Positively Life After Fifty Connie Minnell

Enjoy a free, ten-minute guided meditation focusing on gratitude. Just get comfortable, relax and listen to the soothing voice of Connie Minnell as she guides you towards true appreciation of the blessings within you. Enriched by the soft musical soundscapes from Rebecca Reads Recordings. 
Please do not listen to while driving or similar activities.
 

Today we’ll bust the three myths of meditation; I’ll share my three favorite types; and I'll reveal the kind of meditation that's best for your health. Plus, stick around for a bonus at the end!
Think of a person that has such a deep peace in their spirit, you feel calmer just by being around them. Finding that calmness is something I’ve been working on lately. If you're interested in meditation to help you find this kind of peace but you still have questions, then it's time to find out what’s keeping you from having meditation in your life. 
00:02:34 Myth #1 It’s not going to work for me.There are many types of meditation out there; the important thing is to find one that syncs with your background. The best meditation for you is the one that you want to come back to, day after day. The most important thing to remember is Don’t Give Up. Everyone’s mind wanders during meditation, just bring your focus back to your breathing and you’ll see the results in time. 
00:03:40 Myth #2 There’s no time; there’s no place. Meditation isn’t defined by a place, a pose or a practice. It can be as simple as just focusing on having a steady, slow breath for a few moments in the middle of a hectic day. There are many ways to gain this peace and calmness in your life, but my favorites have always been walking meditation, controlled breathing and scripture meditation. If you would be interested in finding out more about my podcast on scripture meditation, go to Resting In The Word.
00:06:00 self-practice controlled breathing 
00:07:32 Myth #3 You can’t prove it works. Scientific studies have proven that meditation helps to reduce anxiety and depression, heart disease and diabetes, improves sleep, aids your immune system, and  read more
 

Welcome to episode 8 of Positively Life After Fifty, and Day 2 in my quest to podcast for 30 days straight, in honor of the National Podcast Post Month of November.
Am I ever getting off to a rocky start! In fact, if you were able to hear my podcast yesterday, you are one in a million. In fact, you and I both know that you are already one in a million whether you listened to my podcast yesterday or not because there is no one quite like you. Ok, where were we before I started channeling Mr. Rogers?
One reason why this show is so different is that I don't have music today, well, I might put some in at the end. And I won't have any quotes today because I am in the middle of a podcasters biggest nightmare right now, at least for me it is. I worked for hours yesterday, shut my computer off at 1 am, and when I came back to it today, there were 20 more new bugs needing to be squashed. So today hasn't been any different. Here it is almost 11 pm, and I'm still up writing this. But I did take some time out earlier and had dinner with a friend. She's still teaching in the trenches,
As I was eating dinner with my former colleague and listening to some of the things she is dealing with not just in the classroom but also the committee presentations, her teenagers, elderly parent issues; it all reminded me of not very long ago when I was teaching. I was working 10 to 12 hour days six days a week and dealing with all those problems and more. So it kind of puts things into perspective.
I also think about the news of the past months; all the shootings, fires, and floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. I'm not trying to make light of this; it is a serious issue for so many.
There are people without electricity and people who have lost loved ones. As I think about all these issues, suddenly my problems of getting my id3 tags onto my audio file and getting my media player to look not weird on my web page don't seem that big of a deal. Suddenly all those issues just don't seem important.
The work will get done, the problems either will get solved or they won't, and ill find a way to make it work somehow. What's more important is that I make time for friends, I take time for family, and I even carve out some time to take care of myself, to regain a sense of balance and perspective. And I'll tell myself that I'm worth it, because yes, in fact, I am one in a million. And so are you, and so are the people you love.
And tomorrow's going to be a better day. I promise.
I'll see you tomorrow. Until then keep looking up, and never give up.

Feel like a challenge? I do! I'm not running a marathon or climbing a mountain, but I might as well be! This episode marks the first of the 30 day challenge where I podcast every day for the month of November. I'm accepting the challenge at #NaPodPoMo to become a better podcaster, and to help celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the "birth" of podcasting!
You can join me! It doesn't have to be in podcasting, unless that's a goal you have, too. No, just think about this...has there been something you've been wanting to learn, a goal you've put off achieving? Well, do something positive for yourself, something that inspires you to be a better you...commit to taking your own challenge as I take on mine. Do that for the next 30 days and positively change the direction of your life.
We can do this!
Quotes included:
One day you will thank yourself for never giving up. Unknown
Set a goal SO BIG you can't achieve it...until you turn into to the person who CAN. Unknown
 

