Achieve Life Balance

Woman slams door into my 5 year old daughter

2009-06-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am in SHOCK! Where has patience and waiting your turn gone? Not even 15 minutes ago, my three kids and I were at Johnny's Red Bowl Asian Cuisine picking up lunch. They were being so good-not touching a thing and waiting patiently for me to pay for our meal. As we were heading out, I was the first to open the door. It was double glass door where you could open either side to exit. Although, we didn't know that both sides were unlocked. I opened the door first to take a quick peak outside to make sure everything was safe for them to also exit.

So when I opened one of the doors, I noticed a woman with medium grey wavy hair say, "Excuse me kids," which was polite. But then she reached over Madison's head and tried to open the other door. My kids didn't open the other door because I'm always the one that opens the door too keep them in order and safe. Madison was standing right in front of the second door waiting for Josh and Jake to walk through the door I was holding open so then she too could do the same.

The five foot three inch lady with an attitude and no respect for others, tried to squeeze in between Madison and the door. The door then slammed open hitting Madison's right arm and scratching it. I'm usually understanding in situations like this. But this lady who had to have been 55 years old didn't even stop for a breath. She just kept going. I then said, "Madison are you ok?" The lady heard me because I said it so loud. She then paused for a split second and asked is she ok. I turned to ask Madison again and out of the corner of my eye I saw the lady's body continue in motion away from the restaurant.

I was disgusted that a woman her age didn't even try helping me and my kids. Instead, she thought only of herself and her agenda. What is the world coming too?

Today, take a deep breath and with a little patience give someone a helping hand.

Blessings,

Melissa Perry Moraja
www.achievelifebalance.com

Losing Weight

2009-06-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

The key to losing weight is following a routine, cutting out all the munchies, and working out. Fad diets like your south beach, no carbs, and all liquid seldomly work long-term because people go back to their old routine. If you want to lose weight, you have to create a routine that works for you and your lifestyle. The fad diet programs are trying to help you create that routine; but many of our lifestyles don't easily fit into one type of program.

Losing weight isn't easy because food has become an emotional soother for many of us. When a child is sad we say, "Would you like a cookie?" When a child is at the doctors and gets a shot, the doctor gives the child a lollipop to make them feel better. We give food to help children, teenagers, and adults ease the pain of sadness, fear, and worry. We even reward them with food during happy times--"Let's go celebrate your football win with an ice cream!" This is why losing weight is so challenging for many of us. Food is the reward for our emotional ups and downs. It's the filler.

Below are a few ideas to help replace the habit of food as a reward with another type of reward.

After your child wins a football game, go home and make an award together that he/she can hang in their room.
If you are sad, call a friend or read a book or write a letter.
If you are just about to have your fourth slice of pizza, put on your shoes and go for a walk; or get the cards out and play a good game of solitaire.
While watching tv, chew a piece of gum.

Best of luck!

Melissa

www.achievelifebalance.com

Time passes by so quickly

2009-06-10T05:43:00.001-07:00

My six year old son graduates Kindergarten today! And my four year old boy/girl twins turn five years old on Saturday. Where did my babies go? And how did time pass by so quickly?

My mom and I had a conversation last summer about how important it is to enjoy every second with your children because with a blink of an eye you'll find that they have graduated high school. I'm living our conversation right now. My babies are no longer babies. They are pouring their own milk, cutting shapes out of construction paper, playing jump rope, and writing phrases. Everyday that passes, my children are becoming more and more independent.

Going back to my conversation with my mother; My mom mentioned that as she's gotten older time seems to be passing by a lot faster. Her theory behind it has to do with adults not exploring the world or absorbing information like they did as a child. As a child, you are like a sponge taking in everything and experiencing what life truly has to offer. You smell the flower. You play in the dirt. You feel the rain drop on your skin. As an adult, your mind goes into a hypnotic or trance like state passing by the most beautiful golden flower and running as fast as you can into your car so the rain doesn't ruin your new hairdo. You've already seen and smelled that flower. You have already felt the drops of rain. Your mind now is on autopilot running through the things and events that you once played and explored. This autopilot is what is creating the sense as if time is speeding up.

