Thoughtful Tuesday

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Positively Alyssa

Happy Tuesday! I hope you are having a good week so far, and your week will get even better each day. I have mentioned before that I dread going to a dentist, and I know it is an irrational fear, but I have felt the same even for minor visits. I typically avoid going to the dentist until I do not have a choice, and today, unfortunately, I must go to the dentist. While simply brushing my teeth on Sunday, one of my teeth on the bottom broke. Thankfully, I am not in pain, or maybe I have a higher-than-normal tolerance for pain, but at this point, the only problem is the tooth broke, and there is an annoying sharp point on my tooth. I hope the dentist can do something simple to fix the issue, and once I am employed again, I can do a crown or whatever else she thinks should be done. I know I am being irrational because I do not enjoy going to get a typical cleaning, but these people always find something else they think I should do. If they were paying for everything they think should be done, I may feel differently. In my defense, the problems with my teeth are not because of anything I did, but because of the massive amounts of steroids I had to take due to a relapse.

I received an intriguing phone call yesterday from our veterinarian, which caught me off guard. They know how hard I took it when we lost Sundance, and I was unsure when or if we would get another cat because I did not want to go through that terrible loss again. I might have mentioned when I went there to donate the food we purchased for Sundance’s special diet because our cats had no interest in the food and something about wanting a bunny and maybe someday a kitten. Okay, that is not true because I know I did😊! Anyway, one of the kind ladies at the front desk called me to let me know someone had dropped off a kitten to them they had found and wanted to be sure the poor baby had a good home, and she wanted to see if I would be interested. Honestly, I might be more inclined to say yes if it was a boy because we already have two girls, and I do not think they would appreciate another female, and I do not think I could convince my husband to get the kitten. In a way, I think it was a compliment because she knows me and that I would provide this kitten a good home, but at the same time, I am not even sure I am ready for another kitten right now because it might be too soon.

I am excited that my class will begin in less than two weeks. I have been looking forward to this since I enrolled in the class, and the wait has felt like a year. I have purchased my books, and everything needed, which would have been much more challenging if it were not for the help of my mother and her husband. They graciously helped pay for the expensive books and will be forever thankful. All I must do now is pass the class and the state exam. Considering I understand the basics of the class and not working, I do not think I will have any issues accomplishing this, but I know I will still be extra hard on myself. One of my biggest problems is that I never think I am smart or good enough, so hopefully, after passing everything I need to pass, I will be more confident.

How do you find ways to stay inspired when you have always been your worst critic and many things have gone wrong? It can be challenging, but the only thing we have control over is how we react to issues in life. Often, we must inspire ourselves to keep pushing forward and refuse to give up. Before we can be inspiring, we must learn to believe in who we are and our many strengths. We do not have to lead anyone else, but many will follow our lead if we display strength, courage, determination, and resilience. I will admit that believing in my abilities is something I struggle with and continue to learn, but I can promise I will never give up and know someday, things will go the right way. The moment we give up and surrender is the moment we fail ourselves. We should always strive to be better than we were yesterday and realize the strength it has taken us to get to where we are today because we have all gone through hard times.

Thank you for visiting my site today! I hope you are doing well and feeling the best you can. What do you think about the kitten idea? My husband did not say “NO” right away, so maybe he is considering the idea. There is no telling because he was starting work about fifteen minutes before I mentioned it to him, and he might come to his senses. The unfortunate thing is, I love animals and would take more in if I was given the green light🚦 to do so! I have several weaknesses, but my love for animals is not too bad, is it? I look forward to your comments and will respond as quickly as possible. Please never forget I am always sending y’all LOTS of love❤️, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes🌈!

Always, Alyssa

Thankful today and always

Posted on November 25, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

There are 365 days in every year, but only one day that is dedicated for everyone to show how and what they thankful they are. Why does there have to be a day to be thankful? Why can we not try to express how thankful we are the other 364 days during the year? We all have many things we should be thankful for but have come to expect things to stay the way they are and that our loved ones are always going to be there. The sad truth is things never stay the same and people do not live forever.

Some people that have not had to experience loss and have not had to go without people they cherish, or other things needed for survival for too long that it is to imagine being without. The only constants in life are that things are always changing, tragedy is relentless, and hits hard, and tomorrow is not a guarantee. No one knows when their time on this earth will end, which is why I have always believed we should live each day as if it were our last.

