Mick's up with the Positive

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive:

Debbie Downer, Negative Nellie, Gloomy Gus, or however they are affectionately known by you, they are there.  We’ve  all heard them, and we’ve all been them at one time or another.

Good news!  This is the month to set them free! 

These poor souls don’t need to be shackled by their misery any more. 

Why? 

It’s Positive Attitude Month!

Encouragement:  

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (C. S. Lewis)

Do you wonder if you are considered successful?  Take some advice from author/poet Maya Angelou, as she reassures us, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

Are you feeling like you’re stuck or too stressed with all that you’re trying to accomplish, take some advice from Chris Brown of Stewardship.com (host of the podcast Chris Brown’s True Stewardship).  He encourages, “Getting distracted? Happening often? Go back to the mission. Go back to your goals. Go from there.” 

He also reminds us, “Joy is rooted in our hearts, not our circumstances.  So we get to choose joy, because it’s a product of who we are, not where we are.”

As we grow, we have the opportunity to gain wisdom, and then with that wisdom, improve our character.  Well-known poet, Robert Frost, puts it beautifully, when he says, “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”

Challenge:  One Day with No Complaints  

Yowzers.  Have you ever tried that?  It’s not easy.  The Stewardship Team at Stewardship.com authors the blog article by the same name as the aforementioned challenge.  They encourage us with the thought, “Control what you can, even if the only thing you manage to change is your attitude.”  Ask yourself how you really feel.  Then mean what you say.

Remember, the most difficult battle you will face today is with yourself.  So, give yourself a break.

Your attitude adjustment just might be the only thing that helps you survive in this world of stress.  When you’re surrounded by others who haven’t gotten the message yet about Positive Attitude Month, keep smiling.  ;)  We can’t make people change.  As Andrew Carnegie says, “You cannot push anyone up the ladder, unless he is willing to climb.”

Parting Thoughts:  

Most importantly, remember who you are!  Better yet, remember whose you are.  You are a child of God!

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” 

Philippians 4:8

Wait! What? Mick's up with a Fad?

Those who know me know that I do not like to go with the norm... not punk style... just unique.  If something is a fad, I stay far, far away.  

Recently, I was chuckling at my kidderz and their uniquenesses.  They don't purposely do things to rebel against society, or at least I don't think they do.  It's just part of them.  

What do you think of as a pasttime for a nice winter day?

For example, one unseasonably warm and gorgeous day this winter, my son said, "I'm going to go string up my hamock."  He was curious at my amusement.  What struck me so funny is that I don't know anyone else who would think, "go string up my hamock," when saying, "what a beautiful day it is."  Some may want to go lay in their hamock, but to him, the "hike" accompanied by the process of stringing up a hamock is the attraction.  

Similarly, I like the adventure of being my own person.  Tell me I'm following some trend, and I actually take it as an insult.  

That's why my heart was saddened when it finally hit me that I'm doing a typical thing for people my age... the over-forty crowd.  We've lived (and eaten) the way we want to for quite a few years (most-likely because we've gotten married and comfortable), and now we woke up to the fact that we won't live forever.

It becomes a time of looking seriously at taking care of ourselves, to improve our quality of life, to "be there" for our kidderz and grandkidderz, to ward off chronic disease and the "c" word, and to look better and feel better about ourselves.  

                      Those of you who have started this change early in life... 

                   Good on ya!  

                      It's best to start early and kick all the bad habits 

                    before they become so ingrained that you feel like 

                    you've punished yourself for the life you lived.  

                      For those of you who are closer to my age
                     (and maybe even in an older generation)... 

                  Don't think it's too late!  

                     The way we've lived in the past does not have to be who we are.  

                     (That goes for spiritual lives, as well as the physical and mental.)  

                     It doesn't have to define us.  

Oops.  A pep talk popped in.  

Now, back to the fad idea.

As you can tell from the above statement, "it finally hit me," I was not in this health kick for the trendiness.  It was to be a lifestyle change to improve my hubby's quality of life (and as a bonus, my own) and teach my kidderz the better way to live and the right choices to make.  However, the fact that some people look at it as a fad has discouraged us as a family.  We are now working our way back to what we know to be truth and health.  

Please don't let this be a passing fad for you.  Please don't just be "in a phase" at this particular point in life.  

Realize how important it really is, if you want to be the best you can be for your family, for God, for your friends, for your employer, for keeping your job, and for yourself.  

Don't worry.  We won't be part of a fad for long.  It'll blow away eventually, but we know what really works, and we'll be all the healthier and stronger for it.  We might not be "in style" any more, but we'll be wiser.  

In the words of Dave Ramsey:  

"Live like no one else,

so that later you can live like no one else!"

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“Enter through the narrow gate. 

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, 

and many enter through it. 

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, 

and only a few find it."

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Happy Mick's up New Year

3... 2... 1... Happy New Year!!

How did you bring in the New Year?

It was fun to think of where around the globe it was turning 2013 at different hours throughout the day.  Even while I write this, it's still not 2013 where I am, and when it's completed and the first readers see it, the count-down will still be going in other parts of the world.


We look ahead, and the usual thing to do, of course, is to set goals for success and self-improvement.  I don't like to make New Year's Resolutions, because of a fear of failure, I think.  However, I do admit that I consider what habits I plan to change.  We all know, though, (don't we?) that a person is more likely to accomplish the goals, when they are written down. Maybe that should be my New Year's Resolution for 2013:  write down the goals!

