Dream Big For The New Year!

In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans. ~Kahlil Gibran

The New Year is a perfect time to leave behind that which no longer serves you. In doing so, it allows you to make room for growth and new positive experiences in your life.


A great New Years tradition is to write all of the things you want to let go of, on paper. Whether it's bad habits, negative thoughts, destructive emotions, or unhealthy relationships, etc... write it all down on paper. After you've done this, burn the paper somewhere safe, like a fire proof bowl or a fire pit. Burning the paper turns your intentions/prayers into smoke and sends them to the Creator. The purpose is to release old patterns, beliefs, emotions or experiences, or anything that impedes you from realizing your true self. By releasing the old unwanted conditions, you clear the way for beginnings. 

Then focus on what you DO want to create. Write those things on paper too. Now, burn this paper, sending your intentions to the Creator. 


Keep your focus throughout the year on all of the things you want to create in your life. It may help to make a Vision Board. Do whatever it takes to keep your focus.You can and will have everything that you desire, if you keep your focus on your intentions. Remember, your life is what you create. Dream big! You deserve it!


Wishing you a very HAPPY, HEALTHY, and BLESSED New Year! xoxo

You Are Loved!

Hope you are all hanging in there during this crazy and hectic time of year. Don't forget to take some time to be still and reflect. Look around at all you are blessed with. It's magical when you think about it. Be in the moment and take it all in. These moments don't last forever. Remember, you ARE loved!

Go Get Your Dreams!

Do not wait one more minute. Every minute you waste, is a minute lost. This is the moment to work towards getting what you want in life. You may not think that you have the time or the resources right now to achieve what you want, but YOU DO. The first thing that you can and must do, is to decide exactly what it is that you want. It doesn't matter what it is. Whether it's a dream home, a job, a new career, traveling, finding the love of your life, getting out of a toxic relationship, having more money, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you are clear about what you want. Clear enough so that you can picture it.

The next step that you need to take is to write it down. Put what you want on paper. Don't type it into your computer. When you take the time to sit with a pen in your hand, it will make you feel more connected to your dreams. Just a bit of advice here, don't be afraid to dream big! This is it, kids! Do not settle for anything, other than what you want. Be brave! Yes, BRAVE. Believe it or not, going after what you want takes courage. Everyone who ever went after what they wanted had courage. This doesn't mean stepping on people along the way to get what you want. Do everything with honor.

Now that you've got you're vision of what you want, start manifesting. By manifesting, I mean FOCUS. Think it, dream it, eat it, breathe it, live it. We attract to ourselves what we focus on. Make sure your thoughts are positive. Concentrate on what you're going to have, not what you don't have now. Take steps towards making your dreams come true. Even if they are small steps or seem silly, take the steps. They all count. Don't stop thinking about it. The more you think about it, the more real it will become to you. Talk about it. Pick people you trust and share your dreams with them. You never know, you may be talking to someone who could help you along the way. Anything is possible. Go for it!

My wish for you is that all your days be wrapped in Peace & Love - Mama Love

Gemstones, as well as everything of the earth, have energy. Learning which energies to surround yourself with can bring positive energy. Amethyst  - Great for calming and stimulating the mind.  Helps you become more focused, enhancing memory and improving motivation.


www.mypeaceandlove.com

Shut Up And Dance!

Sometimes when no one is looking, you just HAVE to let go. My sister used to have a button that read, "Shut Up And Dance". It's a great philosophy. So, when you're feeling blue or you've got negative chatter going on in your head, make this be your weapon of choice, SHUT UP AND DANCE! Nothing is more freeing.

Healing Gemstones We Love

Available at www.mypeaceandlove.com

We Are What We Think!

What are you thinking about?

I believe that the voice in our heads can be our own worst enemy. The way we talk to ourselves can be so brutal and negative that we don't even need anyone else to tell us what a big loser we are, because we've done a fine job of telling ourselves that. This is called negative chatter. Stop the negative chatter!

Have you ever replayed the mental video of an argument or moment of hurt so many times that you know everything that happened by heart? Or maybe it’s a moment of embarrassment or failure? Or maybe nothing happened at all and your imagination created a negative make-believe situation? Over and over the images roll past your mind’s eye, reminding you to stay in a dark place. And you ask yourself why you are so stupid, so vulnerable, so naive? We’ve all been there. But it’s not a healthy place to dwell.

