FRUSTRATION!

You're frustrated because you keep waiting for the blooming of flowers

of which you have yet to sow the seeds.

~~Steve Maraboli

 

Today I am feeling frustrated. There's no particular reason...or maybe it's just hundreds of small reasons all balled up into one.  The weather is driving me crazy...my dogs are driving me crazy...my husband is driving me crazy...my students are driving me crazy.  Maybe part of my frustration lies in the fact that with all that "driving", it's really a pretty short ride.

 

What I should be feeling is gratitude.  The sun is shining down on the snow making it look so very sparkly.  I have a husband and dogs so I'm not lonely.  And my students...well they mean that I have a job.  Hmmm...taking those frustrations and flipping them around to gratitude was actually quite easy.  I feel better already.

 

The next time you're feeling FRUSTRATED, try flipping your frustration into gratitude.  You will be amazed how it changes your outlook.

 

After all...

 

It IS All In Your Head!

 

Cindy

cakozak88@gmail.com



Be happy for this moment.  This moment is your life.

~~Omar Khayyam

Every instant you spend regretting the past or worrying about the future is a piece of your life you will never get back.  Don't spend your present day energy in your yesterdays or your tomorrows.  One is gone and the other may never come.

This very moment is all you have.  Breathe it in and live it to the fullest.

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com

The Gift of Questions

Glennon Melton's blog, Momastery, shares her joys and struggles with parenthood.  One post
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/the-questions-that-will-save-your-relationships_b_4618254.html  was about mundane questions like "How was your day?" that are asked and answered by loved ones without giving the question or the answer much thought.

As I read her blog post, I thought about the questions I ask my husband like "How did you bowl?" or "How was your meeting?"...questions asked and answered without either of us paying attention.  I suspect most of us fall into this routine.  We ask to be polite but really don't care about the response.

Here are some questions Melton has learned (through therapy) to ask her family:

For your spouse:

* "What did I do today to make you feel appreciated?"
* "What did I say that made you feel unnoticed?"

For your child:

* "Were there times when you felt proud of yourself today?"
*  "How did you feel when you took your test?"

The key seems to revolve around feelings.  Asking about someone's feelings shows that you do care...you do want to know.  And when you ask a question, really listen to the answer.  It makes the other person feel that you are invested in them...not just making small talk to fill the silence. 

Ask the best questions, and your love will shine through. They truly are a gift.

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com

Start a Revolution

If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams,

and you will always look lovely.

~~ Roald Dahl

Every day...every moment...with every person we meet...we choose how to act.  With so much stress and conflict in the world, often the energy is filled with tension, and that influences our choice.  Being kind generates a calming energy and makes the giver and receiver feel better as a result.

What if each of us made it a priority to be kind to five people every day?  Do you think that would make a difference?  What if each person we were kind to passed that kindness on to five people of their own?  We could start a revolution of kindness.  And, in the end, isn't it true that only kindness matters?

It IS In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com

Dream Big!

Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible!

~~Audrey Hepburn

Imagine the reaction of people when the Wright Brothers said they were building a contraption that would allow men to soar through the air.  I expect they were gossiped about and laughed at regularly. 

Then, imagine how satisfied they felt after that first flight.  Orville's telegram read:  Success. Four flights Thursday morning all against twenty one mile wind. Started from level with engine power alone. Average speed through air thirty one miles longest 57 seconds.  Inform press.

The next time you share your dreams with someone and they laugh and tell you it will never happen, remember the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison and all the other people whose big ideas changed the world.  Never let someone tell you can't.  Unless they can predict the future, they just don't know.

Believe in yourself and you can go as far as you can dream.

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com

Stop Thief!

Don't let the thief in your mind steal your purpose.

~~Jim Rohn

I believe one of the most important things we can do during our time on the planet is find our purpose...why in the world are we here?  Our search is easier when we realize our potential and believe in ourselves.  But, when the thief in our mind begins robbing us by telling us we "aren't good enough", "aren't smart enough", "never do things right", and all those other negatives, roadblocks appear, and our search becomes more difficult...sometimes even impossible.

So imagine yourself confronting your thief and giving him/her a good swift kick in the pants. You are good enough and smart enough. Don't let the thief steal your purpose. 

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmailcom

An Easier Life

What's important to me may not be important to you.  But we can both be loving and kind about our differences.

Sometimes I find myself focusing on things that seem important at the time, but they really don't matter.  And all too often, I find myself focusing (and ranting and raving) about things over which I have no control.

What I should be focusing on is a very small subset of this.  Life would be so much easier.

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com

Integrity

 

 

Integrity is choosing to do what is right...even if no one will know.

 

In New Jersey, a few of the Governor's staffers orchestrated huge traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee because the Mayor did not support the governor's bid for re-election.

 

In Detroit, the newly elected City Council President Pro Tem was stopped for a routine traffic violation.  Officers smelled liquor and marijuana in the car, but a citation was issued for failing to signal and the President Pro Tem was allowed to leave.

 

Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford...well, enough said.  If you're interested in details, google him.

 

Does anyone else worry about what has happened to integrity?  Maybe it's not fashionable or hip or cool. I'm quite certain it won't get you any publicity.  But isn't doing the right thing what we all should be practicing more of? 

 

It IS All In Your Head!

 

Cindy Kozak

cakozak88@gmail.com

 

 



 



L.A.U.G.H.

 

 

In this extreme cold, my daily exercise routine has moved to the treadmill in the basement.  The benefits are good, but it's not the same as being outside. 

 

This morning, after logging in 5 miles, I showered, dressed and settled in to watch a Jimmy Fallon special on the DVR.  Soon I was laughing.  Each skit was funnier than the one before.  I did some running on the treadmill to rev up my metabolism and did some "internal jogging" to rev up my spirits.

 

Since laughing made me feel so great, I'm sharing some pictures that hopefully will make you smile.

 

                                      



                                                    

Let's All Unite & Get Happy!

It IS All In Your Head.

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com



Twenty Below

Leave it to the Americans to come up with a name like "Polar Vortex".  In Canada, it's called "Winter".

 

I don't know how the weather is in your area, but at my house it was -20 degrees this morning...and that was before a wind chill was calculated.  All I know is that it is cold...colder than I ever remember. 

 

As with all things, we can gripe about the situation, or we can embrace what is and look for things to be thankful for.  For example, my house has heat which I can turn up if I'm feeling chilly.  My car started this morning, and my street has been plowed.  There is food in my fridge, although I'm running a little low on comfort food like ice cream. Just those three things show how truly blessed I am.

 

So complain about the weather if you must, but acceptance will make life more pleasant.  If you don't believe me...try it.  Gratitude makes everything sweeter.

 

It IS All In Your Head!

 

Cindy

cakozak88@gmail.com

 



New Year...New Me!

Over the years, I've journeyed long and hard trying to find myself.  Little did I know that I wasn't lost at all.  Instead of spending precious time looking, I should have spent time creating myself.  One thing I'm certain of...it's never too late to start.  Make 2014 A New Year to create A New You.

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com

The Opportunity Book

Another chance to start over and do it better.  May each of you have a Blessed and Peaceful New Year.

 

It IS All In Your Head!

Cindy

cakozak88@gmail.com