How many times have you found yourself stuck? Have you heard, thought or said any of the following… “When I arrive here”, “When I get this”, “When this happens” THEN… THEN WHAT? Life can begin? You have arrived? You are now blessed?…No, no… we have it all wrong. Thinking like that only wishes away where you are, wasting the blessings of the present. Not all blessings are perfectly wrapped with a bow on top. But I guarantee you they are there.

Look around you and find the blessing in today. They may be right under your nose. But your vision may be clouded by the what ifs. Dreaming is good, planning is essential, forward thinking is helpful, and thinking about the future can be enjoyable, but you can’t let it overshadow the joys of today. You have to keep your dreaming and hoping in check with reflecting, engaging, and being present.

Ways to focus on the blessings:

• Use a Gratitude Journal (see description here)
• See Jesus (blog post here)
• Look to bless others (With a heart to bless others, you are usually blessed and have a perspective shift in return)
• Pray! (Prayer is powerful. Walls are broken down, hearts are changed, and the Lord is given the power)
• Wear a smile and think positively (article here)

Live today. Be blessed in today. Recognize the blessings. Bless others in return. Live blessed. I want to live this way. May I renew my life and the life around me by recognizing my blessings and living different because of it.

How can you live blessed?

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As a new year dawns, many people make the mistake of committing to resolutions that are too strict or unrealistic. When it comes to social media, many of these resolutions can be to deactivate Facebook or delete certain apps off your phone. While I am all for this if the need is there, I decided to take a more positive spin with Social Media in 2015.

I decided to flood my Instagram and Facebook feeds with positive images that motivate me and encourage my goals for 2015.

Here are some things I’ve done to nourish the resolutions I’ve set in place:

1. Follow a few people whose recipes inspire you to cook and/or eat better. The key component here is to feel motivated by their posts, not discouraged that your diet or cooking ability won’t or can’t measure up.

2. Follow someone who can encourage an area of need in your life. For me lately that has been preparing meals for my kids. I love following “planetbox” to get ideas for fun and healthy kid meals.

3. Follow someone who is successful at what they do. I love seeing someone who is fired up about about their goals and putting plans into action!

4. Follow someone who urges you to be better! I want to get stronger physically this year so I started following a few amazing yogis to encourage my fitness goals.

5. Join a challenge. I love yoga, but don’t have the time right now to join a studio and have not been practicing much since I had kids. However, I joined a really fun yoga challenge that is rekindling my love of yoga and making me realize the benefits of fitness and areas I’m excited to improve upon.

6. Don’t forget about your friends! It can be …

Being more grateful is a common choice for a  New Year’s Resolution. The website, HappierHuman.com, gives a list of “31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life“. Some of these benefits include: Gratitude makes us happier, Gratitude makes us healthier, Gratitude makes us more optimistic, Gratitude makes us less self-centered, Gratitude improves your sleep, Gratitude increases your energy levels, Gratitude deepens friendships, Gratitude increases your productivity…Read the rest of the list to learn more about how gratitude can change your life! Being grateful can be difficult among busy schedules and your day-to-day monotony. Having a gratitude journal can be very helpful and effective to remember how many things in your life there are to be thankful for!

We, Weisser Women, received a Gratitude Journal for Christmas called “Choose Gratitude: Blessings Journal”. This gift has become a type of New Year’s Resolution for each of us. There is a space for every day of the year so every night or morning you write down a blessing from the previous day. It can be something that happened or just something you thought of throughout the day. But, it can really make a difference in what you are thinking about or your perspective on life.

Here is a blog post from the author of “Choose Gratitude: Blessings Journal”, Crystal Paine on how choosing gratitude has changed her life! Unfortunately, this has become such a popular Gratitude Journal that it is currently out of stock on Crystal’s blog and Amazon but you can still order it to receive it when more are published. Either order it at the bottom of the blog post above or on Amazon in the link below.

Choose to Be Full of Gratitude this New Year!

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Christmas time is a great time to reflect on the blessings and joys in our lives. One of my greatest joys the past few years has been the joy of friendship.

A little over three years ago, I became a mom for the first time. It was the best and scariest time of my life being responsible for a tiny little person. Since then we have added two more little blessings to our family and I just don’t know where I would be without the support and love of my friends.

Many of my friends and I met 3 years ago at a breastfeeding support group at our local hospital. We bonded over love for our children and the sheer craziness of our new responsibilities. Over the years I have added friends to my little circle through common interest groups and my Stroller Strides fitness group.

As fun as it is to have play dates and meet ups at parks for the kids, we realize how important it is to just have some MOM time. That is why I am so happy to open my home each year at Christmas for my annual Christmas Cookie Exchange. It is a super fun way to hang out, drink hot chocolate, and eat cookies of course.

So as you enjoy this season of giving and receiving remember to thank the amazing people in your life and the lives of your children for all their support and friendship!

Thank you to my friends and family. I am so blessed!

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