Whenever we celebrate The Holidays ( No matter which or how many we celebrate) there are always those people we wish were there with us, (Even our pets) that for any of a hundred reasons, aren’t. Well why not make them part of our celebration and create a new tradition to pass down year after year in the process?  This year make or buy a new ornament and simply write the name of a loved one, a pet, a friend or anyone you wish would be with you but can’t be.    There are no rules for this, they might be alive and somewhere else or maybe they’re only with us in spirit. The ornament can be as elaborate or simple as you want it to be. It can be one you make or one you buy. Just make sure that you put the name of that person or pet on it! Once you’re done with that,put it on the tree, hang it in a window or on your wall, lay it on a table, etc…  After you’ve done that, think about sending that person or their relatives a photo of the ornament you’ve made. Let them know what you’ve done and why you did it. Pass along the qualities they have and the reasons why you did what you did. This alone might be the best gift they receive all year long. Each year ahead, hopefully you’ll add the name of new friends or loved ones.  Each year you’ll celebrate with those you care about.  Each year someone else will know they’re being thought of and cared about, because of you. That’s not only a great tradition but a very loving thing you’ve done.  Starting your new tradition is easy and maybe it’s necessary too. Think of it as a guaranteed smile and deep breath of fresh air each time you walk by and see it. The good memories undoubtably Will be smiling  back at you and in their own way, saying thank you.   Peace        ….. Gregg

There was a time when we all felt the world around us instead of analyzing or directing or complaining or ignoring it. . At some point we convinced ourselves that that should be put aside. BIG MISTAKE!  We look at the world around us and the problems in it, and just can’t understand why. Well maybe just maybe, if more people felt instead of ignored or assumed or didn’t think at all, some of those problems we see out there would go away.  But, it’s got to happen within us first.  So, take a few minutes for yourself. Here are just 5 questions to ask yourself. Ask them, but make sure that when you answer them,  you “feel” the answers from head to toe.  Good luck…   •What does it feel like to be happy?  •What does it feel like to feel alive?   •What does it feel like to walk through the soft grass?  •What does it feel like to hear your favorite sound?  •What does it feel like to allow yourself to actually feel?  Peace       ……Gregg

The next five or six weeks will find us in all kinds of situations involving the upcoming holidays, whether or not we celebrate any or all of them. Sometimes we might find ourselves in a situation that makes us uncomfortable because of who we are, where we are, or what somebody else is doing or saying. As a result, the holidays can be an uneasy time of the year for some. In this One Minute Blog I’ve put together 4 key things that will help us find our way through the next five or six weeks and if we do it correctly, through every day after that. 1•Find 15 or 30 seconds of peace at a time…      There will be moments when we will just be overwhelmed. It might be all the shopping or cooking still to be done. Maybe it might be something someone says or Dora’s that it rude or insensitive. Maybe it’s a memory from years past that just hits you like a ton of bricks. Whatever the reason, 10-15 or 30 seconds of peace can go a long way to getting you back on track. Grab a smile from the past, a picture, sound or smell that always makes you smile. Focus on it for a few minutes and find yourself smiling through your challenges. 2•Take a deep breath… and another… and another…      That simple act relaxes the vagus nerve that controls our entire body. A simple breath does. So much more than fill your lungs with air. Allowing yourself to breathe and focus on something positive will also make sure your not focusing on the negative.  3•Not only have some appreciation for what others have done, said or made, but SHOW some appreciation for it too…  Go out of your way to feel some appreciation and/or gratitude for what’s happening around you.  Once we’ve accomplished that, share that appreciation. Tell those around you thank you, drop a gift by, hold a hug a bit longer. Even a well placed smiled can make appreciation travel farther and faster than we could ever imagine. 4•Be grateful, even  it trying circumstances…  If someone made something to eat that you don’t like, be grateful for it.  If someone says something you don’t like, be grateful that you were able to hear it. (Even though you don’t agree with it.)  If someone acts in a way that’s inappropriate, be thankful that you aren’t the one acting that way.  We can only control how we act and react. We have no control within someone else’s actions and reactions.  Over the next few weeks, do your best to remember that how we act and react, we are doing our best at that given time. (And so are they. Even if it’s below the standards we’ve set at that given time.)  So, find something, ANYTHING to be grateful and thankful for. Focus on that instead of what Weird Uncle Herb just said or the awful Cajun Green Bean and Chocolate Marshmallow Casserole that Crazy […]