I remember when I would be so focused on trying so hard to find my peace that I would practically force it upon myself. I would wish for things to be easier, so naturally, I would put strain on myself to try and make things easier, which of course never would work in my favor. Well, the reality is that Life is not always easy. There are times of stress, moments of weakness, feelings of fear and anxiety, wishing for things to be different…well, sometimes with a little focus we can make things a little easier on ourselves but we cannot forget about those things in our Life that are absolutely uncontrollable. Distractions are everywhere! They are surrounding us and no matter where we turn, they are starring up at us, sometimes even literally, cute bright blue peepers, one's that make it challenging to even give ourselves a moment to think (referring to my incredibly amazing and very talkative children). Well, although some days may be more challenging than others, I have committed to change my thinking. I no longer allow myself to fall victim of the "Why me?" scenario. I have come to live in a place of acceptance. Accepting all that is, and believing that it all has a good purpose. When Life is disastrous and the day isn't going as planned, I try my best to just take a step back and look upon the experience for what it is. I begin to dissect and unravel an understanding for that moment in time. I remind myself of how normal this is, this reality of accepting what is happening in my Life, right at this very moment, as a lesson to be learned. To embrace it for the good, the bad, the beautiful, and ugly. I especially have noticed an acceptance when I practice yoga or am sitting in (what I would love to call) silence, the times that I do get to invest into myself and my wellbeing, may not be exactly as I imagine, not every flow or movement is as fluid or perfect as I would wish it to be. The distractions are still always there, only this time I have allowed it to be apart of my moment. Not trying to force it away. When we put tension on something, it only makes it harder to enjoy. In most circumstances I am being distracted by an overwhelmingly adorable little creature that I have created, one that I like to call "B":) These distractions, which has once in the past made me feel frustrated or misplaced in my practice, I now feel a sense of humility and gratitude for. Here is one time I was trying to get my yoga on, with "B" trying to successfully interrupt and join me…

My point is that it is not worth taking Life so seriously all the time! We can really rally up a lot of unnecessarily negative thoughts in our minds that do not serve us and make it worth our while. Instead of listening to all this mental chatter we all could quite honestly fester up from our own expectations... When you shift your thinking to acceptance, you see the World in a different light. Now, this is not to say that I am "perfect" and do not have my moments of anger, impatience, and desire... we are all human. When my old daughter is yelling at me and demanding things she wants, of course this agitates me, and deep down I get very upset as to what seem to be disrespecting me…What I learn is that this is a test. How I react is how I will feel, and she will learn to react in these situations and feel those similar feelings. Teaching her and myself the importance of finding our breathe and finding my balance is what keeps me grounded.

GRATITUDE EXERCISE>>

What is important is to shine your light from within, no matter what is going on in your Life. A perfect example is, when you are doing the dishes, and believe me, I have just recently gotten a dish washer so I did working meditation with my dishes ALL THE TIME! (Now it may sound a little crazy at first, but just give it a try and you will see the way it makes you feel.)

Try to wash them while practicing a prayer of gratitude...

““Thank you for this moment to clean my dishes, Thank you for these dishes we use to make my life a little less messy, Thank you for the water to wash them for me.” ”

It can be simple acts of kindness through an act of being truly thankful for what we have been blessed with. If you lived through a very traumatic experience and lost EVERYTHING, don't you think you would appreciate your dishes and be washing them a little bit differently? It is all in how we change our thinking. When you live in this place of humility, accepting yourself and experiences for what they are, and letting go of those harboring feelings, letting go of the ego, living in a place of forgiveness, you will awaken to a much deeper inner peace that you didn't even know existed. Memories of pure joy and happiness that will create a Life worth living.

TIP: keep a GRATITUDE JOURNAL>>

This is a great way to remember all the moments that you really appreciate, from the very simple to the very memorable, especially those times that may have turned sour (like my daughter throwing a fit at the gym but then us being able to work through it together by using our words). This is your chance to be able to visualize the transition of your experiences in a more positive light.

ie: My shower today was so nice and relaxing. I focused on my time that I was given to myself. I am grateful for hot water, soap to cleanse my body, and for a moment of peace and quiet :)

i.e.: I am grateful that I was able to make such a delicious dinner to feed my family tonight. Although, the kids were whining and complaining while I was cooking it, they were just hungry and I am proud to know that I have put nutritious food into their tummies and for our time together as a family. (Acknowledging the negative but turning it into a positive has been very helpful for me to find that place of acceptance in certain situations)

ie: I accept my body and admire myself for who I am. I love myself. I am unique, I am the only me, and I will always be grateful for who I am.