When I was growing up I remember watching Jennifer Beals in Flashdance. Though it was never an epic film, it was for me a very motivational film because it was a story about risk, it was a story about believing in your dreams, it was a story about not fitting in.

Last night I watched it again and it had the same effect on me - I learned

• Life is about risk. If you don’t push yourself then you may live but you won’t be truly living.
• When you feel isolated, it is your perception. To “fit in” change your perception.
• When you give up on your dreams, something inside of you dies.
• Belief is not something that anyone else can give you, it comes rom deep inside.
• That nothing in life is easy, that is why when we do it, it feels great.
• When someone dies, don’t let them down by not living your life.

I have heard Jennifer Beals talk about how she chooses her acting roles based on whether she is telling a story,  a story worth telling.

How she used stories to remove the loneliness of her childhood. Maybe one day I will be able to interview her on my podcast to talk about how we create our own story, how stories can remove that loneliness that we all feel……maybe that should become a goal for me….

Well done to all of us, we are through another week and a step nearer to finding our feet again after our grief. As always on a Sunday here are some articles that can help with our depression and our feeling of loss

Relax presents “Bad people” are everywhere, maybe not! posted at The Wise Curve, saying, “You can live on the wise curve if you choose to improve your soft skills and interact with others positively. It’s also good to learn to tolerate all kinds of people and accept that people are diverse”

GP presents New Years Resolutions for Keeps posted at Manely Montana, saying, “New years resolutions for keeps”

Stephen Martile presents Should you Visualize in the 1st or 3rd person? posted at FreedomEducation.ca by Stephen Martile, saying, “What do you think? Should you Visualize in the 1st or 3rd person? Both methods are valuable and helpful for different reasons - but if you use the wrong method at the wrong time, you’ll be well into your next lifetime before you manifest what you want.”

Toni presents 2009: Your year is what YOU make it to be posted at Wifely Steps, saying, “My life’s guide for 2009.”

Aparna presents Your personal bill of rights posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming, saying, “This thought-provoking personal bill of rights that every woman should be aware of was forwarded to me by an old friend. Go over it again and again and let it be etched deep in your memory.

MY PERSONAL BILL OF RIGHTS

I have the right to make my own choices.
I have the right to follow my own values and standards,
as long as I am not abusive towards others.
I have a right to dignity and respect.”

Broderick Allen presents Suspend Disbelief posted at Broderick Allen - Personal Growth and Enjoying Life’s Journey.

Dr Martin Russell presents Serious Illness And Trauma - Support For The Carers posted at Dr Martin W. Russell, saying, “I saw a story on TV about a guy who is now a sit-down/stand-up comedian, professional speaker, and the first paraplegic skydiver in Australasia.”

Chris Edgar presents Let Go Of Responsibility For Your Ideas posted at Purpose Power Coaching, saying, “One of the most liberating realizations I’ve had in my life is that I’m not responsible for my ideas. In other words, I can do very little to make myself become creative, except for keeping my mind open to receiving insights, and writing them down as they come up. In this post, I’ll talk about how I came to this perspective, and how it can give us more peace and productivity in our work.”

Wally Bock presents How to get better posted at Momentor.

Jeremy J. Ulmer presents How to be your best, Don’t hold back posted at Sales Coaching | Business Coaching | Life Coaching, saying, “Thank you”

Robert Hazlewood presents So How Does One Become Fufilled posted at Ways to Survive Life.

Fiona King presents 101 Ways to Live More Spiritually and Purposefully, Everyday posted at Christian Colleges.

Daylle Deanna Schwartz presents Law of Attraction in Action: Negative News posted at Lessons from a Recovering DoorMat, saying, “Though the economy is creating a negative environment, you can keep your own little corner of the world positive.”

ChristianPF presents
>The pray without ceasing experiment posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Adding more prayer to our lives is always a good thing!”

Naren Ghimire presents Meditation: The Ultimate Transformation posted at Spiritual Pub, saying, “Meditation is simply a process – a process of spiritual growth that will ultimately lead you to the supreme consciousness. This article offers some important steps and invaluable insights while proceeding into meditation.”

Ariel Bravy presents It’s Impossible To Truly Be Unworthy posted at You Are Truly Loved, saying, “My goodness… you’re so wonderful.”

Great Management presents Why Traditional Goal Setting Doesn’t Work posted at Great Management, saying, “If you have a $100,000,000.00 in the bank, drive the new Jaguar, look like a movie star and have a perfect health - save yourself some time and do not read this article. This article is for people, who don’t have all these things…”

Erin Pavlina presents The Inner Workings of a Mastermind Group posted at Erin Pavlina’s Blog, saying, “Since I think Mastermind Groups are a wonderful tool for personal growth and connection, I’d like to share some of the details about how my group works which will help you form and run your own group.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Stuck In A Rut? How Change Does a Mind and Body Good posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Thank you!”

