We are our experiences. From the very moment of our conception, we begin to form, grow and develop into an ever evolving, multifaceted, collective of what flows from the inside of us to interact with the force of life that surrounds us. We are made up of an endless combination of situations, circumstances and random occurrences that are all allowed by the universe to shape us into our unique, gifted and talented Spirits that have the ability to make life even more amazing than anyone can possibly dream or imagine.

I want to challenge you to open yourself up to the something more that you were created for. The above quote by Jak Vanek gives us five areas to consider opening ourselves up to for increased opportunity in our becoming. He says: “You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you spend time with, the conversations you engage in. Choose wisely what you feed your mind.” I want to take a moment to consider how we might open ourselves up to choose wisely what we allow these areas to feed our minds…

You Are The books You Read! The big problem here is that the majority of people do not do much reading anymore. Especially, the art of reading for the pure pleasure of it. I want to challenge you to look for a book and make an attempt to read that book every day for the next month. You will be amazed at the difference this can and will make in your life. It will change your thinking patterns. It will give you something meaningful to talk about and it will open up your mind and spirit in some incredible ways. I could go on and on, but just trust me here. Just the small act of the adding of reading meaningful material will not only impact your life in a positive way, it will allow your life to make a more positive impact on the world in which you live.

You Are The Films You Watch! Here is quiet possibly the greatest tragedy of our time. With our constantly being on and connected to digital media, we have a host of options competing for our “watching” attention. It’s not that we are not watching, but the question is: What are we watching and how is what we are watching impacting who we are, what we do and how we live? Here is the challenge: Try to make sure that you begin and end the day by watching something positive and uplifting. Just this small change will result in helping you to navigate this life experience in a more positive and meaningful way.

You Are the Music You Listen To! I grew up listening to country music, so I can share a joke about it. Have you heard the one about the guy that loved country music and so he started listening to it backwards? He got his truck back, his job back, his mobile home back and his wife back! Music is a very powerful medium and it has the power to lift us, if we are listening to the right things. I am not going to pretend to tell you what to listen to, because, I myself have a very wide range of musical taste and depending on a lot of different factors, different music has a different effect on me. What I will tell you is this: I have learned what I need to listen to, based on where I am at physically, mentally and spiritually. Figure that out, listen accordingly and music will heal and grow you!

You Are The People You Spend Time With! We all know what it is like to be around certain people that always seem to bring you down. We also know what it is like to be around people that always seem to have that knack of lifting you up. Make sure that you are building relationships with people that can lift you up and encourage you. That does not mean that you can’t have relationships with the others, because the truth is,, you may be their pick me up, but you can pay attention and choose carefully, so that your heart, mind and spirit stay in the right place.

You Are the Conversations You Engage In! One of the most important things that has become a part of my life is the creed that if it is not positive, then I do not want to do anything to try and empower it. I made a rule a long time ago, that if I could not be positive and uplifting on social media, even on a negative subject, then I would keep my comments to myself. A lot of people engage in negative conversations everyday and then wonder why they are depressed, frustrated or discouraged? It’s a no brainer! Our conversations fuel our psyche – what we put in, is what we are going to get out. In the Disney Movie – Bambi, the rabbit that we all know and love as Thumper says: “If you can’t say somethin’ nice, then don’t say nuthin’ at all!” And that is some great advice. And if you are having to talk about something negative, then make sure that your conversation about the negative is positive and beneficial, to yourself, who you are talking to and whoever or whatever you are talking about.

Pay attention to the environment that you are living in! What are your eyes seeing? What are your ears hearing? What is your body feeling? If it’s not positive, uplifting and beneficial, then make the changes that you need to make to get it there, you will be glad you did!

Anyone that knows me, knows that for years, I have pretty much served as my own Doctor. I love natural remedies, essential oils, the power of our mind and Spirit and am open to all kinds of alternatives and am willing to give most of them a try. I mean honestly, it’s amazing what a single bottle of Vicks vapor rub can accomplish in bringing relief to so many ailments.

