I AM.....

Good Monday morning Shiners and Shinettes!  I hope that everyone has had a great weekend….It’s time to get our week started on a positive note.

You are probably wondering what the title of the post is about…well let me tell you!

Many times, we may feel one way about ourselves and that way is not the real us. We tend to absorb the negative thoughts and words from others and for some reason we let them stick.  However, what about how we think of ourselves?  Are we not strong enough?  Well, I am here to tell you….Oh yes we are strong enough to push back.  Yes-Life does throw us many curve balls and sometimes, one negative word can break us down making it simply impossible to overcome.  Well today, that ends….just because that seed was planted does NOT mean it has to stay in that pot!

I want you to repeat after me…

I AM…..

Amazing <---

Smart <---

Kind <---

Helpful <---

Awesome <---

Caring <---

Loving <---

Strong <---

Creative <---

Beautiful <---

Handsome <---

Encouraging <---

Inspiring <---

Motivating <---

Unique <---

Artistic <---

I am Me….

I am the best ME that the world could and should ever get to know.

It is only up to us to uplift our spirits….I understand that some days may be harder that others, but we are all stronger that we could ever imagine.  So, no more words to break ourselves down.

 Are there any other words that you would like to add to the list?  If so then post them in the comments.

#SpiritsUp and #ShineOn   Here is to a grand week you awesome Shiners & Shinettes!

 Ms. Positivity

Our Vision of Ourselves.....

Hey there Shiners and Shinettes….I am so excited to be writing this post because it excites my life about how we look at ourselves these days.  As we all know I am all about being positive and this post is just like the rest just with a little twist.

 

Take a look at the clip its very important to the post!

 

I have a question for you, if I asked you to describe yourself I wonder if you would be to brutally honest with how you describe yourself?  I wonder about all of the little things that you would speak about in detail that you feel that describes how you look.

To many times, we spend so much time; picking ourselves apart that we totally forget that we are all actually beautifully made.  We pick ourselves apart to the point that we no longer look at ourselves as being beautiful.  It actually, gets so bad that, when someone gives us a compliment, that we have no idea how to accept it for what was just said to us. 

My question is why are we so hard on ourselves that we have no longer become comfortable in our own skin, or in how we look?  Why do we try so hard to look like another instead of being the beautiful person that we are?  Why is it so hard for us to believe that someone actually sees the beauty that WE don’t see-but should see on a daily basis??   We will find a flaw within ourselves so fast it will make your head spin. 

Darlings, its time!  It’s time to be comfortable in the skin that you’re in and stop picking ourselves apart.  It’s time to see yourself as the beautiful being that you are.  It’s time to stop being so hard on how you look.  It’s time to stop picking at your weight, your hair, eyes, legs, hands, and anything else that you can think of that you would just love to point out that YOU feel that makes you unattractive.  The fact is that IT’S NOT TRUE! WE have done this, we have allowed this from others, and TODAY it stops. 

If you are bold enough, stand in the mirror and just take a look at you!  Take a long look at yourself and love YOU to the fullest.   At one point in my life I did just what I want you darlings to stop doing.  I allowed someone to make me feel that I was not beautiful, when actually I have always been.  It wasn’t until I left that particular situation that I found my inner and outer beauty once again.   The things is…it never left…I just thought it did! 

Pssssttttt….Can I tell you something??  YOUR BEAUTY NEVER LEFT!  IT’S LOOKING BACK AT YOU ON A DAILY BASIS!  So with these words, I say, GET COMFY….PUT YOUR BEAUTY ON!

"WE"ARE BEAUTIFUL

 

Ms. Positivity

 

 

Because of YOU!!!

Well Hello There Shiners and Shinettes….

It has been a while since my last blog post and there is a reason for that, so here goes.

My last post was in December of 2012, and from that day, I have been a busy-busy woman, but at the same time, I honestly had felt that I lost my spark to blog. Yes, I know Ms. Positivity felt that she had lost her spark!!! GASPS how dare I…Well, I am here to say that I have not lost my spark…in fact I think it was just turned down a bit so that I could pursue other things to make Positively Shining that much better and it is!

See, for many that do know me, Positively Shining was just a blog, but over the past year, with YOUR support, YOU gave me the notion to make this bigger that I could ever imagine. When I would blog, it would be about positive things and how NOT to let them get to us and drag us down…. Well how about I still do that but NOW the passion is back. Let me explain.

