Poetic, Inspirational Living

Wanted to share with you all some Positive Thinking Exercises. Two of my favorites are:

Sit up straight. Slouching down in your chair isn’t going to make you feel any better about anything that’s bothering you. Sit up straight in your chair and see if it improves your thinking.

Make a conscious decision to be resilient.In life you can either let a challenge break you down and make you see the world in a negative light or you can draw on strength you didn’t even known you had and rise above it. Choose the latter– it’s never too late.

Read the other 98 at this link:

100 Positive-Thinking Exercises to Incorporate into Your Life

Thanks to Kelly for passing this link along!

Keeping a journal has always served as an excellent way to channel feelings and document one’s life. Many of us are given small diaries as children, complete with lock and key, and with them, the license to pour out our innermost thoughts and feelings into a special place that no one else can penetrate.

In fact, many psychologists believe that journaling can lessen anxiety and depression. There are plenty of books out there on how to fully utilize the writing process in order to learn more about yourself and grow each day. Here are some of them:

• Note to Self: On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits
• The New Diary (I strongly recommend this one. It contains all sorts of unconventional ideas that will help stimulate you beyond “Today I went to the supermarket” entries.)
• How to Make a Journal of Your Life
• The Creative Journal: The Art of Finding Yourself

I am currently reading a book entitled On Life After Death by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a scientist and author who was considered an expert on issues of death and grief. On Life After Death is a short book about what Dr. Ross believed people experience when they die. She based these beliefs on having worked with countless dying patients, including many who had out-of-body experiences or literally died and then returned to life.

On the very first page of the book, Dr. Ross wrote, “The opinion which other people have of you is their problem, not yours. This is very important to know.” That simple message is so powerful that I wanted to share it here. Many of us spend so much time worrying if others will approve of our actions, but at the end of the day, is that really what matters? Is that the area we should be focusing our energies on? Or should we be persevering to do what we feel, truly and deeply, is right for us?

I think that blogging here has been very beneficial for me. Think about it: every single week I have to stop and ask myself, What positive thing can I say about the world today? This means putting aside the stressful days at work, the annoying driver in front of you causing a traffic jam or the pain of missing someone who is far away in favor of something more significant. It forces me to get down to the “meat” of what makes life so fascinating. When you strip away the problems, it is really quite beautiful.

To go along with my ramblings on beauty, here is a photo I took last month at Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. I challenge you to take a minute to look at it, to lose yourself in it, and then see if you feel slightly more peaceful, if your day has gotten slightly better.

One good way to fight stress and depression is simply to take the time to indulge in beautiful things every day, be they photos or the real thing.

*Photo taken by April D. Boland, (c) 2008.

Relatives… you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Most likely, you experience both kinds of feelings at various times. As they say, you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. They are yours for life.

Whether it’s the aunt who constantly points out the weight you’ve gained or the father who keeps asking when you are going to get “a real job,” family can be taxing and, at times, downright stressful. Holidays when people get together with their families are actually the most stressful time of the year for many of us.

And yet, no matter how far we go or how independent we try to be, the connection between most people and their families is something that never quite dies. We tend to value them much more than we realize on the surface. After all, the most important moments of one’s life - graduations, weddings, etc. - are all shared with the family. They need to be there because on this planet, we are all in this together.

Some people find it interesting to research their families and learn about who came before them. This opens up a whole new world of context for those of us living in the 21st century. What made our parents the way they were? What did our ancestors have to work for and struggle with?

There seems to be an invisible tie that binds us to those who share our blood (and often, those who do not - families we carve out for ourselves). Try to remember that the next time your sister pisses you off. I know I will

I just came across a site called Pravs World. It describes itself as “the world’s largest web group for content that relates to life.” Though some of its messages are religious, most of them contain secular advice on how to make the most of your life. (Check them out under the ‘xperience pravs world’ link.)

