What makes you unique?

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

10 things that make us unique!

On multiple different occasions I have said the area I live in is overcrowded and everywhere I go has too much congestion. If I view things in a much broader picture, there are close to 69,000 people in the city I live in, but close to 8 million in the entire world. Of course, I think more than 50 people is a large crowd, so there other number are just ludacris.

Even though I prefer to not be around massive groups, especially right now with COVID-19 in the forefront of my mind, I do find the uniqueness of each interesting. Could you imagine what life would be like if we were all the same? I think things would be very boring and monotonous.

Each person is comprised of personality, experiences endured in life, knowledge we have gained, and emotions felt. Every individual has their viewpoints of the world and outlooks, mainly powered by their life experiences. All of our qualities that make each of us unique and fascinating can be sharpened and enhanced on, allowing for growth as we continue our lives adventures.

The following ten characteristic are what make us our own unique and captivating self. We should always hold our heads held high and be proud of our uniqueness and the amazing people we have become today.

1. Our Personality-

Each of our personalities is something that begins to be shape starting from the time we are born and has continued to the present day. All of our positive and negative experiences, each achievement and defeat, every occurrence of strength and weakness, all the knowledge and wisdom we have gained are what is guiding how we can progress through our life.

The level of knowledge, experiences, and comprehension one individual has are what makes them who they are and no other will be the same as that person. Just as no one will respond the same to life experiences, no one will make the same choices in life as another would.

2. Our Attitudes-

Our attitude determines how we view life and those we are surrounded by. Both positive and negative attitudes can be very contagious, which means the way we are feeling has the potential to influence how other feel. The truth is those with a positive attitude will tend to steer away from others that have a negative attitude. Our attitude is something that is created from our emotional outlooks. Unless we make proactive changes for something better and more favorable for a happier present and future, our attitude will not change for the better.

3. Our Experiences-

There is no doubt that our past and future experiences play a vital role with shaping the unique individuals we are. All of our experiences in life help dictate the way we interact with others. Many times people that have had negative experiences might become uneasy and even defensive when in situations that are similar to times before when they had been hurt. Of course, some negative experiences offer the wisdom needed to make better decisions in the future which could lead to a successful search for a brighter and positive future.

4. Our Habits-

Habits are our routine behaviors that are repeated regularly and often occur subconsciously. Our habits will notify and regulate the aspects each unique person will develop. Bad habits could be biting you nails, drinking too much alcohol, overeating, or smoking. Good habits may include eating a healthy diet, maintaining an exercise regimen, practicing gratitude, and managing money sensibly. When we start forming habits such as meditation, exercising, or trying new things they can help to improve our mental health and well-being.

5. Our Creativity-

There are many different forms of creativity, which makes it very interesting. Creativity can extend to a wide range of arts that can lead the creative part of the brain anywhere from drawing and painting to cooking to dancing and singing to playing an instrument. Every person has their own specific and unique talents and creative gifts that have been inspired by their vision of beauty.

6. Our Perspective-

There is no other person that has lived in our shoes every minute of every day at any time. No other person has had the same experiences we have during life and never will. No one else has the same knowledge as another person. Each individuals perspectives are simply uniquely only their own. It is always crucial to stay open to others thoughts, opinions, and suggestions. This doesn’t mean we must accept these as right or wrong, but continue to evolve on our unique perception of the world.

7. Our Tastes-

We can always discover common ground with others on quality or beauty, but our tastes are unique with our personality. Each person’s taste can impact the choices they make throughout their life. These choices may be in the foods they eat or the people they form relationships with. An excellent way for a person to broaden their horizons, learn new things, and continue evolving is to consider different tastes, in all forms around the world. By keeping an open mind and having the willingness to include the tastes of others, it can initiate some extraordinary new things in life.

8. Our Goals-

Each individual’s goals will typically regulate how their time, energy, and efforts are spent. Our short, medium, and long-term goals supply us with both direction and motivation to keep us on the right path. No matter what an individual’s goals they are working towards are, anyone can get more out of their life and grown further as a person!

