More and more of them are even ditching the whole idea of constantly making New Year’s resolutions and replacing them with this new concept.

Resolutions are great, but at a certain point, they start feeling like rules, and for many people, it becomes too hard and restrictive to stick to them.  

It doesn’t have to be that you’re weak if you don’t accomplish all your resolutions. People change all the time, together with their desires and goals.

So, this time perhaps you can consider a new goal to pursue alone or together with others. Let’s check out what a word of the year is really about!

Why You Should Choose Your Word of the Year

A word of the year is a simple yet effective idea that more people are opting for.

It’s like a mantra you choose according to the specific needs of your soul.

You should choose your word of the year because when it’s at the front of your mind, you’ll always have something to motivate and encourage you when everyday things get tough.

Also, a specific word helps you to prioritize things in your life and focus on those that really matter to you.

What’s something you want to concentrate on in the coming year?

Do you want to focus more on your career or personal growth? Or would you prefer to spend more time with your family and make more space to enjoy some quality activities with your loved ones?

Either way, when you choose your word of the year, you’ll primarily help yourself not to feel overwhelmed while trying to balance all the things that matter in your life. 

How to Choose Your Word of the Year

The best thing is that creating your inspirational word of the year is easy. Perhaps you already have some in mind?

If not, don’t worry; we have a couple of things to make this easier for you.

You don’t need anything particular to start — just a journal or a blank sheet of paper, and off we go!

Reflect

It’s hard to choose a word that’s supposed to motivate you without reflecting on your past.

Take some quality time with yourself. Leave your phone in another room and remove all distractions. The first thing you want to do is to thoroughly reflect on your past year.

Here are some useful questions that could help with this process.

• What could I use less or more of in the following year?
• Are there habits I’d like to change?
• How well do I sleep in general?
• What did I accomplish in the past year?
• What are three words that would best describe my past year?
• What kind of person do I want to become? Which characteristics should I boost to become the best version of myself?
• How do I feel by the end of the day? Would I be satisfied to feel like that in the next five years?
• If not, how would I want to feel?

Don’t overthink while writing down the answers. Just jot down all the things that pop into your head without further editing and trying to make it look perfect.

Remember, it’s all about being completely honest with yourself without distractions from the external world.

Reflect on important areas in your life:

• Family
• Relationships
• Career/work
• Physical and mental health
• Hobbies
• Milestones and life goals 

Once you review your considerations, you’ll have a better insight into how things are at the moment, as well as the direction you’d like to take in later stages in your life. 

Practice Visualization

What would the ideal day feel like in your case? Try to visualize it and focus on this “feel” part.

For example, let’s say you want to visualize what your morning routine is supposed to look like. Here are some questions that can help you do that:

• Which little things would make you feel happy and would boost your day from the start?
• How would you like to feel at work, at home, or throughout the day?
• How do you want to feel when the day is done, right before you go to sleep?

That’s why going “offline” and shutting the outer world down is so important — you want to remove all the external distractions that could affect your answers and perhaps take you the wrong way.

While visualizing your perfect life, ask yourself, without any pressure, “what word do I want to focus on in the next year?“

Try to do this step when you wake up or before you go to sleep. You could light a candle or turn on an aromatherapy diffuser too. Do whatever it takes to feel calm so your intuition can provide you with the answers you’ve been looking for.

Make a List

Take 10-15 minutes to create a list of all of the words that randomly come to your mind when you think about what you want to focus on in the next year. Need help with these?

Let’s check some of the common examples of motivational words:

• Believe
• Love
• Peace
• Brave
• Family
• Strength
• Patience
• Passion
• Health
• Mindful
• Integrity
• Organize
• Balance
• Responsibility
• Compassion

No self-editing, just write it all down, no matter what the list looks like at first!

Refine Your List

Review the list of your motivational words and choose your favorites.

Try not to circle too many words. Maybe three is enough?

Chances are you’ll notice there’s a specific theme that links the words you put on the paper. Do some of them make you feel more excited than the other ones?

Are there words that make you feel scared or nervous? Sometimes words that make you uncomfortable can be a sign you’re on the right track.

A process of change isn’t easy most of the time, and it’s natural to fear it.

Again, take your time and try these words on, so to speak. See which ones feel right. Don’t overcomplicate things and analyze too much here.

Sometimes you just need to trust your gut and let the right words choose you.

And Finally, Ask Yourself This

Now when you got your three words — or maybe even less; it’s up to you — ask yourself one more question: How committed are you to this?

If you’re merely interested, it means you’re just a little bored with your life, so you’re looking for some new excitements.

That’s cool, but if that’s the case, chances are you’ll pull out multiple excuses when the first obstacles come along the way.

However, if you’re truly committed to change, you’ll take your word(s) seriously and do whatever it takes to use them as a tool to get you the life you truly want.

Take a day or two to consider how serious you are about this. Sometimes we only think we need change, whereas, in reality, we’re not ready to take some real action toward a better version of ourselves.

What If You’re an Overthinker?

Choosing the best word of the year is about motivating yourself. If you’re an overthinker, don’t excessively stress about creating one more goal you need to cross off your list.

If you’re a perfectionist, you might be feeling nervous about whether you really got “the best of the best” word(s). Also, maybe you’re not reading this article on January 1, so you feel like you’ve missed the magic.

Let’s make things clear then: First, you don’t have to use your word from January 1 to December 31 for it to work out. 

You can use your word any time during the year, whenever you feel it’s the right time to make changes.

Second, you don’t have to really use just one word during the whole year. Maybe you’ll realize the word you’ve chosen wasn’t really the ONE.

That’s OK; you can always change it after a while. Also, don’t consider this exercise as a failure.

Third, realizing that a word doesn’t motivate you enough can also help you learn about yourself and get closer to the one that will get you more excited.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Just One Word

If it’s hard to find a single word of the year, you can make a set of three related ones. This way, you can pick one word to cover different parts of your life.

That way, your mantra becomes even more personalized.

Whether you work on one or multiple areas, having a common word or even a set helps you put your life together and pay more attention to living here and now.

You’ve Got Your Word, Now What?

Now when you’ve got your word of the year, remind yourself to use it as often as you can!

Create your very own phone wallpaper that features your mantra. You can use it as a personal hashtag — other people don’t even need to know what it means because it’s all about setting your own personal reminder.

Decorate your journal or planner with your special word and try to display it on a regular basis.

Some Final Words

Choosing your word of the year grounds you and helps you focus on things that matter to you.

Here are basic steps to do that:

1. Reflect on your past year.
2. Visualize things you want.
3. Remove distractions and relax by yourself to delve deeper and see what things you really want in your life.
4. Brainstorm and make a list of random words you think of when you imagine what your perfect life is supposed to look like.
5. Review your list and leave a word that works the best for you — or three of them.
6. Ask yourself if you’re committed enough to really turn these words into your mantra for a longer period of time.

Set reminders to use this word and to remember why it was there in the first place. In the end — live your mantra to get to the best version of yourself and finally head to the life you’ve always wanted!

Resources

• https://mountainmodernlife.com/word-of-the-year/
• https://www.slowlivingldn.com/journal/live-better/choosing-a-word-of-the-year/
• https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2021/picking-a-word-of-the-year.html
• https://www.fillingthejars.com/word-for-the-year/

The post Choosing Your Word of The Year appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

“I’ll be way more satisfied after I get a promotion and more money,” or “I’ll be happy when I meet the right person and get married.” Does that sound familiar?

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having goals, desires, and things we aim for. Still, you may notice that even after you achieve your goals, they only bring temporary satisfaction.

Take a closer look at how you feel after that rush is gone. The true state of your mind reveals itself after the hype is gone.

Are you already looking for new goals and things that would make you happy?

Do you believe that wasn’t enough, so you need to achieve more to feel truly good about yourself and your life? Or are there some other things that make people genuinely content?

Let’s delve deeper into this.

What Is The Meaning of “Be Content With What You Have”?

True contentment is a state of mind or deep-seated sense of accepting what we have and who and where we are at any given moment.

