Ungraduated Living

"A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance."

Proverbs 15:13

We've probably all heard that smiling can literally reframe our thoughts and mood. Not only is it good for you and your mindset, but also for those that you associate with.

Today we discuss Smiling and making more of an effort to smile and bring smiles into the lives of others for the better of all.

"For the rest, my dear family, these are the things you should think through: whatever is true, whatever is holy, whatever is upright, whatever is pure, whatever is attractive, whatever has a good reputation; anything virtuous, anything praise worthy."

Philippians 4:8

Ever see a car on the road that you want over and over? It's the power of influence and focus in our minds. When you don't dwell on certain things, you don't see them. When you do - they come into your life.

Today we discuss this very important aspect of truth.

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live.

Deuteronomy 30:19

The choices we make impact our health, mental wellness, and others in our lives.

Today we look at the Power of Choice and how it impacts our lives through every decision we make.

Despite what most pessimistic viewpoints say about happiness, you can live a life that is abundant, happy, joyous, and free.

It takes a shift of mindset and some focus, but you can live a life worth living each day after you frame up the right perspective necessary. Remember, our brains are always changing through neuroplasticity.

In this episode I bring on the author of the best selling book "Happy Joyous and Free."

Melanie is a bright spot in the world with a dazzling smile and personality that radiates light, love and happiness. Her love of life is infectious and being associated with her lifts others. She has walked her own paths of difficulty and darkness in this world; but by constantly finding ways to seek out and turn toward happiness she has learned many skills that she enthusiastically teaches others. She has a passion for people and her focus is to help them find the joy in their journeys.

As a certified EFT therapist with a multi-modal approach and years of practice in healthcare, Melanie takes her knowledge, experience, love, and light and successfully mentors others. She has coached hundreds into a world of self-fulfillment and freedom. She helps clients who feel stuck find ways out of darkness and bondage by incorporating simple, but effective practices that create neuropathways to positivity and happiness. She specialized in difficult challenges including PTSD, addiction, depression, and anxiety. Melanie is deeply committed to her family and practices what she preaches as a wife, mother, sister, and friend. She has a God of her understanding: God = Love. She finds Love all around and generously shares it with others.

Melanie's contact info:

happyjoyousfree.org

Facebook: Live 2 Bless with Melanie @live2bles community

We like the thought of winning, but do we really believe that we will prevail over life's challenges? How do we believe that we can make things change? It starts in our minds as well as in our belief systems and thought processes. It's easy to think that thoughts are nothing more than just "things." Many don't understand that our thoughts impact our mental wellness, state of health, and the quality of our overall lives. It's time to believe that while we are not our thoughts, our thoughts do define our lives.

"We take every thought prisoner and make it obey the message."

Corinthians 10:5

What is a thought? It's just a little bit of something, right? Where does it come from? Thoughts are actually energy. Science has proved this real. They come from our own minds, our own consciousness that then programs us through those thoughts. It is the universal principle of Mentalism. Thoughts are absolutely real things. When we think on something, dwell on it, ponder on it, we are helping mold the structure of futures.

Our thoughts then become physical, changing the environment of how we live and what decisions we make. Those thoughts turn into actions. When we choose to allow a thought to fester inside of our heads, feeding it with more and more attention over time, it will affect the cells and our brain and body. This impacts our overall future thoughts, actions, and decisions.

This is why it is super important that we monitor and become observant of the thoughts in our heads. Every thought that we make can either set us free into more victories or shackle us as a prisoner in more failures. This is what it takes to live a more wholesome, empowering life that is full of happiness, success, and a lot less fear.

"After all, the spirit given to us by God isn't a fearful spirit; it's a spirit of power, love, and prudence."

2nd Timothy 1:7

When we give "prudence" (sound mind) to our higher selves, we can face whatever life throws at us. We can begin to believe that "we are enough."

For the third and final day we take one more look at Romans 12:2.