9. Our Hobbies-

A common icebreaker when we meet someone for the first time is, “What do you like doing?” Granted, our hobbies do not define who we are as a person, but the things we enjoy doing and spend the most time on can enlighten others to the kind of person we are. This all says something about us as unique human beings, the values we hold, and how we find happiness and meaning in life.

10. Our Passions-

Passions are what stir the deepest emotions in an individual to act on something bigger than themselves, despite their mental and emotional state of mind. Being aware of our passions can assist us in finding an undeviating, clear path that is directed by our values and unique perceptions of the world. Each individual has something unique and valuable that they offer the world.

During or lifetime we are going to encounter others from all walks of life. Some of the people we meet will be the polar opposite of who we are and others we will be able to find similarities and common ground with. However, no matter what we discover our similarities to be, there will never be another as unique as all of us are!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you found this information interesting and you enjoyed reading this. I hope you are having a great weekend and you are feeling well and of course, staying safe! I look forward to reading any thoughts you have on this post 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!

Always, Alyssa

Eliminate bad habits and gain good habits

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

We all have good and bad habits that are perpetual and emerge from our unconscious minds. It is almost as though we have some kind of control over them. However, logically do we have any control over our habits?

How would you explain what is meant regarding bad habits? Bad habits are a negative behavior in regards to our behavioral patterns. Most commonly procrastinating, spending too much money, nail-biting, spending excessive amounts of time watching TV or on the computer are bad habits.

Have you ever wondered what caused our bad habits? According to the author, James Clear, who wrote “Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. Atomic Habits”, stress and boredom could be the key contributors to our bad habits. It is also possible that our boredom and stress are only on the surface and the causes of our bad habits are from much deeper issues. What we may have experienced might be challenging and painful to think about, but if we are truly committed to making changes; we need to face the issues head-on. To overcome our bad habits, we will need to acknowledge them first.

No matter what good or bad habits we currently have, there is a reason they are in our lives. We might never know why these habits are in our lives, but they do have a purpose and even a benefit. Most of the time, our bad habits are how we handle stress.

It isn’t easy to comprehend how our bad habits can be beneficial in our lives. However, we need to try understanding how instead of straightforwardly eliminating them, we should attempt replacing them with good habits that provide us with comparable benefits.

Do you know any good ways to break bad habits? Personally, I have several habits that aren’t just bad, they are awful habits. Through some research, I have discovered some ways to break the bad habit cycle we deal with.

Before I dive too deep into ways to break the bad habits, I am going to explain how our habits are driven by a 3-part loop sequence, that was initiated from Mayo Oshin,

Trigger is the stimulus that starts the habit
Routine is doing the habit and behavior itself
Reward of the benefit is associated with the behavior

Now we can finally dive deep into Mayo Oshin’s coherent strategies that will help us utilize psychology when recognizing our triggers for our bad habits, quit procrastinating and begin easily getting things done.

Oshin’s three strategies to break bad habits include:

Use the words “I don’t” as opposed to “I can’t”, which can assist with making better choices. In two different research studies, participants that use the words “I don’t” were able to meet their goals and had positive impacts on their well-being more than those that used “I can’t”.
Practice becoming aware of the triggers. The more aware we are of our triggers that lead us to lean on our bad habits, the higher the chances we have on interfering with the existence of the loop leading us towards bad habits.

An addiction expert, Judson Brewer, performed a study with smokers trying to quit smoking. Brewer believes that practicing mindfulness frequently can help end the bad habits. In his study, Brewer found 36% of individuals that practiced mindfulness were successful with quitting, as opposed to the 15% that did not use mindfulness and were not successful with quitting smoking.

An intriguing practice exercise you can try is the following steps! The next time you are tempted with your bad habit, take a step back, answer the following questions and log your answer if you want something to reflect on

Where were you when the cravings occurred?
What time of day does this happen?
What was your emotional state of mind?
Who were you with?
What happened before your cravings?

You can keep your answers in a journal, so you can refer back to them at a later time and maybe notice a trend. This is a way to practice mindfulness and also assist you in taking more control of your actions. By tracking the issues you will be that much more aware of your behavior and offer ideas to stop!

