3 Steps To GET RID of Negative Thoughts In SECONDS

Speaking of impeachment (all over the news), let’s apply it into our personal lives, people🤸🏼‍♂️ 

HOW TO DEAL WITH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS IN SECONDS⤵️

When that negative thought enters your mind, give it a nice kick🦵🏻out the door🚪

Question those things that you tell yourself. 

Where is the validity and integrity? 

Where did you get those ideas that you’re not good enough or strong enough or capable? 

🌈The world is offering you opportunities that you must allow into your life. If you’re thinking negative thoughts, you’re blocking the receiving of those positive things. 

So do this👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

1️⃣ Every time a negative thought comes to you, take a deep breath in and blow out the thought. Literally. Blow it out. Doesn’t need to be forceful- you’re telling your mind that you’re not allowing the negative energy inside. 

2️⃣ Imagine yourself in your ideal, dream state. How you look, feel, who you’re with, your energy…

3️⃣ Tell yourself THAT is who I am because that is who I CHOOSE to be!

Let me know down below if you’ve put this into practice💩

GET THIS CLEAR: Not Everyone Needs to Like You (HOW TO STOP CARING)

Not everyone needs to love❤️ you or know your worth.
Mainly because it's really not a necessity to have everyone like you, and also because it's kind of a waste of time⌛️ to focus your attention on impressing other people. 

Your main focus should be on impressing and loving yourself🙆🏻‍♀️🙆🏻‍♂️. Because the truth is that if you don't love or respect yourself, no amount of respect or love from others is going to make you truly happy. 

You could be doing things that others find lame, boring, and unimportant. But if that something gives your life, excitement, and passion... then why does it matter what others think? They are not you and you are not them🙊. 

Or you could be doing things that other people find cool, exciting... things that other people dream of doing. However, if your heart isn't in it, what does any of it matter⁉️

In life, we will be met with those who love us, hate us, or are simply indifferent. And that is absolutely okay!

Actually, it is absolutely expected.

But also... who determined that others' opinions matter more than yours?
Why is their input more valuable than yours? Especially since you're the one living your life and having to deal with what you choose to do/not do.

HOW TO STOP CARING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

👉🏻 Write down a list of character traits that you admire in yourself (and don't tell me there is nothing). You do this because the most important thing is that YOU like YOURSELF. You are the one who has to live in your own body and with your own mind FOREVER. Does this scare you? Good😂 GET TO WORK🤓

You need to focus on this list. This is who you are. GET THAT IN YOUR HEAD.

I also recommend that you write out a list of traits you would like to acquire. Imagine yourself as BEING that person. In fact, tell yourself that you ALREADY ARE that person. You will attract that positive energy into your life. Remember: energy flows where the thought goes.

👉🏻Realize that you are given a mission in this world. I don't care if you don't believe in this stuff. The point is that you play a certain role. Whether you like it or not. You're doing something every day- or not doing something/certain things every day-that define who and what and how you are. It doesn't matter if Joe Shmo doesn't approve or think you're "cool"🙄.
Not your problem😤
Focus on your mission and your purpose as opposed to others' opinions (because like they don't matter at the end of the day)- WHO CARES ABOUT JOE SHMO?!

👉🏻Do what you LOVE💙, what you are PASSIONATE about, what gets you in your FLOW (you know, when you're having so much fun doing what you're doing that you don't realize the time is passing by).
Remember: People who are truly happy simply care less about what others think.
Because how could they not?
They're enjoying themselves, they're EXCITED about what they're doing, they're PUMPED!!!

Be THAT person.
While Joe Shmo is in the corner finding the next person to judge... and is unhappy about everything in his life because if he were happy then he wouldn't care to be judging others and wouldn't have the time anyway because he would be in his own flow.

Get it?
Now go do it👊🏼

#personalgrowth #selfimprovement #successfulpeople #dowhatyoulove #empowerment #lovinglife #overcomeobstacles #herincrediblemindset #innergrowth #newmindset #mindsetshift #growthquotes #millennialtherapist #mentalhealthmatters #intentionalliving #healthyhabits #selfcare #selflove #happylifequotes

That Time I Missed My Flight | On Dealing With The Unexpected

I missed my flight home today. Hence me writing this blog post in the middle of Boston’s Logan International Airport. This has never happened to me before and let’s just say it wasn’t a pretty picture when I realized that my 19-hour trip home from (of course because where else) Israel was going to be much longer than that. 

It was a scheduling issue. I landed in Boston at 5:30am and was scheduled to fly out at 7am. I was told right before my flight to Boston that I would have to check-in my luggage again at my layover (which took more time than I had). Although I mentioned my concern about not having enough time to get to my gate for my flight to New Jersey, I was assured by three different people that I would indeed make it. I retrieved my luggage from the belt at only 6:30am and got through security (after asking the nice couple in the front if I can cut in front of them (and the 50 other people behind them-sorry😪)) at 6:45am. After running to the gate with all of my (many) things, it had been too late and I was way over it- tired, overwhelmed, cranky, and extremely emotional. Let’s just saw there was some wheezing (I’m an avid runner, but my anxiety was through the roof) and lots of tears. Not that this was that big of a deal, but it was just all of the factors that built up to that moment. 