When I set my heart to do something, I attack it with all of my heart. I had a out of the blue conversation with a good friend (Sammy) that I have only met over the internet and his spirit is much like my own. He stated “Hi Melissa! This page is not growing. I'd like to see it grow so I need you to post some stuff (with pictures though. I find people tend to ignore posts without pics on my page anyhow), which I can share on my page. ;) xoxox ♥”

See just with this message we chatted a bit and I followed his direction as to how to grow my page. I am very passionate with what I do so I prayed and went at it! As I followed his direction, I started seeing more and more people LIKING Positively Shining on Facebook!

Now do not get me wrong I do not blog to get more likes on my page, but to let YOU all know that it’s because of your LIKES on my Facebook page that has given me back my SPARK TO BLOG! Just this week alone I think about 30+ Shiners and Shinettes have LIKED the page because of its message. It’s because of YOU that I am excited about blogging again. It’s because of YOU that I prepare myself each day to motivate, inspire, encourage and empower. It is because of YOU that I am sitting here so excited to write and post this blog piece. See guys…YOU are awesome and YOU keep me going with Positively Shining!! YOU never let me down and I have to return the favor and NOT let you down….

So with my SPARK burning on high…I say THANK YOU FOR BEING APART OF OUR POSITIVELY SHINING FAMILY!! WE are Positively Shining….TOGETHER! #SHINEON

I Love You are and again...Thank You for Turning my SPARK back up! 

Ms. Positivity

Willingness to Change

Hey there Shiners & Shinettes….I hope all is well with everyone!

As I should be working, I felt the need to blog.  Yes darlings, when the mood hits me I try to run with it.

 As you look at the title, you may say what is this all about, well let me tell you.  Many times, we may want to change but many things that keep us from change.  To be honest-I myself have fallen victim to this many times.  Granted I am as positive as can be but I am human as they come. 

As I read my word this morning (I understand that not every one is of the same religion, but this will help you as well) I cam across a devotional that had the title just like the one above.  Instantly it stopped me in my tracks, why, because I feel that we all have to have a strong willingness to change.  Many times, we may sit and get to a critical point on our lives before we actually stop and profess that we need to change. 

Let me fill you guys in on some things, and how this applied to me because, I know we all have different situations. 

A while a go I said that I wanted to change for the better, I took small steps towards this change and thought that this was all good well and fine.  HOWEVER, I still kept seeing myself frustrated, annoyed, sad, angry, and not focused.  I said that I was not going to keep falling back into the same situation and habits that kept me that way.  I would be good for a few days and I was right back at square one.  HA silly little girl, I said I had the willingness to change but who was I fooling.  Mind you----this continued to happen repeatedly, until this past Friday.  I had so called friends driving me to continue my behavior through their behavior. Deep down, it was never them; it was my level of willingness to change.  It was weak and that is why I continued to be aggravated by their actions.  See Shiners & Shinettes…people are going to be who they are and we can no longer sit and blame them for how WE act.  WE have to have the divine will power to change. 

Well I did it…I removed the issues….yes ISSUES from my life because I know that I have the will to change for the better.  I am not one to make excuses, I have always owned up to my part of the foolery that I added to my life.  I am owning up to my part and going to make a change.  I have removed some people from my life because I want to be healthy.  Some people and their behaviors are toxic and I choose “LIFE”.  To get my LIFE back to the way it needs to be, happy and fulfilling.  Not finding away back to square one. 

Now when we want that good change, we have to understand that it is not going to be easy, and we will feel uncomfortable for a while, test and much more will present themselves (I know this first hand) but hold strong and fight.   

All of this to say Shiners & Shinettes….if you want change, do what you have to do and hold on tight.  No matter that the vice is, smoking, drinking, losing weight, eating, living, or letting some other bad habit go.  Having that WILLINGNESS to change is at you fingertips.  A better life, a better mind and a better YOU is waiting to flourish!

Ms. Positivity

 

Never too Late to Celebrate

Shiners and Shinettesssss! Hello, Hello, Hello to you all!

Goodness, I know I have been away for a while, but it was good reason. Never the less I AM BACK and I do not plan to go away again.

As you notice the title, I have a few things to celebrate. I was supposed to have blogged when this all went down, but life has been moving so fast….so let me catch you all up as fast as I can. August is almost over and I tell you wonderful peeps that it has been so full of things to celebrate!

Let’s see, the first week of August, my daughter turned 13 years old! Now that is major. She had a great sleep over, equipped with food, friends, laughs, screams, hey ice cream bowls, scary stories, music and tons more.