Unfortunately, there are too many families that lost someone they cared about and will never get a chance to tell them how much they meant to them. These families missed their opportunity to say their goodbyes to someone they cared deeply for due to a deadly virus or senseless and unnecessary violence, or reckless driving that ended in a tragic accident. I have already mentioned my views on the virus numerous times, so I think everyone knows how I feel and even if you disagree, there are ways to help end COVID. The violence that occurs is nothing new but is something that needs to stop because everyone is a human being with a beating heart.

During the last eighteen months, people around the world have experienced tremendous amounts of hardships and loss that no one could have anticipated. I think that all of this should serve us with a lesson to never take anything or anyone for granted. I know that life gets chaotic and exhausting, but we can all try a little harder and care a little deeper, so no one ever must question how we feel about them. Instead of showing our thanks only once a year, we should practice giving thanks daily.

Take some time to think about these questions for a few minutes, what are you the most thankful for in your life? Is there a person in your life that you cannot fathom being without? Is there anyone in your life that you have not spoken to in a while, but do care for? Besides a person, what else are you thankful for? Most important, remember that life is short and there is not a rewind or pause button.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my site and read this post. I hope this post will help you to find ways to be and show how thankful you are daily. I am looking forward to reading your comments and will respond to all comments as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes! I hope you and your family have a lovely and safe holiday!

Always, Alyssa

How to accomplish goals

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

I think it is important to have goals in life, but they can be a challenge to meet. We all have random things that come up daily, which can create distractions slowing down reaching our goals. What are a few of your goals? These can be short OR long-term goals, but it would be interesting to know. What are the ways you set goals and how do you achieve your goals? Throughout this post, I promise you I will share my short-term and long-term goals, but also ways to achieve your goals.

Understand your Emotions:

It has been proven that our success stems from being happy first, and we are not happy only because we succeeded with a goal. This is because our emotions are in a positive and good place. During times when we are in a pessimistic, glass-half-empty mindset, reaching our goals is less likely to happen and we need to discover ways to step in with our mood and discover new habits of gratitude.

Determine your Purpose:

Our goals tend to line up with our life’s purpose. Achieving our goals will be much easier when we know and connect with this purpose. Some goals require us to be more tenacious, but with the right amount of determination, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to!

Ask yourself one question, WHY?

Intrinsic goals are goals that are not set by anyone but us. It is crucial to understand the meaning of every goal we have and how our life will be more fulfilled once we achieve any of the goals we set.

Write down your short-term & long-term goals:

Take 20-30 minutes to think about the goals you want to accomplish. To clarify, the differences a short-term goal is something you want to do in the near future. This can mean today, this week, or even this month. Long-term goal takes time and planning. These goals are something you want to accomplish in the further out future, such as later this year, early next year, OR maybe in the latter part of 2022. Create a commitment to goals and define whether certain goals require changes or need to be removed because they are conflicting with other important goals.

Set challenging and risk-taking goals:

We might not know this, but at the end of each, we look back at key points during the day. Something that has been found is, the things we followed that were outside our typical comfort zone, involved accomplishing something important to us and provided us with “authentic self-esteem”. The more we push ourselves with challenges, the more we will believe in ourselves.

Changing our password

Every day we are prepared all day by words, scents, and sights around us. Something that never occurred to me is to use these passwords to reinforce our goals by changing our passwords using words regarding our goals and characteristic you want to take on. For example, if your goal is to eat healthily, you could use “health” or “healthy” as a password. If we are constantly reminded of one of our goals because it is one of our passwords, we use daily, we will unconsciously find ways to make them happened because they are at the forefront of our minds.

At the beginning of this post, I promised y’all I would share my short and long-term goals, the way I will try achieving my goals, and why my goals are important to me. My five-year plan for accomplishing my long-term goals, how I plan to accomplish my goals, and the reason why each goal is important to me.

Put An End To Stress

This goal is important to me because I understand how and why stress unfavorably impacts my health. The way I intend to achieve this goal is to continuously remind myself to not stress over things I do not have any control over. A few of the things I do not have any control over are going to the dentist (I have always had an irrational fear of the dentist0 and have avoided them. I can see when I look in the mirror the large amounts of broken teeth. This issue is not due to me not taking care of my teeth but is because of all the steroids I was forced to take during the times the MS acted up. This goal will hopefully be accomplished by the end of 2021 if not before.

Another one of my long-term goals is to write the book I have dreamed of writing. The reason this goal is important to me is that writing a book has been something I have wanted since I was a young child.