Use an “if-then” plan to replace the bad habits with good habits. It isn’t enough to only have a goal to break bad habits. To perpetually continue with a good habit, we need an intentional plan.

To create an “if-then” plan we need to do the following steps.

Recognize a situation that commonly triggers our bad habits
Identify a distinct reaction to the trigger. Typically, this would be a good habit to replace and prevent falling right into the temptation
Combine steps 1 &2 into an “if-then” format. Utilizing an “if-then” plan creates an easier reaction for our cravings and replaces them with a good habit because of the made ready automatic response. Over time, we will be able to see how effective it can be to assist in breaking away from bad habits.

I hope you found this information beneficial in your life. There is no pressure at all, but what habits of yours do you think are bad habits? I will share mine with y’all. One is definitely I always think I am fat and that I need to lose weight, but my husband always tells me I am crazy and don’t need to lose weight. I will say telling someone that thinks they are fat crazy might not be the best way to approach the topic, but men often don’t think before they speak. Another habit of mine that could be viewed as bad is that I apologize for everything, even when I didn’t really do anything wrong. I don’t know why, I just immediately say “I’m sorry.” One more habit, that can be viewed as good and bad is, I am way too overly emotional about everything!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have a great day and you are ending the week feeling the best you possibly can! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Finding Inner Peace

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

Do y’all know what does inner peace means? Inner peace is a state in which you are mentally and spiritually at peace, despite the potential of any stressors that might arise. When you truly have inner peace, you have fully accepted yourself and therefore, do not waste your precious time, energy, and attention on unimportant thoughts. Inner peace is the direct opposite of anxiety and worries.

There are things we can do to find our inner peace.

Set your limits-

By knowing when to stop, we can minimize being preoccupied with certain things that do not matter in the bigger picture of life. What this means is we can set a certain amount of time to spend on social media because that is something we do not need to spend unnecessary time on. I am sure many people will disagree with me on this, but we can live without social media, we can survive!

Try to relax-

take breath Experiment with deep breathing exercises to help release your tension. Deep breathing is something that can be done anytime and anywhere. You can practice breathing in through your nose slowly, allowing your chest and belly to rise as your lungs fill with air, hold inhale for 4 seconds. Then slowly exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds.

If this doesn’t work for you, do a little research on other relaxation techniques until you find the one that works best for you.

Don’t make any issue bigger than it is-

When facing an issue you think is huge, take a break and ask yourself if this situation will still matter in a few days, weeks, months, or years. Asking and answering this question will help you to keep things in perspective.

Slow down–

Constantly being stressed and panicked can have many negative effects on your mind and overall health. Most often by simply slowing down, you will have a chance to lower the feelings of stress.

Unclutter your life-

If your workspace or home is cluttered, it may keep your mind preoccupied. Personally, when my house is a mess, my thoughts remain fixated on everything I have to do. I tend to make a to-do list with everything I need to-do in order of importance. The issue with this is, I only make the to-do list in my mind and then feel overwhelmed, which nothing gets done.

Be a minimalist-

This can remove the unnecessary distractions from your life, allowing for peace of mind, clarity, and focus on a welcomed new thought process.

Be prompt-

Even though being prompt might be a small and easy habit, it can be a huge help for our schedules. Maybe being 10-15 minutes early will only give you those extra minutes to relax and recharge, but you will be amazed to how much it helps our mental status. Every free minute we have in this unpredictable and stressful world is very beneficial to our body!

Learn to accept and let go

We all have heard that saying, the past should stay in the past. It seems that this notion has been lost, but we need to try to bring it back into our thoughts. Nothing will ever change, no matter how much we stress or constantly think about it. It will be in everyone’s best interest to focus our attention solely on the present, never the past or even the future.

Ask, don’t guess-

Most of what causes our stress is our assumptions. The truth is, no one can read minds, but too many still try which only causes too much unnecessary anxiety. Instead of assuming anything, we need to have much more open communication and ask questions!

Escape for a short time–

What this means is to allow yourself time to recharge and even some soul searching. This isn’t quitting anything; you are just enhancing your life!

