10 Things to Enrich Your Life This Year

The Original Article on our Main Site is found here - 

http://www.spreading-joy.org/site/10-things-to-enrich-your-life/ 

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A New Year means a time of reflection on the past and more thought for the future. It is a time of making resolutions for ourselves, setting new goals and then feeling horrible because right around February, we realize we set goals that were completely unrealistic.

We primarily focus on the negative aspects of our lives, when we should truly focus on what makes us the amazing individual that we are.

Sure we all have things that we dislike about ourselves, but every single one of us are uniquely amazing and need to use our strengths and talents as we celebrate our life.

Whatever the New Year’s Resolutions you make this year, I hope that you’ll consider this list.

10 Things to remember this year as we approach another year:

• Be Kind to yourself – This is an entire article on how we can be as kind to ourselves as we are to others.  I hope you'll review it and really be kind to yourself this year.
• USE your gifts – You are talented in ways that others aren’t.  It’s a shame to waste those gifts while you are working to improve what you think are negatives about yourself.
• Reach out for help – We can’t do it all.  Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.  I’m thankful that when I get bogged down that I can call a sweet niece of mine and ask for help cleaning my house.  I have friends that I can reach out to when my heart is hurting and ask for help, or just a cup of coffee and sweet time of refreshing chatter.  Everyone needs help.  Don’t be ashamed because you can’t do it all.  Ask for help.
• Plan something fun each month – It doesn’t have to cost a lot; it just needs to be fun.  Maybe it’s a walk in a park or along the beach.  Maybe it’s some time by the outside fire pit.  Maybe it’s movie night or some time browsing through a local book store.  We typically plan our days/weeks with work and necessary things, but the thing that we need the most – we leave it out.  Plan some fun!
• Laugh – There is never enough laughter.  Tears will fall, trials will come and unfortunately things will happen that will shake us to our core.  This year, laugh.  Spend time watching some fun movies, some fail videos, and start yourself a humorous board in pinterest.  Go to a live comedy show or watch videos of your favorite comedian.  Laugh!
• Move Forward – Don’t let your heart focus on the distance that you are moving or the pace.  When you set your goals for the New Year, remember, any step forward is progress.  Do you best today and be happy with that.  Repeat the next day.
• You are worth it! – If you forget, just ask anyone that loves you! Y O U are worth it. Do Not Give Up! 
• You matter! – Plain and simple…. Y O U matter.  Your smile lights up someone’s heart.  Your hugs help to dry tears.  Your words calm fears.  YOU matter!
• Try something new each week – It could be a new recipe, a new place to explore, a different kind of outfit, etc.  Yes, this might take some planning but – again – you are worth it!
• Show compassion daily – I like to call this “Spreading Joy Daily.” You can make a difference daily and you will NOT break the bank doing so.  Here are two articles that will give you over 100 ways to make a difference without spending a single penny.  Here is a link to our book that will give you ideas for each day.  When you purchase this book for you or a friend, you are not only giving a gift that will keep giving for them, you are giving back to our ministry for others.  Every single penny of profit goes right back into Spreading Joy to others.

There you have it, 10 easy but important things to remember as we head into another New Year.

What do you think?  What should we have included in this list?  How are you approaching this New Year?

If you have an article on your site that is relevant to this, please do leave it in the comment section below so that our readers can quickly and easily get there and be encouraged!

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Keeping Kids Safe in this Social World

What I’m about to say here will not be popular with the kids and likely will not be popular with many adults. The reason being is that parents are more interested in being “friends” with their children than they are in being an authority figure in their lives.

There is a point in every child’s life that you will make them angry when you question them, ask them what they are doing on the various Social Media sites and you demand to see/know who they are texting as well as what they are saying.

My question to you is, do you want them to like you or do you want them to be safe?

As a parent we never want to hear our kids say they hate us, but truth is, if we are parenting correctly, we WILL in fact hear that statement.

YES - you can trust your teenager to do what they say or to be where they say but sometimes, you just need to check what they do in private to verify that the information they are giving you is actually the truth.  I know this to be a fact that even though they “look” like they are at the home of a friend you know and love because their car is in the driveway, doesn’t always mean they are actually there.

Take the necessary steps to keep your children safe, and one day you will actually be able to be friends.

If YOU pay for your child’s phone, you pay for the roof over their head then you have every right to check their phone whenever you feel like it.  Make sure that you do some, if not all of the following:

Tips to keep your child safe:

To see the actual article and read the tips - please visit our main site = http://www.spreading-joy.org/site/kids-and-social-media-safety/ 

Please take a moment to help those that read this article and JOYn in on the conversation by adding your to the link above where all of the tips are located.

What are some of the ways you keep your children safe in this social world?

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