To be honest, I have missed you all so much in the blogsphere. Keeping my head in the books took so much time away from being able to indulge as I used to before. But enough of that…I’m back and ready to get back to inspiring, motivating, uplifting, laughing and participating with all of you and I know may of you missed that but stuck with me during my journey.

 Next, I finally did it. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis). I finished everything on August 14th. I am so relieved that-that part of the journey is over as well. Therefore, I’m doing the happy dance because I did not quit. It was tough, but baby let me tell ya it is so worth it!

Lastly, but so not least Positively Shining has turned 1 year old!!! I started out a year ago, with one idea and it turned into something awesome and it will-IS only going to get better. I have the time to dedicate to this full time now and I am elated to express it. If any one knows me, I love to motivate you darlings to the fullest. WELLLLLLL, that’s what you’re going to get to the MAX.

With that said, I am inviting all of you to help me celebrate all of these wonderful things by welcoming Positively Shining back home….because without all of you there is NO ME!

Ms. Positivity

Need A Step Ladder???

Hey there Shiners & Shinettes!

I’m back and on the move again towards my long life goal….you guessed it Positivity! (Not that it went any where)

I know I have stepped back from writing but…that has all ended.  So here goes!!!

                                                              Step Ladder

                                                 

Have any of you wonderful Shiners/Shinettes used a step ladder before?? I’m sure that you have…if not you just may have stepped on a good ole chair to boost you up just a bit.  The thing is darlings; we sometimes need a little boost to reach what we want. 

Many times when we want to do something we may not have the proper means to do it, but if we had that step ladder to reach just a bit higher we would be able to accomplish that much more.

Many times we want to give up….Never give up! Get on that step ladder and boost yourself up.  Many times things don’t go our way…Never give up! Get on that step ladder and give yourself that needed boost to look for a different avenue to see new change.

See guys, I needed that step ladder a little while ago.  For awhile, I thought that I could do some things on my own.  I never asked for help and by NOT doing so I began to get the notion to give up!  Well if anyone knows me “IM NO QUITTER”.

I know I can be honest with you darlings….haven’t we all been there when we just want to give up because things are not going our way…no matter how hard we try to make things right?? So if you can say “YES” to this then you know where I am coming from.  Well…I had to tell my stubborn self, that I needed to get up and get a little boost.  Many of us live with negativity day in and day out...well I refused to let that get me down once again!!!!

Negativity comes at us all kinds of ways, for example, words, actions, social networking, family, and mainly US! Yeah I said it OURSELVES!  We-Us-You-Me, will be our worst negative energy when things don’t go our way, when we read or feed into the mess we see before us.  Well I am here to say, STOP these actions and get on the step ladder.

It is time for us to get out of our personal-defiant ruts and step up on that good ole sturdy step ladder of positivity.  Pour positive things into our minds and lives.  No longer will we be the cause of us not being as positive as we can be!!  We will only surround ourselves with positive like minded people, we will turn away from negative news, no gossip, we will not be used and abuse but another's negativity!

We as Shiners and Shinettes are way better than that!

So I ask you Shiner and Shinettes….NEED A STEP LADDER!??  If so you can borrow mine!  Sharing is caring and best believe I care about each and every one of you!!  Soooooo let's get on the good foot and Step up for Positivity!

~Positive We Stand~

Ms. Positivity!!

I miss you.....Positivity Shines AGAIN!

Hey there Shiners and Shinettes!

I know it has been a while for us to chat and for that I am deeply apologetic.

Granted I have been away with the major new changes at work, new changes in my life (engaged), school (finals) and new changes to come I have missed you guys dearly!  When I say that I am entirely sincere.

Each of you that I know and even if I don't know are like my second family.  You know when you are away for too long you get home sick....and you know what my darlings I am just that home sick!

I have used the word CAN'T so much it hurts.  I can't do this I can't do that! All of these other things drain me to my core but its never a day that goes by that I do not think about you guys!

Sooooooo since I have some time on my hands (finals are over) I wanted to let you wonderful Shiners and Shinettes know that I am back and here to stay!  Each of you are important to me and I can't have you guys feeling as though I don't care or that I went away!

So let's start over, talk through our ups and downs, smile, laugh, and hang in there for we are the meaning of POSITIVITY! I can't help you guys scrub away the negativity and positively shine if I'm not here! Well I am here and we will tackle Negativity to the ground! We will not be bullied into giving up our positivity for negativity away! So Excuse me...I'm Ms. Positivity and We meaning my Shiners & Shinettes will not be broken!  So here is to Positively Shining together!

