But here’s the deal—it’s the Internet people. You can post anything you want, say anything you want, Photoshop is a trickery beast, and can make just about anything look real. People start sites, create social media threads to push a positive or negative agenda, and sometimes to make a profit. We’ve all know this–right? But sometimes we don’t know WHAT is legit and what’s not.

So what does one do?! In the event that you need to know the truth, go to the “source;” The legitimate entities who have an offline legal obligation to report the verified facts. Otherwise, you open yourself up to being bamboozled; which many of us are everyday. Even worse, sharing false information could put you at risk as well.

Take my Brooklyn Bridge For Sale. Yes, this really happened. People who believed the hype, took the Sales person’s persuasion and literature as Legit, actually PAID money believing they had bought the Brooklyn Bridge. Do you get upset at the Con Artist, or shake your head at those who were conned? Either wa,y our response is “Really? Who does that?!” But it was done, to well-minded people.

Yes, SOPA may be a way to protect those who believe just about anything they read on the Net. Yes TOO, most of the time people don’t pursue what’s posted on the internet in court, but sometimes they do : (, and sharing it could get you pulled into the ‘mess.’—-remember those who were were charged for ‘sharing’ music? They didn’t post the music file, but they ’innocently’ downloaded it for their own entertainment.  So be able to decipher what’s in front of you. Have you verified it? Is it legit? Have you checked with offline legally obligated entities who have the verified details? If not—don’t give the Bridge Seller your money!

–Elana Winfrey, MEd, LPC
Internet & Social Media Advocate and Fanatic

Coloring has many benefits that we can continue to grow from as in adults. As a child, we learned to color as a way of tuning our fine motor skills, understanding concepts, introducing individual creativity, learning how to use color, and the relationships that combining different colors can have and the resulting affect. We learned the value of colors and their differences: a baby blue sky, a cornflower blue field, that the brown cow can have purple spots…or pink spots…even green. Coloring provides us with a framework upon which to streeetch our imagination. Adults—yes, we need that!

Adults can apply, for ourselves, all of the above mentioned benefits that were used to “sell” our parents on the idea of why we needed to color as children. We think of these benefit as only being applicable during our learning, developmental years. But the fact is, we never stop learning. Coloring for adults can also:

• Expand your creativity-check the links below, you’ll be amazed
• Coloring can be a challenge (check out the links below of you don’t believe me), and challenging yourself in one way can provide you with skills that can be applied to overcome other life challenges.
• Relieve Stress-it can be used as a way of being in the “now” and tuning out stressors for a moment.
• Developing your understanding of color and how it’s used; how it makes you feel. Redesign your bedroom by “coloring” it first.
• It feels “child-like.” Just like swinging on a swing, jumping rope, playing dress up in your own closet, or roller skating. We need that!

Here’s your first challenge. Pick a favorite photo of yourself, upload it to a software like Picassa, Picnik, or Photoshop. Edit your picture with a “Sketch” or “Drawing” effect (depending on the software). Print that baby and color in your own Self-Portrait. I promise, you’ll love it! (You can even add special effects, such as longer lashes, no blemishes, or no moles : )

Once you’ve completed your Self-portrait, check the expansiveness of options for continuing to make coloring a part of your life. We were only kids “once” because we forgot how to be one. Coloring is NOT just for kids.

ALL About Coloring for Adults! Love This!
Adult Coloring Books–for those who are ready for a challenge
All TYPES of Adult folding Books–even “Adult”; )
Crayons! You’ll need these…

To have the perfect life, focus on what will make life perfect for YOU.

So….do you want the perfect life or not? If SO, then do the following:

Decide how you function best. Determine what it is you need to be able to have peace, and to reduce daily stress and strife. This has so much to do with how you as an individual function. Are you a morning person? An evening person? A person who doesn’t work well with structured schedules and needs more flexibility? Are you a future parent who wants one child or many children? Is the single life better than the married life for you? Decide…

Once you figure out the best fit in regards to how you function, then decide what necessary changes you’ll have to make in order to be able to function in YOUR best way. These changes may mean simplifying your life, or increasing in other areas. For example, maybe your house is too big and you’re not a person that really likes to clean. Or maybe your house is too small, and you as a true Fashionista, have lots of clothing and need much more closet space to keep your Fashionista fetish organized. Decide…

Don’t make your perfect live something that you do only on a part-time basis. If you do that, it’s really not your true perfect life; it’s just a part-time gig. Having the perfect life means living YOUR way every minute of every day. It is who you are all the time. That’s what makes it the PERFECT life.