Human nature is restless, which means it’s hard for us to enjoy the same situation or thing for a longer period of time. 

Human beings need something that breaks their everyday routine now and then to feel refreshed and excited about things. However, just because such things make us feel excited and joyful doesn’t mean they make us feel fully content.

This is why having a lot of money won’t make you content—the excitement we feel after buying something we want subsides after a short time, and then we’re back to where we started.

Contentment is being deeply satisfied with things just the way they are.

How to Be Content With What You Have

The majority of people relate accomplishing certain goals with feeling content because of the rush they feel when they go after something.

That’s why too often, so many of us get entrenched in our busy lives chasing money and goals that we don’t even see where we are at this particular moment.

Even when we finally take a break and sit down, we focus more on where we want to be or where we were instead of letting ourselves be present right now.

Before we can be truly content with where and who we are, we must first be aware of our present situation.

How do we do that?

An Exercise to Help You Feel Present

Here’s a quick exercise that might help you establish a sense of being present in this particular moment.

Take a look at what surrounds you at this very moment. What do you see?

Try to describe your space, but don’t make any judgments about it.

For instance, instead of saying the room looks dreary or cheerful (which are words of judgment), just observe the color of it, together with the position and style of the furniture.

What’s the texture and color of the carpet on the floor? There are so many details you can pay attention to.

Maybe your working desk is facing a window, the walls are white with stains on certain spots, and the fabric on the chair could be slightly worn.

By becoming aware of our surroundings and noticing things without judging, we help ourselves stop thinking about past or future events.

None of these determine the true value of your life. The point is to be aware of the things you have at this particular moment.

You Feel Present. Now What?

When you’re focused on reminiscing about things from the past or imagining your future, you can’t become fully aware of the life you have right now.

Think about it.

What are the people you’re surrounded with like?

Who do you spend most of your time with?

What value do you provide for those people? What value do they offer you?

Do you let them know you appreciate them?

Do you find purpose in your existence and how you spend your time on this planet? Don’t punish yourself if you don’t.

Being content isn’t a measurable goal; we don’t head toward it like when we want to get a promotion at work or buy a new car.

Contentment is a state of being that you practice, and the first step is being more aware of the present moment.

Only at that point do you create space where you can also discover the true purpose of your life.

Some believe they can only be happy if they win a lottery, buy a great house, or get into a relationship. And some even manage to do it — just to realize it only seemed like that was going to give a purpose to their lives.

What Is the Difference Between Being Content and Being Happy?

Contentment and happiness sound pretty much the same at first.

It’s not a problem when we equate them in casual everyday conversations, but if we want to live intentional and meaningful lives, we must address the differences between them.

Happiness is a state where a person is satisfied. They experience enjoyment or pleasure and often an absence of pain.

Contentment is a state of satisfaction where a person can transcend the allure of basic desires and needs. 

This means it’s possible to feel content without being happy.

For instance, you can have a job you’re not that happy with, but you still find a purpose in having it.

Maybe it’s close to your dream job, or even if you don’t like it, you still know you earn money to support your family, fund a charity, or do something else that helps others around you.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for a job you believe would suit you the best or have goals. It simply means you can find purpose in everything you’re doing in life, no matter what they are.

Also, the deep satisfaction with your life won’t depend on achieving those goals. You’ll be able to feel grateful for your life whether you’re going through good, bad, or more or less successful periods of your life.

In other words, even if you’re not happy at specific periods of life, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.

We are layered beings who go through different stages in our lives.

It would be tricky to fully rely on times when we feel happy because when we don’t feel happy, we might think there’s something wrong.

A Little Bit More About Contentment 

Here are a few simple yet beautiful quotes and Scriptures that can always remind you what being content is all about.

Quotes

• “To be content doesn’t mean you don’t desire more[;] it means you’re thankful for what you have and patient for what’s to come.” Tony Gaskins
• “Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.” Bilal Zahoor
•  “Contentment comes from many great and small acceptances in life.” Anonymous
•  “A contented heart is a calm sea in the midst of all storms.” Anonymous
• “Now and then, it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” Anonymous

Scriptures

• “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’… Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)
• “Then he said to them, ‘Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Resources:

• https://www.minimalismmadesimple.com/home/be-content-with-what-you-have/
• https://www.happify.com/hd/sustainable-happiness-how-to-find-contentment-that-will-last/ 
• https://www.happierhuman.com/happiness-vs-contentment/
• https://www.awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/35-inspirational-quotes-on-contentment/ 
• https://www.biblemoneymatters.com/10-bible-verses-about-contentment-how-can-we-feel-contentment-in-a-restless-world/ 
• https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-contentment/

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Today we’ll talk about the difference between goals and aspirations and how you can simply set them straight to finally go after the life you’ve always wanted!

What are goals?

Simply said, goals are something you want to achieve over a specific period of time. They represent certain decisions we make, together with the commitments we need to make to accomplish the desired result.

You’ll especially be propelled once you start seeing that setting the goals and sticking to them really helps you maximize the one and only life we have.

What are aspirations?

Having aspirations means you have hopes, dreams, and ambitions to go towards life goals. Your aspirations vary and change in terms of how high they go and what they are about.

Some people prefer to stick to simple aspirations and focus on goals they can achieve relatively easily. Others aim high, for things most people may only dream about.

How do they work together?

An aspiration is definitely more abstract by nature – it’s a desire that’s more subjective and less measurable than goals. Goals are more specific, time-bound, and backed by real actions we need to take to come to that place we want to reach.

We often direct our goals on the short-term or close future. Aspirations, on the other hand, are kind of general and more future-focused. They are your visions; important in their own way, but differently than goals.

Still, you can define the path that will take you there only if you break it down into goals.

Setting the goals helps you quantify the steps you will have to take in order to actualize something bigger—your aspiration.

On the other hand, having a broader vision about who you want to be is a motivation to achieve more goals.

5 Examples by Category

Let’s talk about examples of how you can set goals and aspirations to improve things in your life.

Be strong and consistent!

Category: Health/Fitness

Aspiration: Become Stronger

Goal(s) that support this: increase pounds you can lift every two months

If you’ve recently started working out, you probably already found out how frustrating it can be at the beginning. Maybe things aren’t going the way you expected, especially if you’re more focused on your flaws, and the progress is way slower than you thought it would be.

It’s easy to lose motivation if you set unrealistic goals.

That means you shouldn’t try to increase the weight you can lift too quickly because you can get hurt, especially if you’re a beginner, and you still can’t distinguish realistic capabilities and desires.

On the other hand, progress is something that keeps us motivated which is why it’s essential to push your limits and track your improvements.

Would you like to play me a song?

Category: Hobbies

Aspiration: Learn to become a good guitar player

Goal(s) that support this: learn 5 new songs in one month

So, you aspire to become better at guitar playing, no matter the current level you’re at. Maybe you’re a beginner who finally wants to learn a few of their favorite songs or an intermediate player who feels kinda “stopped and unmotivated” in their progress.

Either way, the only thing you can do to turn your aspiration into reality is to set measurable goals.

For instance, you can put 5 new songs on the paper and set aside some of your free time to work on them.

Even if you’re a beginner, there are many simple songs you can learn within that period of time. Seeing you really CAN do it will definitely keep you motivated to continue learning and improving your skill.

It’s time to work

Category: Career/Job

Aspiration: Become better at your job

Goal(s) that support this: learn new skills, become an expert at an existing one

Jobs are less and less standstill today, which means they push us to grow and learn new things almost on daily basis.

If you feel like you’ve been stagnant for a while, write down things you can do to change that. 

This could be attending new seminars or workshops, learning a new software program, or simply taking an online course related to skills you’re already good at, but want to boost them.

Being in work environments that encourage you to learn all the time can be demanding, but it’s also stimulating because it makes you feel better about yourself.

Be present

Category: Personal

Aspiration: Be more present at the moment

Goal(s) that support this: write in a diary, meditate, do physical activities

Maybe you’re finally happy with your job as well as other areas in life. But, do you still feel something’s missing?

Maybe you’re not present at the moment. You don’t feel like you can enjoy all the success and things you’ve accomplished in your life.

