Blinkers are also known as blinders. They are the piece of horse tack that prevent the horse seeing to the rear and, in some cases, to the side. Trainers believe these keep the horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions, such as crowds.
To keep moving forward at times you will need to put your blinkers on to stay in your lane.
Sources: Wikipedia / Photo credit: click here.
Time is a precious commodity so the greatest gift you can give to another is your undivided attention. Put your cell phone down when talking to others or address people by their name and watch their reactions. People will engage with you. We all have a desire to be heard and that we matter.
When I walk pass someone I know, many times they stop and tell me they recognized my gait. My walk is distinct just like my brand.
We all need time to shut off the chaos of everyday life. I gain clarity and insight during my daily walks. Take time out to discover what works best for you. It doesn’t matter what you do, just choose to make it a priority for yourself at some point during your day.
You deserve it!
Photo credit: click here.
If you can’t get quiet enough to hear yourself, your life is too loud. ~Terri Guillemets
I never completely understood the term “Silence is golden” until I started meditating. Now that I have experienced the peace that comes from just sitting in silence, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t take some time to sit silently in a quiet space. There are three benefits I gained I want to share with you.
The first one is that it helped me to become more mindful of my thoughts. I never realized that I was my own worst enemy and sabotaging my own peace and happiness. There was so much self-negative talk going on in my own head. When I started paying attention to the way I spoke to myself I had to make a choice to work on it. When a thought popped in my head, I would ask “would you say that to anyone else out loud?” Most of the time, the answer was no. The negative talk produced a dislike for myself that I didn’t know existed. When I would take my walks in the morning, I would focus my attention on positive affirmations, such as, “I am worth.” “I am enough.” “I am successful.” The more I heard these thoughts, the more natural they would pop in to my head. I started to value who I was and the uniqueness I brought to the world.
Another benefit meditating did was helped me to became more present in my life. My mind wasn’t cluttered with thoughts of what I used to do or what I was going to do, I concentrated on the activity at hand. The trees looked greener and the sky looked bluer. I discovered a passion for photography.
My relationship with my children improved. Last summer, I implemented a mandatory “unwind time” for everyone. It was something very similar to a tech-free time out, no electronics, cell phones, TV or radio for two hours each night during the weekday. During the two hours, we would play card games, take walks or just simply sit outside on the deck and talk. I must admit, I had trouble turning off the phone in the beginning but as time went on; the kids would come and sit down in the living room without being called to join in. They actually looked forward to hanging out with me again.
The last thing I want to share was I learned who I am and what I want. I no longer seek approval from others. I gained a deeper to love for myself. 
I know now that I have the power to make better and smarter choices for the kind of life I wish to live. I learned that no one can steal your joy when it comes from deep within.
These lessons didn’t come easy. As Iyanla Vanzant so eloquently states it, I had to challenge my Belief System or BS. I know I am still a work in progress, but I can honestly say, I am proud of the person I am becoming. Here are three key points I want to leave with you.
Quote source: http://www.quotegarden.com/silence.html
Thank you for taking the time to visit. Please share your thoughts.
Sweet N Social 
