GottaLoveMom

  Happy New Year! You do not have to wait for the New Year to set a goal. However, the first day of the year is an added motivational factor to many:  A new day, a new beginning, a new page in the chapter of your life. What are Goals? Goals are like magnets that attract us to a higher ground and new horizons.  They give our eyes a focus, our mind an aim, and our strength, a purpose. Without their pull, we would remain forever stationary, incapable of moving forward.. A goal is a possibility that fulfills a dream.    (Kennedy, S. Winning in Life. Bloomington, MN: Garborg’s, 1998.)     Do Goals Work? There is no magical trick in making goal setting to work. Studies show that goals can guide someone to do something. Goals help influence one's attitude and motivation to complete a task. The following are a list of  Goal Setting Principles (Source: NASM Effective Goal Setting) Set specific and measurable goals Set realistic but challenging goals Set bo...

  Our mind and body have a way of informing us when we need a lazy weekend to do absolutely nothing, and it’s surprising to realize that:  Laziness and doing nothing regenerate your interest in doing something . The past couple of years, we have been reminded to Live your best life , Stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it   and to Live your life like it’s your last .  The last one usually hits close to the heart, especially when you are at an age when your peers and loved ones face their own mortality. “Living your life like it’s your last ” paves the way for us to fill our short term goals with a list of activities that include our road to healthy living, travel adventures to instagram-worthy places , the many books to read, new skills to explore, and plethora of steps we take to experience the joys and challenges of life. However, what we seem to forget is to allot time to hit the brakes and do nothing. And I don't mean to travel miles to do noth...

SHOCK. RAGE. GRIEF. FEAR. ANXIETY CONFUSION. BETRAYAL. SADNESS. I've been struggling on what to write since I watched the news video about the murder and death of George Floyd.    I won't pretend to fully comprehend or be the source of truth on what happened and the events that transpired since. As I wrote on Instagram: My heart is overflowing with emotions. I do not know how to process except to cry, be angry, pray, offer our deepest sympathies -- to LISTEN and LEARN from others on what we can do to help and support. Yesterday, my family sat down and talked about the death of George Floyd in ,   Minneapolis, Minnesota, the death of retired St. Louis Police Captain David Dorn   the protest, the riots and the damages done to small businesses. WHY do these events (keep) happening? How can we be part of the change? Can we change the system? How do we help solve social imbalances, injustices, violence and racism? Can we really all come together...

It's been over 2 years since I last attempted to write. It's March 14, 2020 and here in America we are facing a new reality and I just want to remind everyone to try to think of happy thoughts. I was in panic mode the past few days, and I think I reached the  maximum capacity - my own anxiety inflection point.  (Although I  didn't bother going to the stores this week since I still have plenty  of supplies from last week) Today I decided to consciously make an effort on staying calm, and only  thinking happy thoughts. It will be an effort, but I believe it can be  done. Let's all continue to stay healthy and safe. Aside from the protocols from CDC, here are some reminders/suggestions to help calm these chaotic and confusing week:  Sleep at least 7 hours. Turn off your phone/electronics 2 hours  before you go to bed)  Exercise (walk outside if it’s possible). Get some sunshine! Look up  and admire the clouds or blue skies. List...

Let us take a moment and say our prayers.  Let us not forget. Pray for the loved ones we lost and for those who were left behind. Remember that day and how we all came together, united. Remember today and let our hearts be filled with love to get through another year. Make today be a reminder to hold our loved ones tighter, to wake up and remember every line on their faces, to forgive, to pick up the phone and let them know how much we love them. So that my children and grandchildren will always remember... With all the stress this deportation had put me through, I didn’t realize I had a bigger responsibility of explaining the situation to my children. I took for granted that they probably felt bad, too, but before I read their letters, I didn’t realize how severe the situation was. In the meantime, my parents decided to move out of New Jersey until we got the help that we needed. They were scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on September 11, 2001. ...