Don’t be concerned with what others think of your perfect life, because it’s YOUR life, not theirs. You don’t need them to agree. You don’t need them to approve. YOU just need to be the person who approves of the way that you have chosen to live. You’re not hurting anybody. You’re not taking away anything from anyone in a way that will hurt them, or harm. Therefore, your perfect life is good. It may not be good for them, but it’s good for you and yours.

Accept that it won’t be easy. It’s not what others expect of you. It requires confidence and conviction. Don’t waiver. Stay in that place of PERFECT for YOU.

As you ponder on the five ways to have the perfect life, start NOW deciding what changes you need to make. What do you need to add, and what do you need to get rid of? What do you need to move to the side? Who do you need to have a conversation with today? Who do you need to NOT have a conversation with at any point? This is your quest to move to a place that you’ve always wanted to be. A life that is one of fulfillment, joy, peace, and mostly stress-free—Because the perfect life is all these things.

You decide, today, what is your perfect life? …and LIVE it.

You have to give to get.

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“Happy New Year!! from Atlanta”

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

When I think about being at peace, it means being able to lay my head down at night and rest; being able to limit the feeling of anxiety from day to day, and moment to moment. A peaceful existence also means being able to share moments with loved ones, enjoying the goodness within them that feeds my soul, helps me to grow, and enjoy my life.

As you think about my own Peace, I try to focus on the things that I know I will be able to take with me if this were my last day on earth. I plan to live a long and healthy life of course, but I know that one day that time will come and I want to make sure that I relish in every moment, and leave here with no regrets. I am constantly asking myself the question,” what matters to me most?” The answer to that question is easy; the happiness and well-being of my children, my own personal happiness and well-being, and ensuring that my loved ones are loved by me and well cared for. I also want to know that I have experienced the beauties of the world and all of its creations. I know that where I live is unique; however, there are other parts of the world that share their own special uniqueness and being able to partake in these experiences changes my soul and improves my perspective.

So here are the 5 (five) peace zappers that will keep you and me from being able to have all of these things that make our lives better:

PEACE ZAPPERS

1. FINANCIAL DEBTS
Debt can feel like a a trap. We buy things on credit because we don’t have the cash to pay for them outright. Therefore we end up paying two, three or even four times as much for the item; something that we probably really don’t need. Debt causes us to not be able to rest as well at night, because we’re thinking about the payments that need to be made and the long-term commitment that we are obligated to.

Additionally, even for people who don’t buy things on credit, having a good credit score does matter. It can matter for acquisition of a job, acquisition of a major purchase such as a home, obtaining a lease for your business, and more. Debt zaps our peace because we spend physical and mental energy making sure that our “overpayment” for an item, that we claimed we needed, is being made as we promised.

Consider this; there is no feeling like paying cash for a car, knowing that you will have no car payment. You avid paying two or three times as much for the vehicle as it is actually worth; the same for a home. If you are in a position to buy a home in good condition that needs just simple fixing up for $40,000.00, and do not have to worry about a 30‑year mortgage payment, I recommend that you do so. Consider saving up for the next three years to be able to make such a purchase, and for the rest of your life, not having to worry about where you will rest your head at night. Especially in today’s market, as we recover form the real estate bust, you can find a great home for a very low price. If you don’t believe me check out this home. Great Fixer Upper!

2. ACCEPTANCE OF TRUTH
Being able to set things for truth or reality also keeps you from having peace in your heart and your life. We often times try to “get” other people to change when, in fact, you cannot change anyone else; they have to want to change themselves. We also try to make ourselves into something that we truly are not and in turn we feel a constant sense of frustration.

