Day 11: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 11: Today I am grateful for meeting some amazing girls at a retreat in Bali. They are all lovely with their unique talents and big hearts :)

The other day I got to catch up with some beautiful girls who I met in Bali last year. We have kept in touch over Facebook and I'm grateful as they are some of the loveliest people I have met who, with their unique talents and personalities, add total value to my life. It's amazing how this can be when I have not known them for years and years as many of my other friends. But here's to new friendships I say!

I later discovered that one of them, Nicole, writes a blog: www.healthyhappymind.blogspot.com.au

Which I wanted to share with you. I find it inspirational and perhaps you might too!

It's so important to surround yourself with HAPPY people. People who INSPIRE you. SUPPORT you and UPLIFT you - this is what feeds your "well" BEING! 

Day 10: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 10: Today I am grateful for being given even more baby stuff from our friends!

As we're starting out with hour first baby, we're slowly discovering all he things we need to get for it's arrival! Like a cot, change table etc. and we're lucky and grateful that so many of our friend have been so generous and have given a lot of they're old stuff! Not only had it been saving us money, but also we get to have some things we probably didn't think of getting (yet!). 

What gifts might you be grateful for receiving?

Day 9: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 9: today I am grateful our schedules finally falling into place so that we were able to have a family dinner

It's always nice to spend time with the family and have a laugh, but with anything, nothing is perfect, there's the good times and the times you might 'fight' with your siblings when you were younger ;) but it's always good to remember the good times and to have fun together. To gather with the people you've known your whole life who love you unconditionally and support you in their own way, the way they know how. 

Love your family and love your friends. Your friends are your family you choose for yourself after all :)

Day 8: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 8: Today I'm grateful for being appreciated. 

Often, we might go about our day, without stopping to think what we might have to offer to the world, our community or our friends and family or even our work colleagues. We just go about our day 'same old, same old' and with no awareness how we might have an effect on others.

Today, I felt appreciated by the talent and it felt really good! Sure, I feel confident in what I do, but it's such a compliment when you find out from the talent themselves that they were so glad to see me on this job as it gave them the confidence in themselves too :)

Do you have an awareness of how important you are? How important you might be to someone else or of part of a team?

We are all important in one way or other for whatever reason. It's another reason why I consistently like to check-in and create more awareness of myself, my well BEING, my state of mind, my health and my mindset. For I know that when I am the best person I can be, I'm an even better version of myself to/for someone else.

How about you?

Day 7: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 7: Today I am grateful for for finding this little gem of inspiration!

Of all the places to find inspiration, I certainly didn't expect it to be on the ANZ banking website!

Everyday there is something out there waiting to be noticed - but have you found that you didn't notice something that has always been there and then suddenly you see it?

It's because we didn't have an awareness of it before and now that we are ready to notice it - it comes into your life or your attention :)

What are you needing to notice?  Just put it out there to the universe and when you're ready, the universe will present it to you :)  Sometimes we just need to come into the present moment to notice that little gem!

Day 6: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 6: Today I'm grateful I went to PT and for doing some exercise - and that a good friend introduced me to my current trainer! I'm also grateful for the friend who have me this book as a birthday gift one year - always great for a reminder!

Exercise is so worth it, no matter what you think at the time. It gives you energy you didn't think you have and you will generally feel good and happy once all those endorphins are released!

What's extra special for me is that going to personal training with Mel, is always fun, even if I'm not 100% up for it - like today. I was feeling a bit...tired? (For use of a better word). It could have been the weather or the pregnancy that I was finding it a tiny bit of a struggle with my breathing today. But we always have a laugh and it's never boring as every week she's set up something different! She's always so encouraging and at a particular session she minded me of this very book above (I was telling her a story from the weekend). Don't Sweat The Small Stuff! And she's so right. Sweating the small stuff can alter your mood dramatically. It leads to bigger stuff and that bigger stuff didn't need to happen but it did because I didn't let go of the little thing!

So let go of the small stuff, incorporate some exercise into your week and overall you're that little bit happier ;)

Day 5: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 5: Today I'm grateful for having the opportunity to work with and collaborate with such a great creative team

I think it's important to do what makes you happy because in return you end up loving what you're doing - you enjoy going to work each day, or you love turning up to that yoga class or going for that swim or waking up early just to see the sunrise. 

Do you love what you do? Does it make you happy?

If you're not in the most ideal situation, what could you be doing right now, in this moment to change your situation - either short term or for the future?

Day 4 - "30 day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 4: Today I am grateful for my dinner being made for me! 

