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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Have you ever felt paralyzed by fear? Fear can stop us right in our tracks or before we even get started. This allows other negative emotions like self-doubt, unworthiness, or discouragement to seep in. It's such a vicious cycle. Being a nurse practitioner, I love to know the why and the how behind something. So, let’s dive a little deeper into how your body experiences fear. Think about it, how does your body react to fear? Your heart rate increases, your adrenaline starts pumping, your armpits start sweating...basically, the good old "fight or flight" response. Now, think about how your body reacts when you are really excited about something? Your heart rate increases, your adrenaline starts pumping, your armpits start sweating…it's the same reaction. Physiologically, your body experiences fear the exact same way as excitement! What's the difference? Your perception. It's your mindset that is the deciding force on whether you experience something as fearful or exciting. Fear is a learned behavior that becomes a habit. So, since it is learned, it can be unlearned...but it will take practice. Here are three helpful strategies to push through your fears so you can work towards your goals!  Strategy #1 - The “Flip-the-Switch” Strategy Next time you are in a situation that you would normally feel fear, tell yourself you are excited to do (fill in the blank). For example, if you are normally afraid to speak in front of large crowds, when you start feeling the fight or flight response start, tell yourself, “I am excited to speak to this crowd. My heart is beating faster because I am excited to get out there and share my message.” See how that feels!  Strategy #2 - Mel Robbins' 5 Second Rule Mel Robbins has a fantastic action strategy and book called The 5 Second Rule. Basically, this strategy stops your pattern of getting fearful, which often results in the inability to take action. And it is so simple. When you start feeling fear and inability to act coming on, stop. Count backwards from 5 and take action. That’s it…“5-4-3-2-1-Go!” This prevents you from overthinking, and you perform the desired action before fear can set in. I definitely recommend reading Mel’s book; it explains this mind hack in more depth and gives powerful examples of how it can work for you.  Strategy #3 - Eat the Elephant How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time. Okay, that might be weird; eating elephants might not be your thing. The point is eating something that big seems impossible when you look at the whole elephant. But, if you focus on one small bite, that's no big deal! Tackling big goals is the same. The ultimate goal might seem too impossible, too far away, too unlikely...fear sets in, causing you to not even start. Stop the cycle before it starts! Break that big goal down into small bites. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, you will get there. And that’s what matters! Want to up the game? Plan ahead for obstacles and how to overcome them; having a plan to tackle these will increase your likelihood for success!  Notice the common theme in these three strategies? Action. Taking action will always conquer your fear. Let’s be clear on these actions; I'm not suggesting that it has to be a big action. Just do one small thing to move yourself toward what you want. That one small thing is progress, and enough small things start compounding into big things. SoulShine Life Connections is here to help! Stick with us, and we will get there together!
Shine on!
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By Jackie White   Rita Ann Jana Rita Jana Photography www.RitaJanaPhotography.com We are kicking off a new series where we will be featuring people who are living out their passion in life. Our first person for this series is an incredible woman named Rita Ann Jana. Rita Ann is a military wife, a mom of three, an incredible photographer and a lover of life! She is the owner of Rita Jana Photography. Rita Ann would tell you that one of her very first passions in life was the theater. Rita Ann worked as a performer in the theater for many years and loved it dearly. She spent six months performing in 38 states on the national tour of Busytown. When she married a military man and started a family, Rita Ann knew her life would include many moves around the country, making life active in the theater very difficult. Many women face this dilemma in one form or another. Becoming a wife and mother are roles that are supremely important and balancing that with career can be daunting.  More Than One Passion in Life: Rita Ann has an incredible outlook on this dilemma. She doesn’t look at leaving the theater as abandoning her dream. She says there was a time in her life that the dream of being a performer fit her lifestyle. When that changed, she prepared herself to move on to another passion that she could pursue. Rita Ann firmly believes you don’t have to have just one passion in life. There may be times in your life that allow you to follow one passion but at other times you may need to focus on another. Finding photography was a blessing for Rita Ann and her family. It was a career that could be flexible with her family’s schedule, was transportable to new cities as they moved, and allowed Rita Ann still to be creative. When Rita Ann first thought that she might be interested in photography, she needed to explore whether she would enjoy it and that it would work with her family schedule, before she invested significant time. She said for her, it wasn’t the obvious choice because the only photographers she ever knew were men. Because at the time, she didn’t know any women role models in this field, she had no choice but to blaze the trails! Get Educated. Get Innovative: Rita Ann had to get innovative about the way she was going to get herself educated and immersed in the photography field. She had three small children at home and one very supportive husband who helped her as she began to follow her (potential) dream. Since she wanted to really be sure that this was going to work for her, she set out identifying famous photographers located all around the country and spent time learning from them through in-person seminars and workshops. She also took online classes and was in a photography mentoring program. As she began to immerse herself in photography, she soon realized that this was to be her next passion in life. As she honed her skills, she found that having mentors and what she calls “Business Buddies” were, and still are, critical support systems for her to succeed. This point is a key takeaway for any of you beginning to pursue your passion. Have someone who supports you in the field you are pursuing. Everyone needs a cheerleader and a business resource when you are starting out and as you are established.  