Felix presents Are You a Dreamer? posted at Fulfilled Dreams, saying, “Dreamers have always been the saviors of the world. People, going through tough times, are feeding on the dreamers’ vision. To want means to obtain. To have aspirations means to achieve them…”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of positive thinking using our
carnival submission form.

For the first week of the New Year here are the articles of hope..

Erin Pavlina presents Choosing Our Emotions posted at Erin Pavlina’s Blog, saying, “A short while ago I was tucking my daughter in to bed, and as I was heading out of her room I noticed to my horror that she had used a red ink pen to gouge her full name into her brand new white dresser. Not something you can wash away, the wood was gouged deeply.”

David B Bohl presents Your End-of-Year Personal Inventory: 6 Signs You May Need an Accountability Partner posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, “Do you find that you keep promises to everyone but yourself? Do you tell yourself you will do something, but then not do it? It seems much easier to make commitments to others and keep them, than it is to honor ourselves.”

Will Edwards presents Happy New Year - FREE Little Book of Inspiration posted at White Dove Books, saying, “Here we are at the end of one year and the beginning of another. Looking toward the year ahead, we hope you will choose to make your life whatever you want it to be.”

Great Management presents How To Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever? posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, “How To Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever? Here’s how…”

Burak Bilgin presents How to Actualize Yourself? posted at Distiller’s Corner, saying, “Discovering your life purpose and actualizing yourself can be a joyful adventure.”

Ariel Bravy presents You Are Unconditionally Loved, But You May Experience Otherwise posted at

Kathleen Gaga presents 21 days to a life full of gratitude posted at Daily Awareness, saying, “Is gratitude something we get from what we have or is it something more? Find out where gratitude comes from and how to have more.”

Rational Anarchist presents The Rational Anarchist: The Roads Must Roll posted at The Rational Anarchist, saying, “We all need to get where we are going, but how many of us think about what it takes to get us there?”

Wally Bock presents Thinking about the New Year posted at Momentor.

alvos presents New Year Resolution Tips – Aim for the right direction and don’t go easy on you! posted at dayamn.com.

MWM presents Got Weeds in Your Head? posted at Pizza For A Dream, saying, “Importance of planting good seeds in our mind.”

Isaac Yassar presents 2 Requirements Of Definite Success posted at Isaac Yassar .com, saying, “Fulfill these two requirements, and you will definitely earn success in whatever field you’re in, I guarantee.”

Dr Martin Russell presents The Top 5 New Year Real-Solutions For 2009 posted at Dr Martin W. Russell, saying, “From my own experience in counselling people over the years I would suggest that New Year’s Resolutions don’t work.”

Xquisitlife presents Never let go of your dreams! posted at The best is yet to come!, saying, “This blog discusses how to have success when going after your dreams with passion!”

ChristianPF presents 6 reasons for giving more in 2009 posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “6 reasons to get us thinking about giving more in the new year”

GP presents Don’t Look Back « Manely Montana posted at Manely Montana, saying, “New Years Dont look back”

Rational Anarchist presents Lousy Prophet posted at The Rational Anarchist, saying, “The future is just like the present, only more so.”

Brain Blogger presents Recognizing the Man in the Mirror posted at Brain Blogger, saying, “Three short years ago, the first partial face transplantation was performed in France and recently the first of these procedures to be conducted in the United States was successfully accomplished.”

Diane Corriette presents What Is Greatness? posted at Personal Growth. Discovering Greatness with Inspirational Guidance, saying, “We all have greatness within us but what does being great mean to you and why is it more than just being positive?”

Broderick Allen presents The Power of Now posted at Broderick Allen - Personal Growth and Enjoying Life’s Journey.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of positive thinking using our
carnival submission form.

I can’t remember who said it but someone said something like “The most valuable land in the world is the cemetery, think of all the treasures, the books not written, the ideas laying dormant” 

When you think about it, it is true. Our loved ones had dreams, our loved ones talked about doing things that now no longer will be possible….one lesson as widows and widowers we should take from that, is that we should spend our time living that dream before it is too late.

Dreams, ideas are just that, unless we find a way of making them reality. If the death should tell us one thing then we should think about how we can take our dreams and bring them to life, rather than taking them to our grave.

So what are your dreams, what dreams did you have together that you could still do? How can you take these valuable assets that lie dormant in death, and bring them alive?

In our grief, let us not let those dreams drift, let us not let those dreams die…..let us put those dreams at the centre of our life and ensure that the years we have left are years that are meaningful to both us and the world….

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Well done to us, we have coped through our grief another week and hopefully a step nearer to rebuilding our life. As always on a Sunday I post articles that will help us with that positive thinking approach

Anna Farmery presents Are you doodling or creating a masterpiece? posted at The Engaging Brand.

Fruitpunch presents What role does your attitude play in your life? posted at Fruit Punch Diary.

Jirel presents 5 ways to always stay motivated positively posted at Positive and Successful Life Style tips.