Quit Procrastinating–

I know not all problems can be solved quickly, but we can’t procrastinate trying to solve our problems. Honestly, the longer we wait, the more tension and stress we will feel.

Disconnect from work-

Your work life should never belong in your home. Weekends and time not at work are your time to recharge and not think about deadlines. I was never good at this when I had a job and wish I had adopted this thought process a long time ago, but I will when I do have a job again.

One thing at a time-

There are times when multitasking can be a great quality. However, multitasking can also cause too much stress. The thought process of focusing on one thing at a time can be healthier for your health because it will take a lot of stress off your shoulders. Everything will still get done in time.

Focus on good memories-

We tend to focus too much on our bad memories, instead of all the good memories we have. Maybe we do this because those bad memories caused some trauma and we will rethink what we could have done, but that isn’t going to fix anything. If we try replacing our bad memories with good ones, we will hold onto the strength we felt during the good memories. This might take time, but it will be beneficial to our mental and physical health.

Meditate daily-

Meditating is the most common way to discover your inner peace. By meditating even for just 15 minutes a day, it will help you discover and hold onto your inner peace. A fellow blogger shares some pretty amazing meditation ideas, so I will encourage you to check out her site. Bella’s site is https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/

Thank you for stopping by my site today. I do hope, if you haven’t already visited Bella’s site, you will do so soon. I promise you will not be disappointed because she is pretty great!! I am looking forward to reading your comments about this post because I know you will provide great insight! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

The meaning of Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Positively Alyssa

Please forgive me because I do know how incredibly negative this is going to sound, but I feel like the real meaning of Christmas has been lost for a very long time. It seems that in 2019 Christmas has become nothing more than another reason to shop, making this holiday that is supposed to have a deeper meaning, all about consumerism.

To me, the meaning of Christmas is a time to share love, respect, and encouragement with one another and not degrade others. I strongly believe that instead of tearing others down, we should focus on building them up. It is so important to help family, friends and even acquaintances see the strength they have within themselves.

This is a time we can spend with our families, but at the same time not put too much stress on ourselves. The only thing stress is going to cause is hostility and negative emotions, which can become way too intense and painful. As much as we all want to be able to visit with our family during the holiday season, sometimes life gets in the way making it impossible. No matter the distance between families love is always there and it is never-ending!

To be completely honest with y’all, I have not been in the Christmas spirit at all this year. I am not even 100% sure why I have been slightly anti-Christmas this year. I guess it might be because there are always too many expectations that are not only exhausting but unattainable. I am sure many people will disagree with me and want to torture themselves by trying to be in two or three places at the same time.

I remember a time that Christmas was astounding and purely magical. I did grow up in the north where there was ALWAYS sparkling snow covering the ground at Christmas. Heck, there was snow covering the ground on Thanksgiving. A blanket of snow set a picture-perfect vision that allowed kids to go build snowmen , create snow angels, and have snowball fights!

Do you remember what Christmas was like when you were a child? I remember on Christmas Eve being able to open one of my gifts, which were always new Christmas pajamas to wake up in on Christmas day . I remember putting Christmas cookies and milk out for Santa and putting a few carrots outside for Santa’ reindeer! I can even recall lying in my bed waiting to hear Santa’s sleigh bells ring, so I could run to the window to see Santa, Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donder, Comet, Cupid, and Blitzen! Viewing life through the innocent eyes of a child can be refreshing and a beautiful thing.

I do sincerely hope the true meaning of Christmas will surface before next December. Maybe by December 2020, more can learn to quit carrying hate in their hearts and let more love through those cast-iron walls. I think the world could be a much happier place if everyone would embrace love!

On Christmas, if you were offered any three gifts of your choice and would forfeit any gifts from the future, what would they be? Keep in mind the skies the limit and any wish you make come true. I have listed what my wishes would be in no particular order.

I wish there would finally be cures for all the illnesses that cause people so many problems.
I wish all the hate in this world cease to exist and make room for love, kindness, and empathy.
I wish no child went without love and always had food on the table.

Thank you for stopping by my site today. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and you are feeling well. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes.