I can remember thinking in high school how long it took to get through the school year; now with my kids in school, the school year seems to have passed by at a blink of an eye. Conversations like I had with my mom, and experiences that I'm having now, helps my mind slow down and appreciate the joys, laughter, and life my children are experiencing. Life has a lot to offer; if you just take a moment and shift from autopilot to manual speed, you may realize that time can slow down a few knotches bringing with it imagination and that inner child that was stored away as a memory.

Enjoy today. Listen to what someone has to share. Smell and taste the food you are about to eat. Smile. And skip to your next meeting!

Love, Laughter, and Life

Melissa
www.achievelifebalance.com

2009-06-05T09:35:00.001-07:00

It's been a few months. I moved into a newly built home in Matthews, NC. Loving it! I left the fast paced life of Chicago for a much more relaxed even keel pace in North Carolina. Our backyard is full of tree's and grass... and our neighbors homes aren't right on top of us. Space... yes, we finally have some space to breathe and live. This is exactly how I grew up in NH. Well, not the space part because I grew up in a home where I shared a room with my older sister and a bathroom with my parents and three sisters. Funny, but it worked and didn't seem to bother any of us. We were content with the lifestyle and space that we had. Ironically, I had a 4 bedroom and 4 bath home and I felt as if I didn't have room. I think it's because there really wasn't people space... that is, whereever you turned there were people, homes, cars, firetrucks, trains, and loud noise. Growing up in NH, you'd hear the crickets, the birds chirping, and kids laughing and playing. That is what I missed... and that is what I now have back in my life.

We all need a place to rejuvinate, relax, and clear our heads. This place now is my home versus a vacation!

Melissa
www.achievelifebalance.com

Why isn't there a picture of God?

2009-01-24T07:07:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, my four year old son was sitting waiting patiently for me to prepare breakfast. As he sat there, he asked me why there aren't any pictures of God? I stood frozen in my shoes surprised at the question. He then went on and said there are pictures of Mother Mary and Jesus, but none of God. He then asked me if God was real--quite a deep thought for a four year old. His twin sister chimed in and said, "Yes mommy, is God real?"

I stood there in deep thought myself wondering if I had ever asked a question like that to my parents at the mere age of four and a half years old. I continued to stand there staring at both of them wondering how I was going to answer them.

In thought, I then asked God for guidance. Within seconds, I said, "God is everywhere. The special thing about God, is that he allows each and everyone of us to use our creative imaginations to see and experience, feel and see him. If we had a picture, we may not pay attention to him as much. Without a picture, we think about him more often. We think about how he looks, acts, helps, and protects us. Without a picture, we won't judge God on his looks, color... if he's male or female... if he's tall or short... or if he's a puppy with cat ears."

My kids started to laugh at my last description. They understood that sometimes pictures prevent people from truly getting to know the true spirit of another.

How would you have answered their question?

Light, Love and Laughter

Melissa Moraja
www.achievelifebalance.com
www.melissamoraja.com

The Unemployment Rate is Up Again

2009-01-24T06:50:00.001-08:00

As I was watching the news this morning, flashing right across the screen was the unemployment rate only reinforcing the depressive state our economy is in. We're all wondering when things will get better.

My gut tells me that we have more downers than uppers to experience in 2009, rolling into 2010. 2009 is not going to be a year of big gains. But it will be a year of planting the seeds to stabilize our economy. It will be a year of opening our consciousness to valuing people more than materialism. And it will be a year of setting the stage for the next 5 years.

The unemployment rate will go higher. When this happens, people need to start visualizing, saying positive affirmations, and believing that things can get better. We can't give up!!! We have to shift the energy of fear that is circulating throughout each home, town, city, state, country, and continent. We are the only ones that can do it.

Do you believe you can make a difference in shifting the energy of your house? I do!!!

