Editor’s Note: Make the Days Count is republishing its top 10 articles for the benefit of new readers.  This article was first run on November 22, 2008.

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Judy Mosley

“I am worthy and deserving of a good life.”

“I am responsible for my life.”

“I am responsible for my own spiritual growth.”

Each of these are affirmative statements, or affirmations.  Affirmations can be about health, love, respect, God … anything that you want to affirm within yourself.  They send powerful messages deep into our minds.  Written purposefully and said regularly, these statements penetrate levels of our psyche that typically seem to be out of reach, operating beyond our conscious control. Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Jennifer Snelling

“The trick to changing my eating habits has been to always give myself a choice.” 

We’ve all heard it and maybe even experienced it – “The grass is always greener on the other side.”  Also – “We always want what we can’t have.” 

Especially in these times when we feel like we need to watch every penny, we find ourselves wanting things but not necessarily needing them.  This has always been true of food, where we may have a craving for potato chips but convince ourselves to eat a salad – against our own desires – in order to curb the craving in a healthy way. Read More »

Article by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits

If you’re trying to simplify your life, it’s best to follow the four simple steps I’ve outlined before — it’s just the simplest method.  But sometimes life gets in the way, and you need a workaround, some way to get past your usual obstacles and to trick yourself into keeping things simple.

I use these “tricks” myself, and I’ve found them to be effective in many cases.  Please note that you might have read some of these once or twice (or thrice) on this blog before, but I thought it would be a useful resource to gather them all into one post.  Also, don’t try to implement all of them — that would be far from simple.  Not all of them will apply to your life anyway.  Pick one or two and try them out. Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Blake Cothron

Many of you probably remember growing up in a much different time. 

A time when close family ties were cherished and not an option, when grandparents lived with their grandchildren, and when people actually knew their neighbors.  A time when you could ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar, let you children roam free through the neighborhood, and sit down every night as a family for dinner. 

Obviously times have changed … but our need for community hasn’t.        

When you hear the word “community” what comes to mind?  Is it your neighborhood, school, or church community?  Do you think about ecosystem communities, the interconnected plant and animal systems? Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Bake Cothron

What is the potential for true connection between two human hearts through communication?  What is listening with the heart, and does it happen on a regular basis? 

When two people communicate verbally to each other, the speaker’s words are translated by the other person, translated and then “digested” by the heart and mind.  A reaction and response then arises in the listener.  However, to often our words are not deeply heard by the listener/s and the true essence of what we are wishing to express is lost in translation.  The same mistranslation often happens inside us when we are listening to others. 

Listening with the heart is when we really hear other’s words as a deep expression of their heart and mind … and understand the essence behind the words.  This is when real communication happens. Read More »