Always, Alyssa

Been a while

Featured

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Positively Alyssa

WOW, it feels like it has been forever since I did anything in the blogging community! While I was on my much needed vacation with my husband last week, I took a short break from doing anything involving a computer. The two of us went to my happy place, the BEACH, not only to celebrate my birthday, but also our 8 year wedding anniversary . We had an amazing time together and had absolutely beautiful weather! It was so great being far away from the stresses of work and be able to just sit back listening to the ocean waves! I honestly find the sight and sounds of the ocean , while reading a great book to be the best way to relax and refresh!

I am very far behind on reading all of your posts, which I already know are fantastic. Unfortunately, I do have to work the weekend so I can’t say I will be able to catch up, but I will still try.

Considering I have been away for almost 2 weeks now, how have y’all been doing? I hope you are feeling well and your month has started off great! October is beautiful and my favorite month, which I am not just saying that because it is the month I was married in. I have always enjoyed the change in weather during October. Normally it isn’t too hot and not that cold, it is just right! Sounds kind of like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but yet so true! Of course the southern states are not always on the same page with my thought process and it was in the high 90’s for the first week of October, but thankfully over the weekend the temperatures are going to drop! It is crazy though because when I say the temperatures are going to drop, I mean drop more than 20 degrees in one day!

Like I already stated, my husband and I had a wonderful vacation. Of course it wasn’t long enough and it was painful to return to work. The insane thing is we didn’t get home until the early morning hours and I had to work that day. I was so exhausted; nothing bothered me at all because my mind was still at the beach and maybe I was half asleep still. Of course things not bothering me only lasted half a day and I will tell you more about this later. My boss is still the same idiot he has always been!

For my birthday we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant that was oceanfront ! Considering we were at the beach during the off season it wasn’t overly crowded, which was great! Thankfully my husband did not tell the waitress it was my birthday, so I didn’t have to deal with the wait staff singing happy birthday to me and embarrassing me. I do not like to be center of attention and would prefer to go unnoticed!

The day after my birthday we went to another oceanfront restaurant to celebrate our 8 year wedding anniversary ! Back to back celebrations were nice and peaceful! It is so hard to believe we have already been married for 8 years , I mean where does the time go? I still remember the day my husband proposed like it was yesterday and that was 9 years ago!

I don’t know about you, but before last week there were times I was awake at sunrise, but never actually watched the sunrise. Standing out on the beach in the early morning hours watching the sun come up was a beautiful sight and pretty powerful! It really is amazing to watch as the sun slowly makes its way up to shine light on us all around the world! To think the sun I watched come up will also be seen on the other side of the world at some point.

The weather was so clear we were even able to watch the sunset! The sun sets slowly over the horizons and it is quite magical, especially near the ocean! Of course I do think everything is magical and hypnotizing when I am at the beach!

I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend and you are able to enjoy every moment of it. I will be back to my normal routine next week and maybe even some extra surprises. I want to thank you for stopping by my site today and please know that I always appreciate your comments. Please never forget that no matter how busy I am, I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Our Choices…..

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Positively Alyssa

The choices we make today, may impact us tomorrow, next week or even next year. We will never really know when or how the impact will occur, but it will. All of the choices we make will have either negative consequences or provide us with a reward of some kind.

Maybe I am wrong, but I do believe when we face various situations there are two roads we can choose to travel down. I am not saying the two roads are crystal clear nor do they have sign indicating which road is the correct way to go. However, I think we all know the difference between right and wrong, but we are all human-beings that make mistakes and may not choose the wrong road the first time around.

After taking the wrong road numerous times throughout our life, this teaches us many valuable lessons we will cherish. If you are anything like me, you beat yourself up for days because you made an incorrect decision. It takes me much longer to forgive myself than it does for me to forgive someone else. Sometimes we might make the wrong choice several times, but the lessons learned from this will stick with us.

Have you ever tensed up and or panicked when asked a question about something you may have done wrong? This can pretty much be considered a “fight or flight” reaction and the end results more often than not, are not a good one. I do not believe anyone reacts well when they are badgered with the same damn thing for days or even weeks! I don’t know about you, but this type of situation makes me shut down completely. This often brings up SO many negative emotions and memories for me which I have tried so hard to forget them.

