Do it Daily...

Give thanks... 

Why?  

It could very well be the key to happiness as expressed in an article by Joshua Rosenthal, founder of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition called "Gratitude: The Secret To Happiness", written for "The Huffington Post" website on November, 30th, 2010.

For over a year now, I have been sharing my daily gratitude practice on Facebook and Twitter called "1blessingaday".  This simple practice has enhanced my life because it has allowed me to slow down and see how much beauty surrounds me on a daily basis.  

Here are a few suggestions to get you started with your gratitude practice: 

Do it in the morning when you first wake up.  Give thanks for the blessing of another day and its endless possibilities.

Do it when you are walking.  Give thanks for having healthy legs that support your body and take you "to and from".

Do it when you drink water.  The fact is that most Americans are dehydrated.  My recommendation, give your body more water and while you are at it, give thanks for having the blessing of clean water to drink.

Do it when you eat food.  Give thanks for the blessing of a warm meal.  There are so many people going hungry all over the world.

Do it when you are stressed at work.  Give thanks for the blessing of having a job that pays your bills.  Believe me these days with unemployment rates going up, lots of people would trade places with you.

Do it when you feel alone.  Give thanks for the opportunity of having some time for yourself.  I know many busy moms who would jump at the chance of having some quality time alone. 

Do it with your body.  Acknowledge every part of yourself and say thank you.  I like to thank each of my body parts every day.  I thank my mind, my heart, my ears, my nose, my legs, my eyes, etc... 

For those of you who want to take it to the next step, start a gratitude journal. Write down everything you are grateful for everyday.

 

Creating a practice of gratitude takes very little effort and has the power to change your world.  

So what are you waiting for?

"Do it..." 

 

Got 5 mins?: Going back to simple... a reason to smile

Got 5 mins?: Going back to simple... a reason to smile: "'I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has fi..."

Going back to simple... a reason to smile

"I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has finally conquered the loss." - Rita Mae Brown

I miss my father.  I miss his voice.  I miss his warmth.  I miss his eyes so much.  I miss his daily message to me, "No te pongas pendeja!" (means something like, "don't be a sucker") which was usually followed by a kiss and an "I lof you baby!".  

I miss his playfulness, even those embarrassing ones like the time he refused to pull his shirt down and insisted on walking around with his belly exposed.  Well, actually this happened quite often, in the street, in the house, at family parties, etc. 

And how can I forget the time my mom and I were out shopping with him and he let one roar in the middle of the toy store.  OMG, I wanted to disappear inside my coat.  I remember hearing my mom yell back, "I can't believe this!!!"  When I looked at my dad, he was just standing there smiling.

I also miss the time he decided to be his own store.  He started selling Puerto Rican shirts, hats, and flags, out in the streets.  At the same time, he was carrying my baby brother on his back in a big blue baby carrier.  He would advertise by wearing the merchandise and waved flags as people passed by.  It was quite a sight to see.  But there he was, smiling.

I miss how my father never let his broken English deter him from speaking to anyone.  I once waited an hour for my dad to get through one city block because he stopped and gave individual attention to everyone he knew along the way. 

I miss his love for food.  Nothing made that man more irritable than something that stood between him and eating.  But if you set a plate of food in front of him, that blissful smile would emerge instantaneously.

I miss his generosity.  I witnessed my dad many times give the last dollar in his pocket to someone in need.  His philosophy was, "As long as I have, I will share with others...".  

I miss my father's advice.  One day he completed his daily saying to me with, "No te pongas pendeja.  Que de las pendejas nadie escribe.".  That's when I finally understood his message which was, "no one remembers the ones that didn't try".

Most of all, I miss his humility.  My dad owned very little, lived a simple life, was sickly for many years, but he always found a reason to smile and enjoy his present.

I will forever be grateful for the blessing of knowing my father, for the beautiful memories, the great laughs, and the lessons that continue to unfold for me.  

My gratitude truly conquers the loss.  Like MasterCard says, these treasures are "Priceless." 

Let me tell you a story about Sandra...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.  -unknown                                                                          

 

Let me tell you a story about Sandra.  She's smart, beautiful, has a great job, dresses like she should be on the cover of a magazine, and has the body to go along with it.  Yet, she's has no luck with men.  Why would someone who's successful at presenting themselves to the world and successful at their career, not be successful with dating men?  

