Image: sxc.hu

The wind if howling outside, the ward is quiet as coming up to midnight, my love for Nana is matched by the fear it could be tonight….so an idea time to put together this weeks Carnival of POSITIVE thinking!

Street Saint presents Depression – What It is and How to Handle It posted at Street Saint, saying, “My article on depression and what the best way is to think about it in order to find healing.
The article is published on the HealthMad website, but the link is found on my blog: http://www.stsaint.com/blog.”

Bert Meert presents The Thoughts Of The Optimist posted at Life, Blogging And The Pursuit Of Personal Growth.

Andrew Heath presents On Feeling a Sense of Abundance posted at Andrew Heath, saying, “Thanks!”

williamk presents Optimist Creed posted at Truth for Happiness.

Vincent presents How To Change Your Life In An Instant posted at Hit Your Goals.

Carol Solomon presents More Chocolate – Less Stress Eating? posted at Carol Solomon, saying, “I love this idea! Chocolate is actually good for your health and is now shown to reduce stress – yeah!”

Kaushik Chokshi presents You don’t need no F-thing posted at Beyond Karma, saying, “First, let go of fear…”

Karen S Murphy presents Status: The measure of value we present posted at Step Into the Flow, saying, “In this competitive world, the cultural model is built around status. It governs the intrinsic framework of relationships.

Most of us notice status but don’t think of it consciously. We want to “succeed” but in order to do so we must go up a rung on the status ladder. Being “successful”. Owning a house, or a nice car. Being respected by others. Showing mastery in something and being able to come across well at social events. Academic success. But we don’t think of what status truly is, and especially not what the ultimate expression of status is.”

Joreather presents Toxic vs. Nourishing People posted at Joreather.com.

Ernest Semerda presents 21 day challenge – develop new habits posted at Ernest Semerda – inner peace & completeness., saying, “Anything you do with repetition and emotion will become your reality. If you’re not satisfied with your current experience, examine your habits.”

Editorial presents Free Yourself from Worries posted at Your Best Library, saying, “Are you worried about the future? Do you keep resenting your past? Do you feel like life treats you unfair and people unkind? Do you want to learn how to overcome the pain in your life? In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle takes a look at our sorrows. He challenges our thought patterns and shows us a way to freedom and joy.”

Cheryl Ragsdale presents Stop Pretending! 5 Steps to Help You Reveal a Blind Spot posted at That Girl is Funny, saying, “We all know what makes us happy and what puts us in a bad mood. We even know when we’re pretending – tolerating – for the sake of getting along or not making waves. Diane joins ThatGirlisFunny to share 5 steps that helped her successfully reveal (and take action on) a blind spot that kept her hiding out, blaming others and finding excuses for participating fully with her friends and family.”

Donald Latumahina presents Anthony de Mello on How to Find Happiness posted at Life Optimizer.

JL 4 Media presents Stand Up and Walk in His Light posted at Live Life to the Fullest, saying, “Have you been in a complete darkness? As in total darkness that you almost had the thought of losing life, and that every waking moment was dreadful for you. Instead of thanking for life, you sighed because it will be another day of pain and hurt. A heavy day were you can’t stop crying and hurting.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of positive thinking using our
carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Post from: Widows Quest

Suzanne presents Happiness in 7 steps: Step 1 – I am OK as I am posted at Without Dash.

SmallTownSim presents Even when… posted at Joy’s Journey To Wellness, saying, “In the entry titled, “Even when…” The author shares the struggles she faces daily but allows us to witness her determination in dealing with each challenge.”

GP presents You Gotta Get Out of Your Kitchen « Musings from Montana posted at Manely Montana, saying, “Sometimes, you just have to get out of your own way.”

Russ Wood presents 6 Tips on How to Deal with Negative Thinking posted at Russ Wood, saying, “This article is more about personal development and dealing with negative thinking.”

Erin Pavlina presents 5 Good Ways to Ground Yourself posted at Erin Pavlina’s Blog, saying, “Have you ever heard someone talk about being grounded? Are you grounded? Or is your energy drifting off like a helium balloon in the sky? What does it even mean to be grounded and why is it important?”

Stephen Martile presents 9 Questions to Unlock Your Unique Abilities posted at FreedomEducation.ca by Stephen Martile, saying, “There are too many people in the world today doing crap they don’t enjoy. I used to be one of those people. By quietly contemplating a variety of questions in my life I began to see different sides of myself – and with this lens of reality I began to explore new opportunities.”