Life works in mysterious ways and there are so many struggles that come along during our lifetime and normally without any warning. No matter what trials and tribulations I may face, I still believe that everything happens for a reason. I know I will never understand why I am forced to deal with certain things, like living with MS, but what I can say is, as long as I am breathing I will never surrender or give up. I have always believed firmly that the only way we can fail is to give up and this is something I will always refuse to do!

I remember, when I was first diagnosed with MS at the young age of 19, I wondered what I did so wrong to deserve this as my punishment. Although as I have gotten older, I do not view living with MS as a punishment, but I see it as a way to prove my strength and determination to survive! I also view living with MS as a way to help others realize that life does go on, but some adjustments may need to be made. I strive to show others living with a chronic illness and even those not battling an illness, that there is still hope and how remaining positive will be a benefit!

Thank y’all so much for visiting my site today! I hope your weekend has been lovely and you were able to do things that made you happy. After the crazy week I had, I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure. I can say without a doubt that the pedicure helped the pain I was feeling in my feet and lower part of my legs. I think a pedicure a month should be required and even prescribed from my doctor! Even if it is short lived, it is amazing how much the foot massage helps my pain. I hope you are enjoying the final days of the weekend and you are prepared for the week ahead. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Holidays Approaching!

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

I still can’t believe that December is coming to an end so soon and the holidays are quickly approaching us. I know this year has been pretty busy for me and there have been many changes, but it seems like we just celebrated the start of 2018 last week. Where did the year go?

I do think many people look forward to the holiday seasons because it gives an amazing opportunity to spend time with family and possibly friends, relax a lot more, enjoy life a little and of course the time off from work is pretty fabulous! My office is actually closed the entire week of Christmas and doesn’t reopen until January 2, 2019! I have never experienced such generous time off from an employer for the holidays before and I must say I absolutely LOVE it!

I realize on the other hand there are many people who dread the holiday season for their own personal reasons. Even though it has been many years now, there are some loses that still feel very fresh years later for myself and my family. It has been nine years since my husband’s dearly loved grandfather passed away, five years since my grandfather who I idolized passed away and four years since my husband’s loving grandmother passed away. Those that have passed away will live on in our hearts and souls for an eternity. Not only will we miss them with every breath we take, but we will always stand true to honor their memories of love, courage, compassion and inspiration for as long as we possibly can. I know that I am not alone when I say this, but I would give anything to have just one more minute with any or all of these loving souls. The joy that would be felt from hearing their voices or a simple hug one last time would be priceless and cherished.

I do think it is natural to remember those we lost even deeper around the holidays, but we should all also still remember to rejoice with the family we are still able to spend these days with. The funny thing is, we do not get to choose our family because they are just given to us and we must learn to accept them with their amazing qualities and even their flaws. I mean seriously, no one is perfect and we all have our own faults that may drive other crazy, so we really can’t judge another for similar situations!

Life is way too short to allow for any silly little altercations to break families apart, but sadly I do believe this happens far too often. I can admit that I have held onto hostility and anger with some in my own family for much too long. With the harsh realities that they won’t be here forever makes me try letting go of those unpleasant feelings and find neutral grounds. I know I have said this before regarding other issues, but we are all different and have our own uniqueness to us. I guess I believe that all of our unique behaviors and outlooks are what makes us special and like no other!

There are many wonderful things we experience with the holidays, but it tends to make me a little sad. I miss those that are not with us anymore, but I do appreciate the family I have with me still. The way I am able to make it through the holidays with limited tears is I always have to continue reminding myself that those we have lost and still with us in heart, mind and spirit and that they are not living with pain any longer.

