positively present

my wish for you this christmas . . .

 

It's been a weird pre-Christmas week. The health of my little pup, Bella (who's been hanging in there like a trooper!), started going downhill about a week and a half ago. Since then, I've been going to the vet every other day so she can have an IV treatment of fluids and electrolytes. Every day she gets the treatment, she seems to feel a bit better and manages to eat a little bit of food. Every day she doesn't get the treatment, she seems to be in rough shape. Needless to say, the Christmas cheer around here has been in constant flux. One day it seems like a Christmas miracle ("She's getting better!"); the next feels like it's all coming to an end ("This is it..."). I don't know how long she will continue to receive the IV treatments. There's still hope that she will get a bit better, but chances are very slim. 

As sad as it's been for me, I've been trying really, really hard to make good use of all the tips and tricks I write about here on Positively Present. I've been trying to focus on the positive and appreciate every day -- every moment -- I still have with her. It's a constant struggle not to allow my mind to wander to the future and how heartbroken I will be when she's no longer with me, but I'm trying my absolute hardest to make this most positive, most present Christmas yet. 

You see, Bella loves Christmas. More specifically, she loves presents and Christmas tends to be a present-filled season. As sick as she's been, once she hears the sound of tissue paper wrinkling or wrapping paper tearing, she's on her feet and alert. This video provides a small glimpse into her gift obsession...

 

Bella Loves Christmas on YouTube (click link if you can't see the video)

 

None of those gifts have anything dog-related in them, but she's still incessent about getting her paws on them. Ever since she was a puppy, she's been that way. Which is why I'm determined to make this Christmas one of the best she's ever had. And that brings me (in a very round about way!) to the point of this post: my wish for you this Christmas.

This Christmas, I wish you a day filled with appreciation. Appreciate the people and animals in your life. Hug your dog. Kiss your cat. Tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Life is short and our Christmases are limited. Don't let this one pass you by without appreciating it -- and all those you spend it with. I wish you love. I wish you happiness. I wish you a Christmas filled with memories and gratitude. Merry Christmas! 

 

30 things I'm thankful for (+ stay positive giveaway!)

This article is part of a series of articles to promote Stay Positive: Daily Reminders from Positively Present. For more information on the book, visit StayPositive365.com. For details on how to win this week’s giveaway (the last one!), scroll down to the bottom of this article.  

 

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Here in America, this week is usually the kick-off to the holiday season (and often a short work week for those who are given a few days off to celebrate the holiday). It's the week when a bit of holiday magic sparkles in the air, the week when everyone is a little bit distracted by upcoming vacations, the week when some are anxiously awaiting the Black Friday sales. It's also the week when many turn their thoughts inward, focusing their attention on thankfulness. 

Even those who aren't the "thankful" types find themselves pondering the things they have to be grateful for this week. It's a time for reflection, for pausing before the hurried rush of the holidays and remembering how lucky we are. A few years back, I wrote a list of 100 Things I Am Thankful For. Not only did this list receive wonderful responses from readers (and prompt an amazing gift from my boyfriend!), but it was also a very positive exercise for me personally. Taking the time to think about things I was thankful for made me even more grateful. 

A lot has changed in my life since I wrote that list and, not surprisingly, I have even more things to be thankful for. This year, I'm adding 30 things to my list...

 

1. The opportunity to live a life I love. 

2. My boyfriend's love + support.

3. Every extra day I get with Bella. 

4. My first published book. 

5. New opportunities to learn. (Yay, Nicole's Classes!)

6. An awesome family of "in-laws."

7. Photo-sharing on Instagram. 

8. Chats + book clubs with my cousin. 

9. Interviews (like this one!). 

10. My dad's book editing skills. 

11. My mom's support + optimism. 

12. Inspiration via Pinterest. 

13. Fun-filled lunch dates with friends. 

14. Volunteer opportunities. 

15. Getting back in the saddle. 

16. Amazing shows (both music + comedy).  

17. Finding Bella when she was lost. 

18. Used book stores (recently found a new one!). 

19. Reconnecting with old friends. 

20. Yahtzee, Scrabble, + crosswords. 

21. Portland. I love that town!

22. Discovering Project Life. 

23. My iPhone...and everything Apple. 

24. Rehoboth Beach + Florida trips. 

25. New Facebook friends. 

26. A chance to donate clothing + food. 

27. Finding old photos (like these). 

28. Over two years of sobriety.  

29. My 2012 vision board.

30. Positively Present readers. I heart you!

 