Tips on starting your own business If you are making money, it’s a business, otherwise it’s a hobby. Rita Ann made a good point when she defined that a business is a venture that makes money. If what you are pursuing is not making a profit and it turns out to be just a hobby, that’s ok too, just know the difference! Great advice for sure! Rita Ann suggests finding an expert or mentor to study with as she did, to get a full understanding of what you will be experiencing in the field of your choice. She also notes that even if you are following your passion, there will always be aspects that you may not enjoy. Rita Ann explains that in photography there is this awesome ability to be creative and work with all sorts of people. Then there is the business part that includes paperwork, billing, and ordering. She has learned to strike a balance in her business for these differing aspects. Rita Ann also realized the value of her business shortly after launching her business. She highly recommends really treating your business like a business. Charge what you are worth, protect your assets, manage your time appropriately, factor in the time you want to spend with your kids and work around that as much as you can. Also, ask for help when you need it. For example, if the house isn’t getting clean, maybe you need to hire someone to help you manage that. It’s really ok to get help with stuff like that!  Photography Tips and Tricks for Your Own Photography
Weed out the duplicates. Save the one good photo you took and delete the others. PRINT SOMETHING!  How to Choose a Photographer
Looking at Photography from a Photographer’s Point of View Rita Ann is proud to know she is a “memory saver” for others. Capturing impactful moments in the lives of others is a rewarding part of her profession. Unique Ideas for Photographs That You Can Take of Your Children:
When to Take a Professional Photograph
Note: When choosing clothing for a professional photography session, consult with the photographer about what you should wear. Rita Ann offers a Style Guide for her clients and takes time to review clothing before the shoot, so there aren’t any clashing clothing choices. You do not want to be featured on the Awkward Family Photos website!  Tips for Displaying Your Photos Rita Ann is a huge fan of taking a long hall or stairwell wall and making it a photo gallery. She suggests using the same or similar style frames, but encourages pics from all ages (baby to current).  A Note of Inspiration
Rita Ann was gracious enough to allow us to interview her for this piece. She was absolutely the best person to kick this series off because she feels very strongly that we all need to follow our passions in life. Rita Ann wanted to share a life changing experience that made her realize that tomorrow is not always guaranteed. Rita Ann worked at the World Trade Center in New York City and on September 9, 2001 she took a picture of the World Trade Center while giving her friend a tour. Two days later it was destroyed in the 911 tragedy. She realized then just how short life is and that it shouldn’t be wasted. She keeps that photo up as a reminder to keep living life in a purposeful way. She wants to encourage you to realize your passion and go for it full force! Go BIG or go HOME as Rita Ann says. She also keeps the quote above posted on her desk to remind her that now is the time to do what you want in life. Stop putting it off or you may run out of time. Such a great reminder! Rita Ann started Rita Jana Photography in 2013 and is currently located in West Point, New York, doing some absolutely stunning photography of families, high school seniors, and West Point cadets. You can find her at www.RitaJanaPhotography.com and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RitaJanaPhotography. By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Every morning during the school year, we have a routine; nothing earth-shattering, as I am sure many households have this as well. It’s a simple, basic routine to increase the likelihood that important morning tasks are accomplished before we rush off to school and work. In our house, the kids are already up or woken up about an hour before they need to leave for school; Ethan being an early riser rarely needs waking up, while Liam usually needs his cute little butt woken up. As this story will illustrate, Liam has always understood the concept of time expansion, where the amount of time you take to accomplish a task swells or shrinks accordingly, but you use the whole time. For example, if we have ten minutes to eat, he uses all ten; if we have thirty minutes to eat, he uses all thirty. The boys get dressed and make their beds, then come downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast they clear their plates, then go back upstairs to brush their teeth. Ethan is always done rather quickly and his morning usually includes his required twenty minutes of reading, so he doesn’t have to “waste time in the afternoon reading.” However, Liam is usually needing frequent reminders and prompting to finish eating, get his teeth brushed, put on his shoes and socks, as well as any other required outside apparel, and get his book bag. Ethan needs little prompting on