"There is something amazing about sharing stories. The ability to truly see another human being inside their story or to see their imagination at work is the greatest honor. " - Natasha Reilly, Artist, Writer, Founder of CreativeNachos.com What’s your morning routine? David Bowie’s song, Under Pressure , is the alarm that sounds first thing and kicks off my morning routine. I just love that song and when I hear it I start giggling before my eyes are even open. This idea that I’m “under pressure” to get up and get the day started cracks me up. Once the kids are off to school, you can find me engaged in yoga or some form of exercise before I sit down to begin working. Usually I will start by responding to emails and then dive in to work with clients or focus on my own creative projects.

I me t Amma , the Hugging Saint", five years ago at the Javits Center in New York.   and since then, I've carried or worn my mala beads. People from all over the world came to experience her embrace, which is known to give comfort. Her teachings encourage people to love, serve, conserve and practice -- all about peace and happiness.

Everything in our lives begins with a thought, and the way we think about life shapes how our lives will be. Set a short-term goal. Write it down. Every day we have tasks to accomplish, and it seems like no matter how organized we are, there are tasks that we end up pushing until tomorrow. Every time my husband sees my desk covered with paperwork, and he would ask,          "What's on your list for today?" I usually reply by enumerating the list off top of my head. However, even before I get to task #3, he would advise that I stop until I have it all written down. Writing down my to-do's always works, even when it comes to my daily work-out routine. If I don't have a list of what I have to do for that week, time is wasted trying to figure out whether today's a cardio day, a strength day or a leg day. The beauty of having a list is that I get to focus on the good. I get to cross out tasks I've completed. I get to reflect...

Happy 2017! I want to take some time to thank you for reading. 2016 graced us with abundant blessings. True, that there were a few detours and unanswered wishes, but one was always present. LOVE. I stated reading (again) Neal Donald Walsch’s “Conversations with God” and in the book, he wrote that “Love is the energy which expands, opens up, sends out, stays, reveals, shares, heals.” He also wrote that we “have been taught to live in fear, told about the survival of the fittest and the victory of the strongest and the success of the cleverest but little is said about the glory of the most loving.” Because of LOVE, I am able to “ focus on the good ” – a phrase which serves as a reminder in my happy simple life.

REGRETS The thing about regret is that if you have chosen to do something differently when you did choose to do, the present wouldn't be where it currently is. And it's impossible to know whether your present would be better or worse with the choices that you've actually made. It's usually this thought process that leads you to thinking that things aren't good enough in your present. Andy they could have been a lot better if only you had done that thing.The problem with that is that you  are constantly lamenting the things you don't have which takes your eye off the fact that you have so much in your life than you do have and are likely taken for granted. INSPIRATION Nothing is more inspirational than being in love. It turns on the light bulb inside your brain and makes you want to be a better person. It connects you to a world that is bigger than yourself and lifts your eyes towards the clouds and away from the horizon.

Sewing, Cooking and Gardening. Three things my mom enjoys doing but gardening is on top of her list.   Taken at Singapore's Botanical Garden

Take time to REST, unplug, dig deep inside and listen to your heart, your mind, your soul. Take time to look up in the sky and be reminded of your faith, your beliefs. Take time to notice the turtles, sitting on the rock in the middle of the river, to love more and worry less.  Take time to listen to the birds sing and be reminded that our ideas can grow wings. Take time to observe the flowers bloom, to recognize and share the gifts that only you can give. Take time to feel the air, to cultivate deep gratitude for all the joys the world offers. May you take time to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

It's going to be a lovely spring day in the New York metro area. I hope you can take some time to unplug, walk outside and enjoy the day. Do grab a book or download an eBook and sit under the sun and be in the present. Set aside any anxieties, look up into the clouds because no matter how tough life can be, there’s always something to be thankful for.  Here are some photos of my zenwalk, taken with my iPhone 6+. My son, Michael-Rex, started learning about drone photography. The top photo was one of the first pictures he took. I love that he’s passionate about what he does and that he continues to grow and learn. He’s always traveling around the country. This week, I asked him to send me a photograph every day.  The photo below of Florida is today's inspiration. It’s amazing on when the heart and the brain work together.  Check out his first attempt at turning 360 pano into a virtual tour: VR ...