Since February is heart month and considered the month of love, I thought I would write about how you can uplift your heart for better health.

Many people live happy lives and feel content with their jobs, family and friends. Unfortunately, we all have circumstances that can bring us down from time to time. Maybe you lost your job, are going through a divorce, lost a loved one, or are struggling with an injury or illness. When life deals you a bad hand, it normal to feel sad or depressed and taking time to grieve a loss, or feel anger can be healthy, as it helps acknowledge emotions and pain. The key is to not get stuck in your sorrows. You can focus on the doom and gloom, or push through it and move on, so you can thrive again.

Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome, talks of an experience where he did just that.  In his Ted Talk titled, The 3 A’s of awesome, Pasricha speaks of his happy upbringing in Canada and how it contributed to his positive outlook as an adult. When his marriage fell apart and a close friend took his life however, Pasricha became depressed and entered a different world. Determined to turn his life around, he started a blog called 1000 Awesome Things, in which he posted one awesome thing a day. The blog not only helped him, but boosted the attitudes of millions of people. It also led him on a path to become a successful author, entrepreneur, and public speaker.

Hal Elrod, author or the Miracle Morning, shares a similar a story of how staying positive after having a serious car accident, helped him turn his life around and led him on a path to become a successful writer and speaker. His book has helped thousands of people transform their lives using simple techniques each day. We all have our own stories and can make choices to stay positive to uplift our hearts for better health, when we go through life’s ups and downs. Being happy and staying positive is a choice.

Following are 3 secrets Pasricha shared in his Ted Talk anyone can use to lead an awesome life, that I wanted to pass along.

3 A’s Of Awesome

1. Attitude—You can choose to be happy or focus on the circumstances of life that can bring you down. Happiness is a choice we all can make. Look for as many things as you can that bring you happiness and do them daily if possible.
   
2. Awareness—In the Ted Talk, Pasricha tells us to embrace your inner 3 year old. We all have childhood wonder within us. Take a trip back in time and focus on the beauty of things. Many people see dandelions as weeds and a nuisance. Try to focus instead on their bright yellow color, or remember how fun it was to blow the seeds in the air, when you were little. You can also look at something else in nature and focus on its beauty. For example, you can look at the waves on a lake, the leaves on a tree, or mountains in the distance. The point is to be aware of your surroundings and not take them for granted.
   
3. Authenticity— In his Ted Talk, Pasricha, talks about Rosie Greer who was an awesome football player in the 70s. Besides football, Rosie had another passion—needlepoint. Some people may laugh and wonder how someone so strong and athletic could be interested in, of all things, needlepoint. Needlepoint is often considered more feminine, and is quite the opposite of playing a masculine sport, such as football, but Rosie loved it and found it calming and soothing. Rosie chose to embrace what he liked and didn’t care what others thought. Our society today promotes celebrities, models and perfection, yet we are all unique individuals. Instead of striving to be someone or something you are not, why not embrace being you? We all have God-given talents, likes and dislikes. It is important to express who you are as a person and follow your heart. Whether you like skipping down the street, hula hooping, or doing goofy dance moves, it is important to express yourself. You will feel uplifted and happier when you do.
   

Ways To Uplift Your Attitude

There are many ways you can uplift your heart for better health and one of them is to uplift your attitude. Here are some ways to help you uplift your attitude:

• Go for run or bike-ride
• Listen to an inspirational pod-cast
• Treat yourself to a cup of coffee or tea
• Take a walk in nature
• Go golfing
• Meet some friends for dinner
• Bake some cookies
• Find a recipe you love and make it
• Eat a piece of chocolate
• Go to a funny movie
• Listen to some uplifting music you like

Ways To Become More Aware

There are many ways to become more aware of your surroundings. It is easy to get caught up with the busyness of life, but taking time to smell the roses, stare at the ducks on a pond or something else out in nature is calming and can bring a peaceful feeling. Following are a few suggestions to become more aware in your daily life.

• Pick dandelions or wild flowers
• Watch the birds in your back yard
• Stare at the waves on a lake
• Count the stars in the sky
• Watch a sunset
• Stare at the clouds
• Walk through a forest
• Watch your dog play
• Notice the beauty of a flower

Ways To Be More Authentic

We are all unique individuals and have likes and dislikes that make us who we are. It is important to embrace the qualities that make you who you are. Following are some examples of ways you can be more authentic.

• Jump on a trampoline
• Quilt
• Crack some jokes
• Work on a craft project
• Tell tall stories
• Scrap-book
• Sing karaoke songs
• Dance or skip down the street to some uplifting music
• Hula hoop in your backyard

Thanks for reading!

Barb

P.S. If you would like to hear my story of how developing iron deficiency anemia, led me on a path to learn more about nutrition and becoming a health coach you might want to check out my book, Wholey Cow A Simple Guide To Eating And Living, which is available on Amazon.

Source:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPE0G00XFV0.

Elrod, Hal. The Miracle Morning.