I was rescheduled to a flight that leaves 5 hours after my original and it has taken me 3 hours to realize what a blessing this is. Not only has G-d given me an opportunity to spend some time writing which I haven’t had the chance to do in a very long time, but he also placed a rocking chair at my gate!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I am sort of obsessed with rocking chairs- is there any better way to relax?! And at my gate? Only at my gate. I’ve had quite some time to walk around this airport today and even chill at random gates and had not seen any other rocking chair. This is the only rocking chair I have ever seen at an airport (if you have seen one at an airport before don’t tell me because I sort of want to believe this is God’s gift to me😂). 

Not only that but as I was walking to my gate (for the second time 2.5 hours later), I heard one of my favorite songs playing overhead that I haven’t listened to in a while. “Cause you are not alone. And I am there with you. And we'll get lost together. Til the light comes pouring through. Cause when you feel like you're done. And the darkness has won. Babe, you're not lost. When the world's crashing down. And you can not bear to crawl. I said, baby, you're not lost.”

It’s just so crazy how this is exactly what I needed though it was the last thing I could have ever thought I could want. G-d has given me an opportunity to slow down and take a breather. If I had made that flight, I would not have had the opportunity to sit down, chill, and slow the heck down because I would not have given myself that chance. I am always go-go-go… and after a week and a half of traveling in Israel for purposes not related to vacation as many might assume- I really needed to just stop and relax after a hectic week of traveling. So G-d gave it to me, and He has made it clear in so many ways. 

I figured I would share this because it's so common for us to focus on the fact that things didn’t go our way, that we fail to realize that perhaps they went in the best way possible for us after all… and that there is Someone out there looking out for us, many times saving us from ourselves. All we need to do is notice it. 

Added: I just realized that this all came full circle. On my way to Israel, I watched Whinny the Poo (don't make fun of me)! One of the messages from the movie that I really appreciated was that nothing is sometimes the best type of something (on the idea that doing nothing creates space for many things that are important to consider in life). Besides having the time to write this blog post, I have also had a great opportunity to do nothing of major value, which is generally very hard for me to do. I do not consider flying to be included in this time because I am not the best flyer and my time flying is usually extremely unproductive. This time doing nothing created the space for me to think about the fundamental ideas I wrote about in this blog post. This time doing "nothing" also gave me the time to decompress and, as I said, SLOW DOWN. So essentially I have been given the opportunity at the end of my trip to practice the lesson I picked up at the beginning of my trip :)

HOW and WHY to Apply Mindful Living

For a while now I have been really into the idea of practicing mindfulness and meditation. 

However, it wasn't until last week when I was actually able to incorporate it into my life. Not because there was no room for it in my life (there definitely was and I always knew that), but just that it wasn’t always easy for me. 

During meditation, I wouldn't be able to get myself to sit still or stop thinking. Even when I tried getting into yoga, it was just too slow for me. I needed something more on the active/quicker side. I guess I just wasn’t patient enough. 

Lately, I’ve just been so busy, involved in so many things, recalibrating after a year of traveling, submitting job applications, finalizing plans for this coming year…. it’s exhausting! In a good way, of course.

…And I realized that sometimes (OK, so more than sometimes) I lose track of myself. I get on autopilot and sort of just… stay there. I multitask way too much (21^stcentury situation) and can’t seem to stick to a single task, snack whenever I “feel” like it, focus way too much on my checklist instead of actually being productive, and spend a decent amount of time on things that don’t actually make a dent of difference in my life (like checking social media for really no reason).  Throughout it all, I’m not actually thinking about what I’m doing or how I’m doing it… I’m just doing stuff. 

And I hate that. 

I hate that because I constantly feel exhausted, like I’m waiting for my next break like I’m hungry (LOL), and just bleh (yes, I wrote bleh for lack of a better way to explain it OKAY?!)

So over Shabbat (finally), I picked up a mindfulness book that I had last started reading over a year ago. I only got to page 3 last time, but I felt this was the time to really understand what it is all about. I also got more into the idea of mindful living during my time abroad and the more I learned about alternative medicine/healthy living. 

What can I say?

I AM IN LOVE. 

Yup, I love it. 

I believe that it’s been a combination of my maturation over the past year, strong desire to actually make this work, and overall being fed up with the autopilot lifestyle.  This time I was able to apply mindfulness much easier and faster than a year ago. 

Example of how I have been able to apply these concepts into my life: For quite some time, I could not understand the concept of mindful eating. It was simply explained to me as “eating when you’re hungry and not eating when you’re not.”

Well, duh. 

But I was never really able to follow this because I was sort of always hungry… and I believe the reason was because I wasn’t even really realizing when I was eating. I know this sounds stupid, but think about it. It’s actually quite common. Most people (me included-or at least used to be included) mindlessly eat. How many times have I seen people scarfing down food while looking at their phones? Who can even process like that?! Now I was never one to do that, but I wasn't really thinking much about the process of eating when I was. 

Now that I do this, I enjoy my food much more and actually notice when I feel full. I, therefore, end up not overeating and then don’t feel sick when I’m done. 

