles every now and then and be the ear for someone else. Find that support person that will unconditionally be there to hear you.

If you have something you would like to safely and anonymously write about, leave a comment and let it out. Maybe someone out there is going through a similar situation and can offer a tip or two as well.

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
— Langston Hughes

What are dreams? Dreams are our passions. They are the goals that live in our heart, but are often pushed aside for the goals we feel we should have, the ones we feel are acceptable or necessary to have in life.

Honor the hidden dreams of your passions even if you cannot accomplish them right now. Believe in them and allow them to unfold when they are ready to enter into your life. When you allow your dreams to live in you and in your heart, you will find yourself flying higher in joy than when you try to bury them or deny their existence.

Keep dreaming, and keep dreaming big. When you least expect it they may greet you at your door.

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”
—Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

I recently embarked on a detox to help me purge my body of all the toxins that have built up over the months, as well as allowing all the healthier nutrients to enter my body with ease. Simply put, it involves consciously selecting only the foods that encourage the detox process and flushing it all down with lots of water. The end result is supposed to be a more energized, lighter feeling, healthier me.

Now, this got me thinking about our minds. How many toxic thoughts and feelings have we been storing in our minds over the years? Maybe it’s time to do some thought purging as well. Wouldn’t that lead to a more energized, lighter feeling, healthier me too? I’m sure it would clear up a lot of space for more positive thoughts. So that means I have to consciously select only the thoughts that build love, abundance, and well-being.

All I have to do then is maintain my new, clean, healthy body and mind with daily meditation to keep it all in balance.

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.”
— Dale Carnegie

This may come as a surprise to you and you may even want to resist truly hearing this message, but I will share it with you in hopes that it will stick with you if you hear it often enough — life is supposed to be fun!

I myself tend to forget this simple message when I allow myself to get caught up in the messes and stresses of day-to-day life. But I have been hearing this repeatedly the last few weeks and it has finally started to sink in.
If you are doing something with your life that does not bring you joy, why are you still doing it? Or what can you do differently, think differently to make it fun? Life is not supposed to be about suffering and pain. Think of your life as a big sandbox. What do you want to build today? What do you want to play with in the sand?

Stop taking life so seriously that you miss out on all the fun there is to do. Enjoy playing with your family and friends. Live with love and have fun! And the way to do that is to figure out what you love to do!

Now is the time to get absolutely clear about what really matters to you in your life and go for that. What will your life look like when you pull out all the stops, really push the pedal to the floor, and go for your passions with no holds barred?

Ultimately, you’re the only one who can answer that question. And one great way to help you figure it out is to take “The Passion Test”. The Passion Test is first and foremost a decision-making tool. Take The Passion Test as often as you want, and at least every six months. Then, “Whenever you are faced with a choice, a decision or an opportunity, choose in favor of your
passions.” (Janet Attwood).

“There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”
— John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

I have been thinking a lot about risks these past few days. What is a risk? Well the dictionary defines it as: 1. The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger. 2. A factor, thing, element, or course involving uncertain danger; a hazard. So with this in mind the question is, is it better to take risks or not take risks in life?

The more I think about it the more I come up with the same answer — life is about taking risks for things that you value and are passionate about and learning from the experience no matter what the outcome. (more…)

Heather Lang, of Cedarlane Financial Consulting, is an independent financial advisor located in the Quinte Region of Ontario. As a member of the Independent Financial Brokers of Canada she holds a Canadian Securities license, Ontario Life license and is a certified LEAP planner — which I’m sure she’s going to be giving us more information on in a minute. The most important resource she brings to clients is a simple, easy planning and education process that allows her clients to fully understand their financial situation and develop effective money management strategies to maximize their financial potential.

Listen in at Real Life Radio.