Life is now!

To practice gratitude is something that we all should do. I have started to write down 3 things every morning that I’m grateful for using 3 Good Things. Happiness is also something that we all strive towards- right? What then is the secret to this? Money, health, great family, amazing friends, supportive partner, successful children, well trained pets, own your home, live in a secure area, love your job? The list goes on… I am starting to think that there is no secret though… Having stumbled across this Ted talk: Want to be happy- be grateful it makes me realise what a powerful word gratefulness truly is. And also how powerful the feeling of being grateful really is. I love the idea of tagging things in the home that we take for granted such as the tap. Not everyone has this feature in their home.

I’ve talked prior about how I see the world and everything in it developing in cycles. I think all this meditation, yoga and mindset is something that is in a growth stage. If you look at the product life cycle, we have:

• Development or research
• Growth stage
• Maturity stage
• Decline stage

We are where this kind of thinking is becoming more mainstream and gaining more and more acceptance. More and more of us are practicing this. Some of us have perhaps always done it?

This week, I challenge you and recommend you to write down 3 things every day that you are grateful for. Nothing complicated, simple things such as where you live, the weather, positive things about yourself, your health, that you make someone happy in your life, the air, water and so on…

I also think it’s important to think about the here and the now and how you can truly make a difference. In your life and for people around you. Try it! Accept this challenge and let me know how you get on- it’s a challenge for 7 days that might make you think slightly different. You have nothing to lose! I truly recommend: every day, write down 3 things that you are grateful for!

As I’m sure you are all aware, there are a lot of blogs available to read, follow and to admire. When you started to blog- did you have a niche in mind already? Or has that developed over time? When researching blogs- as I love my research… there are a lot of blogs out there, tons! I believe that it will be (already is?!) a profession that is here to stay. All of us who blog, we have our own business to some extent. Have you thought about that? You are a business owner. Try and say that out loud- “I am a business owner”. I don’t know about you, but it feels pretty good to say that! As I’ve said many times before, there is a lot of work that goes into blogging and I’ve personally just started and know I have so many more goals and targets to achieve. But I’m pacing myself, I’m doing my research- I truly want my blogging to be and remain something I enjoy. That brings me happiness- that encourages people and that makes other people feel great! It makes me very happy to see that you read the books I recommend, are a little bit tempted to try yoga, drink that extra glass of water and decide to use a recyclable bag instead of a plastic bag. I suppose my niche is wide; it’s about recommending and to make you (myself included!!!) enjoy every single moment of every day. The good and the crappy days. We all have them! It’s about believing in yourself and to make the most of what you have. A positive mindset can do miracles. As I’ve said before, this positive journey for me has just begun and I can’t wait for the rest of this journey to continue. There are no limits to how good you can feel.

There are so many niches out there; how to blog, the tools you can use, baking, lifestyle, knitting, running, how to make money, how to be frugal, parenting, health, fitness and the list goes on and on. I personally don’t think you have to pick a niche. I think it’s more important that you are passionate about what you write and the message you want to share and convey. This could of course be indirect as well; as if you write about a subject that attracts a lot of readers and followers and you start making money and that is what you’re passionate about- then that will work for you as income is what motivates you. Others are driven by feedback, communication and problem solving. No matter what niche you write or pick… I truly believe there are no limits to what you can achieve. So just go for it. What’s stopping you? I truly recommend!

For a while now, I’m learning how much your mind and attitude plays a role in your life- some days are easier than others. We all have our challenges to overcome and for a lot of us- life is not a straight path without bumps on the road- sometimes mountains! Of course, all of our challenges are relative and it’s never a good idea to compare too much with what someone else is going through. You are you- and you are dealing with your life. There is no right or wrong about that! I am more and more drawn into Yoga, meditation and mindset and everything else that come along with that. I’ve just however started my discovery and have a long, long way to go. This week has been tough (unwell) with a lot of different things going on. And sometimes to hear/ read that it’s a lot to do with your attitude… well it’s easier said than done! But every day is a new day and a new beginning. It’s truly never ever too late to start (again), whether it’s what you eat, drink, exercise, study, work, family and so on. I think it’s about never giving up, fail along the way and try and try again. I’m glad I’m very stubborn!

Today is Friday, again. I love Fridays but since starting this blog it’s also a bit scary how many times I’ve written that now: Friday… life truly moves on- no matter what. Another day turns into night and so on. That’s why it’s so important to enjoy every single moment of every day. Life truly is precious so make the most of it!!!

Have the most amazing of Fridays and enjoy every minute of it!!!

And something for someone if you (like me…) are struggling with a cold or other illness that’s typical for this time of year; a gentle yoga session with Adriene:

Yoga when you are Sick

A gentle restorative session- just don’t over do it and listen to your body! I truly recommend!

How is this challenge going? Have you managed to make any conscious switches yet? I have to admit that I’ve been drinking water a lot more. Every morning, I start with a big glass of water. This is followed by my usual cup of Nespresso. I can’t stop thinking about what a privilege it is though to be able to just switch on the tap and drink fresh, clean, cold water. It’s an easy thing to just take for granted. When you read Water Org that today, there are 844M people in the world that live without access to safe water. It puts- at least my problems- truly in perspective. Growing up in Sweden, water was always accessible. And in my hometown the water directly from the tap tastes delicious.

Did you know:

* That the cycle that water is circulated throughout earth and the atmosphere is called hydrologic cycle

* That Denmark has better tap water than bottled in many places. Water Facts

* That Ethiopia is the country most prone to droughts

* That the drought in California 2011-2014 was the driest since the record keeping began

* That according to Wikipedia, around 200 billion bottles of water are consumed every year

* That Evian water is sold in more than 140 countries and is aiming to make all their bottles by recycled plastic by 2025 (part of me wish this was earlier!)

Water is so special- and nothing that we should take for granted. I recommend that you fully appreciate water in its simplicity. Our world is truly a remarkable place when you think about it!

The weather is truly autumn weather. In one day here we have a little bit of snow, rain, sleet, wind, clouds and some sun in between. I love it. I am a big fan of the seasons and am grateful I get to experience this again. I’m amazed of the change in colours; green intertwined with auburn, orange, red, brown, yellow… leaves hanging on to trees to finally be swept away by the wind and ending up in droves on the street. Puddles gathering eventually to dry up when the sun decides to spread its beams in between the layers of the white, grey and blue clouds. The air- very fresh and quite cold. What’s not to love? Of course it can be challenging with the shorter days, but as with most things in life- it’s about making the most of it!

One of my favourite destinations to visit is Italy. It’s a beautiful country that has so much to offer; beautiful landscapes, great food and wine, history, traditions and culture. A dream for me right now is to rent a place somewhere in Italy next year.

Airbnb have you ever booked with Airbnb? I am tempted to book somewhere in Italy with them. In some ways you get more freedom as I see this more as a home away from home. So for now, while the days are getting shorter I’m dreaming of a nice place in Italy with family, friends, great food and drink and of course… with plenty of relax time! I recommend.

Photos courtesy of Airbnb