However, not only is it good to look ahead.  It is also good to look back and see how we've grown.


This week, I have seen and heard several wonderful bits of advice for how to ring in the New Year.  As my 100th post in this Mick's up Life, what better way to celebrate than to be an encouragement for anyone wishing to make the most of the upcoming 365 days?!

Here are the tidbits I collected from some very wise sources:

• List out what God has done for you over the past year. Thank those who have been influential in your life. Forgive. ("How to End the Year" by Doug Phillips of  Vision Forum Ministries)
• Put on the right "clothing," as listed in Colossians 3:12-14: "... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience... forgive... And over all these virtues put on love...." ("My New Wardrobe For 2013" by Rev. William Dillon II)
• Praise God for the history of His marvelous deeds. ("He Has Done Great Things" by Michaele Lavigne in Reflecting God: Devotions for Holy Living) 
• Keep focused on the big picture!  Don't let little stresses take your eyes off the real goal and what is truly important overall.  As Romans 15:13 says: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  ("The Big Picture" by Joni Eareckson Tada)

"Reflect upon your present blessings,

of which every man has many - 

not on your past misfortunes,

of which all men have some."

(Charles Dickens)

Take some time right now to reflect, praise, and move forward!

Happy New Year!

Enjoy this song I was just introduced to today:
Happy New Year by Steven Curtis Chapman.  

"The God who made everything is making everything new."

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

the new creation has come:

The old has gone,

the new is here!"

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

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Mick’s in the Sweets

2007: Before a Healthy Lifestyle

What kind of a romantic am I, forgetting Sweetest Day on the 15th?  I even bought a nice card for my hubby early… but did I remember to give it to him?  Nope!  I guess that clarifies that I am not much of a romantic.  It only makes sense, since Jay is the true all-out romantic of the two of us.  Sorry, Hon.  I will be giving you the card now!  Sweetest Day was a little delayed this year.

It is said, Sweetest Day was organized by candy manufacturers to promote the health benefits of eating candy and chocolate every day.  Ummmm…. Well….  Let’s see what we can find, but I’m a bit skeptical, since they include sugar, and I’ve already covered some of the reasons sugar is not a good thing.

I found some great information quickly at “What You Can Do With Nutrition To Prevent Breast Cancer” in which Kimberly Roberto states:  Cacao is a “raw form of chocolate… rich in Flavanols (powerful antioxidants) which are highly absorbable by the body.  Cacao has a phenomenal ORAC score of over 433,000.  CAUTION: Don’t get too excited and load up on chocolate bars.  This is not a free pass at the dessert counter either.  Most chocolate is loaded with other additions like milk products and sugar.  Stick with raw cacao powder – add it to smoothies, yogurt, or mix with avocado and stevia for a mousse-like dessert.”

You can learn about some “healthy” chocolate and then order it through Beyond Organic.

Here might be a good spot to quote a great doctor I know, “The overall quality of your health is determined by the quality of your habits.”

Tell me something.  What can you do to maximize your nutrition this week?  Do you have some bad habits to break, or maybe some good habits to start?  Give it some thought, and then have fun improving!

“You've captured my heart, dear friend.
You looked at me, and I fell in love.
One look my way and I was hopelessly in love!”

Song of Solomon 4:8 (The Message)

 

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What’s a Good Read, Mick’s?

Driving in the car and running errands this morning was refreshing, as I listened to some great stuff on the radio.  It was a wonderful way to start the week.  Getting a good mindset on a Monday morning can mean nothing but a positive outlook for the rest of the week.

Setting goals, like we did in the meeting I attended this afternoon, can get the week off to an excellent start.  What do you plan to accomplish this week?  How about this month?  Take some time now to block out segments in your calendar to adequately get you on your way to success.

I have recently set for myself a goal of reading one nonfiction book every month - preferably on management, leadership, or lecturing - especially since a business acquaintance highly suggested it.  I plan to stick to it.  Being a mom, wife, and business lady, I run into challenges with the scheduled reading time.  I know you know how it is.  You probably have more challenges than I have.  I can almost guarantee it.  However, we owe it to ourselves, and those we are taking care of, to do our best to reach these self-improvement goals.  I’m going to do it!

"Nourish the mind like you would your body. The mind cannot survive on junk food." Jim Rohn

I’m going to start making a list of books and blocks of time.  I’ve already considered Dave Ramsey’s suggested reading list, as well as other good reads I hear about and write down.

A book mentioned on the radio this morning is “Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild.” I would not normally pick a book like this myself, if I just read the cover and brief introduction, but the reviews are good.  I might have to look into it.

Later on the radio, I was reminded of another book that has been suggested to me several times:  “Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, Deluxe Edition.”  I guess it’ll have to get put on my list, too, especially after I enjoyed reading a similar book this summer:  “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World.”

You might have some other goals in mind.  Write them down.  Visualize them.  Imagine the feeling of accomplishing the goals.  Use the formula I heard about today that is from an inexpensive e-book titled, “The God Formula.” 

Whatever you do, be sure to allow time in your schedule for you!

Mmmmmm… A nice cool evening is a great time to curl up with a good book!  What do you think?

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips;

meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful.” 

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

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