What normally happens when someone says they are going on a diet? They get a whole lot of doubts thrown at them as people say,
* “It won’t work.”
* “Look what happened last time.”
* “How long do you think you will last this time?”

The person’s self esteem and confidence is being destroyed every time they hear these things said. Soon they believe all the negatives that have been spoken to them. Words like, fat; ugly; stupid; greedy; lack of self control and many more statements which have been spoken to them. They see people whispering when they enter a restaurant, and realize that all eyes are on them, watching what they will eat which will get them fatter than they are.

It doesn’t take long to destroy someone’s self esteem. Tell them something long enough and they will believe it. They will see themselves as disgusting; fat; ugly. Enough! It has to stop and it has to stop today.

Do you really think by belittling someone they will lose weight?  No, they are more likely to take comfort in food.  I know I certainly have done that. Start today to build up this person’s self confidence. Tell them how much you love them; how beautiful they are. Let them know by word and deed how precious and loved they are by you. They will no longer need to take comfort in food as they once did. Tell them time and time again and one day, the words will become a reality. They will realize it is true.

Yet there will be a further benefit, as they no longer need to take comfort in food they will start to lose weight. They will do it not for themselves but for you. They will want to look good for you. They will want to go out to buy nice clothes; they will walk with their heads up high.

If you want to help an overweight person lose weight you can start by building up their self esteem. Start to let them know how wonderful they are. They will gain in two ways when you do this. They will lose weight, and gain their self esteem back.

Lose Weight Using Self Esteem is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

Living a creative life means doing something creative every day. For most artists, creativity comes as natural as breathing. For those just dipping their toes into the pool of creativity, this concept might seem a little foreign.

Here are some simple ways you can be creative in your life every day:

• Decide to do something out of the ordinary. If you generally keep the same routine every day, do something different. Break out of your normal routine and try something odd or different. This might be something as simple as mixing up your daily routine.
• Enroll in a freestyle dancing class. Freestyle dancing is a wonderful way to stir up your creativity. After several weeks of lessons, you’ll most likely experience an explosion of creativity as you start making up your own freestyle moves.  Of course, those of us who are a little arthritic might find this a struggle!  I have found however that moving GETS your moving.
• Be silly. It’s easy to turn into a serious, contemplative person when you’re involved in your art. You become so consumed with your work that you forget about everything else. Break out of that stiff shell and do something silly. Cross your eyes. Touch your tongue to your nose. Stick your fingers in your ears and make a weird face.
• Keep a daily journal. Journaling can really help open your creativity in amazing ways. Write or draw in your journal every day. Make it a part of your creative routine.
• Create a mind map wall. Designate a certain wall to nothing but brainstorming. Use this wall to brainstorm and create mind maps. The process of creative brainstorming on a huge space will generate tons of ideas for you.  It’s also good as a visualization technique.

Living Creatively is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

This trap, a negative attitude trap, is terrible. It’s a horrible monster that can be annoying, to say the least. So how do you avoid falling into its trap?

First, stay optimistic. Even when you don’t feel hopeful, there is always hope in every situation. Find whatever morsel you can and hang on to it for dear life. Know that nothing is impossible and look for the best in every situation.

Second, don’t jump to conclusions. Drawing conclusions or making uninformed snap decisions can really cause a person to become negative and pessimistic. Wait and gather all the information before you decide to make a decision.

Third, practice being positive. Possessing a positive attitude does not come overnight. If you work hard at it each day though, you can win and achieve a better, more shining attitude with time.

The negative attitude trap is a horrible place to be in. Be cautious. If you feel yourself being overly pessimistic and rarely seeing the sunshine for the clouds, perhaps it’s time to add a little goodness to your life.