Some of the hardest times in life are also some of the most difficult times to be a friend. What can you do to help a family who is caring for a terminally ill loved one? I've lost family members recently and being on the receiving end of this compassion has left me with a heart full of gratitude. Today I'll share the most precious gifts my friends gave, and what you can do to help those going through heart-breaking times.
Every day on my drive to work, I would see a sculpture of eight arrows, seven of which were pointing down and the eighth on pointing up. Curious about it, I found out that the artist titled it, "Seven Down, Eight Up."
It is based on a Japenese saying, "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." This sculpture was inspirational to me each time I drove by it.
The reason why I am telling you this story is because it took me eight times to finally record this episode! But I eventually got it accomplished because my mom always said: "Never give up."
I've had my mom on my mind a lot lately. In fact, that's the reason why I have been away from the microphone for several weeks. My mother passed away recently. I've tried to let you know what's going on, but I couldn't make it through an entire recording without breaking down. Sometimes the grief is just too fresh to share it with the world. I eventually will, but for now, I just wanted to let you know that I now have my "arrows" pointed in the right direction! And more than anything else, I want to be here for you and help you find the end to those "downward facing arrows" in your life.
Sometimes you have to reach some of the lowest points in your life   before you can rebuild yourself into the person that you've always wanted to become. I believe that when you begin to focus on bringing positive peace into your life, you will see it happen.
This week I want to share with you the things that blessed my  during the days leading up to my mother's death.
Three things that you can do to bring comfort to a grieving family:
1. Food is more than comfort, it's essential. My friends offered to send meals, but I kept trying to "be strong." Finally, nearly broken after many days of very little sleep, I asked them to bring meals. Their response was immediate, and even though I didn't think I had an appetite, the food tasted amazing!
Another thing I found is that paper products are a must-have. Normally I'm not a "disposable" product user, but when a loved one is terminally ill, I would rather be spending time with family than in the kitchen any day. Here are just a few helpful items:
Paper towels and plates, wet wipes, tissues, (there were lots of tears) and even toilet paper (there were lots of visitors in the house;)
2. Ask questions, but accept the answers that they can give you at the time. Whether we're on the asking or the telling end, we are there to offer kindness, caring, and support.
3. When you visit, take a memory to share. Is there a story that you can tell the family member that exemplifies how special their loved one is/was? Heartfelt stories and memories are priceless to the grieving family.
One more thing I want to add:
Everyone grieves differently according to their upbringing, how close or estranged they were to the deceased, and even according to where they are in life right now. How someone handles the death of a loved one, or how he or she responds to any grievous situation, is a highly personal issue. Our differences make us who we are, but we are also the same: We all have people we love and people we miss who are gone from us. Realizing that made it easier for me to accept the many different reactions to death.
No matter what you're facing today, remember to never give up. Whatever positive thing you want in your life, don't give up.
If there's someone you can visit today, or send a card, or give a call, please do that: Your heart will be so much fuller, and they will have received such a gift from hearing from you. You'll bring someth

This episode shares motivational stories to help you create a bucket list that can change your life.Today I take a look at the surprising history of "The Bucket List," talk about the benefits of those travel items on your list and share some inspirational stories to help you re-create your own life-changing list. Have you given much thought to your bucket list lately? You should; it's good for you. A quick search and you will find the awesome things people have on their lists; from exotic destinations to simple acts of selflessness. "The Bucket List" became a standard in American culture in 2007 when a movie of the same name was released. Did the term "Kicking the Bucket" come from a children's game or a method of execution(!?!) The benefits of having travel items on your bucket list include mental, physical, social and financial. Here's a list of motivational speakers that may forever change the way you think about a bucket list:
Ryan Eller, Motivational speaker and blogger, ryaneller.com "How a Bucket List Saved My Life" TEDx Tulsa Kathleen Taylor, "Rethinking the Bucket List" TEDx Tampa Bay Kathleen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 20 years experience in hospice and advanced care planning. She has a coaching and consulting practice serving the healthcare, social service, and nonprofit sectors. Edward Readiker-Henderson,  "Kill Your Bucket List" TEDx Maui talk Edward was an award-winning travel writer and traveled to over fifty countries and all the continents.  He is quoted as saying,"Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible." The Joy of a "Wonder List" Maybe you think your life is just too busy even to consider taking that trip right now. Don't worry about your to-do list, or that time is running out to visit all the places you hope to see and memories you hope to make. Sometimes the best moments are unscripted. One"wonder moment" I had on a trip with my family became a treasured memory for me, and an "I wonder" moment blessed me with a life-long friend from the other side of the world. Mark Twain quotes: "Don't wait; the time will never be just right." "Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.' **Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12  
Website http://positivelylifeafterfifty.com