Dealing With Stress

A pond on our hike to Nesho Mine last weekend. Above Ouray Colorado.

Dealing with stress is no easy task yet we have to encounter this task every day.  How you feel and the way you deal with a situation is a choice. I’m reminded of a counselor who would often state “no one can drive your car unless you give them the keys.” You cannot control others’ actions, but you can be responsible for your reactions. The prayer states “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” When applied, this can be a great stress reliever. Look at the situation and ask yourself “is this something I can change?” If so, start exploring positive ways to change the situation. Our attitude has a profound effect on how we deal with situations. Negative attitudes affect our physical, spiritual, and mental well being. When in a particularly stressful situation, try exchanging attitude for gratitude. When you are running late for a meeting because you are stuck in traffic, change your attitude. Instead of being frustrated about the traffic, find some gratitude. Look around and think of all the things you can be thankful for. Sometimes you can find gratitude in the smallest things. You can be thankful for life, health, strength, friends, family, nature, etc. Focusing on gratitude can definitely change your attitude.  Dealing with stress is not easy but it is possible. Don't forget to love always, forgive quickly and smile along the way.

God Bless
Jason

Love Yourself At Every Road Block

A beautiful sunset on our lake the other night.

Goals and dreams are what makes life exciting, motivating, purposeful and worthwhile. When the path is easy and straightforward, it can be the most fulfilling feeling but inevitably obstacles and roadblocks come around the corner; not to tell us our dream is unreachable and unattainable, but to allow us to learn, grow and become the person we need to be in order to get there.
For many of us, once we come across a hurdle, it can simply be what stops our dream in its tracks – the motivation subsides, our beliefs in achieving our goals breaks down and it can seem impossible and dejecting. In a society where we are judged for our looks and age alongside our abilities and competence, having our dreams placed in the hands of others’ opinions of us is a dangerous game and one that will quash the dreams of even the strong-minded of people. If you’re feeling beaten down or even that it’s too late for you to achieve your life-long ambition then try changing the game a bit. To truly achieve what we want in life we need to learn how to embrace ourselves, love ourselves and believe in ourselves. This is very important when it comes to happiness and continuing the path to our dreams and goals. Developing a mindset that keeps you on the path no matter what you are faced with, will prove to be the deciding factor in becoming successful in what you want to achieve in life. So stay positive and keep moving forward. Don't forget to love always, forgive quickly and smile along the way.

God Bless
Jason

Positive Mindset

Long Lake near Crested Butte Colorado.

I'm often asked how can you be so happy all the time? Your life must be perfect? Well surprise no it's not perfect but I choose to make it perfect and not dwell or fret the small stuff. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life, especially in today’s busy world. With so much to worry about, from work and bills to family and social life, even those who seem to have it all together can wake up and feel like their lives are falling apart. When this happens, it’s extremely important that you hit the brakes, take a look at your life, and think about what you can change so that you’re actually living and not just going through the motions. Also make sure that your not living to work. We should work to live not live to work. Next don't get frazzled. Life is full of little annoyances that we can’t control. If we paid attention to every little thing that got in the way of us having a “good” day, we’d never be happy. You’re going to spill your coffee sometimes. You’re going to hit every red light on the way home from work some days.Once you recognize that Murphy’s Law is one of the only constants in life, you’ll realize things could be much worse, and you’ll be able to let the little things fall by the wayside. Lastly be sure to love yourself. If you don’t love yourself, no one else will. On that same token, you should never compare your life to anyone else’s. You have no idea what they’ve been through in their life, and they have no idea what you’ve gone through in yours. And don’t worry if other people have something negative to say about you. People will talk. But it’s those people who are unhappy enough with their own lives that they have to find the negatives in other people’s lives to make themselves feel better. Live your own life, and love every minute of it. Work on these few things and you'll be creating a positive mindset. Don't forget to love always, forgive quickly and smile along the way.

God Bless
Jason

Piece By Piece

Columbine Lake on our hike Saturday. Elevation 13,094 Above Ouray CO. Yes it's a neon blue color.

