You are NOT Alone

Have you ever felt like you are all alone...the world is against you...no matter what you do it's not good enough? Where do these feeling come from? "Yesterday I was fine, but today I can't get out of bed...I wanna cry all day" You are NOT Alone!

Women have this unwritten law that we are supposed to be superwomen. We should be able to have a spotless house...happy husbands...cheerful kids...sucessful careers...and the list goes on. How do you do this without EVER getting depressed when it doesn't work the way you want it to.

My husbands paycheck can't cover the bills...we're about to lose our house...keeping the house clean is nearly impossible with 3 tornadoes and hurricanes that follow (my children and their animals) and of course it all comes crashing down at once...I feel like you take 3 steps back just to take 1 steps forward. All I wanna do is cry. "I can't handle it."... "What else can I do?"... "I'm a failure."... "I'm not good enough."... "Why is God punishing me?"..."How am I gunna come up with the money to save our house?"... are all thoughts that run through my head, causing the depression to take a hold, sending them deeper and deeper in my mind. Through the tears and rushing thoughts I'm reminded of something I was once told...

"Your thoughts create your life"

Can your thinking prevent tragedy and challenges from touching your life? No. As you can see from what I previously wrote, we all experience our share of hardship and misfortune. Life is not always easy, but no matter who you are, we all have our share of the good, bad and ugly.

So if you can't eliminate bad things in your life, how can our thoughts help in difficult situations? By controlling your thoughts, you decide how these situations affect your life. Choose to find the good...find the lessons...and with the help of God, you will shape a more positive life for yourself.

We have all seen the cartoons out there with the devil sitting on one shoulder and an angel sitting on the other. I know this is going to sound crazy, but that's really not that far from the truth. Each one of us has internal battles everyday and "Satan" loves to render each one of us useless.

Here are some ways to start taking back our thoughts:

1. Make an appointment with yourself. Take a morning or afternoon to think about your life. If this sounds scary to you, this is one of the first places to change your thoughts. This is fun. Find a quiet place with no distractions such as the library, sitting in your bed, or sitting in your car.

2. Daydream. See I told you this would be fun. Who doesn't like to daydream? Open your mind. Think about the areas in your life you want to change. I can save the world in my daydreams.

3. Write Your Dreams Down. Write out what you want to change. Maybe there is only one area you want to change. Don't feel like you have to change everything. But if there is something that could improve the quality of your life, write it down. Don't worry about whether it is possible. Assume EVERYTHING is possible.

4. Make a Plan. For your top changes, write out some rough plans about how you could achieve those dreams. Break down the long term goal into monthly, weekly and daily things you'll need to do to get there.

5. Find Mentors. Who inspires you? What can you learn from that person or those people? How do they think? How do they handle challenges? Write it all down. Let that person serve as a guide while you work towards your dreams. Don't be afraid to ask for help and guidance. Remember not to compair yourself to your mentor, they are human just like you.

6. Make Reminder Posters. Use your creativity here. The idea is to create posters to hang in key places like your bathroom, nightstand, kitchen, car and/or desk. On the poster (any size you want) list your Dreams, your daily action plan, and the thoughts you want to cultivate each day. You can include quotes or other inspiration too. Be sure to add pictures, color, texture, whatever makes it powerful for you.

7. Show Gratitude. Take time each morning to really appreciate what you currently have in your life that is good. In the evening take time to review the day, either in quiet meditation, in a journal, or with someone who supports you. Try to include either a spouse, your children, or other person who is important in your life.

8. Believe. Believe in the power of your thoughts. Remember that the many Manmade things in this world were once only a thought. Don't let Satan steal your joy.

9. Take Action. Your thoughts and plans need to be combined with action to create a result. If motivation is lacking, don't wait for it to appear. Take action first and then watch your energy and motivation blossom! Take action on your goals everyday. Make them a priority by working on your daily goals before other things in life.

Remember "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"