When you wake up, when you have a meal, and when you go to bed say the following:
"I am successful."
"I am happy."
"I am safe and secure."
"I am healthy and wealthy."
"My family, friends, neighbors, and strangers are safe, healthy, and wealthy."
"The unemployement rate is 2.5%."
"The economy is now in a stage of growth and opportunity which has lasted over 20 years."

Light, Love, and Happiness

Melissa Moraja
www.achievelifebalance.com
www.melissamoraja.com

What happened to our childhood imagination?

2009-01-09T06:01:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Over the years, I’ve come to learn that six years old is a turning point for many children in their development. Let me explain. Prior to a child entering grammar school, parents and society encourage a child’s creative imagination to blossom and even explode. It’s acceptable for a child to have an imaginary friend, and, for that matter, carry around a teddy bear or blankie. My kids who are all preschool age pretend daily to be a cat, frog, conductor, ballerina, and superhero. In fact, my four year old son has had an imaginary friend Charlie, a girl cat, for over a year now. When he shared his imaginary friend with me, my heart dropped because one of my sisters named her cat Charlie when we were growing up–coincidence or not? My children have really opened my eyes to the imagination and creativity that lives deep within us all.

As one grows, childhood imagination becomes a thing of the past due to our need to conform to the norms of mainstream society. Around the time children start school, parents begin to tell their children, “You don’t really believe in ghosts,” “When you are at school, don’t mention that you have an imaginary friend because they aren’t real,” and “Try to act good when we are out.” Parents, teachers, and society as a whole are not aware of what they are doing to our children’s self-esteem, creative spirit, and intuitive confidence.

Have you found the same to be true--that is, when a child enters school age, we as a society begin to condition them to fit in versus encouraging them to be "them?" Do you feel as if people impacted who you were as a child, where you had to hide a part of yourself to fit in?

Blessings,

Melissa
http://www.melissaperry.net/

The Security of Change

2009-01-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Change is inevitable in everyone's life; especially, as the year 2008 comes to an end. This year, just in my own life, my husband and I sold our house (which took a grouling 11 months to sell) and moved our three children over 750 miles from the only place they've ever known and where I've spent the last 10 years of my life. It wasn't easy. My kids missed their friends. They missed their routine. They missed the only home they had ever known. I felt awful having done this to them, but I knew in the end they would be happy. I knew it was up to my husband and I to create a home of love, fun, smiles, and most of all safety and security. Safety and security were the two things they most needed from us. The same two things that all of us long for.

As 2008 has come to an end, and 2009 is enfolding, there are more endings and new beginnings for not only me, but also you. What change have you experienced in 2008? How have you adapted to it?

Love, life, and laughter

Melissa

Changing Your Belief System

2009-01-08T04:08:00.001-08:00

We all have dreams, goals, and visions of what we would like to create in our future. Many of us aren't sure how to go about creating them. The first step is to begin changing your belief system.

Your belief system is the force behind how you act and react. It is the driving force behind your behavior. For instance, it is common knowledge that if you believe you won’t succeed then you won’t, and if you believe that you will succeed then you will. Changing your thought process--your belief system--will allow you to begin creating and going after your dreams in a positive way. Basically, If you continue believing that you won't succeed, or someone else is better than you, then your dreams most likely won't happen or at least happen the way you would like. If you begin owning your dream and believing that you actually can create it, then you are one step closer to making it a reality. So how do we begin changing our belief system?

Below are a few suggestions that I've used. What other techniques have you found to be effective in changing your own belief system?

Whenever you have a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. For instance, if you believe that you will never have a healthy loving relationship replace that thought with one that states, “I have a loving healthy relationship.”
Use visualization techniques. Visualization is the ability to use your imagination to picture images of what you would like to manifest.
Create and say your affirmations everyday such as “I am happy,” “I am successful,” and “I am a loving person.”
Write down your thoughts, dreams, and goals. Writing is a form of manifestation. If you write it down, then you are sending energy out into the universe to begin creating it.

