One of the things I am most thankful for in life is my heartbeat. I know, it might sound strange, but I have truly learned to be thankful for my heartbeat whenever I can feel it in my chest, neck or wrists. Why you ask? I guess because in all my years of being a physician, I have come to equate the heartbeat as the primary sign of life.

We've all heard that our heartbeat is the sign that we are still alive and well. And that is very true. After all, the heart is the center of our life and that organ that keeps everything else working, so it makes sense that the heartbeat is our sign that life is still flowing through our veins.

Even more symbolically, however, a heartbeat has come to signify to me that I am still having the chance of living and experiencing life. Not just physically, but I've learned that my heartbeat is the symbol that I am alive and still able to be in relationships with people, to do the things I love, and to be a source of bringing good and healing in the world.

Think for a few moments about all of the great things you can do because you have a heartbeat, or because you are living. Think about the way you can enjoy a long day at a beautiful beach or about the way you can cook a fabulous dinner to enjoy with friends. Consider how your heartbeat allows you to spend special moments reading to your children in the evenings or taking a long walk with your dog in the morning. Having a heartbeat is a symbol that life goes on and that all will be well.

If you are truly becoming thankful for your heartbeat, as I hope you are, then you should consider seriously ways to make your heartbeat stronger by really caring for your health and wellness. For example, get outside and get your heartbeat pumping a little faster. Take a brisk walk or a jog and see how good it feels to exercise your heart. And really watch what you are putting into your body. Making wise health and fitness choices is the best thing you can do for your life, and hence for your heartbeat.

I love encouraging my patients to be aware of their heartbeat and to show that they are grateful for life by choosing to live well. So enjoy your heartbeat and be inspired to enjoy your life as well.

When we first decide to make positive changes in our lives, we usually underestimate the amount of effort it will take. It's easy to dream and imagine a better life, but we also need to give form to our thoughts with decisive action. And that's where most of us get stuck.

Imagine that you wanted to build a house, and think about the process that needs to be put into place. You'd need to conceive the idea, buy land, draw up plans, order materials, hire professionals to do the tasks you can't, and finally, begin building the house. If you got as far as purchasing the materials and then sat there waiting for them to magically form themselves into a house, you'd be waiting a long time!

We need to use the same process to "build" the lives we want. We need to be clear on what we want (conceive the idea), draw up plans (set goals), and then take action to form our desires in the physical.

What most of us do, however, is say we want to change, but then act in ways that contradict that desire. There can be many reasons for this, such as the lure of old habits, fear, or low self-worth. Until we resolve the underlying issues, we will keep sabotaging our efforts to change.

If this describes you, and you've been struggling to make positive changes in your life and you just can't seem to do it, here is a 3-step plan to help you break through any walls that may be holding you back:

1) Identify and remove blockages. If you consistently avoid taking the actions that will bring about positive change in your life, there is likely something holding you back. It may be an old belief that you're not worthy of a happy life, or fear that you won't be able to handle the new circumstances, or just plain old resistance to change.

If you take some time to explore these feelings, you will be able to work through any limiting beliefs or fears. In fact, don't be surprised if you discover something about yourself that you never knew existed. You can explore your feelings by either writing them out, or speaking them aloud. You might start off with a prompt such as, "I feel afraid of . . ." or "I feel safe with my life the way it is because . . ." Allow your answers to come freely, and work on changing any thoughts or beliefs that will continue to hold you back.