GP presents Runnin? Free posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn, saying, “Sometimes I think that I am like the horse pictured here running with a wild streak in me, forever young and forever free”

Sarah presents Keep calm and carry on posted at SARAHSPY.

Gary Evans presents A Secret Meditation for Law of Attraction Followers | Good To Feel Good posted at Good To Feel Good.

Anmol Mehta presents Inspiring Osho Quote on How to Live Courageously posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, “Mystic Master Osho inspires us to live dangerously and courageously.”

Fruitpunch presents What?s my next step? posted at Fruit Punch Diary.

Roger presents Self-Esteeming - Creating Self-Esteem posted at The Happy and Prosperous Blog, saying, “We would all like to have high self-esteem, right ? This post explores what self-esteem means and suggests ways we can all go about raising our self-esteem to give us a better experience of life.”

Todd Goldfarb presents How To Find Your True Purpose posted at We The Change, saying, “Here is a wonderful piece at the need to look internally to find true purpose. I hope you enjoy it!”

Carter presents Why Do You Complain? posted at SuperSonicSuccess, saying, “Why Do You Complain?”

Anna Farmery presents Never Be Afraid of Living posted at Widows Quest.

Elizabeth presents Never let go of your dreams! posted at The best is yet to come!, saying, “This blog discusses how to have happiness and success when going after your dreams!”

Raymond presents Easter Sunday Musings About The Rich Man, The Camel, And The Needle posted at Money Blue Book.

Ella Moss presents True Purpose of Life posted at ZODIAC TIMES.

Abutei presents The Secret to Dreaming posted at How to Abutei, saying, “Do we live a dream or dream a life? It’s up to us!”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of positive thinking
using our carnival submission form.

Grief can take over your world and stop you from living your life. You are coping with the heartache, coping with the stress of a single life…and you end up living passively rather than seeking a great life or even achieving your dreams.

I realised that if we don’t grab life now, then death will grab us before we live those dreams…so here are some thoughts

Are you thinking about what you can do rather than what you can’t?

Are you thinking about your strengths rather than your weaknesses?

Are you thinking of setting personal goals or getting through the day?  

Are you thinking about what you gained from being in love or what you lost when they died?

Of course I understand that this sounds easy and it isn’t..but if we don’t try then we will never succeed..

…you can feel like there really is nothing left to live for, that is both a common and understandable feeling. No matter what the loss  -your job, your company, your money or indeed the death of a loved one..part of you dies, but do you know the most important part of that sentence…”part of”

When you fall in love, you give a part of yourself over to that other person, when they leave your world that part leaves with them. However, I would like you to think about the rest of you…you gave a PART of your heart, your life…there is still something very important left…the essence of you. We need to learn to fall in love with ourselves again…being in love is fantastic but sometimes   we can be so in love that we forget to love ourselves. Here is a couple of thoughts on how to start

• Write down your best 3 characteristics
• Write down what YOU alone have achieved that you are proud about
• Write down what a happy life will look like, feel like…
• Write down what steps you will take to build on your strengths and make that dream come true

The phrase almost makes me shiver, I have heard many people say “It is a new dawn, it is the start of the rest of your life, it is a new era” I know they mean well and infact they are absolutely RIGHT But somehow they feel odd phrases - maybe because I don’t want a new era, I want my old one back.

But I was scribbling down how I would like to think of fresh….

Forget not hurting, that won’t happen…but learn to cope with the pain.

Remember you still have your life to live, you still have more memories to make  

Expect a great life, one filled with happiness - because the more you expect the more you will make it happen!

Save regrets for others…no point in worrying about things that you cannot change.

Have a dream……dreams are something to aim for, give us hope and gives us a reason to get through this grief.

I often write about setting goals, of thinking about the future. Today I was reading an email from Lou Tice from The Pacific Institute

 ”Some time ago, a random sample of 1500 graduating college seniors were surveyed to find out what they would base their career choice on.

83 percent said that financial gain was the first thing they would base their career choice on and following their dream, or their passion, would come second.  7 percent said that following their dream would be first and financial gain second.  In a follow-up study on actual net worth 20 years later, what do you think they found?  Well, 101 of the 1,500 had become millionaires.  But only one of those millionaires had come from the group that put financial gain first, while one hundred of them came from the group that followed their dreams.

Of course, this study doesn’t “prove” anything. Its objective is simply to give us information about ourselves.  The point I want to make is that a path with heart, and a goal with passion driving it, is incredibly powerful.
People who do great things have, above everything else, a purpose that stirs their soul.

So follow your dream. Do what you love and what gives you joy, and do it with your whole heart….  So where do your passions and goals lay? ”

The key point is what we focus upon we become - focus on your dreams for the rest of your life….

I speak to a lot of people who say that they have seen their loved one in a dream, that they have come to them and said “Don’t worry, I am still with you” or something similar. Indeed, my mum says that she saw my dad so clearly that she went down stairs to make him a drink!

I have never had that kind of experience, I wish I had, I would love to see him again. I was just wondering whether any of you had, and did it provide comfort to you?