Best,

Melissa http://www.melissaperry.net/

How can you get your life in balance?

2009-01-07T05:15:00.001-08:00

How do you know when your life isn’t in balance? Through personal experience, I’ve found that I catch more colds. I also feel lethargic, exhausted, depressed, moody, and as if I have no control over my life. My days feel as if I’m running around unable to even catch my breath.

The following questions will assist you with determining if your life is or isn’t in balance.
· Do you feel as if you have no time for yourself?
· Are you working more then forty hours a week?
· Do you feel as if you have no time to exercise?
· Are you always late?
· Do you procrastinate?
· Have you been getting more colds lately?
· Do you feel as if you don’t have any control of your day?
· Do you feel like you are always on the go go go?
· Do you eat lunch at your desk or in your car?
· Are you often unable to sit down for a family meal?
· Are you unable to do the things you love to do?
· Do you feel overworked?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then your life most likely isn’t in balance. A balanced life is living a life of harmony where all the things in your life work together to complete the whole you. When your life is in balance, you will be more healthy, energetic, happy, motivated, and satisfied.
How is your life today? Have you found that you are way over your head with to do's? What area's of your life aren't in balance such as career, social, relationship, family, spirituality? Have these areas of your life ever been in balance? What techniques do you or are you presently using to get your life back in balance?

Many blessings,

Melissa Perry
www.melissaperry.net

Are you overwhelmed with life itself?

2009-01-07T05:00:00.001-08:00

Routines are simply the everyday process you have created in your life that you have become comfortable in and can almost do blindfolded. Routines can be both positive and negative in your life. On the positive side, they help you keep things in order and on track. Routines allow you to manage your time better. On the negative side, they can create a comfort zone where your daily life becomes repetitive. The easiest way to break a routine is to change around your daily tasks by either adding a task or taking away a task. For instance, if you always wake up, go downstairs, get the newspaper, and read the newspaper before work, instead, get up, get ready, and go out for breakfast with the newspaper in hand. Or, if you always leave work at 7:00 p.m. and head straight home, instead leave work at 5:00 p.m. and meet a friend at a local restaurant for a coffee or cocktail. This is how you can start changing your routines and making your life more exciting, more fulfilling, and less repetitive.

Take some time to think about your daily routine. Do you get up at the same time everyday? Do you eat the same breakfast? Do you workout at the same time every day? What routines within your day can you change around? What feelings do you experience when you think about changing your daily routine? Have you found that your current routine has had a limiting affect on your social life and relationships?

Happy New Year!

Melissa Perry
http://www.melissaperry.net/

The end of 2008-Change

2008-12-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Change is inevitable in everyone's life; especially, as the year 2008 comes to an end. This year, just in my own life, my husband and I sold our house (which took a grouling 11 months to sell) and moved our three children over 750 miles from the only place they've ever known and where I've spent the last 10 years of my life. It wasn't easy. My kids missed their friends. They missed their routine. They missed the only home they had ever known. I felt awful having done this to them, but I knew in the end they would be happy. I knew it was up to my husband and I to create a home of love, fun, smiles, and most of all safety and security. Safety and security were the two things they most needed from us. The same two things that all of us long for.

As 2008 comes to an end, and 2009 is about to enfold, there are more endings and new beginnings for not only me, but also you.

What change have you experienced in 2008? How have you adapted to it?

Love, life, and laughter

Melissa

Creating Affirmations

2008-07-29T19:14:00.001-07:00

Affirmations are positive statements that bring about change in your thought process, belief system, and life. The key to using affirmations is to recite them repeatedly on a daily basis. This allows the affirmation to be absorbed into your subconscious mind. Within a short period of time, you will notice changes in your attitude towards life.

When creating an affirmation, it’s important to keep the following in mind.
Use “I” statements such as “I am confident” and “I am happy.”
Keep them positive.
Use the present tense such as using the words “today” and “now.”
Write them down.