I have been the only person standing in my way of achieving this goal It weighs heavily on my mind because I always tell myself that I am not a good enough writer. The ways I am going to accomplish this goal is to continue writing on my blog and improving and building on the skills I already have. I am anticipating achieving this goal within 5 years. This is obviously a goal that takes planning, organizing a plan and pure determination.

My short-term goals are goals I want to achieve in the next two weeks. One of these goals is to create a plan to eat healthier. I can admit that I do not eat the best food and I do not eat three meals a day. The best-case scenario is I have 2 pieces of toast for breakfast, uncrustable for lunch, and dinner either more toast or macaroni and cheese. I know everything on this list is extremely unhealthy and some will say I eat like an 8-year-old child.

This goal is important to me and not because I want to lose weight (which would be nice), but because eating healthy makes you feel better physically and emotionally. I plan to achieve this goal by making a meal plan that includes only healthy foods and no junk food or fast food.

My second short-term goal is to get my house organized and clean. This goal is important to me because a disorganized house creates chaos, clutter, and stress. I am planning to go through the closets, drawers, and each individual room to put anything not being used in a donations bag that will be taken to the nearest Good Will location.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed this post and I am looking forward to reading your comments, and what you goals are. I hope your week is going well and you are staying as safe as you can! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Inspirational Wednesday

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

~A Little Inspiration, Can Go A Long Way~

We have already made it halfway through this week, which means there is not much long until we see the weekend again! How is your week going? I do hope you are having a good week and you are staying safe! Of course, sometimes the weeks seem much longer than they are and all we can do is keep trying. We might be going through challenging times, but we do still have a lot to be thankful for and just need to focus on that.

Considering all of us are still dealing with various struggles, I think a little inspiration might help us through some of those times. With all the stresses that COVID has put on us all, it is hard to remember that someday things will get better. There are also so many built-up frustrations and hatred blanketing the world, which we can help by being kind and understanding. Of course, no one knows exactly when things are going to improve, but that is where hope and determination come into place. I do realize how difficult it is staying home all of the time and when we do finally leave the safety net of our homes we have to wear masks but all troubles, and struggles will someday dissipate, and we will have so much to be proud of because we made it. It is easy to want to throw your hands up and give up, but the strong people I know we all are will not just give up without a fight!

I hope your week is going well and you are remaining safe, and not having any extra stresses added onto you. Life has never been easy and we do all face numerous complications, but somehow we make it through them all. Our strengthens build character and further perseverance for which we should feel gratification. I know how difficult life can be, I mean I was diagnosed with a debilitating illness when I was still a teenager and did not let it deter me from trying to achieve my goals in life.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed the quote I shared with y’all and it provided you a little inspiration! I am looking forward to reading what you thought about the quote and everything else I have shared with y’all today. I promise to respond to all comments as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Staying sane during insane times

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

Never in a million years did I ever think we would be going through a pandemic in 2020. I can’t seem to be able to wrap my mind around how many people, young and old have died because of something that was so incredibly unforeseen. How does something this deadly even come into existence? Was this manmade and created in a laboratory? And if so, was it released purposefully or accidentally? Was this meant to kill people all around the world? There are so many unanswered questions in the minds of many around the world and I believe it is during these tragic times we all need to work together through these terrifying days.

The last time there was a deadly global pandemic was the Spanish flu, also known as the 1918 H1N1 virus and was between 1918 and 1920. The Spanish flu was first identified in the United State in the spring of 1918 in military personnel. It was estimated that approximately 500 million people and accounts for one-third of the world’s population had been infected. The CDC estimated that 50 million people died from this virus worldwide with 675,000 occurring in the United States.

With the Spanish flu, the mortality rate was higher in people younger than 5 years old, between 20 and 40 years old, and those 65 years and older. High mortality among healthy people, between 20 and 40 years old was a distinctive feature of this pandemic. This virus was synthesized and evaluated; the properties it was made up with were very devastating and not well understood. Unfortunately, there was not a vaccine to protect people from the virus and no antibodies to treat secondary bacterial infections associated with influenza infection. There were limited ways to control this virus, such as isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, utilizing disinfectants, and limiting public gatherings.

It is mind-blowing, 102 years after the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50 million people globally that we are facing another lethal pandemic. According to the Worldometer, as of today, there have been 2,906,751 confirmed cases worldwide and 206,669 deaths in 210 countries and territories due to COVID-19. We have only been aware of how detrimental this virus is before about 3 months, but truthfully it started in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.