In this case, you won’t be able to measure your goals in the way you track the number of certificates from courses or pounds you lift in your workout session. Here, it’s all about building permanent habits that will help you appreciate small things as well as value your own life.

Social circles

Category: Personal

Aspiration: Hang out with your friends and family more

Goal(s) that support this: schedule your activities, plan daily/weekend trips

Do you often see that you’re trying to arrange your time with your family and friends, but somehow time just leaks away? Don’t worry, it happens to all of us.

The fast pace of the modern world sometimes makes us feel like we’re in an endless loop of chores, working hours, and daily tasks, together with unfulfilled promises we give to our loved ones.

You may end up feeling guilty because of it, but as long as you’re aware of it, you have the power to change things. Schedule the activities during your spare time; write them down so you can be more aware of the free hours you can actually spend with the people you care about.

Don’t feel guilty you have to write such things down. Pretty soon, when you develop a habit of socializing, you’ll create more space for such things to happen spontaneously.

Some Final Words

What do you dream about? Which things do you want to change in your life and how?

What are your visions, where do you see yourself in a couple of years from now? These are all questions that can help you determine the path you desire to follow.

Still, you don’t want to just endlessly float among your aspirations, without achieving anything. That’s what goals are here for – to help you track, measure, and motivate yourself when you see you’re making a progress. 

So, which things do you want to work on in your life?

Resources:

• https://opexmanagers.com/examples-of-personal-aspirations/
• https://poetsandquants.com/2018/04/13/aspirations-and-goals-pre-mba-strategy/?pq-category=sponsored-blogs
• https://www.lifehack.org/863723/what-are-goals
• http://socialwebqanda.com/goals-vs-aspirations-difference
• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-aspirations-5200942

The post Goals and Aspirations in Life: 5 Examples by Category appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

It takes more than our day-to-day effort to be there for everyone around us, whether for family members living in the same household or the ones that live somewhere else. The family institution is a sacred bond that takes a lot of planning and setting goals.

Goals aren’t just for personal achievement and business success. They are the milestones that keep our aim straight from all the distractions that could steer us away from our dreams. Simply put, without goals, it is hard for you to be objective in the face of challenges.

Families also need unified goals and aspirations to ensure that all members are living harmoniously. But how should you define family goals?

In this article, we will explore what family goals are and how to set the best goals for your family. Let’s jump right to it.

The Definition of Family Goals

A goal can be defined as something that you aspire to achieve, do, or acquire within a certain period of time.

Hence, we can look at family goals as results or a set of targets that we want to achieve with our families according to a specific plan.

As long as you’re able to achieve everything that has been agreed by all parties, you can be lenient and flexible about the process. This is because, unlike other goals, family goals require a commitment from all family members.

No matter how big or small the goals are, everyone should be working and growing together as a team.

The Importance of Setting Family Goals

Setting family goals shouldn’t be looked at as trivial things to do. In fact, it should be a priority no matter how small the goals are.

As parents, what we want the most is to build a great future for our children and grandchildren. As a spouse, we want to be the best version of ourselves and help our partners in life to achieve everything that we can as a family unit.

And as an individual, what we want is a purposeful life: a life that is full of meaning, direction, and clarity.

Hence, the foundation of a strong family is built on all of these three components. Everything from all of these layers of goals is related to one another. What we want as individuals is interconnected with our roles in our family. And what we do for our family will also determine our value as an individual.

By setting up family goals, you will teach your children how to:

• Take responsibility for being a part of the team to achieve the goals
• Create, set, and categorize goals based on priorities and urgency
• Nurture a habit of creating goals for future plans
• Make plans to accomplish harder tasks when they grow up
• Develop good work ethics, team-building skills, and the value of being committed toward achieving their goals

How To Set Your Family Goals In A Proper Way

Goal setting doesn’t take a lot of time. It is only the first part of the big plan. Some family goals are the same for every year, while some can be crossed out or removed when they have been achieved during previous years.

It is not a tedious task, let alone something that you should be worried about. Here are some things that you can do during the process of setting your family goals:

Find mutual ground with your spouse on family goals you want to set

Have a seat with your partner and decide what goals you want to achieve with your family. Look at the bigger picture and try to visualize the state of your family when you finally manage to achieve all the goals that you’re about to set.

Address any setbacks or challenges that your family have or will face

Communication is the key to solving most problems. Many unresolved family issues stem from the lack of understanding between family members and miscommunication. Take some time to discuss the challenges that you might face during the journey of achieving your family goals. Come up with a solution and try not to overthink past mistakes or setbacks.

Find ways to keep your family happy and healthy, both physically and mentally

A happy body influences a happy mind. Focus on developing your family, both internally and externally. Aside from doing something physical, you can allocate more time to nurture their emotions and spirit.

Emulate any family models that carry the same goals

It is true that every family is unique. What you want your family to have and learn might be different from the goals others have set for theirs.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t emulate some of the good qualities that others managed to instill in their families.

If you notice any desirable goals that you like from the people around you, don’t be afraid to ask for advice and opinions regarding those matters.

Learn from the mistakes of other families

When you set goals for your family, there are things you want to avoid so that your family won’t experience them.

There is nothing wrong with learning from the mistakes of other families. In fact, it can even accelerate your process to achieve all your family goals.

25 SMART Family Goals to Set with Your Family

According to the research done by the University of Missouri, families that have both short and long-term goals are more likely to achieve important things in their lives.

They also have control over their finances better than the ones who don’t set any goals. One of the best frameworks that you can use to set goals for your family is the SMART Goal framework. It is an abbreviation for:

S – Specific (Is your goal specific enough to be understood by everyone?)

M – Measurable (Can your goal be measured based on certain metrics?)

A – Attainable (Is your goal attainable, not just for yourself but also for everyone?)

R – Realistic (Is your goal realistic enough to be achieved by all family members?)

T – Time-based (How long will you set the time to achieve each goal? Do you have any specific deadline?)

SMART family goals can be also divided into different sub-categories such as daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. This would make it easier for you to track your day-to-day progress and adhere to your plan to achieve the goals.

Here are the 25 SMART family goals to set with your family:

Daily Goals

1. Delegate household chores

As a family, everyone has their own roles to play. Delegating basic chores is one of the basic tasks that you should set to keep everything in your household neat and organized. You can assign each family member a chore that is specific only to that person.

For instance, you can do general cleaning while your spouse does the cooking. You can assign your children to take out the trash or set the tables for every meal. Once in a while, you can rotate these tasks to avoid things from becoming too mundane.

2. Pray and practice gratitude together

The simplest way to pray would be at the dinner table or before bed. However, you have the freedom to do it at any time that suits your family schedule.

Make it a habit to practice gratitude and talk about things you’re grateful for. This might seem like a small thing to do but its impact can go a long way. You can also teach your children to keep a gratitude journal and write down anything they are grateful for in their lives.

3. Create a personal time and space for everyone

Although spending most of the quality time together should be your main priority, there are benefits in taking some time off and allowing room for your own personal time and space.

This could prevent you and the rest of your family from feeling burned out. A little self-care is important to refresh everyone’s mind and body so that other activities can be done with enough energy and clarity.

4. Set a daily family devotion time

A family devotion time is important, especially among families with strong religious or cultural backgrounds.

Scheduling a daily devotion time shouldn’t take too much of your time. Some families prefer to have morning devotions while others that enjoy peaceful moments prefer to do it late at night. 

5. Morning hugs and kisses

Starting your day off with morning hugs and kisses can definitely set your mood in a highly positive way.

Aside from a gesture of appreciation for your spouses and children, they will also experience living in an affectionate and loving environment when you set this goal as a daily habit.

6. Cut back on screen time

Cutting back on screen time is highly beneficial both for you and your children. Instead of letting everyone stare at the TV, computer, or smartphone, you can ask everyone to sit in the living room and talk about any topics.

It doesn’t have to be something educational. In fact, you could even tell old stories, jokes, or simply ask about their day.