Anne Simone presents 100 Powerful Blogs for Your Self-Improvement posted at Online College.org.

Alvina Lopez presents 100 Inspirational Blog Posts for Personal Change posted at Online Bible College Degrees – Online Bible Colleges.

Outshined presents Food, Stress, and Anxiety posted at Personal Web Guide, saying, “This article discusses the direct correlation that your diet can have on your stress and anxiety levels. It’s something I’ve done a lot of personal experimentation with, having suffered from high amounts of anxiety for a good portion of my life. Throughout the article I discuss just how powerful your dietary choices can be in not only your physical state, but also in your mental and emotional states.”

Justin Hall presents
>What Defines a Man? posted at Justin Hall.

ChristianPF presents Overcoming the fear of failure posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “These are some of the steps I took to overcome my fear of failure…”

Donald Latumahina presents A Simple Tip to Be More Productive posted at Life Optimizer.

Dragos Roua presents Positive Motivation Versus Negative Motivation posted at Dragos Roua – The Choice Of A Personal Path.

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

Post from: Widows Quest

ananga presents How to Use Your Breath to Relax Your Mind posted at Ananga Sivyer’s Living by Design Blog, saying, “If your mind is behaving like a kid in a waiting room and is really having trouble keeping still and quiet, you need to learn to distract it with mindfulness. Rather than using TV, or rushing about to escape stress and unwanted thoughts, you can distract your mind with something naturally soothing and relaxing, something that can flip the switch between stress and relaxation in minutes. Your breath.”

Stephen Martile presents Are you bigger than your problems? posted at FreedomEducation.ca by Stephen Martile, saying, “Hi Widows Quest, Most people don’t get what they want because they keep doing the same old thing. They keep taking the same actions in hopes of creating a different result. And the reason they do that is because their actions are rooted in fear. They fear taking on new actions. And that is their biggest problem.”

ITAKEOFFTHEMASK presents Poem of Grieving Loss of Loved One posted at itakeoffthemask.com, saying, “Loss of a loved one poem”

Fred Black presents Event Horizon: Black Holes of Failure posted at Fred Black: Internet Business Blog..

Dereck presents When You are Your Own Enemy posted at I Will Not Die.

Arun presents A Matter of Perspective posted at Arun is Bringing You…Your Daily Remedy, saying, “Sometimes, a little perspective is all we need to realize how lucky we are!”

omguy presents The real smart posted at Ordinary Miracles, saying, “Post Summary: Why do some people just seem to have it “figured out”? They just seem to have a gift for living well. They remain resilient in the face of challenges, able to deal with anything and at the same time admired by everyone. New brain research suggests . . .”

Chris Edgar presents Are You A “Star” Or A “Bit Player”? posted at Purpose Power Coaching, saying, “Some people see themselves as “supporting actors” in their lives. In their minds, they exist to make sure the “stars” — perhaps their children, spouses, bosses, or someone else — achieve their goals, rather than to find fulfillment for themselves. If you experience this feeling and want a more balanced perspective, the exercises in this article are intended to help.”

MoneyNing presents Celebrating Thanksgiving is a Must This Year posted at Money Ning, saying, “Thanksgiving is one of the fun holidays of the year! No matter what, you should celebrate!”

Alvaro Fernandez presents Neuroplasticity and the Brain That Changes Itself posted at SharpBrains, saying, “Review of a great book with compelling tales about the amazing abilities of the brain to rewire, readjust and relearn.”

John Buehler presents Celebrating Life posted at Rebuilding Eden.

Nards presents Song of the day: Peace Train – Cat Stevens posted at Nardeeisms.

Donald Latumahina presents 9 Tips to Live an Abundant Life posted at Life Optimizer.

Valeria presents Peaceful Simplicity: 10 Refreshing Ways to Live in the Here and Now posted at Timeless Lessons.

Peter Murphy presents Common Listening Mistakes That Cause People Problems posted at Communication Skills Power.

Louise Manning presents 10 quotes on promise posted at The Human Imprint.

Erin Pavlina presents What Happens When You Die? posted at Erin Pavlina’s Blog, saying, “I’ve gotten a lot of emails asking me variations on this question so I thought I’d do an entire blog entry on this subject to help everyone understand what I believe happens.”

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

Post from: Widows Quest

That made me think. The heart is a muscle, it aches when it is tired, it aches when it needs rest time. When we are grieving we are putting so much stress on our most important muscle. We do need to listen to it so that it can have some recovery time. I was also thinking how maybe we could allow a little warm up each day to help the muscle cope with the stress.