The stresses and rational concerns we are all coping with can be overwhelming. The stresses can include, but isn’t limited to:

Uneasiness and distress of your health and the health of loved ones
Sleep disturbances or eating patterns
Complications concentrating
Declining of chronic and mental health conditions
Escalated use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs

The good news is there are numerous ways we can control the amount of stress we are feeling. Of course, everyone responds, feels, and copes with stress in different ways, but I do hope the ways to cope with the stress I am going to share will be beneficial for you:

Constantly watching or reading about the pandemic can be very disturbing, so the mind should take breaks from all of it. The continuous devastatingly heartbreaking information we are hearing and reading can take a massive toll on us, but we do have the ability to control this.
Don’t forget to take care of your body. A few examples to care for your body are:

Stretch daily, do deep breathing exercises or meditate
Get plenty of sleep
Develop a regular exercise regimen
Avoid alcohol and drugs, they will only create more issues causing stress

Remember to take time to unwind. Attempt doing other activities you find enjoyable.
Find alternate ways to connect with others, while we are still maintaining social distancing. Discuss the concerns you have with people you are comfortable confiding in.

Many people around the world are feeling extreme levels of stress and uncertainty at this moment. As we try to maintain some sense of normalcy in our lives, we also need to understand how staying optimistic will help our mental health and immune system stay as strong as it can. Even if where you live ends restrictions staying home if you feel unwell and continuing social distancing should remain in effect until there are far fewer cases and fatalities.

Over the years, many studies have provided an interconnection between good overall health and optimism. Of course, some skeptics that would prefer to argue that it is more an individual’s good health that makes them positive instead of vice versa. Regardless if the studies are correct or not, it is not a far-fetched thought to say optimistic people are generally happier than pessimistic people.

Whether you are an optimistic person or a pessimistic person, I am going to share a few simple ideas that may help improves your positive outlooks!

Implement gratefulness. During times when life seems desolated, there are still many things we should be grateful for. Trying starting a gratefulness journal. Acknowledge both notable and small items you are thankful for. Include as much detail into this practice as you can. Important things could be your home, family, and friends, the ability to provide food for yourself and family, and any other things that are necessities. The smaller things might be simple short-lived pleasures such as a good book, a calming warm bath, or a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Create a positive routine that you begin your day with. Even once we make it through this crisis that has plagued our lives for months now, morning routines are vital! It is best to not immediately check the news when you wake up; the news isn’t going anywhere and will still be available to view once you have had time to center yourself. It is astonishing how much a simple morning smile can begin your day off on a positive note.
Slow down. Many of us are always in a huge rush to do things, which includes jumping to conclusions with information we heard on the news. There are some positive aspects of being isolated in our homes, it does allow us the ability to pace ourselves and not dwell on our anxieties caused by the pandemic. Focusing on things that are surrounding us in the present moment can be beneficial. Turn down the volume of our thoughts relating to stress and pay closer attention to our inner voices.
Relax your entire body. Pay very close attention to your muscles, if you begin feeling your shoulders and or jaw tensing, take slow deep breaths and relax. Be aware of your muscles from head to toe and your breathing during the day, which will also assist with your mindfulness.
Ensure that exercise is a part of your daily routine. If you are already an active person, you have probably already made adjustments to your workouts being at home instead of a gym. If however, you are not very active, try to incorporate some form of exercise into your life. Exercising can be beneficial both physically and mentally because it releases endorphins that target the feelings of positivity.
Initiate and encourage a digital community. We all should be continuing to practice social distancing, but that does not mean we are not able to stay in touch with family and friends. Modern technology has given ways for video calls; group chats, and even allows us access to virtual parties and concerts, which are all amazing options. I had my first ever virtual call on Wednesday with my doctor’s office, which I could to be a fabulous way to communicate with the Nurse Practitioner without subjecting myself to possibly being exposed to COVID-19. During these times of massive uncertainty, it is crucial to know some of our friends and family members are dealing with the same stresses we are and maybe we could offer one another some positivity.
Utilize diaphragmatic breathing, which will assist in strengthening an important muscle that helps us breathe, our diaphragm. You can also begin to include meditation into your life and doing multiple short mindfulness exercises throughout the day. A useful pattern to begin your day with is gratefulness meditation, and then incorporates a breathing exercise halfway through your day, and sleep meditation at bedtime. If you would like to read some great meditation examples, I encourage you to visit Bella’s website https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/, she gives some fabulous and extremely helpful advice. Diaphragmatic breathing also has other benefits including lowering stress hormones and your heart rate and helps you to relax.
Embrace humor and laughter in your life daily. We have all probably heard that laughter can be the best medicine, so it would make perfect sense why this is extremely important. The ability to find humor daily can improve your positiveness and benefit from a more optimistic nature. There have been several studies confirming the short-term and long-term benefits of laughter on the mind and body. The benefits include stimulating our organs, lessening stress levels, enhancing blood circulation, building up our immune system, and alleviating physical pains we may have.
Avoid or at least walk away from distressing discussions and situations. Due to the fears involved with the pandemic, everyone is very well aware of; massive amounts of stress are also a strong possibility. During these times it can be easy to be pulled into pessimistic interactions which can intensify how we were already feeling. We can also become obsessed with the news, which alone can create overwhelming levels of panic. It is important to be aware and knowledgeable about what is happening in the world, it is also crucial to have a healthy balance between the amount of news we are taking in and a daily routine in efforts to maintain our mental health.
Hold onto faith. This does not necessarily have anything to do with religion, but if you are religious you might be able to gain strength and optimism from your beliefs. When I stated hold onto faith, I am suggesting your faith in humanity, science, medical professionals, and the good in mankind. It’s about maintaining faith in our resilience, kindness, empathy, commitment, and the desire for a good healthy life for all.