If you haven't ever made a list of things you're grateful for, I'd highly recommend giving it a try. Every time I pause and think about the things I'm thankful for, I feel more content with my life and less likely to focus on what's going wrong. And I feel happy. To help you get started on your own list, I've created a free printable for you. Print it out and start listing all the things you're lucky to have in your life.

Click to Download the Gratitude List 

And to help you stay even more grateful -- and happy -- there are two great Stay Positive giveaways this week. Help spread the word about Stay Positive -- and enter to one of these two great giveaways! 

 

STAY POSITIVE GIVEAWAYS!  

To promote the launch of Stay Positive : Daily Reminders from Positively Present, PositivelyPresent.com is offering six weeks of giveaways based on the twelve sections in Stay Positive. Each week, readers will have the chance to win one of two awesome giveways. 

 

HOW TO ENTER

1. Link to StayPositive365.com on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr,
    Instagram, Google+,etc. and / or tell your friends about the book
2. Mention which giveaway you want to win (Gratitude or Happiness) 
3. Let me know how you spread the word in the comments section below 
4. Leave your email address (or another way I can contact you) 

IMPORTANT DETAILS

* Every mention you post / tweet / like, etc. counts as one entry. 
  Enter as many times as you want! 

* 2 winners (one for each giveaway) will be chosen + notified via email on
  Friday, November 30, 2012.  

 

30 day gratitude photo challenge (2012 edition)

Last year on November 1, I launched the 30-Day Gratitude Photo Challenge (see here) and it was such a hit! People loved taking part in a challenge that helped them to feel more grateful -- and I really loved seeing all the photos here on Flickr. This year I decided to revamp it a bit and launch another challenge. The premise of this one is the same -- take photos of the things on the list in order to stay more present and grateful -- but I've changed some of the items and added some new ones. Here are the things you need to know about the challenge: 

 

• You don't need to be a photographer or even all that interested in photos to participate. All you need to be is interested in staying present and focusing on things you're grateful for. 
  
  
• It's not so much a "challenge" as it is something to inspire you to be present. Don't let the word "challenge" scare you and prevent you from participating. There's no reward, no punishment -- just an opportunity to be more present. 
  
  
• You can take your photos anyway you want to -- with your phone, with a digital camera, with a DSLR, Holga, Instax, SLR, Polaroid. Anything goes when it comes to your photos!
  
  
• Feel free to start the challenge at any time. You can start on November 1 and do it for the month of November -- or start any day of the year!
  
  
• If you post your pics online, feel free to share the links in the comments section. Or if you post them on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc., use the hashtag #Gratitude30. You can also join the Flickr group here.  
  
  
• I printed out the challenge for myself and posted it on my wall. If you want to print and post the challenge, download 2012 Gratitude Photo Challenge print out here.

 

Over the years, I've realized that being grateful for the things around me -- both big and small -- really does help me to be more present and more positive. If you're struggling with gratitude (as I sometimes do!), I'd highly recommend taking part in this challenge -- or creating one of your own. Having a challenge like this serves as a reminder to focus on being grateful and the more you practice the art of gratitude, the more it will become an effortless part of your thought process.  

 

Speaking of gratitude... I need to give a shout-out to my boyfriend, for whom I am extremely grateful for. Yesterday we celebrated our third anniversary and I'm so thankful to have him in my life. He is amazing, wonderful, fantastic, incredible, and every other positive adjective you could possibly imagine. I am so thankful for him and for the three awesome years we've spent together. xo

stay positive : positively present's first book!

It's here! The first book by Positively Present! 