I am going to do a heart warm up each day. I am going to wake to some gentle music, then change it to a singalong song and allow myself to sing badly! I will also stand in front of the mirror and smile whilst telling myself of how well I am coping…

A little heart warm up may help the aching…what do you think? Am I mad? Or what heart warm ups can you think of for the start of the day?

Post from: Widows Quest

“There is only me and I will turn 60 in July without my best friend (and younger spouse) there beside me. I don’t think I have a day where the tears do not well up. I am so alone and so lonely, too.”

Loneliness is awful, it is like a stream running through your body, swirling around and catching you off guard. I want to stress that this blog is home to all people suffering with grief….a home where we can all come and help each other. So often friends and family live away – as with me – and you don’t know where to turn….there is always a friend here for you…..who will understand.

Readers will know that I have ups and downs…..I hope the ups help to show you that there is hope, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope the downs show that all your feelings are natural, that you are not alone.

Two things that have helped me that may help Jessica

• It helps to have some sound in the house. I listen to podcasts, the radio, the TV anything to make it feel that there is someone else around in the house.
• It helps me to set some exercise goals…I take a walk each day or go to the gym. The reason is that it gives me a goal, it gives me a sense of achievement at the same time as helping my body become healthier.

Jessica – you are not alone.  We are here to support and  feel free to share your thoughts in  the comments. Sometimes just writing your thoughts down helps….you as well as others.

{iStockphoto}

Post from: Widows Quest

Sheamus presents What Does It Mean To Live Well? posted at i am shéamus.

ananga presents The Simple Art of Anti-Stress Breathing posted at Ananga Sivyer’s Living by Design Blog, saying, “When stress feels normal we forget how to relax and we forget how to breathe. We get used to muscle pain and tension. We may develop mystery abdominal pains as we upset the balancing energies of our bodies, our sleep becomes disturbed and we find it hard to sit still and take life in.”

Lisa Spinelli presents The Psychology of Money: Low Self-Esteem is Like Driving Through Life With Your Hand-Brake On | Greener Pastures: Personal Finance posted at Greener Pastures: Personal Finance, saying, “Using visualization as a tool for improving self-esteem.”

Avani presents Faced any fears lately? « Food For Mind posted at Food For Mind.

Chris Edgar presents Learning To Let Life In posted at Purpose Power Coaching, saying, “Many of us, to protect ourselves from being hurt, have cut ourselves off from our ability to fully experience life. This gives living a predictable, unfulfilling quality. In this article, I talk about ways to restore our appreciation and awe for the world around us.”

Marcus presents 15677 Steps To Personal Discovery posted at Personal Development & Self Help, saying, “Sometimes stepping out of our comfort zone is a great way of gaining perspective on our lives and the things that go on around us everyday. This article describes a journey of self discovery I recently undertook.”

Ralph Jean-Paul presents How to Be Good at Everything posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, “Who are these people who seem to overachieve at everything they do and how can you become more like them? Learn the skills and mindset needed in order to become a well rounded, multi-talented overachiever.”

SJ Yee presents Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, Thirty True Things You Need To Know Now posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart, saying, “There’s nothing to distract you from the hard-hitting heart-felt wisdom that Livingston dishes out generously in the form of 30 steadfast truths of life and how best to live it.”

David B. Bohl presents 5 Signs You?re a Pleaser and What to Do About It posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, “Regardless of what people say, we all care about what others think about us – even on a small level.”

Glowing Face Man presents The Joys of Change posted at Glowing Face Man: Awaken the Badass Within, saying, “The deepest, most common fear is the fear of change. Enjoy this article about enjoying and embracing change.”

Andrew Heath presents To Take or Not to Take Medicine for Depression posted at Andy

  Powerful Living presents Powerfull Living » 10 Qualities That Foster Trust & Safety In Relationships posted at Powerfull Living, saying, “Learn the elements that improve relationships in all areas of your life”

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

Post from: Widows Quest

Metaliphe presents Sad or Depressed? posted at Chandra Unplugged – No nonsense, Straight-up blogging from a Life Coach, saying, “Are you really depressed or are you just sad? If you’ve been told you’re depressed but just feel really sad, learn the difference between clinical depression and normal sadness.”