Weekly Goals

7. Have a family dinner at least once a week

For many families, a family dinner is looked at as a ritual that is hard to be missed. As a matter of fact, having a family dinner at least once a week is fairly important, especially if you’re a career-oriented parent.

This is also one of the easiest ways to catch up on your children’s lives, what they did at home, and how well they perform at school.

8. Start a new family hobby

One of the best ways to spend more quality time with your family is by starting a new family hobby. It doesn’t have to be something big. You can start with small activities such as pet grooming, gardening in the backyard, or baking cakes in your own kitchen.

A shared hobby will also teach your children about having the same goal and working together toward it. So, be creative and have fun!

9. Organize a weekly game night

A weekly game night is one of the many family bonding activities that you can plan. There are a lot of card and board games that you can play including Scrabble, Monopoly, chess, checkers, Clue, and many more. These types of games are mind-stimulating and fun at the same time.

10. Improve work-life balance

Having a good work-life balance is important, especially for busy parents with small children. If possible, try not to bring your work back home or take any work-related calls when you’re spending time with your family.

Set a boundary so that any moment you spend with your family is free from any outside disturbance.

11. Assign weekly family jobs for each family member

Once you’ve set daily chores for each family member, you can change or rotate these tasks weekly to make them feel less boring.

If your spouse is in charge of cleaning and doing the laundry, you can take the roles and switch it up with other work. The same thing goes for your children.

12. Take a family walk

If you’re living in a good neighborhood, then, there is no reason why you can’t have a nice walk with your family.

Whether it’s in the morning or late afternoon, you can go for a walk at least once a week. Aside from being another form of exercise, you can also take this opportunity to meet your neighbors, in case you run into them.

13. Practice time management

Time management is essential, especially when you’re working in a group. Practicing time management with your children will not only teach them how to be punctual but also the value of other people’s time.

This can be done by showing up at the table for dinner on time, waking up every morning at the same time, or finishing their homework before the deadlines.

Monthly Goals

14. Plan for quick outdoor activities

Doing at least one outdoor activity each month with your family will surely increase your bonding time with them. This could be a short trip to the park, a few days of camping, hiking along the trail, riding horses, and other stuff that can be done in a group.

In fact, you don’t have to spend a lot of money if you know any place that has good food, a nice place to stay, and local activities that can be done around it.

15. Set a budget for monthly expenses

Tracking your family spending habit is a good way to gauge the cash flow and the current financial situation you’re in.

Having a budget will ensure that you don’t go overboard on something that you shouldn’t buy. You can always follow the 50/30/20 budgeting rule.

This simply means that 50% of your money should be spent on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% for savings or paying off debt.

16. Create a family bucket list

Make a bucket list of all the things that you want to do with your family.

Set a quick family meeting and ask for everyone’s opinions on things that they’ve always wanted to do. Go over this list every month and make changes depending on the timeline and the expense you could set aside for each activity.

17. Participate in a community service project

Doing a yearly community service project is another quality outdoor activity that you can do as a family.

Not only that you get to contribute to society, but you will also teach your children how to work with others outside of their circle. You can find a project in your region that fits your family goals.

It doesn’t hurt if it’s for a charity or a non-profit organization, there is a lot you learn and teach your children by simply giving to society. Your kids will also gain experience that can’t be bought elsewhere.

18. Declutter your house

Keeping your house neat and clean should be your monthly to-do list. You can set a goal to declutter your house together as a family.

If there are old clothes that you don’t wear, donate them to the nearest shelter or city center. Separate all recyclable items from the non-recyclable ones. If your kids have any toys that they can donate, let them choose which ones they don’t mind giving away.

19. Save up for a big purchase

Making a big purchase isn’t an easy decision to make, especially if you have a tight budget for the amount that you could spend. In some situations, you might have to buy something expensive such as a new car to replace the old one, a computer for your children, or a surprise for your spouse.

Hence, the wise thing to do would be to save up for all these things. In the meantime, you will also teach your kids the value of frugality and delaying gratification.

20. Plan a date night

Oftentimes, when we have kids, the responsibilities are totally different than the days before they were born. Juggling them and our career, we can get overwhelmed when there’s too much to handle on our plate.

Aside from your relationship with your children, you should also nurture the sacred bond you have with your spouse. This could be done by planning for a date night, going for a candle-lit dinner, or even something as simple as surprise homemade meals.

Yearly Goals

21. Set a budget for holiday spending

Every year, most purchases are being done during the holiday season. Although you can be extra generous and splurge on expensive gifts, there is always a limit to how much you should spend. Affordability doesn’t mean it’s necessary. You can definitely reward your spouse and children but do it rationally.

22. Check and monitor your family financial status

Aside from physical and mental health, you should always remember to check on your family’s financial status.

If you think your spouse is overspending on something unnecessary, then, it is prudent to take a step back and evaluate your monthly spending and yearly.

Don’t blame anyone for making mistakes. Instead, be supportive and plan to do better for the next year.

23. Start a family emergency fund

Look at your family emergency fund as a safety financial net for unexpected things. This could be a car repair, an accident or medical-related problems, or unfortunate events such as being fired from your job.

Although you might think that the chances of all those things happening are fairly slim, you would thank yourself when it happens and you already have a backup plan.

24. Plan a yearly family gathering

Take the time off from work and spend a few days together with your family and close relatives. Look at this goal as another way to reward yourself for doing your best during the whole year.

You can go for a vacation near the beach, a trip into the wilderness, or simply just stay at your in-laws for a couple of days.

25. Visit relatives and extended families

Keeping in touch with your relatives and extended families is important to make your own family feel like they are a part of a much larger family. This is also a good way to catch up with anyone you haven’t seen in a long time. You can do this at their house or invite them up to your place for a few days’ stay.

Final Thoughts

Whatever happens, you should always make your family goals as enjoyable and fulfilling as you possibly can.

Every goal is a milestone that should be rewarded accordingly to the effort of each family member. Make sure any opinion is being heard to avoid anyone from feeling like they’re being left out.

But most importantly, do it with love and empathy so that your family goals can be achieved no matter how long it takes.

Resources

• https://family.lovetoknow.com/about-family-values/setting-family-goals-31-fun-practical-examples
• https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c6-42.html
• https://www.wholefamilyliving.com/examples-of-family-goals/
• https://healthyhappyimpactful.com/family-goals-examples/
• https://www.developgoodhabits.com/family-goals/
• https://www.lifehack.org/864433/family-goals
• https://sammyapproves.com/37-incredibly-easy-family-goals/
• https://www.faithgateway.com/how-to-set-family-goals/#.Yd0mxclBy00
• https://happyyouhappyfamily.com/family-goal-setting/
• http://extension.missouri.edu/bsf/goals/

The post What Are Family Goals? 25 Examples To Set With Your Family appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

Maybe you are still looking for that special someone to live out your future family goals with or maybe your family is just beginning. It does not matter where you are in the family journey, the point is to stay inspired and keep your future family goals at the forefront of your mind.

Here are 41 inspirational quotes for your future family goals.

Quotes for Finding Love to Start a Family

These quotes are great inspiration for the goal of finding love and eventually marriage if so desired.

1. “We cannot decide to love. We cannot compel anyone to love us. There’s no secret recipe, only love itself. And we are at its mercy–there’s nothing we can do.” ― Nina George
2. “Love can only be found through the act of loving.” ― Paulo Coelho
3. “Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” —Anthony Brandt
4. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt
5. “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” ―Jonas Salk
6. “The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.” ―Tom Bradley
7. “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” ―Allen Saunders
8. “You can’t stay locked in your room and expect either you to find love or love to find you.” ―Michael Bassey Johnson
9. “I think perhaps love comes from finding someone you feel utterly comfortable with, someone who makes you comfortable with yourself. It’s like…finding yourself, or maybe it’s like finding the other part of yourself.” ―Candice Proctor
10. “Marry the person who makes you feel like you can face life together. Because that’s what it’s about. It’s about facing life together.” ―C. JoyBell C.

Quotes for Starting a Family

The following are fantastic inspirational quotes on the goal of starting a family.

1. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” ―George Addair
2. “Having the person that you love by your side and starting a family with them is the best thing that can happen to you in this life. You can’t ask for more.” ―Elsa Pataky
3. “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” ―Carl Bard
4. “The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” —George Santayana
5. “Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.” —Mandy Hale
6. “Family is the most important thing in the world.” —Princess Diana
7. “Family is not an important thing, it’s everything.” —Michael J. Fox
8. “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do…but how much love we put into that action.” —Mother Teresa
9. “I can’t imagine moving out of this life without leaving behind a healthy family – not a perfect family, but generations who will continue to love each other. Our family isn’t perfect, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with every one of them. Best of all, we enjoy each other.” —Gary Smalley
10. “One of the greatest ways to lead your family is to be vulnerable enough to show your emotion. This doesn’t mean you need to be out of control, but it does require you to be authentic.” —Jerrad Lopes

Quotes About Goals for Your Future Family

If you are already married, already have a special someone, or are still waiting for the right person, here are some quotes to inspire your future family goals.

1. “Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.”
   ―Napoleon Bonaparte
2. “This is part of what a family is about, not just love. It’s knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.” ―Mitch Albom
3. “In this life we get only those things for which we hunt, for which we strive, and for which we are willing to sacrifice. It is better to aim for something that you want-even though you miss it-than to get something that you didn’t aim to get, and which you don’t want! If we look long enough for what we want in life we are almost sure to find it, no matter what that objective may be.” ―George Matthew Adams
4. “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” ―Walt Disney
5. “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.” —Angela Schwindt
6. “Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.”—Jim Rohn
7. “There is no such thing as a perfect family. Behind every door there are issues, the difference is accepting and encouraging each family member as they are not as we would like them to be.” —Catherine Pulsifer
8. “No one’s family is normal. Normalcy is a lie invented by advertising agencies to make the rest of us feel inferior.” —Anita Baker

Quotes for New or Current Parent Goals

Being a parent can be a great adventure, but inspiration is always needed. Here are several quotes for new or current parents and their goals for their family.

1. “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” ―Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. “I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!” —David Vitter
3. “I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential.” —Princess Diana
4. “What it’s like to be a parent: It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do but in exchange it teaches you the meaning of unconditional love.” —Nicholas Sparks
5. “The first happiness of a child is to know that he is loved.” —Don Bosco
6. “All those clichés, those things you hear about having a baby and motherhood—all of them are true. And all of them are the most beautiful things you will ever experience.” —Penelope Cruz
7. “A new baby marks the beginnings of all things – wonder, hope, and a beautiful dream of possibilities.” —Unknown
8. “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” —Osho
9. “You know what the great thing about babies is? They are like little bundles of hope. Like the future in a basket.” —Lish McBride
10. “Having a baby is a life-changer. It gives you a whole other perspective on why you wake up every day.” —Unknown
11. “Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires and a touch that never hurts.” —Charles Dickens
12. “The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation.” —Ray L. Wilbur
13. “If you can give your child only one gift, let it be enthusiasm.” —Bruce Barton 

Conclusion

The best quotes are the ones that inspire and give hope. You should not have any problem dreaming about your future family goals with these great quotes to guide you in the right direction.

Resources:

Finding inspiring quotes about future family goals was an experience to remember. Here are the sources used in this article.

• https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/finding-love
• https://santayana.iupui.edu/about-santayana/santayana-quotations/
• https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/695300.Nina_George
• https://www.forbes.com/quotes/573/
• https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/44566.Eleanor_Roosevelt
• https://www.salk.edu/about/history-of-salk/jonas-salk/
• https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/276029.Allen_Saunders
• https://www.inspirationalstories.com/quotes/david-vitter-i-continue-to-believe-that-if-children/
• https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/parenting
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/parenting/50-most-inspiring-kids-quotes-about-life-success-and-the-things-that-really-matter/ss-AAP8xBd
• https://www.inspiringquotes.us/quotes/Z30D_ZjM0ynqK
• https://chatbooks.com/blog/baby-quotes
• https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3484883.Lish_McBride
• https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/family
• https://www.forbes.com/quotes/3531/
• https://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/26-motivational-quotes-for-success/
• https://everydaypower.com/quotes-about-new-beginning/
• https://www.quotemaster.org/Starting+A+Family
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/30-inspiring-quotes-from-princess-diana-about-life-family-and-royalty/ss-AAMMJtM
• https://itwillgetbetter.com/famous-family-quotes/
• https://www.rd.com/article/quotes-from-famous-people/
• https://www.wow4u.com/familyquotes/

The post Future Family Goals – 41 Inspirational Quotes appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

If you hear someone talking about a passion planner or a bullet journal, it helps to know the difference between them. Chances are, you’re here reading this because you’re looking for a way to hold yourself more accountable, to set goals and milestones that help you get where you want to go.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking either a passion planner or a bullet journal is a rigid thing. In reality, you can adapt both to fit your needs. The type of planner or journal you end up using is simply a matter of personal preference. Use whatever helps you the most. Use both if you want to!

Here’s a breakdown of the differences between a passion planner and a bullet journal as well as some pros and cons of each.

What Is a Passion Planner?

There are several different brands and styles of passion planners available for purchase. It’s essentially a book with blank spaces where you can list things you’re interested in, want to explore, and want to accomplish.

Typically, the passion planner is laid out in a sort of calendar form, where you can track things weekly or by month.

Most of the time, achieving large or complex goals requires small steps and increments of progress. It’s not going to happen all at once.

There are sometimes spaces under the calendar slots for note-taking or a sort of journaling space where you can write your motivations for certain things, how you feel as you move forward on your path, or any other musings you find valuable.

Passion Planner Pros

Passion planners are sort of like a traditional planner with added space for a bit of creativity. You are probably not going to get into any sort of writing or creative flow state like you would writing free form in a journal or a notebook.

Planner makers try to strike a balance between organization and creativity, and some pull it off quite well. Most planners aren’t focused so much on design, as they’re intended for people who like to plan and make things somewhat regimented.

With a passion planner, you can plan things on a daily basis and keep track of progress long-term. There are spaces where you can write your goals like getting a Ph.D., but also the daily, weekly, and monthly slots where you can map out what you need to do to get there.

You don’t have to make things look perfect, and the premade pages do a lot of the thinking for you. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. It’s sort of like a goal-setting cheat sheet.

This can come in very handy for people who have a hard time knowing where to start. With a passion planner, all you have to do is open it up and follow the prompts.

Passion Planner Cons

One complaint about passion planners is that some of them don’t make room for a lot of passion. There isn’t a ton of space for things like brainstorming or writing down your aspirations.

You can also quickly become wrapped up in using it as a normal planner, writing down reminders to go to the grocery store and pick up the dry cleaning, so much so that you tend to lose sight of your long-term plans.

What Is a Bullet Journal?

Bullet journals are more for making lists of things you’d like to do. They’re fantastic for dreamers and people who are full of creative ideas.

You’re not going to get as much of a structured calendar feature in a bullet journal, but these are fantastic for those meditative sessions out on the patio where you think about where you want to go.

Business owners love to use bullet journals because they never let ideas slip through the cracks. Things become more than fleeting thoughts when you write them down in a journal.

Bullet Journal Pros

If you’re someone who is constantly thinking of new things or have a job where you need to come up with lists of articles you need to write, products you want to try, or people you need to get in touch with, then a bullet journal is for you.

With plenty of writing space, you aren’t limited in how far you can take an idea, or how detailed you can map out a goal. You can go as deep as you want, and the journal facilitates that.

People use bullet journals for larger goals that don’t necessarily have a set timeline. It’s more about what you want to become or what you want to do rather than when. There is some limited functionality when it comes to dates, but sometimes you will have to fill in timelines or important dates yourself.

Bullet Journal Cons

The main drawback of bullet journals is the lack of good calendar space. You may be able to find some bullet journals with monthly or weekly spaces, but those are the exception. Most of them are creativity-heavy, so scheduling when you’ll finish something isn’t the priority.

You can go deeper into ideas and explore options, but you’re not going to be able to map it out by day or month like you can with a planner.