Well, it all starts with the "tape recorder" Sandra plays for herself as soon as she rises.  "Oh great, another depressing cold morning and I'm by myself.  Oh, look at those pathetic fools in love.  They make me sick.  Why can't I get a boyfriend?  Why can't I get a boyfriend? Why don't I have a boyfriend?  Am I ever going to meet a nice guy?  Why does Sally, Joan, and Lisa have a boyfriend, and I'm stuck manless?"  

It doesn't stop there.  It's Friday night and Sandra is out with her friends.  Everyone else seems to be having a good time, yet Sandra is miserable.  She doesn't like the club, all the men are ugly, the music "sucks", and the ones that approached her were "below her standards".   Luckily, the night wasn't a total disaster.  She meets a guy named Sam.

The next few days Sandra's "tape recorder" goes like this, "Wow, I really like Sam.  I wonder if he's going to call me.  Why hasn't he texted me?  It's already been twelve hours since I met him, and still no call.  Thirty-six hours and still no word from Sam.  I knew it.  He wasn't going to call.  Great, three days and still no Sam.  He doesn't like me.  Men just don't like me..."  

To Sandra's surprise, Sam did call that third day in the evening.  Turns out, he had been away on a business trip.  He tells Sandra that he would like to get to know her and they arrange to go out on a date. 

A few dates later, Sandra is in love and wondering if Sam is the one.  She can't stop thinking about that magical kiss they shared.  She's so excited that she can't help herself from texting Sam how much she likes him.  To Sandra's surprise, Sam hasn't been too responsive to her messages.  

Sandra starts to panic.  She calls Sally, Joan, and Lisa and her "tape recorder" starts again, "Sam's not calling me.  It's already been two days!  I don't know what to do here!  I am freaking out!!!  Why isn't he calling me back?  I've sent him twenty text messages and I haven't heard from him.  I even called him and left three voicemails, one at his job, and two on his cell.  I don't get it.  Everything was perfect on our last date.  We shared the best kiss ever that night.  I know he's the one for me.  I've never felt this type of connection before.  I even told Sam I couldn't wait for him to meet my parents.  Just don't get what went wrong.  Is it possible I scared him away?"    

Sam never calls Sandra.

It's Saturday morning and Sandra's "tape recorder" starts again, "Oh great, another depressing cold morning and I'm by myself..."  

The moral of the story:  "Change your thoughts, and you change your world." -Norman Vincent Peale

 

ay ay ay.... not another one of those mornings

It was one of those weekday mornings, when you think about skipping work and staying in bed.  After fantasizing about this for five minutes, I snapped myself out of it, and gave myself a pep talk.  "Ok RA, you need to get up.  Lets go have a productive day.  Think good thoughts."  Well, that didn't fully convince me.  What helped was the compromise I made with myself afterwards, "Ok, if you get up, you can stop by your favorite cafe' and treat yourself to a cup of coffee."  Yes, that worked!   It was just the motivation I needed to jump out of bed and start my day.

Along my three minute walk to the subway, I saw a man screaming into a payphone, a woman arguing with a man across the street, and if that wasn't enough, I saw another man screaming his head off.  "Who was that man screaming at?", I wondered.  There was no one around, but he was very angry.  Anyone within a few blocks could hear this man.  It was only 8am in the morning! 

I shook it off and proceeded to walk to the subway.  There, I witnessed more "fun" activity.  I couldn't believe this!  For five subway stops, this young woman was having a screaming session with some dude on her cell phone.  Did she think she was alone in the subway car, or that no one in the WHOLE subway car could hear?  The curse words coming out of her mouth were insane.  The threats she made were even crazier.  The worst part of this story is that she was doing this in front of her son who looked like he was only six or seven years of age.  I looked at the faces of my fellow subway riders.  Most of them were either shaking their heads or lowering their heads in shame. 

Yet, this is part of our everyday reality.  In some places, more than others.  Why are people so angry?   I could give you tons of reasons, such as stress, not getting a fair shake, racism, being judged, not having the support of the family, a bad boss at work, problems with an ex, etc...  The list is endless.

Here's the catch, the more you focus on what is making you angry, the more you will attract those situations that make you feel angry.  Don't believe me, check it out for yourself.  Observe the world around you.  