Charles H. Green presents How to Increase Trust by Getting Off Your “S” posted at Trusted Advisor Associates, saying, “Self-orientation can be the biggest obstacle to happiness and good relations with others, because when you start thinking of other people first, you tend to do the right thing instinctively.”

Chris Edgar presents What Have You Got To “Show For” Your Life? posted at Purpose Power Coaching, saying, “The conventional wisdom that we need something to “show” for everything we do assumes we can only improve our lives by acquiring more material things and relationships. It neglects our ability to feel more fulfilled and complete by changing the way we experience the world — how we think and feel about the events of our lives.”

Emore Ogho presents The Secret posted at Emog.

Shirley presents Humor is great medicine. posted at Brighter Days for you and me!, saying, “During all the chaos, fear, uncertainty and confusion, I seemed to have temporarily lost all the humor skills I gained over the past few years. Only after becoming completely frazzled, did my humor button seem to start working again. You know how sometimes you laugh so hard you cry? Well, sometimes you get so worn out and overwhelmed that the least little joke will having you laughing like a loon.”

Neelakantha presents Relax: 50+ Simple 30-Second Ways to Bring Tranquility To Your Life posted at Online Nursing Degree Directory.

Gary Evans presents Love Music? Listen To Music That Loves You posted at Good To Feel Good.

Nancy Hayssen presents What Drains Your Soul? posted at “Sexy at ANY Size!”.

Louise Manning presents Quotes about dignity posted at The Human Imprint.

Shamelle presents 8 Stress-Busting, Spirit Lifting, Body-Boosting Ideas To Brighten Your Day With Music posted at Enhance Life.

David B. Bohl presents Personal Development Defined posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, “Personal development is simply the act of enjoying your life and of being in control of it. You learn to make decisions every day that guide you towards achieving a set of goals or values, and remaining motivated to achieve your goals.”

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

Post from: Widows Quest

Wow, a huge question and one that really does depend on the situation but here are my thoughts..

I think we often as human beings need to be right, when what we need to do is understand that there is often not just a single right answer. Each person is different, although we have common bonds in a family, each family consists of individuals….

Each person will grieve at a different rate, some with anger…others silently. No one is right, no one is wrong.

I think the best way is to come through a family disagreement is to be empathetic to the differences – even if you are alone in doing that!

I try and focus on what we do agree on, how we can reconcile our differences rather than resolve the problem. Why? Because I think when emotions are high at times of stress, then we won’t find a solution that fits all. We can only find a solution that reconciles our differences rather than solve them..

What do you think?

Post from: Widows Quest

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are”

When I look back at the time of death, I can remember the tension in my body. I remember thinking “Be strong” “Don’t break down you have too much to do” “Don’t cry when you tell people as they will be shocked and need you to be there for them”

I remember carrying the burden of the world on my shoulders, until one day after the funeral when I just sat and cried my eyes out. What I realised is that tension comes from trying to be something for other people, look at the phrases I used to talk to myself….

Yet, your body and mind needs you to be you, to feel the pain, to be who you are….I think when we learn that, we learn a lot about how we can find happiness following our grief.

Post from: Widows Quest

1. I concentrated on seeing this as speaking on his behalf, this was not about me or my nerves this   was about speaking on behalf of my loved one. This gave me the strength to do it…I wanted to”do him proud”
2. I wrote the speech straight from the heart, I thought about what he would want me to say and wrote it as if we were speaking about it. I didn’t over edit it, I just let the words flow.
3. I printed it out in VERY BIG PRINT...sounds silly but if you have tears in your eyes, or your hands start to shake…then it is easier to read.
4. When I first stood up…I focused on a friend who I knew would smile and comfort me…I almost spoke the words to her…
5. I understood that this was emotional and that each person listening would know how hard it was for me to speak….I didn’t fear getting emotional and actually that ensured that I kept myself together. There is something in knowing that you can, that stops you from breaking down.
6. I had asked my cousin to take over if I did fail – therefore I had a back up plan just in case.
7. Speak slowly …and take 3-4 large breaths before you stand up.
8. Don’t make the speech too long….and also celebrate the life as well as acknowledging the loss.
9. I practised speaking out loud many times the night before…that way I almost knew it by heart and knew that I would not stutter.
10. I spoke early at the funeral, this allowed me to concentrate on delivering a worthy speech and then allowed me to become emotional and grieve during the rest of the time.

I hope these help you if you are faced with speaking at a funeral. Key is knowing that for once in your life, each person in the audience is on your side, empathetic, expect you to be emotional…

Post from: Widows Quest