Conclusion

Ultimately, whether you choose a bullet journal or a passion planner depends on your personality and what you’re looking for. Some people use both, and switch between the two depending on what mood they are in.

If you’re in a brainstorming session, you grab the bullet journal, but if you’re planning out how you want to grow your business, then a passion planner may be better. Find what works for you and adjust as you go.

Resources

• https://talesfromhome.com/bullet-journal-vs-planner/

The post Passion Planner vs. Bullet Journal appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

For whatever reason, the universe often sends trouble our way in multiples. It’s never just one thing that’s a slight annoyance or a challenge we have to overcome. More often, it feels like we have to dig super deep just to get by.

How do people manage when they have so many bad things happening at once? Finding coping strategies is key to getting over the hump when so much is seemingly stacked against you.

Using the right tools and strategies will help you compartmentalize issues and attack each problem methodically. Eventually, you’ll find your way out of the tunnel and back into the light.

Here are 9 ways you can cope when it seems like everything is going wrong.

The Best Coping Strategies for You

The first thing you should do is recognize that the way you will handle problems most effectively is not the same as your mother, best friend, or teacher. They can suggest what they think you should do, but at the end of the day what works for you will be something you need to decide.

Hopefully, some of these tools will do the trick and you’ll find ways to keep improving how you handle stress and other challenges in your life. With that said, let’s get into coping mechanisms you can use to stay positive when bad things keep happening.

Start Your Day Right

Motivational experts stress the importance of mindset over and over again. The way you start your day has a massive impact on your mood throughout the day and how resilient you will be when something negative comes your way.

To build that resilience, you can start each day by getting in the right mindset. Tell yourself that you’re going to have a good day, that problems won’t get to you, and get your energy right before you head out the door.

Express Gratitude

There’s something about expressing gratitude for what’s good in your life that makes negativity, fear, and frustration disappear. When you are feeling like things can’t be any worse, clear your mind and start thinking about what you have that’s good in life.

It can be something as simple as being thankful for a roof over your head, your family, a job, or even a nice breakfast. Focus on the good, and start building more room for positivity.

Eliminate Negativity

Sometimes bad things come our way uninvited. However, a lot of people let bad things walk right through the door in the form of bad friends, stress at work, poor diets, destructive romantic relationships, etc. It’s up to us to decipher when something doesn’t belong.

If you’re around people, a job, or other circumstances that do no good, get rid of them! Put some distance between you and whatever is causing the negativity and you’ll be better off.

Go for a Walk

Getting outside and into nature has a great way of calming us and removing stress. Exercising also releases positive hormones in our brain and body that lift our moods and keep us uplifted when things get tough. You don’t have to run 10 miles, but getting some exercise does wonders for your physical and mental health.

Stand Up for Yourself

You have to be extremely protective of your mental health when bad things are happening. Learn to say no. Stop seeing people who rob you of energy and willpower. Get yourself right and make your mental health a priority.

Go to See a Therapist

Therapists are trained to help us identify ways we can cope with negative things in our lives. They help us examine problems in new ways and understand how people, work, things, and other conditions affect us. Go see a therapist if you feel like you need some type of help to work through some issues.

Tell Your Friends

Hopefully, you have friends and family around you who care about you. Don’t make the mistake of internalizing all of your problems. Things come to a head and it can feel overwhelming. Instead, reach out to friends when you need some support.

We’re too often worried about looking weak or needy, but put the shoe on the other foot and think about what you would do if one of your friends reached out asking for help.

You’d hop in the car and be on your way in minutes. Your friends will do the same for you.

Try Meditation

Does it ever feel like it’s hard to stay centered when many bad things are happening at once? Our brain scatters from issue to issue without the time or energy to resolve any of them. Meditation can be a valuable practice that helps us re-center our brains so we can approach any situation more calmly and rationally.

People swear by the power of meditation, and it’s something that you can do anytime, anywhere. Next time you’re feeling stressed out, find a spot in your office, car, or at home and give meditation a try.

Track Your Progress

Unfortunately, people get stuck in destructive thought patterns where they feel like they never make any progress.

In reality, you may be better off six months down the road. Or, you may be worse off! Either way, you should track your progress to see where you’re going.

Keep a notebook journal about your life and the challenges you’re facing. Write how you dealt with them, how much of an issue they are now compared to before, and what you plan to do about them.

If you’re constantly writing the same thing over and over again, it will help you realize that whatever you’re doing to cope isn’t working. It’s time to start something new.

More often than not, though, you’ll see that you’re dealing with problems and making progress, and that’s something we should celebrate.

Resources

• https://tinybuddha.com/blog/9-ways-to-cope-when-bad-things-happen/

The post 9 Ways to Cope When Many Bad Things Are Happening at Once appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

Abraham Hicks, the one many people have come to know, is brought to us by Esther Hicks.

Esther used the fictional personage of Abraham Hicks to communicate principles around practical spirituality. She chose the name Abraham because it is a Biblical name that she thought a lot of people would react positively to.

According to Esther, Abraham Hicks is an interdimensional entity sent to teach her how to create the life she wanted by understanding the universe on a deeper level. By meditating, she could communicate with Abraham, and “he” would speak through her so she could share what she learned with other people.

Whether Abraham is real is left up to the reader or those who attend Esther Hicks’ workshops. Whatever the case may be, the stories, guidelines, and insights that come from Abraham are brought to us from a real person: Esther.

While some people get caught up in whether this person or entity is a reality, others put less emphasis on it and focus on how the teachings impact their lives.

Let’s take a look at how Esther Hicks started, who Abraham is, and what some of the teachings of Abraham Hicks are.

Esther Hicks

Esther Hicks was born in Coalville Utah in 1948. When she was younger, she began to channel what she called an entity or a group of entities as she meditated. Those entities were given the collective name of “Abraham Hicks” to make it easier for other people to understand what was happening.

According to Esther, Abraham Hicks was a group consciousness from another dimension. They were non-physical entities. She said that consciousness was at the heart of religions and who we are as people, and they were the source of all pure joy and love.

In 1986, Esther started sharing her experiences communicating with this consciousness with some of her close friends and associates. The story goes that Esther was able to help many of them achieve higher levels of inner peace, happiness, and success in their lives.

Once they saw that what they were teaching could be effective, they began to feel more comfortable spreading the information. Esther, along with her husband Jerry, published several best-selling books and she was the inspiration behind the movie, The Secret.

Esther and her husband have held thousands of workshops all over the world teaching about Abraham Hicks’ law of attraction and how to manifest the life you want to build. There is a lot of their content on YouTube in their Abraham Hicks video library.

The Abraham Hicks Law of Attraction

In what Esther claims is the original communication between herself and Abraham Hicks, she lays out specific teachings in her most popular book, The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham. Essentially, the book talks about how the energy you put out in your life will attract like energies.

What you think about starts to manifest across the universe. The more you think about it and focus on it, the more energy your thoughts generate, and more power comes to bear on what you want in life whether it’s love, money, success, friends, etc.

Esther and Jerry, in their books, make sure to emphasize the power of positive thinking. For example, thinking about wanting to be rich because you hate being poor won’t manifest success because you’re generating too much energy around why you dislike your current financial situation.

If you don’t like your boss, thinking about why you hate him or her and how that’s why you need a new job isn’t going to get you far.

Some law of attraction tips include:

• Negative thoughts can be good – Most motivational speakers focus on only having positive thoughts and never letting the negative creep in.
  
  According to the law of attraction, however, negative thoughts are good because they let us know what we don’t want in our life. It pushes people to manifest what they want by steering away from what they clearly don’t want.

• Don’t focus too much on the past – Instead, focus on where you are going. Thinking about even good things in the past can distract from the amazing future we want to create. It takes you into a lower energy state and we waste time remembering.

• Focusing on the internal – When you calibrate your life to people around you, your family, coworkers, and other unstable things, it’s harder to manifest the life you want. Our main focus should be our internal selves. Don’t let other people have too much influence on your energy.

