“Has your schedule been lopsided lately? Be sure to balance your time between work, play, spirtuality, exercise, and relationships.”
— Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., Healing with the Angels

I understand that you are busy. We all have so many demands for our time, so many responsibilities. However, when our schedules become overwhelming and out of balance, our energy levels drop. We then feel like we are running around always trying to catch up on a day that is slipping through our fingers.

Our spirit is shouting out for rest to restore and renew our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. Our bodies need rest to function properly. Our minds need rest to perform at peak efficiency. We need rest to enjoy our relationships.

Check your pattern of living right now. Be sure to add in regular intervals of meditation, exercise, and play — yes play — into your days. This fine balance of work, live, play will help you grow and feel the joy of life.

What creative ideas can you come up with to renew yourself? Here are a few ideas to get you started.  However, I encourage you to create your own list based on your passions and hobbies:

•  Schedule a massage with a professional massage therapist
•  Have a spiritual growth weekend.  Retreat into nature.  Plan some alone time.
•  Go for a drive with no particular destination in mind.  Explore the countryside, slow down and observe what you see.
•  Treat yourself to a night in a hotel or bed and breakfast.
•  Visit a museum or a zoo.
•  Take an afternoon off and go to the movies—maybe even a kid’s movie!
•  Go to a yard sale or auction.
•  Go rollerskating or rollerblading with a friend!
•  Enjoy a photographic retreat.  Take your camera into nature and shoot away.
•  Watch cartoons with a child. 
•  Visit a farmer’s market and shop for fresh produce.
•  Drop by a health food store and walk the aisles.
•  Go dancing.
•  Take a horseback ride.

“The most powerful thing you can do to change the world is to change your own beliefs about the nature of life, people, reality, to something more positive… and begin to act accordingly.”
— Shakti Gawain, Creative Visualization

You’ve heard it before, and you will hear it again, and again — you have the power to change the world starting with you. As Wayne Dyer points out, “There is no stress in the world, only people thinking stressful thoughts and then acting on them.” This is a powerful concept, but even more powerful is the reality that you don’t need to live in that stressful world.

Start changing your own beliefs and thoughts to something more positive and act on those thoughts. Right there, at that very moment, the world just changed.

“There’s an infinite amount of work. The big question is what do I have to do today, this week, this month, this quarter?” — Christine Comaford-Lynch

We have all most likely done it more than once in our life. We decide to sacrifice lunch with a friend or figure it’s not that important to get that sleep you so desperately needed. Or what about the classic, “Sure I can do that” when you already have a full agenda… and that new task isn’t even in line with your personal goals.

What would you gain with those choices? There will always be more work tomorrow. This doesn’t mean you should slack off. It is all about real life balance though. And what “real life” balance means, is that things don’t have to be perfect. There may have to be a slight lean on your table when one leg tends to take more attention than the other three at times. It means that you shift and adjust.

But you need to remember that it is supposed to be about joy. It’s supposed to lead you to your happiness. And if somewhere along the road that you find yourself now traveling you realize that you are no longer heading in the right direction, you need to make some real life changes.

And remember, it’s ok to say “no thanks”. It’s ok to say “Hey, this isn’t what I want to be doing now”. “This is not taking me to my joy, my goal, my passion.” Breathe, and get back on track — YOUR track.

Beautiful music is wonderful for the mind, body, and soul. If you are feeling bad, down, overwhelmed or stressed, music can truly take you to another state of being.

For me, music changes everything. Listening to it is one thing and it can lift my mood almost instantly, and singing truly nourishes my soul. Sing — anywhere, anytime. Help your immune system and actually change your brain by singing. Just sing.

And plunk in your favorite CD right when you get home from work. Dance around in the kitchen while you prepare dinner. Let music be the medicine of choice.

Check out all the innovative Music to Care for Your Life products on their official web site right now. If you want to bring this music into your life take advantage of a 5% discount at check-out with discount code: 7151.

“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).