The Daily Mind

Daily Steps To Mindful Living

Inspiration

Start your day on the right note

Previously in this blog I’ve written about the fact that I’m not a natural optimist and that I have to work hard to maintain a positive outlook in life. Well, it so happens that I’m also not much of a morning person. It’s a pretty rare day when I leap out of bed, full of enthusiasm.

So this month I’ve decided to try and change this, by making a resolution to always start my day on a good note. And so far the changes I’ve been making have been making a real difference to my state of mind, leaving me feeling happier and more upbeat. I thought I’d share them with you now.

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Originally posted on March 15, 2013 @ 1:48 pm

How to give your confidence a boost

We all go through times in life when our confidence takes a hit. Something goes a bit wrong in your work or personal life and suddenly your self-esteem feels a bit shaky. This sort of confidence crisis can be difficult to recover from, which is why I thought for this blog post I would take a look at some ways to give your confidence a boost.
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Originally posted on February 27, 2013 @ 4:33 pm

The Miracle of Mirrors

Miracles do happen. Any person can experience it through his faith or through the help of another individual.

For people with disabilities, particularly the amputees, the miracle they can gain can come from the power of the mirror. It’s been proven that through this basic household item, people who no longer have complete limbs can still lead a quality life.

Stevo, an amputee himself, has been on a humanitarian mission traveling to different countries to help the underprivileged amputees. His goal is to ease the phantom limb pain these amputees often experience and help them cope with the depression they may be facing as a result of their condition.

But instead of using drugs or any other form of alternative medicine, Stevo uses the magic of mirrors. This unique kind of therapy uses acrylic mirrors that are hand-made using local materials. It is very cost effective because apart from the absence of drugs, patients need not visit doctors or clinics or travel to the town centers. Stevo himself fabricates the mirrors that are of two lengths – one for the arm amputees and the other for the leg amputees.

This mirror therapy is done by allowing patients to view a mirror image of his limb in place of the one that was amputated. By constantly letting them do this, the brain then starts to re-wire and stops giving warning signals that normally causes the pain. Ideally, this visualization technique needs to be done at least twice every day for up to five weeks in order for the patient to be healed throughout his lifetime.

The use of mirrors as a healing aid was developed by one of the world’s top neuroscientists, VS Ramachandran, back in the 1990s. It has been proven effective for more than 15 years now and is, in fact, also being practiced by the U.S. Military, the American Automobile Association and the American Pain Foundation. Interestingly, the technique has also been found to treat other conditions including stroke, paralysis, different nerve disorders and complex regional pain syndrome.

Thanks to Stevo and his campaign, poor amputees who may feel hopeless and frustrated about their situation can now look forward to leading a quality life. Donations can still be given until February 15 after which Stevo will embark on his next mission of bringing acrylic mirrors via his cargo bicycle. His goal is to collect $5,000 that would enable him to provide mirrors for the next three months until May.

Stevo is currently running a crowd fund raising campaign at StartSomeGood.com, he needs to reach the target of $5,000 for all the money to go to helping people in Cambodia who have lost limbs. Please give what you can.

About the author:
Teresa is a freelance blogger and mom of two who gets inspiration from the success stories of people helping other people.

Originally posted on February 10, 2013 @ 3:25 am

Time for a change?

Work can sometimes get you down, which is why on the Daily Mind we try to give you the best tips and advice for making the daily grind more fulfilling and spiritually rewarding.

Making a difference
If you are contemplating a career change and want to pursue a job that really makes a difference, then why not consider a career in counseling? The role of a school counselor, for example, offers much in the way of job satisfaction and spiritual rewards as you would be helping youngsters to develop social skills and succeed in school.

Another rewarding but challenging job would be working as a substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor. We often cover the subjects of overcoming negative thoughts or behaviour on the Daily Mind, so if these things interest you then this type of job could be worth investigating.

Listening and empathy
Being a good listener and having the ability to empathise with people are both important qualities needed for a career in counseling. The ability to engage with people and help them to develop strategies to improve their lives is also essential. These are the kind of things that mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists do in their every day work, helping people to manage or overcome mental and emotional disorders as well as problems with their families and relationships.

If you’d like to find out more about a career in counseling, take a look at the infographic below. It gives you all the information you need to pursue what could be a new and fulfilling career that really makes a difference to people’s lives.

Which Counseling Career Path is Best for You?
Source: Which Counseling Career Path is Best for You?

Liz Parry is a writer specialising in holistic health and wellbeing, personal development and spirituality. Follow her on Twitter and Google+

 

Originally posted on November 8, 2012 @ 12:51 pm

The power of kindness

We all know that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do someone a good turn. Whether it’s helping an old lady across the road or helping someone to pick up the shopping they’ve dropped. That’s the power of kindness.

Apparently, according to research, being kind does much more than give you that warm, fuzzy feeling – it actually benefits your health and wellbeing. Indeed, according to the results of a US study of 3,296 people, 95% of those studied reported feeling good when they helped someone, whereas 21% actually felt euphoric.

This is often referred to as the “helpers high”. This is because the brain releases serotonin – the body’s feelgood hormone – when we do something kind for others. This lifts our mood and makes us feel more positive and optimistic. Perhaps being kind could become addictive!

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Originally posted on August 24, 2012 @ 7:14 pm