• Stop trying to control how other people feel – Other people can suck positive energy from you if you’re not careful. Spending too much time worrying about how other people feel, for example, distracts you from your purpose. Focus on what you can control – how you feel, and don’t worry about the rest.

One Person or Many?

Esther Hicks believes that Abraham is a collective consciousness made up of over 100 spiritual entities. They come together to communicate life’s answers and other insights to those who can successfully channel what they are teaching.

Any struggle to access the principles of Abraham Hicks is, according to them, due to blocks in meditation or other personal struggles that cause someone to be out of tune with Abraham. Done right, though, Abraham will help you create the life you want and achieve your biggest dreams.

There Are Many Skeptics Out There

Of course, anytime someone starts talking about non-physical, interdimensional consciousnesses, it raises some eyebrows. People who hear about Esther’s experiences are understandably skeptical.

Some people think that what she and her husband teach is too close to many of the popular religions mixed in with some sort of multi-level marketing scheme.

It’s interesting to note that Jerry was a successful Amway distributor when they met, so both he and Esther knew the power of presentation and how emotions lead the way in the decisions many people make.

Even without some of the metaphysical aspects of Abraham Hicks, some people have found a lot of value in what they teach. There is, after all, something to be said for focusing on the positive, setting goals, and manifesting the life you want. Actions are typically led by thoughts, and positive thoughts tend to influence actions positively.

Whether or not Abraham Hicks is real and Esther was communicating with an actual spiritual or angelic entity is left to the jury. There’s very little in the way of physical proof. According to Esther, Jerry, and many Abraham Hicks followers, the proof is in the pudding.

Trying what they teach is the best way to discover that Abraham Hicks is real and there is something there that can help you mold your life into something better or more successful.

Other people remain, understandably, on the fence. It all sounds a bit too much like religion to them, they think. Still, listening to lectures, attending seminars, and reading books have helped them create positive frameworks that have made a difference.

If that is the case, does it really matter all that much whether Abraham is a real thing? It’s up to you to decide.

Resources

• https://thechiclife.com/2020/02/8-law-of-attraction-tips-from-abraham-hicks-to-manifest-with-ease.html
• https://david-stone-writer.blog/2020/04/04/is-abraham-hicks-law-of-attraction-true/

The post Is Abraham Hicks Real? appeared first on Journey of a Dreamer.

Simply put, chakra is the wheel of free-flowing positive energy. 

Each chakra has an equivalent name, color, location, element, sound, and stone as they correspond to various nerves, organs, and parts of a person’s energetic body which affects an individual’s physical and emotional health.

For this beginner’s guide, we will talk about the 7 chakras to help you identify when they are open, or blocked.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Sound: Lam

Location: At the bottom of the tailbone, base of spine

Color: Red

Element: Earth

Stone: Hematite

The word Muladhara translates to ‘root’ and ‘support’. This chakra serves as our foundation that helps us feel grounded since its role is to link our physical energy with the Earth.

The root chakra is also connected to our instinctual urges to survive, including food, sleep, breathing, sex, and survival. 

When the root chakra is open and balanced, we feel peaceful and confident in overcoming challenges. We feel safe since our knowledge tells us that all our vital needs are met. This is where all body healing begins.

However, when the root chakra is blocked, we feel threatened, resulting in low self-esteem. Physical health concerns may also manifest, including constipation, bladder and colon issues, and arthritis. It may also exhibit in our mental health, as we may feel insecure about our basic needs, such as our finances.

2. Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana)

Sound: Yam

Location: Lower abdomen, in the pelvic region, a few inches below the navel

Color: Orange

Element: Water

Stone: Tiger’s Eye

Also referred to as ‘the place of the self,’ the Swadhisthana is all about how we connect our emotions with other’s emotions. It governs our creative identity and our sexual energy as humans. 

The Sacral chakra allows us to enjoy our life on Earth through fulfillment of pleasurable activities, such as satisfying foods, sex, and other artistic activities.

When the Sacral chakra is open and aligned, we feel more appreciative of good things in life, allowing us to be more creative, positive, and dynamic to change.

However, when this chakra is blocked, we feel emotionally unstable as if we lack control of our lives. We doubt our worth as we tend to be hard on ourselves. It will also manifest to our physical health, and is associated with organs, such as lower back pain, impotency, and urinary tract infection.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

Sound: Ram

Location: In the stomach area, upper abdomen

Color: Yellow

Element: Fire

Stone: Amber

Also called the ‘Warrior Chakra’, the Manipura is about our capability to be assertive and in control of our lives.

When was the last time you felt that everything’s going well? That’s the Solar Plexus Chakra at work. Imagine this chakra as our body’s energy powerhouse.

This chakra is the strongest supporting chakra for boldness and bravery. When we feel angry, we can almost physically feel the raging energy on our body. We can also feel it when we need to defend ourselves. 

When this chakra is open and balanced, we are free to show our true selves. We also feel worthy and confident of ourselves.

However, when the solar plexus chakra is blocked, we tend to be cowardly, and we may also feel ashamed. We also tend to have self-doubt and low self-esteem. It also manifests to our physical body through digestive issues, including heartburn, eating disorders, ulcers, and indigestion.

4. Heart Chakra (Anahata)

Sound: Yam

Location: At the center of the chest

Color: Green

Element: Air

Stone: Rose Quartz

Anahata means the state of being unhurt, so when we feel the emotion of love, thoughtfulness, compassion, and the likes, it’s this chakra that is working. 

The Heart chakra is the bridge between the upper and lower chakras. This chakra affects our capability to give and receive love. Basically, the heart chakra is all about the best healing frequency – love. However, this chakra also has the ability to cast our deepest feelings of sadness, despair, insecurity, and regret.

When our heart chakra is open and aligned, we quickly feel the emotions of love and empathy for ourselves, and for others.  

However, when this chakra is blocked, it makes it hard to open up with people. It also makes us feel uncertain, alone, and isolated. Aside from manifesting in emotional issues, we can also feel this chakra reflecting on our physical health through heart problems, such as asthma and weight problems.

5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

Sound: Ham

Location: Middle of the throat

Color: Light Blue/Turquoise

Element: Sound/Music

Stone: Aquamarine

The Vishudda is linked to our capability to use our verbal communication skills, helping us to speak up. It serves as the voice of the heart chakra that allows us to verbally communicate what our heart feels, as well as to verbally express our preferences, values, and beliefs.

If open and balanced, we feel confident when we speak knowing that the words coming from our mouth are true and sincere, allowing us to express ourselves clearly. We also tend to become better listeners, comprehensively listening to others words without judgement.

When this chakra is blocked, we may have a hard time speaking our mind as if we can’t find the right words to truly express what we feel. We also tend to dominate the conversation, and talk without listening. Voice and throat problems can also manifest if this chakra is blocked, and we may suffer from teeth, gum, and mouth issues.

6. Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)

Sound: OM

Location: Forehead between the eyebrows

Color: Dark Blue/Purple

Element: Light

Stone: Amethyst

Also referred to as the ‘Brow Chakra’, Ajna translates to ‘beyond wisdom’. The third-eye chakra governs our capability to see the bigger picture that links to our intuition, or the sixth sense.

Imagine the third-eye chakra as the eye of the soul: the information absorbed is interpreted beyond the surface level. 

When this chakra is open and aligned, we tend to follow our intuition and be able to perceive the big picture. We are able to connect ourselves with our ego and our soul.

When the third-eye chakra is blocked, we feel close-minded, untrusting, and we tend to base our decision on logic and inner wisdom. Like other chakras, blockage of this chakra can also manifest to our physical health, including headache, hearing issues, sight and concentration problems.  

7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

Sound: OM

Location: At the very top of the head, on the crown

Color: Violet/White

Element: Divine Consciousness

Stone: Clear quartz

The Sahasrara is the highest chakra that represents our capability to be completely connected spiritually.

When this chakra is fully opened, which only few people are able to do, we are able to enter a higher consciousness, allowing us to understand who we are beyond our physical self.

This chakra connects to everything beyond our ego. It is the main point of enlightenment, allowing us to connect to the ‘Universe’, to the ‘Divine’, or to ‘God’.

