Day 48 - Write a list of things you're grateful for.

How often do you stop and take a moment to appreciate what you have in life? I'm not going to lie; I am the first that's guilty of taking things for granted. People, including myself tend to forget how blessed we truly are and take for granted the good that is present in our lives; such as your home, your ability to see or hear, your ability to walk, or anything that currently gives you comfort.

 

The beauty about having gratitude and being grateful is that it's humbling. When you write down what you are grateful for, you forget about all of your petty complaints. You forget about your expectations. You forget to cry about your failures, and boast about your success. And above all you can stop and just be grateful.

Today when I wrote my list of 1o things that I was thankful for, the first thing that came to mind was that I couldn't believe how much I take for granted on a daily basis that many can only dream of having. And then when I read it over again it put me in a calm, peaceful state and above all, left me feeling completely blessed and I couldn't help but thanking our wonderful God above. The following is "My Gratitude List":

Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings and noticing the simple pleasures; it also means learning to live your life as if everything were a miracle, and being aware on a continuous basis of how much you've been given.

Today's deed lifted me up so much that I vowed to start a Gratitude Journal beginning tonight and every night from now on. In my journal I will write down 10 things that I was grateful for throughout that day. I encourage you to start a gratitude journal of your own and you will see that after a few weeks, or even days, you will notice how your gratitude journal becomes something more than just a list you create at the end of every day. It becomes a way of life.

And if a journal is too much to start with at least write down your own list of 10 things you are thankful for. When you start to see with your own eyes what you're grateful for, it starts to sink in that life is for the most part, pretty amazing!

P.S. Don't forget to throw in at least two or three reasons why you are grateful for YOU. Self-love and appreciation sets the tone for all your other relationships in life!♥

"Now to Him Who, by the power that is at work within us, is able to do super abundantly, far over and above all that we ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]." - Ephesians 3:20♥

 

Day 47 - Meditate for ten minutes.

Like most people, I don't stop from the second I get out of bed in the morning. One task after the other and my mind is constantly racing, thinking about what task I have to do next, have I forgotten anything, what's for lunch, what's for dinner, etc. A couple of month’s back I really got into yoga, in fact, I loved it so much that I currently do it 3 times a week. One of my favorite things about the exercise is that it not only does it work out every single part of your body physically; but it also works out your mind, mentally. You get to relax, meditate, listen to mantras and think about nothing at all. Now, if you we're to ask me if I could meditate outside of yoga class I would reply with "no chance".

Have you ever thought about how many things are running through your mind on a daily basis? I never did either until I had to do this deed. When I first tried to meditate, I chose a comfortable setting; my room, sat on my bed, lit a candle and tried to think about what they taught me in yoga, the conclusion was... it was hard, REALLY hard and it got to a point where I thought I wouldn't be able to complete my deed.

Our minds are producing a constant stream of point-less thoughts, and most of us identify so strongly with them that we don't even notice they are there. Our mental energy is exhausted by an endless stream of useless, unhelpful thoughts and opinions such as.."I  hope the Heat win's tonight, but maybe I should have picked a better restaurant? Oh, that's silly to worry about that. I wonder if that new Sushi place near Gigi's is any good? I should call her; I haven't talked to her in a while. She always understands though. Oh I should buy a movie to watch this weekend, that will be cool. I wonder what though." Chances are your mind sounds like this on a daily basis as well, and you're rarely aware of it. Very few of us are.

I came to the conclusion that for me to complete this deed I needed more than to sit on my bed with a candle and my eyes closed; so I did what I do best and turned to my handy laptop to research. I found perfect the guidelines that instructed me step by step how to meditate; the website also offered an audio version that you can listen to while meditating which is the option I opted for. I have to admit, once I completely cleared my mind and actually meditated it felt great. It left me feeling refreshed, energized, and attentive.

This deed taught me that meditation is important because it trains our minds to snip our thoughts and to focus on what's useful and important. It improves your concentration; a clear mind makes you more productive and creative. It makes you less bothered by the little things; it is the nature of the mind to magnify small things into serious problems, meditation helps us to detach and learn to live in the "here and now" rather than worrying about the past or future. Studies have proven that meditation leads to overall better health; the reason is that meditation reduces stress levels and alleviates anxiety; reducing stress benefits your health in so many ways. It also enables us to have a deeper understanding of our inner self; through meditation we can gain a better understanding of our life's purpose.
I've definitely decided to add meditation to my schedule more often because I know it will make a difference and all of us deserves some “me time”. Today try closing your eyes, click on this link and follow the simple instructions by listening. You will see what a positive difference it will make in your day, even if it's just for 5 minutes. You never know, you might like it so much that you will add it to your daily rituals. Let me know how it goes! :)

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance.    Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back. And choose the path that leads to wisdom.” – Buddha          

 

 

Day 46 - Let another car take that parking spot. Smile and wave.

I'm not sure about where you live but where I'm from you must drive aggressively in order to survive. Driving in Miami can be incredibly frustrating, no wonder our city is a two-time winner of the Rudest Drivers in America. From people who are always in a hurry, always on their cell phones, always flicking you off, its not easy to be nice to someone. And I believe I will see pigs fly before I see someone giving me their parking spot, but today I will be more than happy to start the trend.

