Listen as I guide you through a meditation practice on Body Sensations using tension.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

I believe we can all relate to the feeling of getting excited about something and the, "I'm going to do this!" attitude, and then after some time it turns to, "Meh, I'm over it."

How many projects have we started and then stopped mid-way? Are short-term goals better for you, while looking at the long-term goals is difficult? I fall into the category of liking short-term goals. I was never good at answering the question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" A lot of things can happen in five years, and I'm just trying to figure out the next six months.

Keeping ourselves motivated in all areas of life, takes time and attention. When we start something that is going to take some time to grow and nurture, it's easy to get sidetracked. The big picture of how it will feel when that goal is accomplished can get lost over time.

Here are some ideas for staying motivated when you want to throw in the towel.

Staying motivated takes work, but with the right plan and goals in place, you can get there. It may take months or even years, but in the end, it will be worth it. Remember why you started this, and why you want this to be a goal in your life. Keep pushing forward and you will get there!

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Listen as I guide you through a meditation practice on Breath and Images.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

In the past month, I’ve had to examine the topic of, “Teaching people how to treat you.” I’ve had to look at what I’m letting into my life, and how I’m allowing myself to be treated.

How we are being treated applies to our personal relationships with those closest to us, our co-workers, and even the stranger on the street.

We need to look at how we carry ourselves in our day-to-day lives, and what kind of energy we project to others. If we present ourselves with confidence, we will be treated with respect in return. If we project shyness or victimization, the energy we receive in from others will most likely not be that of respect and courtesy.

What we put out there into the world is what we get in return. The value we place on ourselves will determine the value in which others see in us, and we cannot expect to be held in high regard if we do not see ourselves as worthy. If you feel you are being treated badly, or are often disrespected by others, maybe it’s time to bring awareness to what message you are putting out into the world.

Examine the value you place on yourself in your relationship with your spouse, friends, or family. Is there assurance and boldness in how you are present and involved in these relationships? Or are you a victim and not questioning the choices that other people are making for you. Are you living your life the way you want to live it?

Here are some tips on how to treat yourself better, so those around you will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.

We teach people how to treat us by our presence, reactions, and ability to speak up. We need to find our voice when we feel something isn't quite right, if it made us feel bad, or if it was just down right wrong. When we are able to understand our worth, and put that out into the world, only then will we get what we deserve.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Listen as I guide you through a meditation practice on Awareness.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Negativity is not only a sneaky habit that can slowly penetrate our lives and wreak havoc on our happiness, but we tend to let it stay a little longer than it should. I know I've had times in my life when I was negative about the people I worked with, and the people I had to interact with every day. Negativity had taken a hold of me, and it took a long time for me to realize it.

In order to notice what we are feeling and how it affects our daily lives, we have to be aware of what we are doing and saying during every interaction and every encounter. Many of us are sleepwalking through our lives, and are unaware as to how we interact with ourselves and those around us. It’s easy to get complacent in our routine of work, taking care of the family, and the same old conversation we have day in and day out. But if we bring more awareness into how we interact with ourselves and those around us, we might notice some negative traits that we have unintentionally embraced. Oftentimes, this negativity hinders our happiness, and adversely impacts those around us.

Sometimes looking into the mirror of self-exposure can be a little intimidating. It can show us things about ourselves we don't like, but this can be a wonderful thing. This awareness helps us to grow and evolve, and when we notice a character flaw like a negative attitude, we can begin to understand how to change our thoughts, actions, and habits to become a better person.

Here are some tips to help free you from negativity:

Think about what is the biggest source of negativity in your life. Consider what you can do to make changes around it. Realize how your life will be better and happier if you can implement some changes. The work is worth it to have the best life possible!

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Listen as I guide you through a meditation practice on sensations in the body.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information.  Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Driving in Northern California has tested my patience more than a few times.  Going the short distance to Costco in the middle of the day on a Tuesday shouldn't be an hour commute, but due to traffic and other hold-ups, sometimes it is.  The other day I caught myself waving my hands and getting upset when a large truck cut in front of me.  I took a deep breath and thought, "We're all doing the best we can, and I will get there when I get there."  

There are things in life that are out of our control, and I see people lose their s*** while driving, waiting for a table at a restaurant, or trying to get to Costco on a Tuesday.

I laughed at myself and thought of the phrase, "Patience is a virtue." There was nothing virtuous about my reaction that day, but it made me think about how we can bring a little more patience into our lives, and the benefits of keeping our composure in situations we find ourselves in on a daily basis.

Here are some tips and benefits of finding a little more patience.

1.  Less stress.  We can only control what we are doing and how we react to situations.  We tend to get upset when someone doesn't do what we want them to. Learning to recognize that we can't control another human being will be less stress on you.  You can give all the advice and counseling in the world, but what someone does with it, is up to them.  We need to keep our stress level in check for our own health and well-being.

2.  Learn to take a breath.  Take that pause, that breath, before you respond to something that is upsetting.  We may find ourselves biting someone's head off, but if we had just taken a breath, we might have phrased our disappointment a little differently.  We can save ourselves from having to apologize later if we take a moment and think before we speak.

3.  Life is not instant gratification.  We expect things in life to happen now, this minute, this instant.  We want love now, we want our promotion, we want things to work out today.  What we are striving for in our lives, takes time.  We can get impatient, and when it doesn't happen in our timeline, we give up.  What if you had given it another month?  What if you kept working at it a little longer?  Would it have turned out as you had hoped?

4.  We are all doing the best we can.  Now some might argue that the person you are angry at isn't doing the best they can.  We cannot control another person; we can't make them more motivated, more interested in their job, more loving, fill in the blank.  In this moment, do the best you can do, and hopefully, those around you will do the same.

Finding a little more patience can help us be more in the present moment, not so reactionary and hopefully less stressed.  I'm a work in progress just like everyone else, and knowing that patience takes practice allows me to recognize when I'm waving my hands at a truck driver, that I'm doing the best I can at that moment, take a breath and be a little more patient.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information.  Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Listen as I guide you through a meditation practice on beliefs.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher

Have you ever been in a bad mood and someone cheery and smiley tells you "everything will be okay"? Am I the only one that sometimes wants to scream at this person?

I am usually a happy, even-keel person. That wasn't always the case, but I've learned how to be more like my father and let things go. My whole platform for my blog and podcast is to bring a little more happiness to your life.

I've found that there are times in our lives-and hopefully it's only for short periods of time-that we are simply not doing okay. We are not ready for someone to tell us that everything will work out, because we don't believe it in that moment.

Most of us have experienced some difficulties in our lives, and it's never a good idea to compare your pain to others’. Whether you are experiencing pain now, or are reflecting on challenges in the past, it’s okay to not be okay.

Here are some tips to be okay with not being okay, and how you can help someone who is currently struggling.

I know we all have times when life smacks us in the face, and in the moment it's difficult to realize that the painful experience won't last forever. Remember that we have the ability to write our life story; the bad times teach us so many valuable lessons about ourselves and what we are made of. If you know someone who is struggling with something, allow him or her to feel it, and give them the space to know that it's okay to not be okay in this moment.

Visit www.livewithmeaning.net for more information. Look for the Live With Meaning podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.