Positive We Stand!

Greatness!!! I said GREATNESS!

Hey there Shiners....

This is one of those times where the mood is hitting me so I am going to let it flow. 

What do you think of when you hear the word greatness?? 

I am wondering if any of you added yourself into any of the list of things that came to mind. 

To many times we think less of ourselves because we may not be exactly where we want to be in life but to be honest we are exactly where we belong.  We want to move forward and that is GREAT! We want to reach higher and that is GREAT! We want to be the best and that is GREAT! Why because we are great!

You may not see it but you were born for a reason.  We all have our own little part to play in this huge movie we call life.  Each charater has his/her own role and it is important.  Can you imagine being the leading man/lady and not having eachother??  It would be a total mess.  Who would make sure that you remembered your lines, the movie would not flow properly. 

We are all born from greatness....I will say it again....WE WERE BORN FROM GREATNESS!  We are special in everyway.  I see so many young adults like myself at one point that thought less of themselves but that will stop here because we are Great! We are doing big things, turning small thoughts into big dreams, changing for the better, loving more, opening up more and even shedding a single tear because at one point we were so guarded.  This is GREATNESS!  To be able to let go and let the lord above do his works within us.  To reach and do things that we never thought that we would ever be doing. We can not stop here because it is not meant to be.  We are to reach beyond the stars and snag one for ourselves and keep our greatness shining as bright as we can.

So My Shiners...I ask you again what do you think of when you hear the word greatness??

I Pray with everything I have you are now on that list of things because you are just that...Great!

Never let no one or nothing try to tell you or show you that you are anything less than GREATNESS!
Its been in all of us since day one!

I love you all

Ms. Positivity!!!!

Getting back to Me....Guest Post by Dina

                              

                                                   

                                                             Finding Dina

Ten years ago I was in my 20s, I was a full time student and I had a part time job.  I met and started dating my husband; we fell in love and decided to get married that year. Everything was working out perfectly, almost like a modern fairytale.  The most stressful thing about my life at that time was the wedding planning because I wanted it to be perfect.  And it was that desire for perfection that led me to making the worst decision of my life: taking a break from school.

I planned on taking one semester off to have a stress free wedding, a glorious honeymoon and blissful first few months of marriage.  I saw no harm in taking a little break because I only had one more year left to get my bachelors.  I was young and I thought I knew it all, had it all under control.  But one thing you never know is what may be waiting for you around the corner.

That semester off?  You guessed it.  It stretched into years.

The company my husband worked for laid him off and then went bankrupt a few months later.  Many companies followed suit and jobs were hard to come by.  This was 2001, the year of 9/11 when tragedy struck our country and the first whispers of recession were becoming audible.

I found work as a secretary in a hospital, a great job with great benefits.  And we needed those benefits as a young married couple that hoped to start a family someday.  I worked full time and was happy there.  I quietly gave up on my dream of becoming a teacher because I thought it would be too hard to work full time and go to school.

Then one day one of the new doctors was chatting with us while he was waiting for his patient to return from a test in another department.  This doctor looked so young that we liked to call him Doogie Houser.  On this particular day he was telling us about his wife who was pregnant with their second child and by the end of our chat I knew that his wife was to become my inspiration.  This day and this conversation literally changed my life.  Why?  Because this pregnant woman who was already mom to a toddler was also keeping herself occupied by being the Chief Resident at one of the leading hospitals in the state.

And I thought my life was busy?  I thought it would be too hard for me to go back to school?  I was willing to give up on myself so easily?  No.  I needed to get back to ME.

The next day I filled out the application to go back to school and I enrolled in classes for the new semester.  It took me a little bit longer to finish as a part time student, but a couple of years later I graduated, with honors.

Finally.  I was ME again.

You can find more of Dina @30ish_Mama and also  http://30ishmama.blogspot.com where she writes about motherhood, toddlerhood and her random thoughts.  She is married to her own personal Clark Kent/Superman and is mom to one sparkly little princess.

Getting back to "Me" Guest Post by Susan Silver

                                             A Story NEVER told

Here is a story rarely told.  Back in May 2010 I was steadily working on a blog with a colleague. That was the proving ground for many of my SEO tactics. We were finally building an audience and then... it ended. Not with a bang but a whimper as they say. My friend informed me that she had been hired and that she had signed a non-competition clause. That was the end of that.

