NewsBreak Original

Women in broadcasting studioPhoto by George Milton from Pexels. I remember walking into the newsroom. I wouldn't say I was starstruck but I was awestruck. I was intent on absorbing the four walls before me. The excitement, the pace, and the stories. A pageant-like display of movers and shakers rushed past me. One and then another, and another. I stood instinctively and nervously frozen.

Finland has been voted the happiest country in the world for five straight years. Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands follow closely behind. The United States is certainly known for being in pursuit of happiness but considering the overwhelming population percentages with labels of clinically depressed, I am not sure we are succeeding. Dr. Laurie Santos developed an entire course at Yale University that explores misconceptions about happiness, the features of our minds that lead us to think the way we do, and advice to make changes.

Overcomers are faced with huge obstacles, but instead of letting the obstacles crush them, overcomers bust through them and come out stronger, all the while inspiring us. We don’t always have the power to control what happens to us, or what challenges rise up in our paths, but we do usually have a choice about how to react to the situation. Overcomers respond with grace and strength. They see complaining as a waste of time in a search for a solution. They will state the facts, but it is merely to describe the situation.

Stop the negativity and start spreading joy.Photo by Will Porada on Unsplash. The human brain has a natural tendency to give weight to (and remember) negative experiences or interactions more than positive ones — they stand out more. Psychologists refer to this as negativity bias. (Source.)

Many of us suffer from insecurities, and we would rather avoid trying something new and failing at it than being stagnant with what is comfortable. We cannot grow until we step out of our comfort zone, but often that first step is terrifying. If we believe we can do it, that first step is a little easier and as we start to see success and the possibilities, the sky is the limit. I have a sign on my desk that says that something is only impossible until you do it. Here are a few things that will help you believe that you can do those things that seem out of reach.

Walking and planking: 2 efficient and effective exercises for the body and mind. Living a healthy active life is far easier than most people are led to believe. There’s non-stop advice on the internet telling you to go to the gym every day. If you don’t you can’t lose weight or get fit.

Helping you learn and master the handstand to enjoy its awesome benefits. I recently wrote about the handstand being the single most amazing exercise working your whole body like crazy.

Why it’s all in your mind. Everything is possible if you make a plan, set your mind to it, and then execute it daily. Nobody can always feel positive and the right track. Life brings plenty of ups and downs that are often out of your control. The key is how you respond to life’s curveballs.

Having always stay positive and being hopeful can feel really frightening. But as with most things in life, little steps can add up to big changes. I talked last week about how I am letting go of negativity in my life and embracing more positivity. But how?

The ups and downs of life are challenging, but they make you stronger. Everything was going so well, but suddenly the rug was pulled out from under me. When I look back at the one of the most difficult times in my life, the rug wasn’t pulled from under me quickly actually.

Most of us know people who could fall into both categories. Some people can see something positive in the darkest situation and they see blessings even in their burdens. Others see the blessings as burdens. What causes the difference in our level of gratitude?

When I was in my teens and twenties, I was very confident, but at some point I lost self-esteem, and confidence. The definitions of Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem. Self-esteem and self-confidence overlap, but they are different.

Every day we have a choice of how we will greet the day. We can choose to have a negative attitude and see everything as a burden, or we can have a grateful attitude and see what we have as blessings. What if the attitude we choose affected our health?

Photo by Ray Sangga Kusuma on Unsplash. So many people and organizations are dedicated to helping people. One of the benefits of helping people whether it's in your community or not is that you can grow as a person. You feel good when you help somebody. You can also feel a sense of purpose. People who are born with passion and compassion, or who have achieved success in life, have found ways to give back to help people everywhere.

And that’s why I don’t give up and keep searching for my paradise. I’ve lived in many countries and have moved around a lot. I moved from the UK to Austria with my family when I was only 7 years old.

Photo by Vie Studio from Pexels. With the inception of Covid-19 in 2020, there was a lot of writing going on that year. In March 2021, The New York Times published Still Stuck at Home? It Might Be Time to Work on That Novel: Online writing groups have thrived during the pandemic, with membership fueled by more time at home and fewer to no social obligations.

It is so easy to make excuses when it comes to exercise but becoming too sedentary can be harmful to us. Think of a time when you have been sitting for a long time and when you stand up your legs feel stiff, and you might feel slightly lethargic. We need to move and work our bodies even though that first step might be difficult for us. This is what the doctor of my neighbor Jim told him. I run in our cul-de-sac every day and one day Jim came out and said, “My doctor said I have to start walking.” It was obvious how unhappy he was about this, but he knew he had to do it for his health, so he took those first steps. I watched him shuffle around the neighborhood with unsteady legs. Each lap is 1/10 of a mile and the first time he came out he made it three laps and headed back inside. Over the next few weeks, I watched him become stronger until he made it to walking a mile. Even better than making that milestone, he was so much stronger, and he seemed happier. I asked him if he saw the difference and he told me how much better he felt. Yesterday I asked him when he was going to try for two miles. At first, he said, “Oh!” as if that was unthinkable, but several minutes later he said, “You know, I could do it if I split it up to ten laps in the morning, and ten in the afternoon.” That’s what taking the first step and gradually improving can do for you. You start to see the possibilities.

It is a brand new year and you have another list of resolutions. If you have been keeping track of your resolutions from the previous year, are you able to check the box that these resolutions were successfully completed? You lost a substantial amount of weight, deep cleaned your domicile, got rid of old clothes, cleaned your car and all of the other items that were untouched, partially completed or forgotten. We have all been told that words matter. I think resolutions is the word that sabotages everyone. The last week of every year the mass media gives you a recap of the year. Politics, celebrity deaths and the economy are major categories that impact our lives. The past couple of years have been exceptionally difficult on the mind, body and soul, but we feel guilty to make a resolution list to fulfill in the new year.

Photo Credit: Steve Hartman, CBS News (Dec. 15, 2016). The late Philanthropist Larry Stewart would give away hundreds at Christmastime. Larry Stewart was one of the most generous men who came to be known as the Secret Santa of Kansas City. I remember hearing about him every Christmas through the years. He would always make the news going around handing out $100 bills to people he felt really needed it.