Negative Traps is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

Do you know someone who seems to be down in spirits? Do you wish there was something you could do to help them feel better? Here are six things you can do to encourage someone today:

1. Give them a card. With technology today, hardly anyone at all ever thinks about giving or sending cards to each other anymore. Go to the store and buy a nice “thinking of you” card. Write an encouraging note inside the card and mail it to that person, or give it to them personally.
2. Call someone. If you know someone who is having a difficult time, why not pick up the phone and call them? Sometimes people just need a lifeline. They just need to know that there is someone else out there who really does care. A simple phone call can greatly lift someone’s spirits.
3. Send them some flowers or a balloon bouquet. Again, technology has driven us to be more withdrawn to ourselves, doing something thoughtful like this would really brighten someone’s day. If you’re not a flower person, you could send a nice balloon bouquet with a candy assortment attached, or a green house plant.
4. Pay a compliment. Everyone likes to hear nice things said about them. Pay someone a compliment. Don’t go overboard with it; just pay a genuine compliment and watch it brighten their day.
5. Be a Secret Pal. If you’d like to do something nice, but don’t want to make a big deal about it, you could become someone’s Secret Pal. This way, neither of you feels awkward or self-conscious.
6. Be genuinely kind and considerate. Sometimes just being nice to someone means more than anything. We all need friends, so become someone’s friend today.

Encourage A Friend is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

A blessed Kwanzaa celebration to my African American readers.

Blessed Kwanzaa is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

Hope you are having the best holiday ever.  God love you, I do.

Merry Christmas is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

Christmas is a holiday that many people all over the globe celebrate yearly. However, many do not know how and where some of the most common Christmas traditions originated. Although these traditions may be as diverse as the religious and cultural practices of different countries, many spring from a shared source. Here is some information about a few of the most common Christmas traditions and practices.

1. Santa Claus

The origins of Santa Claus can be traced back to the 4th century to Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was known for his kindness and generosity, especially to children. Santa Claus was first depicted as an elf. In 1822, poet and writer Clement Mark Moore described the appearance of Santa Claus in the poem “The Night Before Christmas” as a man wearing a red suit with a hearty laugh. The poem also spoke of the miracle of Santa Claus’ entrance through the chimney. Later on, in the early 1900s, the image of Santa used in a Coca cola advertisement was a plump and jolly old man with a beard and a red suit. Eventually, young children from all over the world learned to believe that on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus rides on his reindeer-drawn sleigh with a bag full of toys that he gives to children who have been good throughout the year. Santa Claus has been known by different names including Father Christmas in England and Pere Noël in France.

2. The Christmas Tree

The tradition of the Christmas tree began with the pagans’ celebration of Winter Solstice. The pagans worshiped the beauty of trees and believed that evergreens had the ability to drive away demons, evil spirits and illnesses. The pagans referred to these trees as paradise trees. They decorated these trees with apples, paper flowers and nuts. Today, millions of homes set up and decorate living or artificial trees with ornaments to symbolize the holiday season. Martin Luther is thought to be the first person to ever put lights on his Christmas tree. He said that he wanted to share the beauty of stars lighted up the fir trees at night with his family.

3. Christmas Stockings

According to common legend, there was a kindly man who lost all hope when his wife died, causing him to squander his fortune foolishly. Because of this, his three young daughters were left without dowries and faced a life of spinsterhood. Saint Nicholas heard of their plight and set forth to help. Wanting to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse to the girls’ house and threw three pouches of gold coins into the chimney. The stockings that the girls had hung by the fireplace to dry caught the pouches of coins. From there, the tradition of putting up Christmas stockings by the fireplace became more and more popular. Children believed that when Santa Claus visited on Christmas Eve, he would be filling the stockings with goodies.

These are just three of the most common Christmas traditions practiced by different cultures across the globe. Knowing about their symbolism and evolution throughout the ages helps develop a better understanding and appreciation of Christmas holiday celebrations and their importance to the season.

Christmas Tradition is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth

1. The Law of Attraction can change your way of thinking. If you have been a negative thinker for some time, you can use the Law of Attraction to change those thoughts into more positive ones. It takes time, but it is possible.
2. The Law of Attraction opens your mind and heart to more possibilities. All too often we grow discouraged way too fast. We may even think that we’re “down on our luck.” When you begin to use the Law of Attraction, you will slowly begin to see the possibilities in every situation, instead of just feeling like you got the short end of the stick.
3. The Law of Attraction will make you more optimistic. As stated above, when you begin to use the power of your thoughts to increase positive energy, you will naturally become more optimistic. You’ll begin to see potential, whereas you may have once seen a terrible outcome.

Some of the steps to using the Law of Attraction in your life include:

• Use daily positive affirmations to increase your optimism.
• Start anticipating the best in your life, verses the worst.
• Prepare yourself for the good things to come by taking action in your own life.

More On Law of Attraction is a post from: Robin's Reflections on Personal Growth