What better season to get into the spirit than the holiday season right? Today, why on my lunch break I had to go run some errands; one was to stop at our local grocery store Publix which is always full. As I went to park another patron went to cut me off and before yelling something very unsympathetic to them, I remembered my deed of the day, so I smiled the biggest smile I could, waved and drove away. The person’s face was priceless, a mixture of confusion and shock, I couldn’t help but giggle as I drove away.

I am definitely an optimist and I can only hope that this person will go and do the same to someone else but if they don’t my total satisfaction was in this person’s facial expression today as I drove away. So today, go out there and make someone’s day by giving up your parking space and if all else fails, make your own day by laughing at that person. ;)

Day 45 - Take a sibling out to a movie.

Today's deed was my type of deed, fun and simple. I am actually very fortunate, by fortunate I mean I work for the owners of a large entertainment venue in Miami; I am the office manager so all of the stores and/or restaurants are considered my tenants, including a very popular elite, private, reserved seating movie theater.

It works out for me because we have VIP cards to the movie theater and get free movies whenever we would like to go, hence the fact that I said this deed would be simple. I got my little sister a job in my office as the assistant to the marketing manager so we go to the movies at least once every other week; when I asked her to go with me tonight, of course she said yes. We watched a movie by the name “Life of Pi” which was a very fascinating story and we both enjoyed watching it thoroughly but as I sit here tonight writing this entry and reflecting on my deed, I don’t think my favorite part of tonight was the movie at all, it was the fact that I got to spend time with my little sister, laughing, eating popcorn and sharing silly stories after the movies while we ate frozen yogurt.

It didn’t take me long to realize the point of today’s deed; spend time with a loved sibling. I know that unlike me, it’s not so easy for everyone to hang out with their siblings and I also know people make excuses, I’m busy doing this or we live too far away from each other. If you could go back in time to your younger days, I am sure your memory would be filled with funny/happy/sad moments with the person that grew up with you, also known as your sibling and the reality of things are that life is short and passes in the blink of an eye. Friends come and go but your family will always be there for you. So make it a point to spend time with a sibling sometime soon, whether it’s going to the movies, going to the park, watching a football game together and if you don’t live in the same city or continent a Skype date would be nice as well. Trust me, it will bring both of you closer and will leave you smiling! J

Day 44 – Donate Blood.

To be quite honest with you, I wasn’t looking forward to today’s “deed of the day”. I have never been a big fan of needles nor blood, let alone a needle in my arm taking out my blood. In Miami, it seems like you must make an appointment for any good deed, whether it’s donating clothes or giving blood which is pretty bizarre to me.

As y’all know by now, I am a pretty big fan of researching and knowing the facts before posting an entry so that’s exactly what I did for today’s deed and I was amazed at the facts that I learned regarding being a blood donor.

To be begin with, did you know that donating blood is actually good for your body? According to a well-known doctor by the name of Dr. Amen (and yes, I confirmed through other articles that Dr. Amen is correct); when donating blood you are lowering the iron levels in your body which can help reduce heart disease. You see, excessive iron in your body is thought to contribute to heart disease, especially at its early stages and donating blood on a regular basis has been proven to lower your iron levels which in turn preserve your heart and vascular health. Some other good reasons donating blood is good for your body are that it can help reduce cancer, help reduce heart attack risk and your body replenishes the blood right away.  When you donate blood, your body replaces the blood volume within 48 hours; this process helps your body stay healthy and work more efficiently and productively.
 
Now, a part from thinking about yourself, there are other reasons why you should donate blood. Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood, that means 44,000 blood donations are needed per day to save lives and 20% of the receivers are children (many cancer patients); not to mention 1 out of every 7 people who enter a hospital need blood. The demand for blood is high but the supply is not enough; about 60% of the population is eligible to give blood, yet less than 4% do. One pint of blood from one donor alone can save up to three lives which is pretty amazing to me. One of my favorite reasons to give blood is you also get FREE cookies and juice, what could be better than that? J The list of why you should donate blood goes on and on, you can find out more at the Red Cross website.

Today, I chose to donate to the Community Blood Centers of Florida, Inc. - I chose their Bird Road location because that specific location donates all of their blood to our local children's hospital called Miami Children's Hospital. While donating blood today I learned so much that I didn’t know prior, I learned that I hadn’t donated blood since 2004 and that I have the most common blood type which is O positive; 40 out of 100 people have my blood type. But the one thing I learned today that I never knew is that I am what you would call a “baby donor”. What that means is I am CMV negative.

CMV stands for Cytomegalovirus which is a flu-like, non-fatal virus that at least 85% of Americans have without even knowing. Despite CMV having the words “disease” and “virus”, it is scarcely mentioned by doctors and physicians because it’s very common and pretty much harmless. Currently only 15% of the population is CMV negative which is the only type of blood that they can transfuse into a baby and/or newborn; the reason being is that infants have lower immune systems due to not being fully developed so every precaution must be taken to avoid infection and the purest blood is CMV negative. Probably like you, I have never ever heard of CMV so I was kind of shocked when they told me about it. At the end of the day, I love babies and children, so if I could choose to save a life it would definitely be a baby which means I am pretty thrilled at the fact that I am considered a rare baby donorJ.