Not being able to accept things can also tarnish your self-esteem, or lead to feelings of constant rejection. The most interesting part about acceptance is that when we do accept a situation for its truth or reality, we can, at that point, experience peace. Acceptance allows us to make necessary choices to change our situation, but the most difficult part about changing a situation means that you must be ready to change yourself.

3. BEING IN A WORLD OF “SHOULD” and “HAVE TO”
By “should” and “have to” I mean when we convince ourselves that we have to do something or that we are supposed to do something, as if we have no choices. We often force ourselves into a box that others have defined for us, and this leads to us functioning in a state that is not our natural self. The reality is that you don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to make your bed in the morning, but you probably do it because your mother trained you to do it as a child and now you have a hard time leaving your home each day with an unmade bed. You don’t have to wash the dishes at night; however, you’ve convinced yourself that if you don’t that your kitchen will be untidy and your life will be out of order, or that bugs may be in your kitchen when you wake up in the morning, therefore you wash the dishes even when double dog tired.

In regards to zapping you of every day peace, realize that our mind functioning in a world of “have tos” forces us to do things that we may truly not want to do. Think of it from the perspective of how you function from day to day simply because someone else has told you that you “should” be doing something.

What is it that you really want to be doing with your day, your time and each moment of your life?

4. PURSUIT OF POSSESSIONS
Many of us spend our time and energy gathering up possessions; the biggest and best house, the finest car, the finest clothes, jewelry. All of these things help us to define who we are, but they shouldn’t. The accumulation of “stuff” can kill your peace. Being able to maintain it, the actions it takes to acquire in the first place, all of these take a lot of time, energy and can zap you emotionally.

A great test to see if you are a person who is in pursuit of possessions in order to “feel better,” envision yourself without the slick car, without the big home, without the fine clothes. Envision yourself in a studio apartment in a regular old part of town, no car, riding the bus, wearing the clothes that have been given to you by someone who no longer needed them. Do you still feel at peace? Are you still content? Or does this vision evoke a feeling of discomfort? If so, you may want to ask yourself if possession define you. Possessions, and their meaning for you, could keep you from experiencing peace.

5. BEING COMFORTABLE WITH YOU
A person who is comfortable with themselves can take themselves to a movie alone. That person can go to dinner alone. Realize that being alone is not the same as being lonely. When you have a difficult time just being with yourself it is possible that you are a person who is experiencing loneliness. We all have times in which we must be alone. The difference is those who can be alone and still feel content, versus those who when they are alone feel a bit of discomfort, especially when there are others you believe are watching you in your aloneness.

If you are a person who feels discomfort in going to dinner alone then do this simple test. Think of a time when you have been at dinner and seen people sitting alone. What is it that you are thinking about those people? Are you thinking something negative? Are you wondering why they don’t have a person with them? Do you make assumptions about that person’s love relationships or other aspects of their personal life that are negative? If so, realize that most of those assumptions you have made are probably not true, but they may be true about what you truly feel about YOURSELF when you are alone. Do you define yourself by your relationships, by your connections with people? Do you need to be in the presence of others to feel “okay?” If so, your fear of being alone could be taking away from you being able to have every day peace.

Take an inventory of the specific areas of your life under each heading that are robbing you of your peace Realize that being able to even admit that you have peace killers in your life is a huge step in the right direction. So I encourage you to take the inventory. and once you have written down a list of specific items under each area. then write down how you can make changes to rid those peace killers out of your life. Write down the steps you are going take over the next 30 days, 90 days, six months, one year or five years to make a change in your life. I want you to rest well at night and wake up feeling nourished in the morning. Rid your life of Peace zappers. Your soul will thank you.

Tweeting every few minutes about what you just ate, how annoyed you are, the terrible driver in front of you (texting while driving I might add), or how great you feel right now….uuuummm…no one wants to know that. How does it benefit your Tweeps?? It doesn’t.

People enjoy reading content that benefits them in some way. A better job, a better relationship, answers to life’s questions, or improving health and financial security. Telling us about the tasty cannoli you just ate doesn’t do any of this for your Tweeps….unless you’re a professional Food Critic.