these items. The ironic thing is that it always seems we are going to be late getting Liam to school, but no matter how early or late a start we have, we always manage to leave at the same exact time. It is as mind-boggling as it is frustrating. On this particular morning, breakfast was ready, but there was no Liam. This isn’t completely unusual as he dawdles, and about half the time, I need to yell up to him to come down. In his all-the-time-in-the-world-style, Liam saunters down the stairs and sits down at the island. I asked, “Did you get your bed made?” Liam replied, “Nope. I didn’t have enough time.” Cue eye roll from me as I responded, “What do you mean you didn’t have enough time? What were you doing for ten minutes upstairs?” Liam said, with a mouthful of bagel and cream cheese, “I was thinking about tee ball.” Suppressing a laugh or groan, I asked, “You can’t think about tee ball while you make your bed?” Liam replied, with all the seriousness and sincerity in the world, “Oh no, Mom. You can only do one or the other, but not both.”  At the time, I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or yell (I know the phrase is usually laugh or cry but I’m not a crier). I believe I did ask if he could make his bed first before he daydreamed about tee ball, and he agreed that that sounded fine. After I had time to reflect on this, I realized that my kid was teaching me a great lesson. One of my goals for my 39th year was to become more mindful. This was to include reflection and meditation. The other part of this was to be present in whatever I was doing at the time. It is so easy to be distracted with our phones and social media, combined with thinking about all the other things we want to accomplish, that we aren’t living in the moment. I have a love of personal growth and development books, and one of the topics that has been recurring lately has been how multitasking is actually not a good thing. Research from such organizations such as the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) is showing that it is impossible to do tasks well when you try to do more than one at a time, and that you actually waste time by trying to focus and refocus on several tasks at once. It is better to dedicate an amount of time to one specific task then move on to the next, or see one task through to completion before moving on instead of trying to do more than one thing at a time. When I slowed down and reflected on this interaction with Liam, I realized that my kid had taught me a lesson. Without thinking about it, he was being mindful and enjoying thinking about tee ball rather than splitting his mind power by doing a task while reflecting. As much as this lesson in mindfulness was appreciated, the fact that he still had plenty of time to get dressed, make his bed, and reflect on tee ball in ten minutes held true. So, we both learned a lesson that day; Liam taught me mindfulness, and I taught him an ever-important lesson on time management and prioritization. Shine on!  By: Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Getting through security might be the most stressful part of the airport experience, especially if you have children in tow. With a little planning, though, it can be smooth sailing. My husband, Adam, and I fly with our children quite a bit. Lucy has even been on a plane already when she was only five months old. Personally, I am not the road trip kind of traveler; I prefer flying to my destination. By now, Adam and I can really rock the TSA line; our kids barely even slow us down. In fact, having the kids with us may make us faster; we have a secret little competition with the other passengers to see if we can get through faster with our kids than those without kids. And even though the other passengers don’t really know the game is being played, we still often win. The key to getting through security quickly, efficiently, and as painlessly as possible starts with organization and having a plan of action. This plan starts at home with packing and what you wear to the airport, continues with your approach to and progression through security, and concludes with getting everything back together after going through security. With a little foresight, this should not take you long or cause unnecessary stress. Here are my top tips to rock the TSA line!  Tips for Packing your Carry-on (starting from the bottom of the bag to the top):
 Tips for Traveling with Kids:
 Final Tips:
Happy traveling! By Jackie White  Seasons of Love (525,600 Minutes) Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure? Measure a year? In daylights, In sunsets, In midnights, In cups of coffee, In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure a year in a life? How about love? The song Seasons of Love from Rent, is a great reminder that life is all about time and how you spend it. One year from now what will be different? Do you have goals you were hoping to accomplish this year? I know, we are supposed to talk about this stuff in January and then forget about it in February - right?  So, let’s get to the truth of it all, the only thing we have is time - that is, until our time runs out. Each year we get 525,600 minutes. Some people change the world in that amount of time! Some people are disappointed that “another year” went by and yet the goals remain untouched. The weight is still on, they are still going to the unfulfilling crappy job or they didn’t get together with friends and family as much as they had hoped or maybe their kids and spouse aren’t getting attention they want to give them.  But how do you find the time? What single thing could possibly change the constant wasting of time? And whether you mean to or not, it is a wasting of time when you are not giving attention to those things you find important in life. The antidote to that is living life with intention. When you live life with intention, you can change your life quite drastically.  Today is the day you can begin living life with intention. Here’s how you do it: ONE: Identify what are the goals you want to accomplish.