"What's more, don't let yourselves be squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you can work out what God's will is - what is good, acceptable, and complete."

Our mind are build through our experiences. The filter that we view the world through adds to our experiences and can depict them in different ways that are good, acceptable, and complete if we allow it and have our mindsets properly framed.

We can change our lives for better or worse through how we frame our mindset. Regardless of where we find ourselves in life at the current moment, we can change for better or worse.

How do you define "character?"

As our brains change through our thoughts, we are defining ourselves and our character one day at a time.

Today we look at Romans 12:2 once more for a closer glance of what it means to live a life of good character daily.

Neuro-plasticity is a real thing. Our brains morph and change according to our beliefs and the environment that we live through. What we permit our brains to think, the thoughts and the choices that we make with our minds, without a doubt will change the neuro-plasticity and structure of our brains - for better or for worse. Beginning our life of improvement starts with paying attention to where our attention goes, and where we give our focus and time each day.

"What's more, don't let yourself be squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age instead be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can work out what God's will is what is good, acceptable, and complete."

Romans 12:2

It can be very difficult and not recommended to just put our heads in the sand. The environment that we live in is constantly changing. It is dynamic. And every day there are voices coming to us through our thoughts of what others tell us that we should do, say, believe, what clothes to wear, even how to act.

These thoughts and voices in our head tell us what life should be like and what we should be doing with how we spend our time. It's often easy to give in and listen to these voices, allowing them to dictate and take over our lives. We begin to morph into the belief system and become shaped by whichever voice is most popular inside of our head, demanding the majority of our time.

However, we have the unique ability to take back control over those voices, the power to not allow them to define us. We have the ability to say, this is not who I am. This is not what I want in my life. By taking the posture of stepping back and becoming observant of our thoughts and being aware of where they come from allows us to reframe our perspectives. Paying attention to this chatter helps us better frame and prioritize our time and mental focus.

We can make changes to the structure of our brains. It is the process of what neuro-plasticity is. We are not wired the way we were from birth. Our minds are forever being molded and changed by what we allow our thoughts to become. So, Romans 12:2 of the Bible, in my opinion and determination, means allowing the universe, the Divine, our Higher Selves Source, whatever higher level of power you may believe - to bring that connectedness into our present moment awareness. When we say "yes" to this connection, when we say "yes" to this higher source of power, we are brought into the present moment awareness. We then have the power to determine what the direction of our lives will become.

So on this very first, Monday of 2022, as we are sitting through and thinking about what resolutions that we should make for life, take a moment of pause and really reflect on where you're at. What do you need to drop that is not serving you? What should you embark upon to allow your life and your mind to be molded through the way that you deem best along with that connection to your source and your higher level of consciousness?

Now is the time to cement that affirmation inside of your head, as we embark upon a new year. In this new year, allow yourself to have much more success, happiness, fulfillment, and purpose. Paying attention to that connectedness of our Higher Selves brings you into a present state of awareness. Never allow the vision or the voice of society of the present age to dictate how you should live.

It's time to live life on your terms. Let's begin accordingly here in 2022.

It is always hard when we lose a loved one in life. Even more so when the loss comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Like many in life, this was the case for Lalo Contreras, as he unexpected lost his little brother from an unfortunate situation involving a domestic dispute.

Lalo is doing his best to cope and process the scenario that unfolded back in July of 2020. He feels that the local police haven't done enough to bring justice to the life of his little brother Chris Contreras.

In this episode we get into conversations around:

- purpose and meaning in tragedy

- dealing with sudden loss of a loved one and the grieving process

- seeking out help for mental wellness in times of severe trauma

- knowing that you are not alone in the grieving process

Lalo's contact info:

https://www.facebook.com/lalo.contreras.98

https://www.instagram.com/_lalo_contreras/

Media Coverage of the story of Chris Contreras:

https://www.hotsr.com/news/2020/jul/24/two-men-arrested-connection-homicide-late-thursday/

My website:

https://ungraduated.com