At first I was a little devastated. I think anyone would have responded that way after building something for 6 months. I wasn’t quite sure what the next step was going to be. I had my own personal blog, but it was nothing. I needed a fresh perspective. I saw Darren “Problogger” Rowse’s tweet about the SITS Girls 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge and that seemed like a way out.

At that time, Cirquedumot was just a crazy experiment to show off the power of Twitter. It has become the cornerstone of my blogging experience. Through SITS I finally understood the power of networks, word of mouth, and having support for your ideas.

This seems all off topic right? This is supposed to be about getting back to me, not the tale of where things started. Off topic... the doom and gloom of any blog. It’s called a niche, not my continuing interest in the world & everything. Staying on topic is something any blogger will struggle with.

The bad news, my blog had plateaued at about three months in *faceplant*. My network trailed off and I find myself lost again. I was wondering if our online networks are nothing more than fair weather friends.  I focused on search engine optimization and content. After all, these two aspects where within my control.

I had forgotten something that made those early blogs stand out, heart.

Heart?

I forgot about heart!

You see those early success were built on the relationships I had with people on the forum. When the challenge ended where was I, not on SITS. Don’t get me wrong content and SEO matter. They will never replace your friends and supporters. They are what keeps us going when the going gets tough. That is what I was missing.

How am I getting back to me?

My blog is all about word of mouth and that means bringing back a sense that there is a person behind the content. I am just going to follow my original mission. Explain marketing mumbo jumbo and give real tips that people can use. My number one goal for the New Year is to treat my blog as the personal journey it represents. After all people relate to people not concepts.

I hope you will continue on this journey with me as we navigate the online world together. I want to take the time to thank Ms. Positivity for her support that has kept me on the path! Thank you everyone who has taken the time to visit, read, and comment! 

To get to know Susan better check her blog out at http://cirquedumot.com and you can catch her on Twitter!! 

Fighting Back! "Getting Back to ME" Part 3

Chapter 3....I didn't GIVE UP         

                                                         

                                                        

Just moments ago I felt off with my story with me fighting my anemia which is a major factor in my life.  I remember it like it was yesterday Shiners.  Again I lay in this bed sleeping away....I wake up wanting to go right back to sleep. I have never just slept the day away-not even when I am sick!

Oh well-once again the fighter in me would not stand for it and I'm NOT! Let me tell you what I did....I got up, got my butt out of bed  and took a shower, washed my hair, did my homework and more.  I kept moving. I turned on some music and kept moving.  I went back and read my blog, I watched my kids play and laugh, I Wii bowled, I just danced to Just Dance 2, I looked at my twitter and saw how so many look forward to communicating and getting their daily dose of Positivity from me.  I looked over my transcripts from school....A+ here B+ there more A's and more A's, Dean' list, President's list.  I am in no way gloating-this is what I had to do to get my mind right because I wanted to give it all up because of this blasted anemia. Then Shiners....I saw it!

I saw it alright....that Bleeping D!  Dang it!! I said all because I am anemic. That D saved me but crushed me. I never had one of them before. So I step back up to the plate this term Shiners and I will have 2 shiny fat A's! Let me tell you why-Because I'm getting back to "ME"

That's right...me and this anemia are going toe to toe!  I'm no quitter-I don't give up at anything!  I will find me in the process.  I will relax, I will eat ice cream, I will laugh, blog my heart out, smile abundantly, and whip anemia's butt!

See I am Ms. Positivity!! I am not mean in any way, I am a loving mother of 2, loving pre-wife of one, God fearing and as long as I have faith the size of a mustard seed I will prevail.  I will take my iron pills, take my B-12(because my body does not produce enough) and Shine as bright as I can for me, and every one I love and care for!  You will see a different me-I will be calm, spunky, witty, funny, and full of life.

This may seem simple, but for one who is dealing with anemia that has knocked me off of my square-it is major!

See Shiners I need you guys....One of my great friends sent me this on Facebook the other day: Kelly Reid
"Have I told you lately how special you are? You are an amazing woman! You are truly an inspiration. Here I am thinking how in the world am I going to balance work and school and then I think of you. Not only an FT employee, a student, a mother (dang good one at that!) a girlfriend, a friend to many and a blogger to name just a handful (among many others hats you wear) ;) Wow!!! Keep it up, you motivate me to be more and do better. Love you!"

See I never knew the affect that I had on people until I started Positively Shining. Without you their is no ME! That is why I have to get back to ME so I can totally Positively Shine for YOU!