Luckily, there's always a "silver lining" behind those clouds.  

I like to picture positive and negative thoughts like the cartoons back in the old days, with a lil angel for positive thoughts and a lil devil for negative thoughts.  The more I feed my lil angel, the lighter and happier I feel.  The more I feed the lil devil, the heavier and more clouded I feel.  It's really that simple.

There's a quote by Elizabeth Kenny that says, "He who angers you, conquers you."

I don't know about you, but I choose to be conquered by peace.

I'll leave you with this final quote to think about,  "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind." Ralph Waldo Emerson 

The choice is yours.  

“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" -William A. Ward

We live in a culture that’s constantly complaining, but why aren't we sharing more of what's good, what makes us happy, what we are thankful for? 

JFK once said, "One person can make a difference and every person should try."

So I’m taking a public leap of faith and asking you to be a part of a movement that is inspired by love and appreciation.  Join me and “Sprinkle” some of your beautiful energy on Facebook's, “The Gratitude Movement” page.   

Let’s be the change, we envision the world to be.    

I can’t do this without you! 

Please share the love forward.

Peace, love, light, & blessings to you all.

Click here to join The Gratitude Movement Page

Wanna make the holidays more heartfelt?

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur Ward

 

Wanna make the holidays more heartfelt? 

Write a letter of appreciation to someone you love.

Who is that person for you? Is it an aunt, a sister, a spouse, an ex lover?  No matter who it is, my recommendation is to allow yourself to be present when writing your letter.  Sit with yourself in silence.  Allow the feelings of love to come in…   

What makes this person so special to you? 

Here’s my letter.  It’s for my dad in the form of a poem.   Originally, it was a song I was writing for him.  My father passed before I had the opportunity to share this with him.  Nevertheless, whether the person is living or has passed on, love is still alive.  Expressing these feelings can be very healing. It could also leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside... ;)   

Para mi papi lindo:

You’ve been the wind beneath my wings

The inspiration for my passions and drive behind my dreams

The reason my heart sings when I look into your eyes

The greatest love I’ve ever known is the love of you and I

Always protecting me, but never overprotective

You let me make my choices, but never have you neglected me

You’ve always been there holding my hand

My biggest supporter, my biggest fan

Each and ever day I count my blessings

Thanking God for every moment that I have you with me

The message is everywhere tomorrow is not promised

That’s why when I hold you I savor every moment

That’s why my embraces last a lil longer

That’s I why every day I’ll remind you how I love you.

Thank you for living love daily

Thank you for your courage to simply be.

May the light and love of God be with you wherever you are. 

-negrita

(rosangel)

About my work

I bring over ten years experience managing and coaching successful Television Productions for VH-1, MTV, BET, and more.  Since the television industry can be a business of high stress, deadlines, long hours, and uncensored outbursts, my gentle approach to working under stress and deadlines has been one of the secrets to my success.  Through my management and coaching style, I encourage women to share their voice, their ideas, their vision, to stand up and create sisterhood with women. It doesn’t serve us to gossip or bad mouth one another.  We may not always like the person or people we work with, but treating another with respect is important.  

Embrace your individuality! It’s magical to be different, as long as it doesn’t bring harm or cause negativity to others.  

Sisterhood begins with the person within. 

Peace, love, light, y bendiciones,

ra

More about Rosangel

Rosangel Perez brings over 10 years of Television Production experience.  Considering herself a "Viacom Baby", Rosangel is proud of her work on "Cribs", one of MTV's signature shows.  Her most recent career highlight, was Line Producing MTV's "Teen Cribs", which consisted of two successful seasons and 60 episodes.  Her favorite part about her role on "Teen Cribs" was working alongside her team and managing on intuition.

Rosangel Perez also has a strong passion for wellness and is currently focusing her energies on her  business, "healing for my sister" Holistic Health Coaching. 

Born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY,  Rosangel received a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Television Broadcasting and Speech Arts from Hofstra University in 1997.

Interests include: Motivational Speaking, Group Workshops, Lectures, Professional Collaborations, The Vow of Ahimsa, Herbalism, Ayurveda, The Gratitude Movement

In her spare time she enjoys, Yoga, Meditation, Laughter Yoga, Reiki Healing, Soulfuldancing, Writing, and Singing.