We were all leading the life we yearned for before the pandemic and there is no reason we can’t get back to that point in time. It is going to require patience, persistence, and a great deal of resilience. I do think it is also best, regardless of what the governor of your state or president says, to avoid gatherings of too many people, practice good hand-washing, and definitely social distancing.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope the information provided was helpful to you and your family. I would love to read your thoughts on all of this and promise to respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Why create a vision board?

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

I feel confident saying you have all heard about vision boards before, but what do they mean to you? Have you made a vision board before and if so what did you include on yours? If you have had a vision board in the past or you currently have one, did you find it to be beneficial, why or why not?

Honestly, I have heard about vision boards before, but I was not 100% clear on the purpose or what should be included in it. Of course, I am always intrigued about ways to add as many positive outlooks and or tools to life as I possibly can. With all that the world as a whole is going through at the moment, I think now is a time we all need as much positivity as we can get.

There are numerous reasons for having a vision board. As I list the questions I was curious about, though please note they are not in any particular order. What is the purpose? What should be included on a vision board? What is needed to create one? Do they really help? Are there any benefits and if so what are they?

There are several reasons to have a vision board and yet there aren’t any rules. Your vision board is a corporeal portrayal of a goal or goals you are focused on accomplishing. It is meant to be your dedicated exhibit of what you want in life. Your vision board can bring your ambitions, desires, dreams, objective, and intentions into your existence and reality.

The sky is the limit to what you can include on your vision board. Your vision board can be your goals for career, relationship, home, travel, personal growth, education, spirituality, social life, education and anything else revolving around your goals. Your vision board can include things you want to view every day and motivates you. Any quotes, pictures, sayings, and places you desire going to, people that inspire you, reminders of events, and anything that encourages you.

You should give yourself time to create your vision board, it should be fun utilizing your creativity and NEVER stressful. I have discovered a few ideas to help start a vision board that might be helpful which include:

Working on ways to heal from hardships
Explore your passions and talents
Learn more about who you are
Envision what you want from life
Spend time with those you admire
And literally anything else that comes to mind, just don’t limit yourself

To create your vision board you only need a few simple items including:

Posterboard, corkboard, or canvas
Several old magazines
Pictures printed from an online source
Scissors, tape, pins and or glue stick
Markers, paint and or sticker
Most important anything you know you will want to see daily. This is where those inspirational quotes, sayings, and people will come into play

The benefits you may get from a vision board are endless and could be different for each person. I will share a few and then you can decide how it benefits you.

Brings clarity to your dreams
Initiates your ambitions
Allows for your creativity to shine through
Enables you to be more motivated
Makes you more productive
Grants you with better focus
Promotes your opportunities for success
Releases your inner potential
Encourages you to be positive and happy
Gives you additional motivation
Amplifies your self-confidence
Poses as a mental rehearsal
Relaxes you
Enhances your self-image
Expands your desires

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you found this information helpful and something fun to try, if you haven’t already done so. I do look forward to reading your thoughts on this and if you have any other reasons why a vision board can be beneficial to our lives.

Of course, I already know there is not much we can do outside our homes, but I do hope you are enjoying your weekend so far. I only hope your weekend is relaxing and enjoyable. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!