So here is to getting back to "ME" The fight I  WE will win TOGETHER! 

So Let's show them how we get back to us! 

YES ALL YOUR LIFE.....

Great Morning Shiners! It is once again "Shining the Spotlight"  I can't believe that the series went so fast and in just a few day Christmas will be upon us.  I just wanted to say that I am so grateful and thankful for each Shiner for all of their support through this series.

Today I am glad to introduce to you a young lady that goes by the name Simply Z!  I have the great pleasure to work with this wonderful lady and she is also apart of MAZ (Melissa, Aliya & Z) Together we are so strong and we have been through so much.  Z has been blogging for a while and she came to me and asked could she be apart of my Shiner team! To me she was already a Shiner! So lets shine on her guys! 

Simply Z the spotlight is all yours!

                                                       

As the year end slowly approaches or rapidly (time flies) I think of the slogan I carried throughout 2011, “Yes All Year.”  Funny that those 3 little words sound so easy to live by, and they are, yet months ago I wondered if I really had what it took to continue the journey.  Today, I say yes!  However, if you would have asked me then, my answer would have been, not so much.

I felt like my dream was slowly dying or that I wasn’t good enough to see it truly manifest.  Doors closing from left to right, things not happening how I hoped they would, opportunities I spoke about not happening, being at a job I do not like and wondering if I’ll ever see the light of day (literally).  And, that alone caused my thoughts to run wild: What am I doing wrong that isn’t allowing me to move forward?  What do I need to do to move on?

Okay, I digress.  I said all that to say, at the end of it all, when you think you have nothing left to give yourself, your dream, something deep inside of you wakes up (it probably was never sleep) and those 3 words become louder than they did the first time they were heard.  Yet, those words change from “Yes All Year,” to “Yes All My Life.” 

Life happened in 2011, life happens, but I am blessed to have experienced every moment.  Through it all I have become more aware of who I am (always learning), what I dream (always dreaming) and who I will become. 

We live in an ever evolving world and we are an ever evolving people.  We EACH have a job to do and through our own experiences (good, bad, not understood, etc.), we are to take them and show people or someONE that “shift” happens, yet you, I, and we can all get through the “shift.”

I heard a message on Sunday, “I’m Glad You Made Me Do It.” (Pastor Martina Mitchell)  I like to take that a step further and say, “I’m Glad You Made Me Go Through It.” 

I am humbled and honored to have been able to “Shine the Spotlight” with a fellow blogger, Ms__Positivity and all her shiners.  As I’ve been reading the posts featured every Wednesday at 10 am I remember post like, Grateful Journey, Taking “Life” Back and Don’t Let Clutter Steal Your Shine and I like to add that through it all we must NEVER GIVE UP, HOLD ON TO OUR DREAMS and remember YES ALL YOUR LIFE! 

It’s been a pleasure "Shining the Spotlight" and may you all continue to Shine On!

Signed,

Simply Z

To get to know Simply Z better follow her on Twitter, catch her celebrating on Facebook and last but not least Skip on Over to her blog and show her some love!

Grateful Journey....

Well hello there to all the awesome Shiners out there! It is once again time to "Shine the Spotlight" on another great blogger.  She is fairly new at this but she is a great person and she provided me with a really nice piece and her name is Tiffany.  In addition, Tiffany and I have become really good friends through a No Spending November Challenge through her blog that is called Scenes From a Single Mom.
As I read her blog, many times I say to myself "I know that's right" totally agreeing with what she is saying.

So here today, I am ready to Shine the Spotlight on Tiffany aka the Gemini Super Mom! So everyone here is Tiffany's guest post!!! #ShineOn Tiffany and as always #ShineBright!

                                                     The Grateful Journey

A little more than a week ago, many of us spent time in fellowship with our friends and family, eating, catching up on all things new and sharing all that we are thankful for.  Then many of us left dinner tables, and headed straight to shopping malls to buy MORE THINGS.  Isn’t it ironic?  We immediately forget about the many things we already have to be thankful for and run out with, cash, credit/debit, or check in hand to stock up on MORE things.

