7 Promises You Should Make Yourself (and Keep)

It’s very important for people to value the promises they make to others, and do all they can to keep them. But why so often do many not keep promises to themselves? New Year’s resolutions, promises to eat healthy, lose weight, learn a new language, all gets broken soon enough, and are simply laughed off in jest.

The obligations you make to yourself should be just as important as your obligations to others. When you value your own needs and well-being, and keep the promises you make to yourself, every area of your life will begin to see new opportunities and advancements. Start with these 7 simple, yet profound promises to yourself (and be sure to KEEP them!)

7 promises you should make yourself (and keep):

1. I will listen to my body and mind when feeling stressed.

If you’re in pain, stressed, or fatigued more than usual, this is your bodies’ way of saying you need rest. You can help prevent cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and other ills just by stopping to smell the roses.

When feeling stressed, take 20 minutes to meditate, exercise or just talk to a friend. You’ll enjoy the positive benefits of this, and can even see your daily life change because of it.

2. I will smile every day.

Smiling places a person in a better mood and makes you feel confident. It’s an energy booster and stress reducer at the same time. Studies show that even faking a smile if you have to produces better feelings and mood than not smiling at all.

Smiling each day will improve your interactions with others as well.  And not only will your illuminating energy produce more returned smiles, but will also provide a greater chance for positive results in every situation.

3. I will live a life of positive expansion.

Promise yourself to  live a life of positive expansion. You may have a hidden talent in life, but will never find out unless you’re willing to think outside the box, go out of your comfort zone, and be willing to do something you’ve never done.

Some of our greatest inventions present today are because people have pushed the boundaries from what is to what is possible.

4. I will leave the past behind, but always take the lesson with me.

Remembering your past doesn’t mean that you have to carry it with you. The lessons from those experiences however, should always be kept.  Each lesson remembered acts as a tool to help you mold the future you truly want.

5. I will always live the life I want to live.

Many people often succumb to leading lives that others want to see them live, never chasing their own happiness.  It’s important to remember that happiness cannot be achieved through satisfying everyone elses vision for your life. Live life how you want to live it and contribute to the world in your own creative and loving way – it’s OK to content your soul’s desire.

6. I will remember that relationships are seasonal.

People are going to come and go in your life. When you’ve thought that you’ve met your best friend, perfect business associate, or the love of your life, you may be let down. If you lose a relationship in life, let it go and realize that relationships are often seasonal – with all things that begin, an end will come.

Promise yourself that you will take what you’ve learned from them and move forward with your life.

7. I will accept when changes are needed in my life.

Embrace the fact that change is necessary. The above promises will lead to a positive ripple effect in your life. You may need to end relationships and accept new challenges, but it’s all for the best.

Create a promise journal and write each of the above promises in it.Write what each promise means to you. Whenever you forget why you are continuing this promise or feel down, pull out your journal to refresh yourself.

Happy new year Basotho!!!!!

No Clutter

10 Ways to Help Kids Think Positive

Helping kids understand the effect of their thoughts, words, actions (and reactions) is essential in building a foundation for their future wellness. When kids learn how to think positive from a young age, they will have a much greater chance of leading happy, healthy, and successful lives as adults.

There are many effective ways to help guide children down a great path in life, but it’s up to us, the adults in their lives to get them started in the best direction possible.

Here are 10 ways to help your kids think positive:

1. Be a great role model.

“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.” – Haim Ginott

If you want children to think positive, it’s important to be an exemplary role model. When you have a child, being conscious of your thoughts becomes a clear goal as you see them begin to mimic your moods, speech, and actions toward others.
Find a positive perspective in your experiences, and explain why the choice you made is important. Adults know that the world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but children can forget this awareness at their age. Be someone they can learn from through both success and failure.

2. Help them feel comfortable with their emotions.

The aged assumption that “boys should not cry, and girls should always be dainty” can hinder a child’s creativity and ability to tap into their wellspring of love for themselves and others. Fostering emotional well-being among children has actually been shown to avoid “mental illness” later in life, along with many other health and social benefits.

Teach your child how to laugh, cry, and express their joy, and that it’s ok to do so. Let them live in an environment where they feel safe enough to communicate what they’re feeling, and what they want in life.

3. Teach them the law of attraction.

The law of attraction simply states that you will eventually receive the opportunity, in some form, to achieve that which is in alignment with your most dominant thoughts. If children understand this concept, they can learn to focus on achieving everything from potty training to becoming President.   Teach your children to think well of themselves, as they are now. Teach them to be kind and compassionate toward others. This simple 3 step process to the law of attraction will help you explain it to them simply.

Also, have your child repeat positive affirmations in the mirror with you every day. Phrases like “I am creative, I am strong, I am a good friend, and I make a difference in the world” plants the seeds of positivity in their hearts, and impacts their lives in a tremendous way.