Point being is, GO OUT THERE AND SAVE A LIFE, it's free, you get free cookies and you never know, you might be one of the rare 15% that could save babies!!♥

P.S. Click "here" to read patient stories for motivation!!J

             

Day 43 – Clean out your sweater drawer and take extras to a charity.

Whether you see them or not, homeless people are worldwide and they need your help. As mentioned in previous posts, studies have shown that homeless people aren’t necessarily lazy or drug addicts, most have mental illnesses in which they cannot care for themselves.

Many people complain on a daily basis that they don’t have this and they want that, but none really stop to appreciate what they really have, including myself.  Knowing my deed of the day, I started gathering things to donate last night and realized that I had so many clothes when some people only have the clothes on their back. While collecting articles of clothing I stopped making excuses, no I am not going to save that for a rainy day, the reality is that we are keeping articles of clothing that we don’t even use when someone would love to wear them every day. It wasn’t long before I cleaned out my entire closet and then raided my mom’s closet as well.

After doing my research, in the Miami area there are many organizations that would be thrilled in receiving donations, The Salvation Army Miami, Chapter 2 Clothing, BigBrothers/Big Sisters Organization and Miami Rescue Mission to name a few. The one I chose to donate too was the Miami Rescue Mission because they give to all types of people in need from children, to battered woman, to men and to animals. This deed opened my eyes and touched a sensitive place in my heart. Sometimes it’s easy to feel bad because you’re going through a tough time in life. However, remember that no matter how bad your situation may seem, there are tens of thousands of things to be grateful for.

Today, get into the Holiday season by giving back to those less fortunate than us. You may have clothes in your closet that you have not worn in years, stop making excuses and give them to someone who actually needs them. It can be anything from jeans that you are hoping to squeeze in to, a shirt that went out of fashion four years ago – and let’s face it, is NOT coming back into style, blankets, old towels that are not being used, etc. Believe me, ANYTHING helps!

It’s so easy to find charities that will even make it convenient for you and will even pass by your residence to pick them up which means you can’t make excuses like “wasting gas” to drive to the organizations or struggle carrying the items. Not to mention, most of these charities and non-profit organizations give you a receipt to get a tax break!

Whether you meet them or not, the homeless people who wear your donated clothes or use blankets will be thankful for your giving nature.

You can help at least one person in need by not even spending one cent, so stop making excuses and pay it forward. Every little bit helps, whether donating your time or donating items you have around the house that you don't use. Choosing charities within your own city will have a positive effect on your local surroundings. The effort needed to help a homeless person is far outweighed by the goodness you feel by knowing you have done a good deed without requiring anything in return. Go out there today and pay it forward!!!♥♥

PICTURES FROM MY DEED COMING SOON!!!! :)

                

Day 42 - Send a handwritten thank-you note.

I found today's deed to be rather simple, you see last week was my birthday and after this past weekend I have not stopped smiling. Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what. I am fortunate and blessed to say that the family I have created for myself (a part from my amazing actual blood family) never cease to amaze me more and more.

The first person that came to mind when writing a thank-you note was my little sister, Pickle Butt (my nickname for her). It amazes me how someone can be so self-less, loving and caring and I really can't deny how lucky I am to have her in my life. So my handwritten thank-you note went to her, as follows:

My dearest Pickle,

When I first read your birthday card to me, as predicted, my emotional level was at a 12 and I cried my eyes out. Who am I kidding, I cried for most of the day on my birthday but tears of joy for all the happiness you brought to me that day and always. Honestly - when I think of you - I often thank God for placing you in my life. I call you my sister but you are so much more than that; you're the constant in my life, a best friend, a teacher, a confidant. I do not have the words to say what my heart feels so I will say only that I love you and thank God that when he was handing out angels he sent me you.  Although I am the older sister who is supposed to be teaching you, on the contrary, I learn from you every day; I have never met anyone as self-less as you. You have the biggest heart out of anyone I know, always putting everyone else before you never expecting anything in return. You are my favorite person in this entire world (minus Channing Tatum); no matter what is going on in your life, you always have a smile on your face, constantly teaching me to not take life too seriously and that sometimes it's okay to have fun and do things 19-year olds do. Some times we need someone to simply be there.. Not to fix anything or do anything in particular, but just to let us feel we are supported and cared about, I promise to always be that person for you. Your light in the dark. Your shoulder to cry on. Your partner in crime to laugh with. But most importantly, your big sister and your rock. I love you, always have and always will. Thank you for being the most amazing sister a girl could ask for. I look forward to a lifetime full of memories with you.

xxo,
Boo Boo

Today, take the time to write a hand written thank-you to a dear one, wether it be family or a friend. Show them appreciation because life is way too short to not show you care!♥