During this time of year that is supposed to be full of cheer, joy, love, peace, and yes, thanksgiving so many of us find ourselves feeling down, depressed, and unfulfilled.  In many cases these feelings are directly related to our ability or inability to purchase the gifts that we feel that our loved ones deserve, want and need.  To this I say: ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

I challenge you to embrace, and enjoy this holiday season with a heart full of thanks and gratitude, and encourage your family and friends to do the same!  Start a grateful journey, and keep a grateful journal along the way.  What is the grateful journey?  On the grateful journey you end each day naming three things that you are grateful for, and you NEVER repeat them.  You will be amazed at how much you are thankful for, and how much less you feel that you and your family needs! If you have children, take some time every night and discuss the grateful journey as a family, over dinner, or just during your family time in the evenings.  The journal is an added bonus. If you create a grateful journal, then you can go back and reflect over time, all that you have to be thankful for.

The grateful journey is not meant to replace your daily devotional time, meditation or prayers of thanksgiving by any means.  However an extension of the way you count your abundance of blessings.

Please, share your grateful journeys here as well!

To get to know Tiffany better Skip on Over to her blog, Follow her on Twitter and catch her on FaceBook!!

Its been great Shiners! Forever Shining Bright!

Don't Let Clutter Steal your Shine.....

Itsssss Backkkk! Hello Shiners "Shining the Spotlight" is back! I pray that everyone has had a great holiday and are ready to get back to reading some awesome blogs by some awesome Shiners.

I have the pleasure to present to you a wonderful shiner by the name of Alison.  She is the owner of Learn to Embrace the Struggle. She has become one of my good friends of blogging and each and everyday!! So here is her guest post on getting thing together and clearing out the clutter...ohhhhh this is a good one Shiners!! Hey I needed to see this piece myself and I am really getting ready to apply so much of this to my life! Many times when you think you have life under control its just way to cluttered!

                                          Delete. Ctrl X.  Backspace.  

You know which key, or combination of keys, to use when you need to remove items on the computer.

And so it is in real life.  You sometimes need to hit delete--to edit your life--in order to shine like you want to.  

Clutter isn't only about a house bursting at the seams with "stuff."  Every area of our lives is subject to clutter, but, we have the last word regarding what stays--or goes--in our lives.

Mental clutter

Are you worn out mentally?  Guilty of foggy thinking or (gasp!) no thinking?  You probably have too much going on in your "beautiful mind."  Sometimes we need to take a "mental health day" to purge our minds. 

• Choose to focus on positive thoughts and eliminate, or at least decrease, negative thinking.  
• Let go of the multitasking!  It really is less efficient than doing one thing at a time.  A fragmented mind is often a demented mind, but an uncluttered mind is an effective mind.
• Relinquish the title of superman/superwoman!  You don't have to be Ruler of the Universe.  Someone else already snagged that title!

Emotional clutter

We're often unaware of the extent of the toll taken on our lives by emotional issues.  When we vacillate between one end of the emotional spectrum and the other, we become imbalanced.   

• Pay attention to your emotions and behavioral triggers so that your relationships won't be hampered. 
• When deep-seated issues, many of which are formed in childhood, are not addressed, our emotional clutter will disable us from living in the present.
• Focus on the people that truly count and deserve your time, and root out those that don't.  That might mean cutting back on some activities or losing some toxic "friends," but if it lessens your clutter and replenishes your life, go for it!

Physical clutter

We are a generation that wears its body down to a frazzle.  The amount of stress and tension we put ourselves through is alarming.  Why do we do this when the result--poor health, shortened lifespan--is so devastating?

• Combat the physical clutter within our bodies by paying attention to your eating habits and adding exercise into your daily lives.  
• Incorporate practices such as slow eating, yoga, walking, and tai chi, which are proven change-makers.  Sometimes just paying attention to our body language (furrowed brows, hunched backs) and responding by breathing deeply can deflate the tension we carry within us.
• Remember that physical clutter isn't limited to our bodies; it's also found in our surroundings.  There is a proven link between uncluttered surroundings and productivity. 

I've always loved--and try to live by--this quote by William Morris:  "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."  What better way to invite peace and positivity into your life than by making the areas you inhabit clutter-free, yet attractive!

Spiritual clutter

Here's the thing:  if the three areas we just discussed are cluttered, there's no room for the spiritual, the most important aspect of our lives.  

• We are spirit, gifted with a soul and inhabiting a body; unfortunately, we've reversed the order and thus forfeited much of our peace and joy.  
• Prayer and meditation are God-given pathways to spiritual wellness.  
• As we clear away the hindrances to our relationship with God, we begin to see ways to work on other areas that may be cluttered.

In his book "The Life You've Always Wanted," John Ortberg states that "the enemies of simplicity are multiplicity and duplicity."  Whenever we are pushed and pulled in too many directions, it becomes impossible to keep life simple.  In addition, we aren't true to ourselves when we are ambivalent. 

