Time to Give Back

It is the season of giving! We thought it would be nice if we gave all of our amazing readers a few ideas of how to give back.  After all Christmas is not all about the gifts, at least that is what the Grinch tells us!

The first thing way to give back is to volunteer.  Giving back doesn’t have to mean money. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or shelter can be just as rewarding as donating gifts or clothes, possibly even more.  This is a great website that lists 25 ways you can donate your time.  

Probably the most popular holiday donation is toys!  Nothing makes you feel better than knowing you are helping a child.  There are a couple of ways to do this.  

• You can go to a local school and donate toys
• Visit Toys ‘R’ Us website here and chose from a huge donation list
• Drop off toys at any Toys for Tots location.  The huge list of locations is here.

Another great donation is clothing, especially coats, gloves, scarves, and hats.  Many communities and stores offer coat drives at this time of the year.  Burlington Coat Factory has a huge coat drive right now and you can find a local donation spot here. 

Hopefully this blog was helpful in providing you all with basic information about giving back during the Christmas season. Feel free to let us know how your donating activity went.

This Year is Almost Over!

Can you believe that we are looking at the end of 2012 already?

I usually find this time of year a time of contemplation.  I look back and think of all the things that have happened, what I have accomplished, etc.  Did I meet my New Years Resolutions?  Have I spent enough time with family?  Did I spend too much money on candy? (just kidding)

Given the recent devastation of Superstorm Sandy, I find myself even more thoughtful this year.  We all have so much, while others have lost everything.  It is a little hard to focus on ridiculous Christmas presents when there are many people without homes right now.

With that thought in mind, we at A Royal Flush have decided to dedicate the rest of the year, on this blog, to giving back.  We will tell you about charitable organizations and where you can donate your time, your money or your belongings.  I hope you will join us in the spirit of giving back.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the last day of November.

Makes You Feel Better About Where We Live!

Enjoy!

The Art of Happiness and Making Each Day Your Best

In the spirit of Easter and Passover holiday I thought it would be appropriate to write about peace, harmony and what everyone seems to rarely achieve in challenging times....Happiness. In the classic gem "The Art of Happiness", the Dalai Lama shares this powerful insight into life:

"I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. [Regardless of religion], we are all seeking something better in life. So I think the very motion of our life is toward happiness."

But how are we to achieve this happiness that we all seek? What common factor can we rely upon, regardless of our health, wealth, appearance, family, etc?

The Dalai Lama goes on to discuss how the mind can be trained and conditioned for happiness, despite a lack of material wealth and success. It's that whole idea of "wanting what you have versus having what you want." Tony Robbins calls it "reframing your perspective". James Allen simply calls it "self-control."

Whatever name it goes by, the principle is the same: We all have the power to think positive thoughts, and to react positively to every "negative" thing that happens in our lives.

Why, then, is it so hard to do? 

Because like anything of any worth, it takes effort. It takes practice. It takes time. And like most skills, the sooner you begin, the sooner it gets easy.

But no matter how old we are, we can all start practicing positive thinking today, and begin being happier immediately.

It's very easy to get out of practice, however, so it's best to surround yourself with triggers for happiness. Music is one of the best triggers and serves as my vehicle of choice. Think of how happy we get when we hear our favorite tunes that bring us back to fond memories.We can also remind ourselves with little incantations such as "look on the bright side" or simply remembering to just breathe when things aren't going as planned.



I hope this tip brightens up your day!

Stay tuned for more of my two cents on this blog coming soon!