Asking questions of ourselves can be one of the greatest skills we acquire. But they have to be the right questions that lead us away from the dreaded mental rewinds. The questions have to lead us toward healing, solutions, and emotional growth. When we’re focused on becoming more positive, asking ourselves thought provoking questions can lead to a shift in our attitude toward good energy. It can also turn our self-talk from an enemy to a friend. And who couldn’t use some extra good vibes or a great new friend? When the urge to mentally review the event in question hits - ask yourself, will it make me feel better to go over this yet again? I promise, the answer will be no. 

What questions are you asking yourself daily? And what are you doing with the answers? Here are a few question suggestions:

1.    Did I lead by example today? Did I treat others the way I would like to be treated at my job, in my home, on the run, on the Internet? If I have children, what did they learn from my actions today?

2.   Did I communicate love to my family and friends today? How?

3.   What did I come across today that I need to spend more time thinking about? Was there anything I could have done better? Are there lessons to be learned?

4.   What have I learned today that will help me grow? How can I apply it to my life?

5.    Did I add value to anyone today? Is there something more I can do to compound the positive benefit he or she received?

6.   Did I spend any time with positive people today? Did I cultivate my attitude and outlook on life?

7.   What hurt or un-forgiveness am I carrying with me? Is it time to keep the lesson and unburden myself from the experience?

8.   Did I beat myself up today or did I remind myself of my good qualities and cultivate them? What we spend time focusing on grows. Focus on that which you hope to expand.

9. Last but not least, what were your intentions? It makes it hard to beat yourself up if you know that you are coming from a place of good intentions. Not just for you, but for everyone.

My wish for you is that all your days be wrapped in Peace & Love - Mama Love

Gemstones, as well as everything of the earth, have energy. Learning which energies to surround yourself with can bring positive energy. Rose Quartz  - Great for attracting love. Promotes self-loving and heals emotional wounds as well as promoting peace, forgiveness, and nurturing.

www.mypeaceandlove.com

Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

"I don't know why they call it heartbreak.  It feels like every other part of my body is broken too."

Let's talk broken hearts. We've all had one - some of us more than a few times. So how do you stay positive, or move toward positive, when the weight on your chest and the pain in your heart makes you wish you could stay in bed and block out the light? The hard part about a broken heart is the time it takes to heal. Depending on what or who smashed into it - because not all broken hearts are caused by romance - the pain could last anywhere from a moment to a millenium. Now that may not sound uplifting or hopeful, but it is. There are things in life that are going to suck. That's the bad news and there's no other way to say it! But there are ways to survive and come out better on the other side of the hurt.

Regardless of how devastating the injury, eventually you will feel whole again. That's the good news. If you can begin to focus on that fact, the idea that this too shall pass, you will begin the healing process. Abraham Lincoln used to say he could do anything for twelve hours. Some days you have to string twelve-minute "I can do this" moments together. But the twelve minutes will turn into two hours, then two days, then two months, then one day you'll forget to wake up sad.

Being Positive or focusing on attracting Positive Energy doesn't mean you've lived a charmed life or that blue birds greet you each morning. Just as many pitfalls, heart-breaks, and struggles are faced by those who choose positive as by those who don't. The difference is by attracting hope and the belief that all things work together for good...eventually...it makes the dark days a little brighter and easier to survive.

Let's practice bringing more Positive Energy into our lives!

1. Accept that this hurts. Acknowledge the pain, and the utter unfairness! Now decide not to let this beat you.

2. Don't expect to feel totally happy or positive every moment. Feeling positive is a choice. You have to force yourself to focus on something that will bring you a sensation of joy or at the very least contentment. The more you do, the more positive energy that will be attracted to you and, the better things will become.

3. Stand up tall, sit up straight, and pull your shoulders up and back. The physiology of your body actually effects your emotions. Force a smile. Force yourself to lift yourself up physically and it will lift you emotionally.

4. Do something nice for someone else - it will help you remember that we all have struggles and that by sticking together, we can survive anything.


My wish for you is that all your days be wrapped in Peace & Love - Mama Love

Gemstones, as well as everything of the Earth, have energy. Learning which energies to surround yourself with can bring positive energy. Chalcedony - Helps flow more love and light into ones life. Increases creativity, helps dispel built up negativity.

www.mypeaceandlove.com

Think of all the POSSIBILITIES...

“I am looking for a lot of people who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.” Henry Ford

If you’re a positive thinker you already believe in the power of Possibility Thinking. But if your natural inclination is negativity or cynicism, I want to ask you to consider how many highly effective or influential people you know who focus on what can’t be done? Regardless of your situation in life, allowing the benefits of Possibility Thinking to permeate your thoughts will bring amazing benefits. It will open up more possibilities and outcomes in situations, it will keep you motivated and positive, it will help you achieve more, and it will give you energy.