Every year I always feel that Christmas has lost its true meaning. The stores are always full of shoppers spending money they might not have and buying products just because they are a hot commodity. I feel that Christmas should be more about family and less about buying gifts! There are no gifts that can take the place of our loved ones. There are way too many people who struggle just to put food on the table and have a roof over their heads, while others rush the stores. In my job now I hear really sad stories that break my heart. Just yesterday we were working with a single mother that was going to be homeless today. Myself and two of my co-workers, one of which being my boss, were trying to find a place that could offer her a roof over their heads and shockingly most were already full and might not be able to help until mid January. I was so sad for her and her 6-year-old child to suffer like this so close to Christmas. Thankfully, we did find an extended stay for them to go to, but I was still shaken by this. This poor little girl will wake up Christmas morning not expecting gifts under the tree, but wanting a bed to sleep in and food to eat.

Thank you so much for visiting my site today! I know this post was little longer than what I normally post, but the holidays get me a little emotional. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts and I do promise to respond as quickly as I can! I hope you are feeling well and your weekend has started off wonderful. Please know that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

P.S I was trying something new with the link below and have no idea if this will work or not. Once you read this post, please let me know if this link actually showed or if I did something wrong with it!

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Very Special Man!

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

When I was younger there was always ONE voice that could make ANY situation better with just a few simple words. There was that ONE person who I held so dear to my heart that could find the positive side in anything and everything in life. I had that ONE person that made everything better with his wise and very loving words. I admired this man more than words could ever even begin to describe because he knew ONLY love and showed it with all he did in his life. My beloved Grandfather, who I actually called Poppy, was literally the most amazing, admirable and loving people in this entire world! He touched the lives of so many with his kind and loving heart!

Way back 18 years ago when I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis terrified and extremely sad, I called my Poppy in tears. He calmly listened through my tears and offered his never-ending support, love and great advice. The words he spoke has stuck with me through the years as he said, “Alyssa, you are strong and can handle anything this illness may inflict on you. But always remember no matter what struggles you may endure, someone else is always going through something worse, so stay strong.” I know just how true his statement is because even when things feel really bad, they could definitely be far worse. At this time I did share with him my fears that I could lose my ability to walk and be wheelchair bound and at the young age I was that was frightening. But he told me to never put thought in something negative until I am actually faced with it and that was wonderful advice.

My sweet Poppy passed away September 9, 2013, but I still remember all the words of encouragement he shared with me through the years. In the times I am in a terrible amount of pain or feel a massive amount of stress, I hear his voice in my mind with all of his healing powers.

For some reason these past few weeks have been very difficult for me. My pain levels have been elevated drastically and the stress weighing on my mind has been at a HIGH! Some of this stress is the upcoming MRI that I found out today needs additional information from the MSAA. I have sent several emails to the person that was helping me, with NO response yet. But staying logical, I will try again tomorrow as this MRI has already been scheduled! I guess it is possible that some of the stress is I am over thinking EVERY aspect of life and have a difficult time letting go! I am very passionate about many things in life and do not accept “It is what it is and there is nothing we can do!” If I keep remembering my Poppy’s words, if we all stand strong, there is always something that can be done! I guess this is where I got my notion to NEVER GIVE UP!

I think it is very clear that my Poppy was my role model in life and I will always strive to be as much like him as I possibly can! There will never be another man like him, but I guess that is what makes him so special. You know that being diagnosed with a chronic illness is tragic and life altering, but losing him was twice as hard on me. I know it has almost been 5 years, but it feels like yesterday when I got the call from my Uncle to tell me Poppy had passed away. I honestly felt as though my world came to a complete halt! If I had just one wish, which I know most people would think I would wish the MS away, but I would wish I could have just one more day with my Poppy. I would rather live with the struggles of Multiple Sclerosis for the rest of my life, if I could just have him here with us again. I would love to be in the car with him listening to him sing “Seven Spanish Angels” by Willie Nelson & Ray Charleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8A9Y1Dq_cQ as those were the best and most memorable days for me.

Thank you for stopping by my site today and reading this extremely emotional post. I must say this was the hardest post I have written and could not make it through without many tears. I truly wish that my Poppy would not only be proud of this post, but also of all the others that I have written. Always remember to cherish those you love and make sure they know how you feel because unfortunately there is a time they are meant to move onto the next level and be in Heaven. I hope you have a nice and relaxing evening. Please always remember I am sending you LOTS of love and comfort.

Always, Alyssa

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Very Special Man!