Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Smile Thing

Truth: Take some time today to observe people and notice how many have frowns, or grumpy faces, or worried, hurried expressions.  And then look for the people who are smiling or have a relaxed, happy looking face.

I do this everyday and I'm constantly surprised that the grumps outnumber the happys!  

Smiling is contagious, sexy and wants to be done all the time! 

Dare: Add an over-abundance of smiling to your day!  There is no limit to the number of times your can smile each day.  There is no bad side effects.

The only effect that smiling will have on your day is elevating your joy factor.  Period.

Oh, one other big,huge, benefit:  When you smile at someone, you share joy and that's a good thing!

7 day Challenge: 

Wake Up and Smile!

Continue smiling throughout your day

Commit to smiling at one stranger every day.

Get your grumpy face off and put your smiling face on.

Smiling is easy, attractive, sexy, and contagious - Do It!

Make it a Great |Day!

What Time is It? Time for a Treat

When was the last time you treated yourself?

I'm not talking about expensive spa days or lavish vacations. They're good too but I want you to think of small, daily treats that you can have just for you.

Small treats or simple indulgences will nurture your well-being.  They will lift your spirits, refresh you, and restore a sense of balance in your life.

Schedule "Treat Time".  Get in the habit of scheduling your treat time - it is critical to your well being!

Treats are fabulous for setting and achieving your goals.  Set a goal and set your reward when you accomplish it.  A mini-celebration of you and what you've accomplished!

Remember, it's a treat from your perspective, not anyone else's.

Treat Yourself Self-Care

• Add small treats and simple indulgences to your daily life
• What is something that would be deliciously indulgent for you?
• When will you treat yourself?
• Mark time for treats - "TM" Treat Myself - in your calendar

And Remember Treats come in all sizes and price ranges!

Some Treat Yumminess to get you started

• Spend time with a friend chatting over a slow cup of tea
• Go for a hike - city or country - wander and take in the sites and sounds
• Take a long, hot bath with bubbles up to your neck
• Stop, sit on a bench and watch the world go by and smile
• Sit down in silence and read a book
• Have a decadent nap
• Buy fresh flowers for your home or office
• Give to charity or a friend
• Eat chocolate 

Add your own wonderful, delicious treats to the list.

About Susan Ball:  Susan inspires her clients to live the life of their dreams with passion, joy, and love. Susan is an experienced international Life Coach helping people discover and live their ideal life through NLP, Mindfulness, and G.R.A.C.E.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

It's Monday, Be Awesome

So many people lament Monday.  Some even start on Sunday!

Think about how you set your mood for the day and the entire week when you begin with hating on something including the day of the week!

I hate Mondays does not generate good vibrations or open your senses and spirit to all the good, awesomeness around you.  It simply causes you to hunch your shoulders, lower your eyes to the ground, and see negativity in your space.

What an ugly way to spend the day.  No Thanks!!!

So let's be awesome on Mondays.  It will change your perspective which will change your outcome which will cause you to smile and be grateful.

Monday is a wonderful day.  It truly is.  Look forward to every day and you will feel so much better.  

Happiness is an attitude and gratitude begins with a smile.

Cheers, Susan

About Susan Ball:  Susan specializes in working with clients to let go of their baggage and junk - limiting beliefs, past hurts, traumas, etc. in order to begin a new life chapter that is happier, balanced and perfect just for them!

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Endless Possibilities in 2014

I want to wish you a positively successful 2014 and say thanks for allowing me into your life.  I have learned so much from the clients who have shared their journey with me and I'm looking forward to the endless possibilities, opportunities and adventures that await.  

An exciting and wonderful new year is yours for the taking when you:

Remember to practice daily positivity and gratitude.  

Wake up and embrace the new day.  

Sit back at night and celebrate your accomplishments.  

Have real conversations and smile frequently.  

Laugh and share laughter.  

Encourage your inner child to come out and play.  

Choose adventure and wonder at the world around you.

Live in the Moment

Living in the moment is all about living like there's no tomorrow. It takes practice.  To truly live in the moment you must realize beauty in every moment, and in every day activities. This is your life, embrace it and live it to the fullest!

To understand how to live in the moment you must first realise that this is about participation rather than just observation. Living in the moment is a conscious act and is easily achieved when you commit to making these easy changes to your daily routine.

Spend time in nature.  Spending time in nature will "fill your cup", calm your spirit, quiet your mind, and feed your soul.  Time in nature reconnects you to the natural beauty around you and the inter-connectedness of all things.  Connecting with nature can be a walk in the park, a stroll along the beach, time in your garden, star gazing at night, or watching the changing sky at sunset or sunrise.

Take notice of the world around you. No matter what you're doing, look for and find something beautiful around you. Maybe on your way to work or school, you go over a beautiful bridge, or you get a view of the sunrise behind the city buildings. Realizing these small things can bring life and happiness even to the most boring or routine days. Be thankful for those little things.

Focus on whatever you're doing. Even if you're just walking, or wiping the counter, or shuffling cards - how does it feel? There's probably some kind of commentary spinning through your mind, and it probably has to do with something other than what you're doing. Let those thoughts go and focus on what is (not what was, or what could be). In Buddhism, this is referred to as mindfulness. Pay attention to your senses - touch, sight, smell, sound, and taste. Pretend it's the very last time you'll ever experience whatever you're experiencing. Have you ever been so engrossed in something that it seemed like the rest of the world just disappeared? Living in the moment is about creating that state of mind at any time. Slow down and savour the present. 

Be thankful for what is. When you find yourself wishing for something you don't have, or wishing your life would be different, start your quest for your wish by being thankful for what is already in your life. This will bring you back to the present moment. Make a list of what you are thankful for right now even if all you can think of is that you are alive and can breathe. You don't want to miss the gifts right in front of you, because you are always looking beyond what is in the present moment to what once was or what might be. When you are thankful for what is, you'll be happy to be in the moment instead of some place else. 

Smile, Smile, Smile!  When you wake up, Smile and you will set a positive open tone for your day.  Smile frequently throughout the day.  The more you smile, the easier it becomes and you will find yourself smiling even when life tosses you a curve ball. Smiling sets your tone of appreciation and awareness for the day and opens your mind.  Random acts of smiling are appreciated by everyone!!

Enjoy your day, live in the moment and be grateful for what you have. 

Your Smile is Your Greatest Gift

I had the opportunity to return to Toronto to visit with family and friends.  After 2 years of living in Nova Scotia, I had truly forgotten what the metropolis was like - people, traffic, pollution were obvious.  The subtle differences were what struck me the most.

The one difference that I noticed right away was how unfriendly people were.  There were more frowning faces then smiles and everyone seemed caught up in going to and fro at high speed.  On a couple of occasions I said hello and smiled just as I would at home in Nova Scotia.  I was met with scowls and people looked as if I was going to steal from them or something.  It was very disheartening.

My lesson from my trip to Toronto was that I lost sight of counting the small blessings of my everyday life in my new province and I vowed that when I returned home, I would smile and chat with everyone just as it should be everywhere.  I wake up now with a reinvigorated love for where I live, the people, the happiness, and most importantly, the Smiles!

Learn to SMILE - it will send a powerful message of happiness to your brain and that happiness will flow within you and radiate to those around you.  Simply smiling is the greatest gift of all.