Of course, you would say »No.« And of course, I know that you can only live now in this present moment. But are your thoughts in the now? Or are you spending days dreaming (or fearing) about the future or complaining about the past? If so, you are not living in the present and you are not enjoying your time here and now. Your mind is turned to the past or future.

Let me first tell you two stories.

Few years ago I was running regularly, to stay fit and most of all, to stay sane. One hour a day let me clear my mind. Then I stopped. As I became more and more frustrated and gain some weight, I decided that this year I will start again. But I was puting it off and finding all kind of excuse (I’m sure some of you can relate). One day, on a perfect sunny weather, with just the right temperature and enough time to actually do it, I heard the weather forecast. Next week was going to be cold, rainy… not the weather for running. And I decided not to go. Even though the day was great, I did not seize it.

Now another story. And you might guess it’s about my kids. My younger daughter Tina has birthday in February. Because she wants to invite all her friends (and she has lots of them), we usually have her birthday party in late June, by the pool. Last year she invited around 20 friends, we organized someone to bake crepes to them, they were jumping and shouting… the usual stuff. But then it started to rain. Would you think they bothered? Not at all. They included the rain in their games (it was even more fun), we put drinks and food under the roof and on with the party…
Can you imagine which one of us had better time? Me, afraid of something in the future or her, enjoying every minute of her party.

And this is one of the most important things I learned from my kids. »Seize the day.« Don’t worry about tomorrow or something, that might (or even might not) happen. Enjoy the NOW. Do what you can in the present. Learn to have fun any time. Don’t let worries and fears stop you. Especially not about something you don’t know. You know how it is now. And you always can make something good of it:)

Enjoy your NOW!

Related articles

• My Weekend (aijanhope.wordpress.com)

There are so many positive effect of laughing, both physical and emotional, that you just can’t ignore!

Laughter relaxes the whole body and relieves physical tension and stress. It boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. And last but not least protects you from the heart diseases, because it improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.

When laughing you can’t feel angry or sad. Humor helps you shift perspective. And you are so much more fun to be with.

Read more about the benefits of laughter at http://helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

So why don’t you make it a laughter day?

• Laugh for no reason!
• Smile to strangers!
• Make fun of things and events! (Just be careful not to offend anyone!)

Watch how your laughing gets contagious and how it spreads all over the world.

You like this game? You might also like “50 Law of Attraction Games for Children”.

Lay still on the ground and get all relaxed. Watch the puffy clouds sailing above your head.

Look for familiar shapes and make up a story about them. Where are they going? What are they seeing from above? What are they talking? Are they happy or angry?

Think about different stages and transformations of the cloud – from being cute little cloud to huge storm cloud that brings wind and rain.

Discuss with the child different stages in human life and how every stage has its own responsibilities and challenges and joy and happiness as well. Tell him about constant changes, and how we too have our ups and downs.

Did you ever heard of Laughter (or Laughing) Yoga?

It is a combination of laughing and yoga breathing and it is based on the assumption that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter, and that their physiological and psychological benefits are thus identical. People get together just to laugh, which is stimulated by eye staring and playfulness.

Ever noticed that the children are naturals for this? They make funny faces, quirky noises and peculiar moves and I’m sure your child would love to laugh along, if you make those.

So, when you have a few minutes, make your child ROFWL (roll on floor with laughter).

Did you like it? Please share your comments below!

You might also like other 49 ideas and activities in the “50 Law of Attraction Games for Children” workbook to help you teaching children while you play.

Remember how children could brag endlessly in front of their friends about what they have. It can be really annoying, but can you make a fun of it?

Get them list all the things they really have.

Help them see beyond material things (although they will probably start with them). Put on a list all their friends, things in their neighborhood and the environment (like fresh air, water, woods …). Don’t forget to mention their rights (like freedom, schooling…) and their feelings (towards themselves, other people and from others to them).

You can even make a competition, who can list more things.

Or go even further and find the pictures of everything listed to post somewhere as a reminder.

The game will show your kids that they already have lots of things that they can enjoy and be grateful for. They will also help them appreciate the NOW and to live in the moment.

Did you like the idea? Post your comments below!

Or check out other 49 ideas in the workbook “50 Law of Attaction Games for Children”.

If you were an animal, which one would you choose?

Would you be brave as a lion? Hard-working as bees or ants? Deceptive as a fox?

Now think about these questions:

• Why would you select this animal?
• Which characteristics would you like to have?
• What would you do with your power (or brains)?
• What would be your message to the people?
• Would you choose to help someone special with the quality you possess?

I would really love to hear your answers. Please post your comments below.

And if you liked the idea, you might also like other 49 games and activities in the workbook “50 Law of Attraction Games for Children”.

When our Tina (the younger one) was at the summer camp, we went to visit her.

She was having great time with the scouts, where everything was really natural, even tables and benches were freshly made from the tree, they make the fire to cook  and they wash themselves in the river.

It’s a tradition that parents spent the Sunday with the kids at the camp and get involved in different activities.

So, we packed, together with some food and extra clothes:

• cooler box (to have our drink fresh and cold)
• GPS navigation (to find the way)
• portable DVD player (if Anja gets bored in the car)
• 2 iPod’s (to have the music if radio signal is lost)
• 3 mobile phones (everyone took its own; just in case…)
• 2 cameras and a portable disc to download pictures (again, just in case…)
• and of course for each device extra charger, cables and plug-ins for the car electricity…

And we were going to enjoy our family time together at the wilderness of the National Park?!?!

Well, of course we left everything in the car to be with the kids and to have a good time with other parents, but it makes me think.

Why don’t you assign at least one day for being unplugged. Leave behind all the devices and just enjoy your time! Find places you would never go, explore the nature and use nature’s materials to play with them. Do you know how to make a water mill from branches?

Summer is a great time to meet your neighbors. The days are longer, the evenings are warm and everybody is more relaxed.

So… invite your neighbors to the party!

It doesn’t have to be a big burden for you. Don’t complicate and stress over it. Have your neighbors join you in the preparation. Decide on the date and delegate the assignments.

Each family could bring some food and drinks and prepare a game or an activity, such as relays for the kids, treasure hunt, face painting, football…

If you want to give a little more, collect charity donations or help a family in a need with some clothes and school supplies.

“…When I get older I will be stronger
They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag
So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag…”
(Waving Flag by K’Naan)

If you watch the World Cup or not, you could not miss the anthem song, as it can be heard everywhere you go. 

If you were to compete or represent your family to the world, what colors would your flag be? What message would you want to give to your fans?

Find the pictures and words and put them on your flag to represent your family, your values and ideas, your mission and your wishes.

I would really love to see your flag! Post a picture or describe it in the comments below!

The best museums and museum exhibits about science or technology give you the feeling that, hey, this is interesting, but maybe I could do something here, too. Paul Allen

Why don’t you spend a hot summer day in the museum?

I am sure there are some great exhibitions and events at the local or near-by museum. Find out if they have something special, like a workshop or hands-on experiments. You can learn something new or relive the past.

Every June we visit the Museum Night, which is held every year for a whole day (and night) at every museum and the custos prepare special workshops, tours and events. Our favorite is going to the school lessons from the past. We get to wear old school uniforms and the lessons are taught in the “old” language. We write with a quill pen and at every lesson there is someone who misbehave and have to kneel on the corn:).

Museums can be as fun as they are educative so don’t avoid them just because its name is a museum and you think of them as bored. Nowadays you can learn through visual, interactive presentations as well as through your own involvement. And what better way to remember than by trying it by yourself. Just make sure you have lots of time as you can easily get carried away.