Possibility Thinking goes beyond refusing to allow negative thoughts. Possibility Thinking requires believing in solutions and finding ways to make them happen. If you believe there is no way to make something better, no way to be successful, how much energy, time, or commitment will you invest? But if you embrace a possibility, pour belief into what you are doing, your energy will soar and you will meet with unimagined success in unexpected hours!

 By shifting your thoughts toward what can be done, you will start to attract other like-minded people to you. Big-thinkers tend to gravitate toward one-another. And all big-thinkers believe in the unlimited power of possibilities.


Let’s practice bringing more positive energy into our lives!

1.    Stop dwelling on anything that is wrong in a situation. Ask someone you trust to let you know when you talk about the problem instead of the possible solution.

2.   Push yourself to dream bigger. Allow yourself to set a goal, and then push it one step further. Goal setting is as important in the boardroom as in the home.

3.   Find people who inspire you! Read about those who have gone beyond the status quo. Learn from them the lesson of never, never, never giving up.

My wish for you is that all your days be wrapped in Peace & Love - Mama Love

Gemtones, as well as everything of the earth, have energy. Learning which energies to surround yourself with can bring positive energy. Amazonite - Helps clarify and improve thinking. Great stone to wear for gratitude.

www.mypeaceandlove.com

Be Positive +

"The most expensive piece of real estate is the six inches between your right and left ear. It’s what you create in that area that determines your life. We are only really limited by our own thoughts."

No matter where you go, who you talk to, or where you look - negativity is always lurking; always just a word or thought away. Forget about all the outside influences for a moment, the average person has 7500 negative thoughts a day in their own self-talk! 7500! That means we suffer 5 negative thoughts a minute! So how are we supposed to stay positive when our own inner self is working against us? The answer is simpler than it would seem, but it does require a good deal of effort. We have to train ourselves to seek out positivity. To turn our personal energy into a light-attracting source rather than a dark-room where negatives are developed. We must train ourselves to cancel negative thoughts as they are happening.

Again, there's a lot of talk about positivity - what does it really mean? HOW do you train yourself? Well, if you've ever tried to learn a sport, or play an instrument, you know it takes a lot of practice to get things right. It took me the better part of two months to learn Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the violin only to have my family beg me to take up the piano. The same law applies to learning the art of Positive Seeking. It's an overused phrase we don't pay much attention to - but practice really does make perfect. Practice seeking the positive in every situation that comes up. You're stuck in traffic and late for a meeting - I know you want to throw your coffee at the car in front of you - but instead, take a deep breath and make yourself think of something positive to do with this time. Make a call you've been putting off, say some prayers for people you've been meaning to pray for, tell yourself that maybe you're being delayed to protect you from something worse happening. Actively seek to turn the bad that's bumming your mood to something a little more easy on the soul. It won't work perfectly the first time - but keep shifting your focus from annoyance t0 productivity and before long you'll be making the shift without having to force yourself. 

Another practice that always helps is having a mantra or positive affirmation. Now don't skip ahead or stop reading, thinking to yourself "I know all about those." Sure you do - we all do - but how often are we actually using them? When was the last time you said your affirmation? I have a friend who chooses a verse from scripture each week. You may want to pick a quote or a famous saying. Or maybe something as simple as saying Peace & Love over and over again. Whatever works for you - find your calming words. Words that inspire you, encourage you, and lift you. When you find yourself thinking how bloated and chubby you feel today, how annoying your boss can be, how much you wish the kids were done with their homework...repeat your phrase to yourself. Think it five, six, ten times. However many it takes to restore your sense of calm and composure. However many times it takes to shift your thoughts from harmful emotions to helpful ones. I wear a bracelet that is a constant reminder, and very often all it takes is a glance at my wrist to snap me into remembering what emotions I choose to make important in my day. 

If all of that seems too complicated, then just think 'pineapple' over and over again. Yes, I said 'pineapple'. Another friend, one of my favorite friends, recently shared with me that that's her word of choice. Pineapple. Who knew? She dared me to cancel out a fearful or negative thought by saying pineapple over and over again and picture anything BUT a pineapple. I tried...and sure enough the only bad thing that came to my mind was the desire for a pina colada. She told me she has even tried to picture the fearful thing peeking out from behind the pineapple, but the only thing she ends up seeing in her mind's eye is a big, juicy, harmless piece of fruit. So pick yourself a fruit you love - maybe you're more of an apple or a grapefruit - and cancel, cancel, cancel any thoughts that don't make you smile. Personally, I'm sticking with the pineapple image. After all, it is said to be the symbol of welcome and that's exactly what we're trying to do - welcome positive energy into our lives.