These inspirational websites and blogs are becoming quite popular in the online world. Why is that? Perhaps when times are troubling - international war, poverty and cruelty towards each other - many of us are seeking the positive. Life comes with a lot of pain, but it also comes with a lot of happiness and truth. Getting out of bed every morning even when things seem to be falling all around you comes from recognizing that and choosing to live for every moment we have.

As someone who has recently lost a very dear loved one, I am constantly reevaluating what I do with the time I have here on Earth. Am I stressing over the “small stuff” that doesn’t really matter? Am I developing relationships and giving love that will resonate even when I am gone? It is a struggle, but you only get this one life, this one chance to be you. What will you do with it?

This is super exciting news for the 302designs team! I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has kept the 302 energy flowing and psyches me up every time I talk to them—close friends, family—you know who you are.

Whole Foods just placed an order with us this morning, to be delivered by late October. A selection of our organic tees will be for sale in every Whole Foods in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana just in time for holiday shopping.

I look forward to introducing the authentic spirit and story of 302 to the WF customers. Can’t wait!

The Positivity Blog has a new post on how to lift yourself out of a bad day.  I think that’s a fantastic subject to focus on.  We all have bad days and it can be very difficult to motivate ourselves to do anything about them.  I like their first suggestion, partly because it is one that I need to take more often: “Just do it.”  There are many things that can cheer you up on a bad day - seeing a friend, getting exercise, going to a movie - but when you feel crappy, you don’t want to make the effort to do them.  As the Positivity Blog writer says, Just Do It!  You will feel ten times better when you do.  I know.  It happened to me over the weekend.  My boyfriend dragged me to a local bookstore (because I heart bookstores) and I instantly perked up.

What kinds of things do you do to cheer yourself up?  I would add “Play with a child or pet” to their list, because that is instant happiness.

Hi there! This is Dave, co-owner of 302designs, and one of the original, founding partners. Have you ever wondered what the history behind our name is? The number “302″ is actually the basis for the entire philosophy behind my company. What follows is a story of truth, passion and optimism.

It all started with three college students and an old house…

The company was originally founded by me and two housemates while we were in school at The University of Texas at Austin in 2004. We lived in an old, run-down house just north of campus and found ourselves congregating in the rustic, 1960’s style kitchen nearly every evening having some of the most amazing discussions we ever shared with others in our lives.

Endless talks. A lifetime of memories.

We would talk for hours on end in that kitchen, staying up until the early hours of the morning until we could go no longer. We talked endlessly about youthful optimism, our progressive business ideals, our individual philosophies on life and the future, spirituality, personal strength, life forces, the human spirit—all very profound topics—topics of which we had never covered so in-depth with anyone else. We left those conversations with a natural high—a feeling of exuberance, hope and confidence.

There’s Something About That House.

Before living together in that house, we had each lived separately in our own dorms and various small apartments. So, we were convinced that there was something about being in that house that stirred these thought-provoking discussions and feelings of independence. We greatly wanted to take that spirit and feeling and share it with others. Our medium of communication turned out to be t-shirts. And because our home was so much a part of that feeling, we named the company after the number on our house—302.

Present Day: True to the spirit of 302.

We have since all moved out of that old house. And, in fact, those two original partners have left to take their own paths through life. I have since added another partner, Abdon, and together we still feel that same original spirit of optimism and motivation that the house of 302 gifted us.

I am grateful that through the 302 brand, I have been lucky enough to meet others out there like you that share that same spirit, attitude, and positive outlook on life. So, if you would ever like to discuss your life’s philosophies and ambitions, then please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime. And if you happen to find yourself in Austin, then let me buy you a beer sometime and we can chat until the sun rises. My ears and mind are always open.

Cheers,
David

We’re excited to be featured in the latest release of NÜ magazine.  Special thanks goes out to Oscar Valdes for pushing this great publication out as often as he does and also a heart-felt thanks to April Boland for the great write-up!

Read it here:

http://www.krossmedia.net/NU_302_Designs.pdf