I wanted to take a moment today to highlight six of my favorite Doctors. This list is not all inclusive, but I would most certainly rate these Docs as the best and most necessary to see and consult with on a consistent basis. Take a moment to think about them and how you might increase your interactions with each of them and the differences it might make in your life.

Doctor Sunshine – It is a proven fact that many people get depressed during the winter time, because of their not being able to “soak in the sun”. It is amazing what just a short ten minute break of just sitting and soak in a little Vitamin D will do for you. Make sure you spend some time in the light everyday. The kiss of the sun will awaken something inside of you that will shine outside of you.

Doctor Water – The Journal Of Biological Chemistry says that our brain and heart and made up of up to 73% water, our lungs up to 83% water, our skin up to 64% water, muscles and kidneys up to 79% and even our bones up 31%. Our human bodies are somewhere between 50%-75% water. the number fluctuates because most of us do not take in enough water. Since the body is around 60% water and we are constantly losing water from our bodies, we need to make sure that we are replacing this vital resource. Most health sources suggest that we drink eight – 8 ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters or a half a gallon. The best thing to do is sip on it all through out the day. I personally start drinking water first thing in the morning and use a 1 liter water bottle, to make it a little easier to keep up with the amount that I am drinking. Water drinking will increase your energy, improve your skin and help in so many different ways.

Doctor Rest – We are so busy and we often rush from one thing to another with very little opportunity to really rest in between. We need to build rest into our daily schedules, because it is amazing what a difference it can make in our productivity. There are a lot of ways that we can rest, a nap, listening to music, sitting in a chair, going for a walk and the list goes on and on. Just make sure that you build some time into your daily schedule to rest in whatever way works best for you.

Doctor Air – The air we breathe is literally what allows our blood to be oxygenated and what fuels and empowers our body to do all of the things that it is able to do. We take our breathing for granted and just because you are breathing, does not mean that your are breathing in the best and most effective way that you can. Here is one of my favorite breathing reset techniques called 4-7-8 https://youtu.be/gz4G31LGyog

Doctor Exercise – Exercise does not have to be complicated and it does not have to be difficult. Just get up, get out and get your body moving. Start small and grow it into whatever feels good for your body. I love walking and hiking, so I try to get outside and accomplish several goals with the same activity, that what we cal a win, win, win.

Doctor Diet – We hate that word – diet! Diet does not have to be a bad thing. It just means that we need to think about the food that we are putting into our bodies and realize that food and drink is fuel. Good fuel = good body. Bad fuel – bad body. What we put in our body has a direct impact on what we get out of our bodies. We some kind of exercise into your daily routine.

If you will get intentional in your relationships with these six doctors, they will make an amazing difference in your life and allow your life to make an amazing difference in the lives of others. Take some time to think about it plan for it and then enjoy the benefits and blessings – you will be glad you did!

You are special and you do matter and I really want to encourage you to never believe anything less than that amazing truth. The truth that you are special and you do matter is so very important, not just for you, but also for others. Someone out in this great big world, needs what makes you so special and that is why you matter so very much.

The trick is believing it enough to begin the journey of discovering the “something” that makes you uniquely you, so that you can begin to pour the blessing of all that you are into other people’s lives. You are a gift and you have been blessed with a gift!

Everybody has a gift! Everyone of us were created with a special and unique gift that helps to make us who we are. When we use this gift it accomplishes three things in our life and living. 1. It allows us the priviledge of giving glory to the One who created us. 2. It allows us the blessing of being able to bless others. 3. It allows us the opportunity to grow, develop and become all that we were created for.

I want to challenge you to take a little time today to think about your gift and also how you can use it to bless others and give glory to the One who created you. Just taking the time to think about what your gift is and then looking for opportunities to use it will make a tremendous difference in your life; and it will also make a difference in the lives of your family, friends and even complete strangers. Go ahead, give it a try – you will be glad you did!