So first things first! Let's practice bringing more positive thoughts into our own minds.
1. Be aware of your focus - are you allowing negative self-talk to lead your mood? Take charge, seek the positive. Don't empower doubt, fear, anger, anxiety with your words. Instead empower peace, love, harmony, and joy.
2. Actually USE a mantra or affirmation to remind yourself what you choose to focus on. When a bad thought comes - use your uplifting words to cancel out the negative.
3. Picture a Pineapple and repeat the word again and again until the only thing you see is a symbol of welcome.



My wish for you is that all your days be wrapped in Peace & Love - Mama Love

Gemstones, as well as everything of the earth, have energy. Learning which energies to surround yourself with can bring amazing positiveness.

In seeking protection, healing, and increased positive energy - choose Agate. 


www.mypeaceandlove.com 

Walk for those that can’t walk. Run for those who wish they could. 

Fight for those who can’t fight. Scream for those who wish for a voice. 

Hope for those who are hopeless. Dream for those who wish they had 

sight. Love for those who will never know what love is. Love them too. 

Forgive for those who will never learn to forgive. Forgive them too. 

Breathe for those who struggle for air. Stand for those that can’t. 

Believe for the ones who doubt. Live for those that never had a 

chance to.

And never take it for granted.

-Joshua Globa

The Gratitude Giveaway Results Are In...

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern

Once again, your entries were ALL beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your stories about extraordinary people with us! Our panel of readers take their vote to heart and it's not an easy task with so many beautiful people to choose from, but there can only be one chosen. 

The awesome person chosen for this GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY is Alfonso M.!!! His grateful daughter, Gaby sent us the following story about him. Alfonso will receive a "Gratitude" bracelet from our Dina Manzo Love Rocks collection! Many blessings to you Alfonso!!! xo

My dad has always had a rough life: from working at such an early age (5 years old) not being able to finish school, living in a very poor household, and the hardest loosing the love of his life and raising 4 kids alone. And even though he's been through all that he is one of the strongest, caring, forgetful and big hearted person I know. Loosing my mom wasn't easy for him especially after being attacked by her family and calling her a killer when my mom died of childbirth, he's been ridicule by them, spit on, hit, having the gravestone we put on her grave removed and flowers burned, yet he never has hold a grudge against them and has thought me how to be able forgive. He has me how anything is possible with God on your side & has made me the person I am today, I don't know where I would be without him. I am so grateful to be able to call him my dad because he has raised us to be the best we can, he has given us everything we ever needed, he has been my rock when I'm breaking down, he's been there through the good and the bad with me,I'm thankful for that and I wanna show my gratitude because honestly it would of been much easier for him to leave us at grandmas and live his life but no, he decided to raise us and that meant balancing work and housework, taking care of us when we were sick, driving us to school and always being by our side. Dad I want you to know how proud I am from where you came and to where you are now, from having nothing to owing a house, cars, your business, writing books but most importantly to being the dad you never had, someone who understands you, is there for you and shows you how much he cares and I love you for being the best dad/man anyone could ask for, in my eyes you are the greatest hero there is.


Gaby M.

Inspiration: Sunset July 23, 2011

Click on images to view larger. They look better that way;-)

Moonlight Beach- Encinitas, California. Between 7:30pm and 8:00pm. There was a man nearby, beating on his drum which made feel a bit like a tribal experience. We like that!

Goodnight.

Gratitude Giveaway Starts Now!

It's time for another "GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY" and we are really excited about this one! This giveaway is for women AND men!!! We know that there are so many amazing unsung hero's out there and we want to hear about them!

This is how it works: Send us an email along with a photo of someone special you know, who you would like to show your gratitude towards. Tell us the story about this person and why you would love to show your gratitude. That's all you have to do! We want to help you pay it forward, so the unsung hero of the GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY will receive either a man or woman's GRATITUDE bracelet from our DINA MANZO LOVE ROCKS collection! We will also share your story along with the photo, right here on our blog!!!

So, come on! Join the GIVEAWAY and show your GRATITUDE!!!

Email all entries to: info@mypeaceandlove.com by July 30th. The awesome person will be announced July 31st!!!

If you would like to see the bracelets up close, you can look here and here.

Yay For Summer!!!

So this is why we LOVE summer so much. It's magical...