Since aligning this chakra is not an easy task, achieving it became a goal of any spiritual practice. Once you balance this chakra, you discover what’s behind who you really are. 

A person with a blocked Crown chakra tends to be headstrong, doubtful, and narrow-minded. 

Conclusion

While each chakra has their own roles, they work as one. Which means that if one chakra is blocked, it can negatively affect other chakras as well.

To keep chakras open and aligned, there are various activities to try, such as yoga, meditation, pranayama practices, music, and specific types of bodywork. 

Resources:

• https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-91/The-7-Chakras-for-Beginners.html
• https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/7-chakras#The-takeaway
• https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/yoga-sequences-level/beginners-guide-chakras/
• https://blog.mindvalley.com/7-chakras/

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Dreams can be unpredictable and sometimes even disturbing. They have always been that mystical and intriguing area we all want to know more about.

What are dreams? Can a dream be a warning? How did ancient people see dreams, and how does science interpret them?

Today could be a good chance to talk more about that, so let’s delve deeper!

What Are Dreams?

Dreams are scenarios our brain tends to play out in our heads while we’re sleeping. They can happen in a linear, storytelling narrative or be completely abstract.

We dream during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle. This phase happens around 90 minutes after we fall asleep.

When we’re in the REM phase, our eyes move in different directions. Also, our brain is more active, which is why it creates intense dreams.

Do Dreams Really Mean Something?

There’s a wide variety of theories on dream interpretations and meanings.

One of them, called the Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis, came from Harvard University. It states that dreams are just electrical brain impulses. It says our brain pulls thoughts and images from our memories without any specific order.

According to this theory, humans are the ones who create all those dream stories after waking up. This theory suggests we do it because we feel a natural urge to make sense of all those random scenes we remember.

According to Sigmund Freud, dreams really do mean something. The famous psychologist thought dreams could tell us a lot about ourselves and reveal wishes or conflicts we have unconsciously repressed deep below the surface.

How Did Ancient People See Dreams?

People have always wondered about the true meaning of dreams. Ancient civilizations thought dreams were a way of communication between the gods and humans.

In fact, some thought they were a message from the gods, while the others saw them as a connection of an individual to his own spirit.

There were also civilizations, like ancient India, that believed dreaming was a period of time when a soul leaves the body.

Artmeidorus, the diviner from Ancient Greece, thought there were two types of dreams—meaningful (Oneiroi) and meaningless (Enjypmia) dreams.

The first one was caused by stressful mental and physical conditions like fear, desires, anger, etc. The second one was thought to predict one’s future. 

Aristotle was another famous Greek philosopher, and he, on the other hand, saw dreams as a figment of our imagination.

In Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, people believed dreams were messages sent directly by God. Similarly, they believed nightmares were caused by demons.

The Romans and Greeks were convinced that dreams could give them information about the past and present. They even believed dreams could predict some future events.

Lee Irwin wrote a book in 1994, called “Walking the Sky: Visionary Traditions of the Great Plains”. There he focused on exploring the significance of visions and dreams among the Native American nations from the Midwest.

Like the majority of ancient peoples, Native American cultures viewed dreams as something special. For them, the place where you dream was a sacred place.

They believed an individual could step outside the physical world and connect with a higher consciousness. Each culture and tribe had its unique way of entering these dimensions.

Of course, there was knowledge they needed to learn first. They got it from animals and the ancestral spirits they believed inhabited those animals.

Australian aboriginal mythology says the ancestral spirits dreamed this world, which brought it to existence. Their culture believed the Dreaming has always been there as a continuing reality.

They see it as a specific plane of existence certain people could visit while dreaming. In some special dreams, they could meet and communicate with their ancestors. That way, dreams were a way of connection between their spirits and the living world.

Can Dreams Give You Warnings?

If you dream you lost your wallet, it certainly doesn’t mean that it will truly happen to you. On the other hand, interpreting your dreams can help you understand certain things about yourself.

For example, you may feel there’s something important in your life you’re missing or you’re afraid you’ll forget to finish tasks that are important to you.

Also, you may have a dream of someone dying—which can be a consequence of your fear and inner state rather than a true prediction.

Dreams are a specific area that hasn’t been explored enough. That means no one can tell for sure if your dream was a true warning for something that could happen to you in real life.

On the other hand, dreams can be a warning there are certain things inside that are bothering you.

Are Nightmares Warnings?

What Are Nightmares?

A nightmare is a type of bad dream that makes you feel scared, anxious, or terrified. In many cases, people will wake up during the bad dream or right after it.

Many times it can happen that you remember your worst nightmares even years after you had them.

Around 50 percent of adults claim to experience bad dreams from time to time. However, men have nightmares less often than women.

Nightmares are more common in kids. Usually, they start having nightmares at a very young age—before they turn 10, with some even as young as 3 or 4 years old.

Is a Nightmare a Warning?

As we’ve already mentioned, scientists don’t know very much about nightmares or dreams in general. Still, they developed different theories about what causes dreams bad enough that they can keep us disturbed even after we wake up.

One theory focuses on the physiology and anatomy of the brain. When we’re in the REM phase, the areas in our brain that are in charge of learning are stimulated.

During that stage, our brain sends various signals at random. The cortex is the area that organizes information and gives it meaning. It ends up giving meaning to all those terrifying scenes that were rolling in our heads while we were sleeping.

As mentioned before, Freud thought that both good or bad dreams come from our unconscious mind. That way, nightmares represent our hidden desires and secret fears.

That means nightmares can be a warning of something deep inside bothering us. If we learn how to interpret our nightmares, we can help ourselves with understanding things we’re struggling with.

Can Dreams Predict The Future?

Plenty of people have reported dreaming about certain events that later happened. In fact, there are even some well-known examples you might have heard of.

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln described one significant dream to his wife and a couple of his friends. He had a dream where he was walking through the White House.

Suddenly, he came upon his own corpse, which was guarded in the East Room. He described the exact place where his body rested after he died.

Carl Jung was a famous psychologist and one of the vital founders of modern psychotherapy. He reported some prophetic dreams as well.

One of them was there as a warning of his mother’s death. Jung also mentioned and vividly described a series of three dreams he had in early 1914.

He was talking about upcoming catastrophes and “darkened” Europe—which many later related to the start of World War I.

Science offered a couple of explanations for prophetic dreams. For instance, some say selective recall could be one of the potential causes.

85 people participated in one study. The test subjects were shown a true event diary and fictional dream diary and were told that a student had written both as part of separate research.

Scientists asked the participants to read both diaries and later write down the relevant things they could remember. Just as they thought would happen, the participants had a better memory if their dreams confirmed things that were written in the diary.

Can dreams predict the future? No one actually knows. Science offers theories and potential explanations, but it’s still an area no one fully understands.

Some Final Words

Dreams are one of those areas no one fully understands.

Ancient people interpreted them in different ways, but most of them believed dreams are connected with something bigger and above our physical world. They thought dreams had mystical meaning and brought messages from other dimensions or a higher consciousness.

Science tried to explain dreams with multiple theories. One was related to the anatomy and physiology of the brain, saying dreams were simply a set of random images our brain pulls out. Later on, we feel the urge to make sense out of those flashes, so we tend to connect them and create a storytelling line.

Freud, on the other hand, believes dreams have a deeper meaning because they are a representation of our suppressed fears and desires. He believed dreams can be a warning for things that are bothering us.

Sometimes people have dreams about certain things that later happen in reality. Science tried to find an explanation for prophetic dreams, but all they have are theories and presumptions.

A dream may or may not be a warning— no one can precisely tell you in which way.

Resources:

• https://dreamtending.com/blog/what-do-dreams-mean-ancient-cultures/
• https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/decode-your-nightmares/
• https://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgajpd/medicina%20antiqua/sa_dreams.html
• https://www.quora.com/Are-dreams-a-warning-for-you-for-something-that-you-can-prevent
• https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/do-people-actually-believe-dreams-mean-something-to-us/
• https://www.ancient-civilizations.com/ancient-civilizations-made-sense-dreams/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/precognitive-dreams#stopping-them

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