This is something people need to apply to their lives. Sensory overload ADHD, other "buzzwords"...these are prevalent. Constantly thinking about the next step. We struggle to stop and take in the moment, the taste of our food, whether or not we actually like it, how we are feeling at the moment on the inside and out. 

When I start getting preoccupied with all the stuff that I have to do, I simply stop. I sit down, feel my feet on the ground, my body against the chair, my lungs expanding, my hands on my knees…  consider what I smell, hear, see… I notice the small details in the room. I ask myself in my head what I am thinking and feeling (anxious, excited, tired, happy), what I am looking forward to (going on a run later, spending 30 minutes praying, seeing a friend tomorrow), what it is that may be giving me anxiety and what I can do about it…. 

I highly recommend everyone to try this exercise. It doesn't have to be long or perfect or even right. Taylor it to what works for you. Make it your own. You don’t even really have to be consistent (though it probably is in your best interest to make it that way). 

Just give it a try and if it's hard for you at first… then give it another. 

#personalgrowth #selfimprovement #successfulpeople #dowhatyoulove #empowerment #lovinglife #overcomeobstacles #herincrediblemindset #innergrowth #newmindset #mindsetshift #growthquotes #millennialtherapist #mentalhealthmatters #intentionalliving #healthyhabits #selfcare #selflove #happylifequotes

To Stand and Watch The World

It really is such a magical thing to simply stand and watch the world. To see the mini interactions that occur in the flood of people running by. How two brothers embrace, a couple laughs genuinely, the sun setting slowly but somewhat purposefully over the backdrop.

It’s like a constant lull- a gentle flow that seems to sift through time.

I used to be so uncomfortable just standing and not doing anything. However, it’s exactly this act of doing nothing that could sometimes be the most impactful.

And with that thought in mind- Shabbat shalom 💙

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today on Holocaust Remembrance Day, I think of the 6,000,000+ Jews who were murdered mercilessly by the Nazis. I think of the other groups of people who were targeted- including the gypsies, homosexuals, and disabled.

I think of how I lit one candle today in honor of one woman who lost her life at 18 years old. It took me about 10 seconds to do that. How long would it take me to light a candle for each person affected, let alone killed?

I think of how my grandfather had been fleeing from the Nazis when they came to his town in Russia, how he had to jump off of the train while bombs were flying overhead, how his mother thought he had been killed before he finally made it to his aunt’s house. 

I think of how people from my family’s town who were buried alive, how the ground was shaking for several days because people were trying to escape. 

I think of Victor Nahmias, who was 12 years old at the time. I will never forget the moment I saw his photo in a museum in Germany and how affected I had been by his story when I was able to contact his family.

I think of how cold I was when I went to Germany and stood in the open field of one of the labor camps- where the Nazis had forced so many to stand for hours upon hours. How those people had suffered before eventually dying/being gassed… and hadn’t had the opportunity to ever walk out of those borders. 

Victor Nahmias, whose story
can be found here. 

I think of the train tracks I visited, where people were being loaded onto carts to be deported to concentration and forced labor camps. 

I can go on and on.

I think… though I don’t want to.
Yet I must. We must.

We must remember so that when we say Never Again- it actually means something. 

Every day, and especially today, I am proud to be a Jew and to be able to state, "Am Yisroel Chai"- The Nation of Israel Lives.

Happiness Takes Work (And Usually So Does Everything Else)

I was talking to a friend earlier this week. For a while now, she has been feeling unmotivated and unhappy.

I make a constant effort to call her and talk about how things are going. I will also give her mini assignments like taking 5 minutes in the morning to write a list of things for which she feels grateful or sending me 3 positive quotes she finds online and to which she feels connected.

However, she doesn't always actually get these tasks done or take the time to call me back to work on these things together. She reassures me that she will get back to me, but simply doesn't.

I wrote to her the other day:

"Positivity doesn’t come easily for anyone. It’s something everyone has to work towards and if people don’t put in the effort to be positive... then they most probably won't be. Most of the time, we are naturally prone to being negative. Every day you have to make a conscious effort to think positively. We all do."

I realized that perhaps I needed to hear this message myself. And not for any particular reason.

We all oftentimes let ourselves go. Then we get to that moment (if we are being at least half honest with ourselves) when we realize that perhaps we aren't putting in the effort to feel the way we want to feel.

And this goes with everything in life.

Want to feel happy? Do something that actually makes you happy. Put your phone down and go on a walk or work on a personal project. Do something that excites you. Remember to be grateful for what you already have.

Want to not feel lonely? Make sure you are actually interacting with people and not secluding yourself. Make sure you are hanging around the right people.

Want to feel motivated and get things done? Start small. Just 5 minutes. Give yourself just 5 minutes and I guarantee you will most probably work for much longer.

Want to stop being negative? Catch yourself in the act of being negative and think the opposite (positive) thoughts. Make a list of positive affirmations and repeat them daily. Surround yourself with positive people and if that's not an option then imbue positivity into your life as much as you can. Be creative. Be a source of positivity for yourself and others.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are putting in the honest effort.
You can change anything by just starting with you.
So get started.
Go.