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A New Year - A New You! by Deborah Vaughan
The festive season is quickly receding into the memory banks, rolled up like yesterday's Christmas ribbon. The tree is gone, the ornaments are packed safely away for another year, and the workaday world has taken hold of our thoughts once more. Yet, more than once over the Holiday Break, while sitting with a cup of tea and watching the snow gently fall or enjoying a good laugh with family, perhaps you thought to yourself, "I need to do this more often..."
There is no question that life gets challenging. We juggle the schedule, spending our days catching up with important demands on our time, often feeling on the edge of exhaustion, overwhelmed and out-of-balance. A few days off from the busy-ness reminds us that the wear-and-tear on our minds, souls and bodies needn't be a constant companion.
As we begin this fresh new year, filled with such potential and promise, there is much we can do right now to bring the equilibrium back into our lives. Little things. Non-stressful activities that will help to centre , ground and recharge us. Here are some suggestions to help make 2004 the best year ever.
1. Stop and ask for directions- Sometimes we need to have a meeting with ourselves and evaluate where we've been and where we wish to go. Take some time for a loving look at your life –no guilt trips or "should have's" allowed. Think about your needs. Think about your desires. Are you happy with the way things are? Is there joy in your life? Love? Satisfying work? Is there a hobby or a dream that you've been keeping on the back burner? Set some priorities and goals to make your needs more concrete, and you begin the process of making them reality.2. Honour Yourself- Sometimes you just have to say no to that dinner invitation or evening meeting. You are a marvellous creation, valuable and precious. Taking time to recharge and feed your spirit is healing and restorative. This can be anything that feeds your soul, from enjoying an hour's pleasant reading to treating yourself to a manicure. We tend to put everybody else's needs before our own and end up feeling cranky and resentful. Look at the calendar and block off some time for you, to do whatever your heart desires.
3. Laugh- Have you looked at people lately? Serious, frowning, stressed...rushing off to that appointment clutching a cell phone in one hand and briefcase in the other. Life is meant to be enjoyed! It is meant to be joyful! When was the last time you had a good, long belly laugh? Remember how relaxed and serene you felt afterwards? A good laugh is like getting a massage and an attitude adjustment at the same time. Laughing is a great release and is known to help in the healing process. Take time to laugh and enjoy the world around you. It really is a very funny place when you think about it....
4. Count your blessings- This is a wonderful stress-buster. When you find yourself going around and around in the "what-ifs" and worry cycle, get a pen and begin to write down all the good things that have happened to you in the past week. Think of the unexpected ways that you have been helped out: the call from a friend when you were lonely or upset; the cheque that came when you needed it the most; the little present from a friend expressing their love. We can choose to let fear and worry darken our world and keep us from truly enjoying life, or we can choose to keep our focus on the good and positive aspects. Practise this and watch how quickly things turn around for the better. As you give thanks, you'll be given more reasons to be thankful!
5. Eat something decadent without guilt- Have that chocolate-amaretto cheesecake. Enjoy the texture and the taste. Savour every bite. So often the judgemental voices in our heads rule the way we act. Just for today, kick back and have the Haagen-Daas... tell the voices to have some, too....
6. Do something nice for someone else, just because... Remember how felt when someone gave you flowers unexpectedly, or the box of expensive chocolates got passed your way? Doing something nice without any thought of reimbursement not only energizes your generosity and goodness, but it honours the recipient's spirit too. Find little ways to be generous. Pay for the person behind you as you go to the drive-thru window, bring flowers to a friend, call someone and reconnect... Reach out and be a blessing by your actions and your words, and watch the universe bring all kinds of nice things your way, too!
7. Affirmations - Our minds are wonderful and amazing structures, but basically they are much like the CPU on your computer. They store data, they keep things running and they operate on a programming basis. And don't we get programmed to think in narrow and unspectacular ways over the course of our lives! We look at miracles with wonder, and yet they are a part of the whole picture –the great cosmos to which we belong, where angels attend us and dreams DO materialize if we only believe in ourselves and our power. The ways of the universe are not merely perceived by our senses and logical understanding , but also by intuition and awareness of the things unseen.
Affirmations work to jump-start our brains into more positive and helpful thought patterns. They can take the form of lengthy ideas or short little phrases to be repeated. For example, if we are afraid, then we can say an affirmation to boost our self-confidence and courage: "I am strong and confident. I have everything I need to walk through this rocky place. All is well with me." If we have debt, then we can say an affirmation to give thanks that all our needs are met: "I give thanks that monies come to me from expected and unexpected sources. I give thanks that the universe is bringing all resources I need to be free of debt. All is well with me."
For any situation or event, saying an affirmation can shift our thinking for the better and usher in many positive changes. Keep your list with you and repeat them throughout the day. Watch the way in which your brain-- and the world-- responds to these powerful words to create a stronger you!
As we move through this year, recognize that we are NOT at the mercy of schedules and other people expectations. We can say no. We can choose to let voice mail take a call as we relax in the tub. We can look at the scenery and wish happiness to the other drivers as we sit in traffic. We can always take a moment to connect with the oneness, the source of love and strength which flows to us at all times. May this year be one of great health and prosperity. All is well!!