It's always a treat having someone else cook you dinner or perhaps a cup of tea when you seem to need it most!

We all have needs and it's important to listen to your body and be intuitive to it. I may have had 9 hours sleep last night but I was still feeling lethargic when I woke up. I'm not perfect and I'm ok with that. After all we're not super human. 

Sometimes we have commitments that we have committed to, like going to work each week or day (or a full weekend if birthing classes!), even if we may not feel up for it. We just have to remember the purpose of doing what we have chosen to do. 

As soon as you get home, look after yourself as best as you can in order to rejuvenate. It's different for everyone. Perhaps it's doing some meditation to centre you after a hectic day, a bath or shower to forget any stresses that may have turned up and to release those tense muscles or just another early night to bed so your brain can just process the day. 

Whatever it may be, try to find some positivity in your day at the end of the day. Maybe this might be the best time for you to reflect in your gratitude journal. It might be the very thing to help induce a more restful sleep! ;)

Day 3 - "30 day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 3: Today I'm grateful for my amazing supportive husband!

It's the little things that count - like my husband coming to calm birthing classes all weekend when I know he would rather be relaxing at home or doing anything but! (Especially after a full week of work!) - it's the support that he gives from his heart.

So next time, why not notice all the little things that your partner (sister/brother/friend etc) does for you instead of picking on the things they haven't. 

Got that warm fuzzy feeling of goodness and happiness? :) Thought so... 

Happy Times! :)

Day 2 - "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 2: Today I am grateful for being different - unconventional? - and therefore for having the day off to indulge in "Chinese New Year" (Lunar New Year) traditions and festivities.

It's great being a part of two different cultures.  Growing up in Australia, I embrace being an Australian - like hanging out at the beach, but I am also a part of a Chinese heritage, so to fully embrace that - I get to celebrate another New Year!  Essentially I get two 'New Year's' in one year!  How awesome is that?!?

I don't always have the first day of 'Chinese New Year' off, so I'm grateful that it worked out that way. I got to follow some traditions like visiting my parents at their home and had lunch with them and over-indulge in plenty of food!!  It was an extra bonus that my brother and (soon to be) wife happen to be there while I was visiting, but being married now, it's my turn to be giving of red packets instead of receiving - but who doesn't like BEING GIVING anyway? :)

Day 1 - "30 day Gratitude Challenge"

Today is Day 1 of my 30 day Gratitude Challenge! Very excited!!

Day 1: today I am grateful for all those who are and have been supporting my

Blog and Facebook inspiration page since it's existence last September 2013. 

Thanks to all the friends and family who are reading my blog posts, liking my inspiration pictures and sharing it with your friends, family, network or community. 

The other day I put a post up that reached so many people, people I didn't even know! That really made my day!! Super happy! :) So I would also like to Thank all the random beautiful people I don't even know who I get to share with and inspire each day and continue to like my posts :)

Thanks to my mentors along my life's journey (you know who you are!) who have guided me to find my passions and start this very blog! 

The 30 day Gratitude Challenge

With the New Lunar year soon approaching in a couple of days - the year of the Horse - it's a time to sweep out the old and welcome in the new. So why not enter the new year cultivating the habit of BEING GRATEFUL? 

I've decided to do a 30 day Gratitude Challenge - starting tomorrow - the day before the New Lunar Year, so that it carries on into the new year. The end of the 30 days will also bring us to the end of summer (in Australia!), which will give us another great opportunity of reflection on the challenge when Autumn arrives!

I would like to invite you to play with me by also joining in on this "30 day Gratitude Challenge"! You can either join/Like the Happy Being Felicia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/happybeingfelicia) and post each day something that you are grateful for or comment on each blog post as I blog for the next 30 days sharing with you what I am grateful for myself.

This is going to be a fun challenge and I'm very excited!! 

Happy Dayz! :)

Healthy Body and Mind

It's a bit of an Oprah inspiration week!

I, for one, know what it's like and what happens to my well-being when I'm not feeding or fueling my body with healthy food. It's what keeps the balance and adds to your moods. 

A couple of years ago, I started on this exercise path and got myself a personal trainer. I wasn't overweight or anything (I'm just pregnant at the moment! haha..), but I certainly needed the motivation to exercise and keep it up. A walk here or a yoga class there wasn't really cutting it. Especially as I got older, it just seems harder to maintain that once-youthful-body! What I didn't expect was learning the benefits and VALUE of 'clean eating' and about all the amazing raw organic foods that surround us and the difference it made for me.

