Positive Affirmations

Saturday's Single Mom Meeting was awesome! Amanda gave a great presentation on Taking Care of Yourself so You can Take Care of Others. She said that moms spend so much time taking care of others needs, they often forget to recharge their own batteries. First, she had everyone make a list of their accomplishments. Not necessarily HUGE accomplishments, but everyday accomplishments -- like getting all the laundry done -- or -- getting to the Single Mom's Meeting -- or -- just getting the kids where they needed to be so you could go to the meeting. She reminded us that we accomplish so much every day but often only focus on what we didn't get done!

Next, she asked everyone to make a list of the positive things they tell themselves. That was a little harder for some. Everyone agreed that too much of their self-talk is negative. So we all helped each other create a list of positive affirmations we could repeat, at least morning and night, to keep our spirits up and remember what remarkable women we are.

Here is a list of just a few:

1. I love myself
2. I am awesome
3. I am in charge of my life
4. Quitting is Not an option
5. Heavenly Father (or God or the Universe, etc, depending on your personal beliefs) gives me everything I need to complete my mission
6. My destiny is waiting for me to show up!
7. I am a money magnet.
8. I am formulating a plan and follow that plan as it is revealed to me through my inner voice.
9. I don't let anyone or anything stand between me and what I know is right!

Why don't you make your own list of great affirmations. Stand in front of the mirror, morning and night, (and any other time you need to), put your hands on your hips, look yourself in the eye, and repeat these statements. Amanda reminded us that our subconscious believes what we tell it. It can't tell the difference between a truth or a lie so tell yourself positive things and your mind will go to work and make them happen.

Please take a moment to make a comment with your favorite affirmations. Perhaps you have just the right one for a woman who needs some positive thoughts today.

Problem Solving Skills

When your hair is on fire because you have a problem that must be solved RIGHT NOW, you may have trouble thinking it through logically. Of course, it's best to be proactive so problems don't get out of control. Unfortunately, when you have children, sometimes there is no such thing as control. So here are seven steps that will help walk you through the problem solving process:

1. State the problem: Define the problem specifically so you see what is relevant and what isn't. When you are upset and angry, you might let your feelings rule. "My children are driving me nuts," doesn't really offer any insight to a solution. "My children don't follow through when I ask them to do chores," is a statement that gets to the real problem.

2. Outline the problem: When does it happen? Why does it happen?

3. Outline your typical response: How do you respond and what happens when you behave that way? Yelling usually isn't effective.

4.List your options for resolving the problem: Brainstorm 6-10 possible solutions. Choose three good possibilites and evaluate them. Combine them, build on them, and write down their direct opposites.

5. Visualize the consequences of change: Ask "How will this solution affect what I need, want, or feel?"

6. Give the best one a try: Let it work for a while, be patient. Change takes time.

7. Evaluate: Perhaps it is a great solution or maybe it needs just a little tweeking. However, if it is not working, go back to your original list of possibilities and try again.

When you solve problems effectively, you grow and so does everyone else involved.