For more information on time management check out the book 168 Hours by Laura VanderKam.  Finally, I’ll leave you with this excerpt from the song Seasons of Love:
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes Five hundred twenty five thousand journeys to plan Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure a life of a woman or a man? The story never ends Let's celebrate and remember a year in a life of friends How will you spend your 525,600 minutes? Songwriters: JONATHAN D. LARSON. Seasons of Love lyrics © Universal Music Corp., Finster & Lucy Music Ltd. Co., Universal Music Corporation, FINSTER & LUCY MUSIC LTD CO, UNIVERSAL MUSIC CORP OBO FINSTER & LUCY LLC By Jackie White  Family vacations are great! So fun! Idyllic is a word that comes to mind…ok, let’s be real People, sometimes family vacations can be a pain in the rear, especially if you are traveling with teens! You want to provide a great family experience and a time to make memories yet your teen is likely not on board with that. I would say, unless you have a super easy going teen, you are probably going to encounter some resistance to traveling. Many teens just want to stay home and hang out with friends. These tips will help you and them really enjoy the experience together.  Extend the Data Plan...Seriously Do This: 1) First and foremost, extend your data plan so for the duration of your vacation your teens (and you) don’t have to fight over the remaining 2% of data left on your plan. My carrier allows you to do this for a month at time of a cost an additional $10. Money well spent. It keeps people from fighting over data and keeps you from paying overages on data. Gas Station Food Won’t Kill Them: 2) Healthy Snacks versus Gas Station Food: Pack healthy snacks, but just let them eat the crappy snacks at the gas station when you are stopped to fill up!  Move Their Butts: 3) Get out and run! I mean the kids, not YOU! The truth is there may be times when you want to just run away from it all, but follow these tips and things will be fine! Now, back to what I meant, pull over at a rest stop and insist that everyone gets out and runs around to get some energy burned.  Books and Games Can Save the Day: 4) Pack books and games even if they say they don’t want you to. Insist they take a technology break and play a game or two together. Good choices for games are Would You Rather or The Alphabet Game. Easy and usually fun. Get Their Input: 5) Go somewhere the teens will enjoy. If you choose to spend your entire vacation visiting museums, you might be sorry. Mix up museum trips with doing something your teen likes to do. Swimming, shopping, sporting events or doing something like a haunted city tour. Ask them for ideas, they might surprise you! Ahhh, Nature Can Calm the Beast: 6) Nature is usually a good choice. Taking a hike, kayaking or spending the day at the beach can be good places to take teens. If you can Swing It, Bring the Friend: 7) Let them bring a friend…seriously, this will be worth it! ‘Nuff said. Get on the Road Before the Crack: 8) Leave very early in the morning. I know this sounds counter intuitive but hear me out on this one. Lug your teen out of bed and get them into a comfy car and drive for several hours before they even wake up! You can knock out a few states before they even join you on the road trip.  Blow Their Minds with Some Big City Sights:
9) Go somewhere stimulating like New York City, Chicago or New Orleans. Big cities are good because there are always so many things to do. Get your teen to weigh in on city activities and have them lined up before you leave. Go Jump Off a Cliff: 10) Do something with “Wow” factor like Cliff Jumping (again, this is not a way for you to escape!), Zip Lining, Segway Tours, Dolphin Boat Rides or Deep Sea Fishing. Cool Your Jets, Be Zen, Calm Down: 11) Ok, one more and it’s important…be calm, roll with the teenage emotions and/or eye-rolling. Be positive and be grateful for the opportunity for you and your family to experience a trip together. Have Fun! 12) Make sure to have fun! By: Jackie White  “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” -Ferris Bueller Some of the best moments in life just happen, others are made. The classic 1980’s movie called Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is about a high school kid planning to skip school one day and make it the best day ever. It is a great example of how you can take an ordinary day and turn it into an extraordinary day.  Of course, the movie might have some over the top elements to it, but seriously, wouldn’t it be cool to be on a float singing Danke Schoen in Chicago? Why is that out of the question? Sometimes you just have to get out of the way of yourself! Here are some ways you can proactively create memories that will fill your life with meaning and fun!  Be Brave and Confident Sometimes some opportunities to jump into life’s arena of fun requires you to be brave. Just Do It. Step out of your comfort zone! Ferris was filled with confidence and moved through life as such. Not everyone is like that, but it is imperative to push yourself to be brave in times when you are feeling awkward or unsure. Doing this will open the possibilities in life for you. You can take the risk and step into an opportunity to make a memory of a lifetime or you can sit quietly and watch it go by. (That is called regret. Don’t do that.) You Are In Charge of Writing Your Story There are opportunities that are thrown in your face requiring you to act immediately, to make a snap decision to get in the game or not. There are times when you could have participated in an event and you decided to not pursue it because “it’s too much hassle” or “you don’t do crowds” or whatever the excuse may be. Be aware that your excuses can be roadblocks to creating the life story you really want to live. It might be time to challenge some of those excuses or paradigms that are not serving you. You need to set the expectation with yourself that you are in charge of creating a wonderful life full of beautiful memories both big and small. You can either participate or sit it out. In the end, it's your choice.  