I'm so excited to announce the launch of Stay Positive : Daily Reminders from Positively Present! The book, available for sale here, contains 365 daily reminders for anyone striving to live positively in the present moment. If you enjoy Positively Present, you're gonna love this book! 

The book has twelve monthly themes—Positivity, Relationships, Inspiration, Acceptance, Self-Love, Motivation, Productivity, Beauty, Change, Mindfulness, Gratitude, and Happiness—and each month is filled with insight and inspiration on that topic. You can dive into the book any day of the year—and it's also a perfect way to kick off 2013 positively! 

Want to learn more about the book (and watch the video!)? Visit the Stay Positive website: 

 

StayPositive365.com

 

And stay tuned for lots of excitement coming up on Positively Present. We'll be featuring amazing giveaways and positively awesome promotions for the next few weeks to celebrate the launch of Stay Positive!

 

Spread the Word!

 

Love Stay Positive and Positively Present and want to help spread the word? Below are some tidbits you can copy and paste to Twitter, Facebook, your email, and anywhere else where you think people would be pumped to hear about this new book!

 

Want to live a positive life 365 days of the year?
Check out the new book, Stay Positive: http://staypositive365.com/

Positively Present's book Stay Positive just launched!
Grab a copy here: http://staypositive365.com/

So excited about Positively Present's new book Stay Positive!
Pick up your copy here: http://staypositive365.com/

Start living positively every day. Read Stay Positive daily.
Available in paperback and PDF. http://staypositive365.com/

the live happily ever after now workbook

 

Yay! Today is the launch of the very first Positively Present workbook, Live Happily Ever After Now: A Guide + Workbook for Living in the Moment. I've spent years struggling to stay present -- reading books, taking courses, trying anything to master the art of staying in the now. It's not easy and I still work on it every day, but now I have resources, tactics, and tips helping me make the most of every moment. In this guide, I'm sharing these resources and tips with you! And I've also created worksheets to help you take immediate action.

Pick up a copy today and start focusing on living your happily ever after right now! It's also a great gift for new grads and a thought-provoking alternative to a typical beach read. Whether you purchase a paperback copy or download the PDF, every page of this guide + workbook will help you master the art of making the most of your moments. 

 

Live Happily Ever After Now Is . . . 

. . . a workbook with a fresh + accessible take on how to live in the now

. . . an at-your-fingertips guide to making the most of every moment

. . . a compilation of tips, tricks, + tactics you can actually use

. . . an interactive opportunity to stop worrying about the past + start living now

. . . a proactive way to find gratitude, happiness, + self-love

. . . a perfect resource for anyone struggling to stay present 

 

Workbook Details

 

Live Happily Ever After Now  is a workbook created by Positively Present's Dani DiPirro. It contains a compilation of tips, tricks, articles, and advice designed to help you master the art of staying present. In the book, you'll find information (and worksheets!) for the following topics: 

The workbook is available in PDF and paperback formats. The paperback version, printed on high-quality, acid-free paper and shipped by HP MagCloud, comes with a free PDF download.

Click one of the buttons below to get your copy of Live Happily Ever After Now. Don't wait -- now is the time to experience your happily ever after! 

 

Grab Your Copy! 

 

To purchase the e-book (PDF) or paperback version of the workbook, click the buttons below.

 

$8 : PDF

$15 : Paperback + free PDF

 

Spread the Word!

 

Love the workbook and want to help spread the word? Below are some tidbits you can copy and paste to Twitter, Facebook, your email, and anywhere else where you think people would be pumped to hear about this guide. 

 

Want to live a more present life? Check out Positively Present's new workbook here: http://www.positivelypresent.com/live-happily-ever-after-now.html

Positively Present's Live Happily Ever After Now workbook just launched! Grab a copy here: http://is.gd/RmKCAA

So excited about Positively Present's Live Happily Ever After Now workbook! Pick up your copy here: http://is.gd/RmKCAA

Start living happily ever after now with Positively Present's new workbook. Available in paperback and PDF here: http://is.gd/RmKCAA