I’ve recently had a conversation with my sister about the challenge of trying to stay positive and at peace while being pulled in too many directions. It is easy to feel good and stay upbeat when things are going great, but how do you maintain that same kind of energy when things aren’t?

We all have days—sometimes in a row—when we feel like pulling our hair out. Times when the deadlines at work are piling up, the pressure is on, there are more bills than money, your friends wants to know why you haven’t answered their email yet, and peace in the Middle East may come easier than resolving the feud between your stepchildren!

What is the secret to being positive despite all of that? Life is not one big long sunny vacation, so how can we create that same kind of good vibe for ourselves in the midst of the daily grind? How do we manifest good things while feeling stressed?

These are trying times. It is very difficult to remain optimistic and positive. Yet the trick to manifesting is to be OPEN to receiving.

This is where I usually run into a snag—it is hard to keep that valve open while rushing around, working long hours, constantly hearing bad news, and feeling overwhelmed.

However, instead of letting worry, fear and stress shut us down and close our valve, we can choose to stop, breathe, and believe. Easier said than done! I know!

A wise friend and mentor of mine recently told me that we create the sandbox we want to play in. There is a lot of power in that statement. So I put a sand Zen garden, my version of a sandbox, on my desk to remind me to make the choice to create less worry, more kindness and more laughter!

I believe we each have within us the power to manifest anything we deeply desire. Even though sometime I forget that. Many years ago I had my heart set on a specific piece of property. I just knew that was where I was supposed to build our home. So imagine my shock when I discovered the lot had already been sold (to friends of ours no less!) and they were ready to break ground. I am sure they thought I was flat nuts when I called them up to tell them they couldn’t build there because I was going to.

What I have discovered along the way is that believing in the impossible and affirming our intentions is a never-ending process. It is so easy to forget that we have the power to manifest our dreams. It takes effort everyday to remain positive and focus on feeling the good things when stress is nipping at our heels.

Music is one of my favorite tricks to change my mood and keep me upbeat. Another way to keep yourself open to the good in your life is to keep a gratitude journal.

Sometimes we are just grateful we made it through and we get to put our heads on the pillow and call it a day, and that’s okay too!

As we head into one of the most frenzied times of the year I invite you to give yourself the gift of the life you deserve and manifest peace, prosperity and joy!

Permission to Dream Big,
Gotta Skate
Linda