positivity

With all due respect to the fantastic goal gurus out there, this year I start different, and I start new. Here’s how, and 10 reasons why![MOU1] 

My intent today is to leave you with an idea, a thought, and a seed of possibility.  After all, it is through thought first that any physical form can manifest within our earth experience. So as a collective it is important that we begin to look at our thoughts with much more awareness of the ripples they create.

Being mentally strong isn’t something we are born with; it’s a skill we develop over time. And it’s an essential skill—for being mentally tough is like being a superhero in today’s stressful world.

What does it take to be happy? Frankly, a lot. And by a lot, we mean effort, self-thought, self-care, and self-love. Remember, it’s a happy person who can spread happiness!

As the political climate has become more desperate over the past few years, and social media has become a powerful force in all of our lives, it’s no wonder many people are left feeling confused, empty, disconnected, and lost. To avoid these feelings, we often turn to reckless or careless behavio or just plain old denial. Unfortunately, none of these strategies is effective, and we are left feeling just as bad, or worse, about the whole situation.

I hear the word “enlightenment” thrown around a lot. It has traction that has launched a very lucrative t-shirt and trinket industry. I recently found myself wondering, “That’s nice, but what does enlightenment actually MEAN?” When I looked up the definition, I saw that several explanations were listed…Some feel it is attaining an awareness of God consciousness. Some feel that it is transcending duality and living in a perpetual state of bliss.

Perhaps the commonest resolution people make is to be happier—we all want to be more joyful, more satisfied, and a sated soul in life. But mostly, we go about it the wrong way. Instead of making happiness a goal, make it journey. Making it a goal means you will let things interfere with it, letting hurdles come into the way of true happiness. Making it a journey means you will teach yourself to smile through it all—and by the end of the year realize that your basket of joy is overflowing—enough for you to share the love and make the world a happier place!

I’ve always loved that patch of stillness that succeeds the holidays: No work, no school, no parties to prepare for or gifts to buy. The sun doesn’t rise until 7:20 and it sets again just after 5, abandoning well over half of the day’s 24 hours to darkness. For me, this means I can embrace my tendencies toward hibernation without feeling antisocial. The first quiet days of January feel like a reprieve from the tumult of the previous year.

With jingling bells at every corner and cheery lights decking every store, December is a truly happy month. Add to that hot soups, eggnog, cakes and pies, and shopping by the dozen, and you get a season that can make you joyful inside and out.

“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”

—Steve Jobs