As I mindfully cut out more 'refined' sugar from my regular diet (I'm not perfect, so yes, I indulge now and again!), I certainly noticed the difference when I have been eating crap. In fact, I can probably say, when I eat the 'cheap'-not-so-good-for-you-chocolate, I become this sugar addict! When I've had too much sugar, I feel sluggish, I want to exercise less and you can probably see this downward spiral.... feeling sorry for yourself yet?

How our MOODS can change. Have you ever noticed that about yourself?  It's all about CHOICES.

It's a balance. And I believe it's equally important to nourish not only the mind but the body as well. The two really just go hand in hand together!  It's amazing when you get the two into flow :)

Having a healthy body, puts us into a much better state of BEING.

Being MINDFUL about what you're eating and fuelling your body with yummy wholesome food will allow you to be more in tune with your body. How your body responds will tell you a thing or two that may need some attention!

Perhaps the reason why you might love that milk chocolate or ice cream so much and just want to have more and more might just be that you've got a sugar addiction too! Or perhaps just notice if you're a fast or slow eater...it's the little things that you become aware of that will allow you to make the changes you need to improve your overall well-being. 

HEALTHY BODY = HAPPY MIND! 

Happy Mind = Happy Life!

What are you eating right now?

(found on Make Your Life Amazing)

Personal Responsibility

I absolutely LOVE this!

Oprah is definitely one of my many inspirations :)  and she couldn't have said it better.  

How often might you be putting the blame on someone else?  (saying it's not your fault?). Perhaps you're not being responsible for your own feelings?  Do you complain or make excuses for something unpleasant happening?  or have excuses why something hasn't  happened yet?  Perhaps you play the victim... ALOT!? "bad things always happen to me....".  If ANY of these things sound familiar - then you're definitely not taking any personal responsibility!

I'm not perfect.  I will admit to the fact that I too am not always BEING PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for my actions, reactions and outcomes - but when I don't, where do you think does that leave me? Downright unhappy! I feel out of control and powerless.

Just the other day, my husband pointed out to me how I wasn't being personally responsible for my response (I was blaming someone here...) - I just loved that he did that, because it made me step up in that moment, reassess what I had just said and gave me another opportunity to change - for the better :)  Take action and make the decision to BE personally responsible.

It sure does take practice - but a little bit of mindfulness will help along the way ;) Go on! Take some responsibility! Be personally responsible for YOUR actions, what you do in your life, your intentions, the way you react in a situation, respond in a conversation, the outcomes and what you attract.  

By practising being responsible for ourselves, we also have to remember, we are not responsible for others. How someone reacts or acts, is their decision, if someone gets upset by something you said (so long as you said it with good intentions), you are not responsible for their feelings.  They CHOOSE to feel that way. If you try to be responsible for someone else, you actually allowing them not to be personally responsible for themselves!  Think about that.... you allow them to play the victim again and again and you begin to burden yourselves with other people's problems - and where would that leave you?

When you learn to take some personal responsibility, you'll soon realise you have so many more choices - after all YOU are responsible for your own HAPPINESS!  

We become more accepting and we begin to forgive ourselves and others, thus creating more love around us. We learn to let go of things we can't control and everything becomes EEEEASY!!! :)

Would love to hear your personal stories on how you're taking some personal responsibility, so please feel free to comment below!

Perfectly Imperfect

With each new year, usually comes some sort of 'New Year's resolution', some sort of goal or challenge - it made me wonder why we do this?  Is it because we are (subconsciously) unhappy with the way our lives are already?  Or do we just need a new challenge in life?  Are we striving for perfection?

I'm am one guilty human being when it comes to the topic of perfection!  Along my own life journey, I've come to realise, I used to try to make things in my life 'perfect', I unconsciously AIM for perfection - but WHY?  

I soon came to realise, something my dad used to always say to me when I was growing up, yet little did I know how it would affect me years later playing it out unconsciously as I lived my life. Whether it was the piano lessons, the maths test or whatever it may be, he used to quote "Practice makes Perfect". 

Now that I'm much more aware of what was happening in my little head - I've had to learn (and am still learning) how to UN-DO that.  Because for me, perfect doesn't exist.  We're all beautifully, perfectly IMPERFECT human beings!

Aiming for perfection can create a certain expectation and sometimes if/when we don't reach those expectations, then we get disappointed.  Because when we get to 'perfect', we then go on to try harder to be better than what was, to become even MORE perfect!  Silly isn't it? :)

Why not have your New Year's challenge be aiming for progress? - it's like telling your little subconscious mind, you're happy with loving the journey and not the destination!