The following are affirmations you can incorporate into your own daily life.
Affirmations for Health:
· I am in control of my health.
· I am healthy and full of energy.
· I have the energy to do whatever I desire.
· The universal energy heals me and makes me whole.

Affirmations for Career:
· I am happy in my job.
· I get along well with my coworkers.
· I enjoy going to work.
· I am a leader.

Affirmations for Love:
· I am a loving person filled with joy, love, and light.
· I give my love to everyone I touch.
· I always deserve love.
· I attract only loving and caring people into my life.
· I love myself.

Affirmations for Spirituality:
· I am connected to the universal life force energy.
· I am intuitive.
· I am pure light.
· My angels protect and guide me on my path.

Affirmations for Abundance:
· I am open to receiving.
· Money comes to me easily and effortlessly.
· My life is filled with wealth.
· I have unlimited abundance.

Your affirmations don’t have to be general. Instead, take one of your Personal Empowerment Goals that you defined in Principle Three and set it as one of your affirmations that you recite daily. For instance, if you would like to own a vacation home, take that goal and write it as an affirmation. “It’s 2010. I am at my vacation home in North Carolina with my spouse and children. Within an hour of my vacation home are the mountains. This location provides a better cost of living. Our neighbors are friendly and welcoming. The environment is safe, clean, and secure.” The more you visualize, feel, and sense this affirmation the sooner it will manifest into your life.

Don’t forget! The process to make your affirmations work is for you to continue saying them on a repeated basis.

Going Beyond Visualization

2008-07-29T19:12:00.001-07:00

Visualization is the ability to use your imagination to picture images of what you would like to manifest. This is a powerful tool when you add to it feelings, intention, and action. Visualization can bring changes into your life sometimes immediately!
This great mind power has been used for centuries because of its success in altering thought processes, causing events to happen, attracting money, and changing habits to improve one’s health and life. In fact, visualization is a technique used often by elite athletes. For example, a major league baseball pitcher uses visualization exercises before a game by seeing himself on the pitchers mound throwing the ball where it goes over the plate resulting in a perfect strike. The pitcher practices visualizing this scene in his minds eye over and over again. The day of the game, the pitcher throws a perfect pitch one after the other.

The medical community also has had great success with using visualization techniques. For instance, people who were told they would never walk have walked. Why? Because they believed! They visualized themselves walking, and after months and sometimes years of physical therapy they accomplished their vision. Cancer victims such as Lance Armstrong and Louise Hay used positive visualization during cancer treatment and have successfully become cancer free. But it wasn’t only visualization that led to them becoming cancer free. As Lance’s coach, Chris Carmichael said in a letter, “Lance beat cancer because he had great doctors, a positive attitude, and a lot of luck.” Visualization techniques combined with other healing modalities are a powerful tool.

But what do you do if you can’t visualize? Easy all you have to do is use your other senses–feel, touch, smell, and sense. For instance, if you are looking to take a vacation to Hawaii feel yourself relaxed with sand touching your toes and the wind blowing across your face. If you still are having trouble using your other senses, there is another way to accomplish the same objective–use affirmations and create visuals!

For instance, if you’d like to purchase a vacation home in Florida, find images of scenes from Florida in magazines, newspapers, and brochures. Cut the images out and paste them onto a calendar or a goal notebook. If you don’t have the time to create your dream collage, you can also write-out affirmations that state exactly what you desire—“It is the year 2010, and I am sitting by my pool in West Palm Beach, Florida sipping on a nice cold Pina Colada.” By doing these simple exercises, within a matter of days to weeks, you will find that you are a magnet for attracting friends and even strangers who are planning a trip to Florida, have just recently visited Florida, or are living in Florida. The more positive and focused you are the closer you will be to purchasing your vacation home. The key in fulfilling your dream is to not give up! Believe that you have the ability to manifest everything and anything you want. Like everything in life, it takes time. The more you practice the better you’ll become with creating the life you desire with fewer trials and error.