Life is all about putting the pieces together. One by one, piece by piece a puzzle is solved. It takes more than one piece to finish a puzzle. It takes more than one piece to have fulfillment in life. Pieces come and go so never stop searching for more. If you think it takes just one piece you are sadly mistaken. Now don't misunderstand this theory. You will never find all of the pieces and this is good. Think of the let down if there were no more to seek. Finding most of the pieces should bring joy and a sense of accomplishment. Day in and day out pieces will be lost, forgotten and forever changed. That's OK, life is about change and searching for the unknown pieces should drive you forward and upward. Be happy with the pieces you have and be blessed with the pieces you will find. Never stop adding pieces and life will treat you well. Don't forget to love always, forgive quickly and smile along the way. Keep searching piece by piece. I hope everyone had a great day compiling pieces and thanks again for visiting my thought today.

God Bless
Jason

Redefine Yourself

Pigeon Point Lighthouse built in 1871. We visited this on our trip down the Pacific Coast Highway California.

Redefine Yourself

The ability to reinvent and redefine yourself is a bold and daring choice. It doesn’t just happen. You have to make a conscious, intentional choice and then follow through. Change can be a very scary thing. It takes courage a bit of faith to decide to shed your old self and don a new person. However, it is one of the most critical processes one must repeatedly endure in the pursuit of destiny. Change unlocks new levels of potential. So how do you know when it’s time for a system upgrade? There are signs along the way that alert you that it is time for an overhaul. The first sign is the feeling of being stuck. If you feel like you are in a rut, you’re bored with life or you need some newness and excitement, a self reinvention may be in order. Re-evaluate your life vision and your goals. Is that vision still valid and are your goals consistent with your vision and–are they achievable? If you are off course, it’s time for a change. If you are not moving forward and making progress, it’s time for a change. In life you’re either moving forward or you are moving backward. Time constantly moves forward and if you are standing still, you are actually losing ground. No matter your age or stage in life– there is always room for improvement. So make today the day that you choose to make some changes in your life. Don't forget to love always, forgive quickly and smile along the way.

God Bless
Jason

An old truck and gas pump sitting near Dunton CO.

Be Inspired.

Be inspired with everything you do. Don't let life's pitfalls slow you down. Give meaning to everything you do. Be inspired by trying your hardest with everything you do. If you fall short be inspired to continue on. Be inspired to move forward, keep taking step after step and life will reward you. If you be inspired now your future will be much brighter. Be inspired about making a difference in your life and in the lives of others around you. Be passionate about fulfilling your dreams. Get excited about what the future holds for you. We live in a world with many opportunities and it's your choice to be inspired by it. Be inspired by life and it's possibilities. Don't forget to be inspired by loving always, forgiving quickly and smiling along the way.

God Bless

Jason

I will be heading out on vacation for 11 days so this will be the last though for a bit. I am going to some really exciting places and can't wait to share the pictures with everyone.

Believe In Yourself

Sitting on top of the world last weekend on our hike up Elliot Mountain 12,340 Ft.

It can often be hard to believe in yourself, especially if you feel like you have nothing to offer or are unworthy of things. But you are worthy and you are capable. If you're having trouble seeing all the amazing things about you, there are simple things that you can do to start believing in yourself. Start with taking better care of yourself to build your confidence. Start a diet and or exercise program. Perhaps try going to bed a little earlier and waking up a littler earlier as well. You can also take stock of what you have accomplished and set goals. Set realistic goals will help you to believe in yourself and your ability to accomplish things. Make sure that you develop goals that are in line with your skills and that are attainable.Be prepared to go outside of your comfort zone now and then. Even though you are setting realistic goals, you might need to do things that you don’t normally do in order to accomplish your goals.After you set a goal, work hard until you achieve it. Don’t abandon a goal because it becomes too difficult. If a goal seems too difficult, try breaking it into a series of smaller goals and focus on one at a time. Reflect at the end of each day. Self-reflection is an important component of self-improvement. It helps you to take stock of what you are doing well and what you still need to work on. Take a few moments at the end of each day to reflect on your experiences. If you have a day where you don’t accomplish as much as you hoped you would, try to learn what you can from the situation in order to avoid repeating any mistakes you might have made. Start with the steps above and start believing in yourself today. Don't forget to love always, forgive quickly and smile along the way.

God Bless
Jason