That brings me to my next point. If you are writing a story of a life well-lived, are you writing a good one? Do you have fun stories to share with others or is life getting a little flat? Are you still telling that one or two stories from when you were a kid and haven’t created more storytelling memories since then? Do you know that most people pull their memories from a span of about 15 years? From age 15 -30 is when many significant things happen in life like graduating high school, getting your first job, getting married or having a baby. All super awesome things to remember, but you need to add to that cache’ of memories or you will be 70 years old talking about that car you drove in high school over and over again.  “I’m Dying”….”You’re not dying, you just can’t think of anything good to do”. Ferris’ friend Cameron is the antithesis of Ferris. He views life from the “glass is half empty” mentality. That life is happening to him, not for him. Cameron is shown in one scene lying in bed saying that he was dying. Ferris showed him that he wasn’t dying, he just wasn’t really living. Don’t let this happen to you! So, if you see yourself through Cameron’s eyes and feel like you “are dying”. That life is void of color and energy, then you need to think of something good to do! Shake things up a bit! You need to make a decision to take action! How do you do that? I am glad you asked...  How to Think of Good Things to Do: Make of list of things you have been wanting to do and go do them Check out events in your town that you could attend and attend them Get together with friends or family and make new memories Try something new and step out of your comfort zone Take time to really enjoy what life has to offer  Finally, Ferris Bueller sums it up with this quote “The question isn’t what we’re going to do. The question is what aren’t we going to do?” That really opens the field for options of things you can do in life, am I right? So, get out there, make some memories and start living life a little more like Ferris.
What are some good things you can do today? By Jackie White  Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, three words we know we have heard before, but are you living them? It’s Fourth of July. Along with celebrating the freedom provided to us in America, you should reflect on your own life to see if you are living life to its fullest. Today we commemorate the Declaration of Independence. It says that Americans have the basic human right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Wow, that’s deep. Think about it. Those who came before us have thought through what this country should be founded on. What each of the future generations should hold dear. Let’s chat a bit about that. What do these three words mean to you? Have you given it any thought? If not, today is the day. These three words should be guiding you to live a life that reflects the rights you have been given just by being an American.  Life: You have been given the right to live your life as you see fit. Having said that, know that life goes by in a blink of an eye. Are you placing importance of living your life with intention? This has been given to you by your forefathers. You can create what your life experience is all about. Are you living in accordance with who you are supposed to be, according to you? If you aren’t sure, here is a gut check for you, a literal gut check. When you think of the path your life is taking, how does it feel? Is your stomach turning or yearning for more? If it is, then it’s time to adjust the sails and remember or discover who you really are. It’s an obligation to your soul to live out the life you were destined to live. It’s an obligation to those who gave you that right way back in 1776. It’s ultimately an obligation to yourself to live your life in the way that best fits who you are supposed to be. Do not waste this opportunity.  Liberty: A word and a concept we can take for granted. I don’t know why because it allows us to live the life we choose to live. Society can try to mold you into a person that might not be you. Responsibilities can pull you in different directions. But you have the absolute freedom to create your life experience. It is your right, and I would argue, duty, to live your life as a free person. That is a gift that should not be wasted. Think about how many people in the world today who do not have that freedom. You are one of the lucky ones, so get to getting on with living your life in a manner that satisfies your dreams and also benefits others. Yes, I said benefiting others. The meaning of your life will expand as you not only follow your dreams, but also when you do for others. Remember the authors of The Declaration of Independence sacrificed to provide these opportunities for themselves and for you. At the very least, you can pass on the favor.  Happiness: The pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right in America. In other words, it is your right as an American to freely pursue joy and live life in a way that makes you happy as long as you are not violating the rights of others. If our forefathers didn’t think happiness was important, it would never have been made into a document that outlines as a right. So, are you pursuing happiness? Are you choosing a mindset that focuses on positivity? Living your life in gratitude is synonymous with living a life of happiness. When you are grateful for whatever it is you have, it is impossible to feel unhappy about what you don’t have.There is always, always, always something to be grateful for. I think the wording “the pursuit of happiness” is especially important to note because it indicates that happiness is a journey, a choice to be made. It is not bestowed upon you or falls from the sky, it is your responsibility to pursue your own happiness.