Are you shining to the fullest?  Are you giving yourself the chance to enjoy a simpler, balanced life, brimming with possibilities, positivity, and peace?  As you press that "delete" button in each area of your life, you'll begin to see measurable and enjoyable differences.  And so will others!

 

To Embrace the Struggle with Alison and myself check her out Facebook or follow her on Twitter!! Its worth it! 

Special Edition....Time to Shine for a Birthday Bash!!

Hey Shiners! I hope everyone has had a great time during their Thanksgiving holiday.  I know I did.

I am sending out a Special Edition of Positively Shining!

                                               

This edition is for a 30th Birthday Bash.  I know many of us are young and vibrant and are hitting milestones in life.  I know for me turning 30 was great!

Well today I am Shining this Special Edition for  Isaac M. Hamm III.  He is turning 30 and he is doing this in a major way. Check out the details below.

“Mr. Philadelphia Socialite”

 Isaac M. Hamm III Charity Birthday Bash!!

PHILADELPHIA, PA., Dec 23, 2011 – Isaac M. Hamm III CEO and Founder of IM3Media.com will be hosting his first annual charity birthday bash.  This event will be held at Gallerie Isada, located 3320 Collins Street from 8:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M.  Please join us for an unforgettable evening as Philadelphia’s biggest and brightest stars and local businesses come together to make a change.

This is a celebration of a birth but more importantly, it’s a celebration of giving back.  Partnering up with a local ministry called Chosen300, whose sole purpose is to distribute meals and services to the homeless throughout the Philadelphia Region and around the world.  With the hard work and dedication Brian & Shandai Jenkins, and Chosen300, to date, now feeds over 100,000 people a year.

IM3Media.com has established an ongoing relationship with Chosen300, and the community which they serve, over these past previous months. We have put in the much needed time to have built a family bond and we would be remiss if we didn’t want to take it a step further.  We have decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from this charity event to Chosen300.

“Turning 30 is a big year for me but the biggest gift I can give to myself is to give back. Last year I feed the homeless the weekend of y birthday and I felt great doing it. We try to make sure we give back to the community throughout the year whether it is standing at Love Park to feed the homeless or going to a community center or church to help out.” said CEO Isaac M. Hamm III

IM3Media.com is a Philadelphia-based marketing and communications company that offers an array of services. We implement an effective marketing strategy through integration of creative event design and production management.

 

Shine the Spotlight....

Hello Shiners….

This is one of my most exciting posts that I am having the pleasure of sharing with you all.  Many of you I am getting to know and many of you that are behind the scenes readers, never the less each of you have humbled my heart in some way!

This post is about “Shining the Spotlight”.  I want to shine the spotlight on all of you if you would allow me the pleasure. 

Let me explain to you what “Shine the Spotlight” is all about. 

Shining the Spotlight is about “YOU”. I am not involved in any way….well besides me loving my Shiners and posting their wonderful pieces through my blog to their blog.  Doing this will shine the spotlight on you.  See I want to make this very clear-IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU!

I am a 3 ½ year college student and I will be going back to school starting on October, 19^th, 2011.  No worries I will still be around to pass on my daily dose of positivity, however, I will not have as much time to write as often as I would like and this saddens me to my core.  I am a Psychology major, and with psychology it entails so much writing that I honestly will not have that much time to write when I want to on what I want to, but I will post here and there.  This is why I want to shine the spotlight on you Shiners.

I have gotten to know so many of you and you guys make me smile so much each day.  I want to show all of my other readers how magnificent you are.

***Here is what I am looking for from my wonderful Shiners.***

If you would like to be apart of Shine the Spotlight all you have to do is write about something that is positive, funny, inspirational, kindness, NOTHING NEGATIVE, and be family friendly.  I expect for you to be yourself, no word count, I love pictures but not mandatory, so pretty much how you would write on your own blog just in those areas. I am sure that I will love it so RELAXXXX! The next thing you do is sign up with the linky below, write a piece and email it to lamirah5@yahoo.com.  I will read it over and let you know when I will post you piece.  Each Wednesday I will post a new piece so Wednesdays I will be shining the Spotlight on you! I have a few awesome shiners already but I want to shine on more of you!! Of course it goes without saying that I will link our pages so that other readers can skip on over to your blogs as well. 

So if you would like to be apart of Shine the spotlight all  that is left for you to do is sign up. The link has been placed below!!

So what do ya say?? Would you allow me to shine the spotlight on you!