Nothing can stop your child from achieving greatness when they make positive thinking their habit. Watch young Jessica as she expresses her inner confidence in this Youtube video:

4. Be a motivator and encourager.

Help your child believe that they can be their best. Encourage them to follow their dreams and to believe that they can achieve great things in life.

Even if your child fails at something, motivate them to pick themselves up and carry on – teach them that in every outcome, there is always a silver lining. If your child was expecting to win first place at the science fair but didn’t, acknowledge their feelings. Talk about the cool projects, and how they can be inspired for their next project. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is say that you tried your best, look forward, and that another opportunity will be on the way.

5. Teach them how to focus on solutions.

Followers talk about problems. Leaders talk about solutions.

Problem solving is a critical skill kids need to gain confidence, continue thinking positive, and excel in life. Help them learn about the problem and what created it, then how to move past it and focus on a solution.

Moving into the “solution zone” as quickly as possible will encourage them to always think positive, and be confident that answers are always out there.

6. Allow them the freedom to do what they love.

To flourish in their own unique way, children need some freedom to do what they love. Guide children to safely find their purpose and passion. Create a learning environment from what excites them in life. Everything has a lesson, and it’s up to us to provide that lesson in the most engaging way to maximize a child’s learning.

7. Surround them with positive people.

Surround children with a positive, uplifting environment. Explain to them that they are a product of the people they spend the most time with, and to try to associate with other people who also think positive. From this fertile positive environment, they can move forward in helping others think positive as well.

8. Encourage strong morals and values.

Children can grow up to be strong, positive leaders if cornerstone positive morals and values are built from a young age. Knowing what’s “right and wrong” when interacting with friends, holding them accountable for their mistakes, and teaching them to follow through with commitments are all core principles of practicing positivity.

To help them understand easily, talk about your own life experiences such as returning someone’s wallet or intentionally making friends with the new kid at school to welcome them.

9. Ask them about the positive events of their day.

Instead of just asking how their day went, ask them about the positive things that happened during their day. These specific questions help them focus on their achievements rather than disappointments.

When children stay focused on thinking positive, their positive experiences will only continue to grow.

10. Create a literacy-rich environment.

Support literacy starting from an early age. It takes them to places they can embrace their own powers. A child that often reads is enriched with the power to strategize and solve problems. Give them library cards, provide puzzles, read a variety of books, play bingo, scrabble, and introduce books on the computer.  There are even programs like Reading Kingdom that allows them to play online as they learn to read.

A Tribute to Maya Angelou

25 Best Maya Angelou Quotes : A Tribute to Maya Angelou

Marguerite Johnson, who became known as Maya Angelou was brought into this world on April 4, 1928. n May 28th, 2014, Maya returned home. Maya Angelou was a beacon of light for the people, shining brightly and inspiring them to find compassion, humanity, forgiveness, and live their best life.

To honor her eternal spirit, we are sharing 25 of our favorite Maya Angelou Quotes that will continue to inspire all who reads them. Shine ON, Maya!

25 Best Maya Angelou Quotes

1. If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

2. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou

3. Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. – Maya Angelou

4. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. – Maya Angelou

5. You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.’ – Maya Angelou

6. You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive. – Maya Angelou

7. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud – Maya Angelou

8. I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me. – Maya Angelou

9. I know that when I pray, something wonderful happens. Not just to the person or persons for whom I’m praying, but also something wonderful happens to me. I’m grateful that I’m heard. – Maya Angelou

10. I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it. – Maya Angelou

11. During bad circumstances, which is the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that. We are obliged to know we are global citizens. Disasters remind us we are world citizens, whether we like it or not. – Maya Angelou

12. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody. – Maya Angelou

13. Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time. – Maya Angelou

14. I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.

15. How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! – Maya Angelou

16. I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. – Maya Angelou

17. The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind. – Maya Angelou

18. Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go.’ – Maya Angelou

19. Those of us who submitted or surrendered our ideas and dreams and identities to the ‘leaders’ must take back our rights, our identities, our responsibilities. – Maya Angelou

20. The only thing is, people have to develop courage. It is most important of all the virtues. Because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtues consistently. – Maya Angelou

21. I know for sure that love saves me and that it is here to save us all. – Maya Angelou

22. Don’t let the incidents which take place in life bring you low. And certainly don’t whine. You can be brought low, that’s OK, but don’t be reduced by them. Just say, ‘That’s life.’ – Maya Angelou

23. When a person is going through hell, and she encounters someone who went through hellish hell and survived, then she can say, ‘Mine is not so bad as all that. She came through, and so can I.’ – Maya Angelou

24. All of us knows, not what is expedient, not what is going to make us popular, not what the policy is, or the company policy – but in truth each of us knows what is the right thing to do. And that’s how I am guided. – Maya Angelou

25. In all my work, I try to say – ‘You may be given a load of sour lemons, why not try to make a dozen lemon meringue pies?’ – Maya Angelou