So, there it is. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. It’s your invitation to start living the life you want. Those passions and those desires gnawing at you are telling you there is more life to live. There is more meaning in your life to live. Now is a great occasion to embark upon fulfilling the dreams of our forefathers by fulfilling the dreams in your heart and soul. For more inspiration and guidance on how to live your best life, go to www.FindYourSoulShine.com By Jackie White  “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” -Ferris Bueller Some of the best moments in life just happen, others are made. The classic 1980’s movie called Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is about a high school kid planning to skip school one day and make it the best day ever. It is a great example of how you can take an ordinary day and turn it into an extraordinary day.  Of course, the movie might have some over the top elements to it, but seriously, wouldn’t it be cool to be on a float singing Danke Schoen in Chicago? Why is that out of the question? Sometimes you just have to get out of the way of yourself! Here are some ways you can proactively create memories that will fill your life with meaning and fun!  Be Brave and Confident Sometimes some opportunities to jump into life’s arena of fun requires you to be brave. Just Do It. Step out of your comfort zone! Ferris was filled with confidence and moved through life as such. Not everyone is like that, but it is imperative to push yourself to be brave in times when you are feeling awkward or unsure. Doing this will open the possibilities in life for you. You can take the risk and step into an opportunity to make a memory of a lifetime or you can sit quietly and watch it go by. (That is called regret. Don’t do that.) You Are In Charge of Writing Your Story There are opportunities that are thrown in your face requiring you to act immediately, to make a snap decision to get in the game or not. There are times when you could have participated in an event and you decided to not pursue it because “it’s too much hassle” or “you don’t do crowds” or whatever the excuse may be. Be aware that your excuses can be roadblocks to creating the life story you really want to live. It might be time to challenge some of those excuses or paradigms that are not serving you. You need to set the expectation with yourself that you are in charge of creating a wonderful life full of beautiful memories both big and small. You can either participate or sit it out. In the end, it's your choice.  That brings me to my next point. If you are writing a story of a life well-lived, are you writing a good one? Do you have fun stories to share with others or is life getting a little flat? Are you still telling that one or two stories from when you were a kid and haven’t created more storytelling memories since then? Do you know that most people pull their memories from a span of about 15 years? From age 15 -30 is when many significant things happen in life like graduating high school, getting your first job, getting married or having a baby. All super awesome things to remember, but you need to add to that cache’ of memories or you will be 70 years old talking about that car you drove in high school over and over again.  “I’m Dying”….”You’re not dying, you just can’t think of anything good to do”. Ferris’ friend Cameron is the antithesis of Ferris. He views life from the “glass is half empty” mentality. That life is happening to him, not for him. Cameron is shown in one scene lying in bed saying that he was dying. Ferris showed him that he wasn’t dying, he just wasn’t really living. Don’t let this happen to you! So, if you see yourself through Cameron’s eyes and feel like you “are dying”. That life is void of color and energy, then you need to think of something good to do! Shake things up a bit! You need to make a decision to take action! How do you do that? I am glad you asked...  How to Think of Good Things to Do: Make of list of things you have been wanting to do and go do them Check out events in your town that you could attend and attend them Get together with friends or family and make new memories Try something new and step out of your comfort zone Take time to really enjoy what life has to offer  Finally, Ferris Bueller sums it up with this quote “The question isn’t what we’re going to do. The question is what aren’t we going to do?” That really opens the field for options of things you can do in life, am I right? So, get out there, make some memories and start living life a little more like Ferris.
What are some good things you can do today? |
AuthorsJackie White has been writing about life and its ups and downs for many years. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and a life-long student of personal development she is intrigued by how each individual chooses to live their life. Jackie feels strongly that truly living your best life is imperative to attaining peace and fulfillment. SoulShine was borne of her desire to inspire and teach others to live their best life. This is her mission and her dream. Archives
October 2022
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