New Year: Better You

Every day we wake up is a new start to our lives; a chance to be better, kinder, happier. So it only seems fitting that today’s post be about exactly that. With today marking the first day of 2019 we have 364 days of new opportunities before us. How will we choose to spend them?

Every year we spend time making superficial New Year’s Resolutions that we give up on two weeks into the year. And while “giving up this”, “cutting back on this”, “losing this much” and so on aren’t bad resolutions… they are futile when not met with a plan of action. And that’s really what I want to talk to you about today: planning to make 2019 a year for a better you.

For me the first step is always self-care. You can’t pour from an empty cup. So grab a pen and paper and make a list of at least ten things that replenish you. Ten things that make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated. If you’re having trouble thinking of some here are some ideas: taking a warm bubble bath, coloring, a walk in nature, yoga, painting your nails, building/crafting something, baking, riding your motorcycle, hunting, fishing- whatever soothes YOUR soul. Now hang this list somewhere you can see it and make sure you do one of these a day at least 5 days a week. Keep your cup full.

Now that your cup is full we can move on to step two: spreading kindness. There are endless amounts of ways to spread kindness. Maybe you hold the door for a stranger, pay for someone’s coffee, babysit for a friend, volunteer, send flowers, compliment someone, help someone move, etc. There is no limit to how small or how big an act of kindness needs to be. All acts of kindness… are still kind. (Don’t ever forget that!) When we spread kindness to others it has a double effect. It not only makes the person receiving our kindness feel good, but it also makes us feel good too. I challenge you to do this at a bare minimum of once a week. If you’re not used to interacting with strangers, that’s okay, you can spread kindness to people you know or are comfortable with. Just make sure you eventually work your way out of your comfort zone. The high you get from helping a stranger will far outweigh any awkward feelings you have, I assure you.

Now your cup is full and you are helping others. What’s the next step? Be thankful. I think one of the most important things in life is gratitude. Being grateful has the power to root out any negativity you’re holding on to. The obvious way to be thankful is to say, “Thank you.” when someone shows you a kindness. Another way that has been proven effective to boost the spirits is to keep a gratitude journal. This can literally be as simple as verbally announcing three things you are grateful for each night. You don’t even have to write it down! My personal favorite is thank you notes. Something about sending/receiving little notes of appreciation is so satisfying to my soul. Did you get a fabulous new hair-do? Send your hairdresser a little note about how much you love it and what a wonderful job they did! Just had an interview at a place you’ve been dying to work at? Send them a short email thanking them for considering you for the position. Etc. and so on.

I am a firm believer that the vibes we send in to the Universe come back to us tenfold. When we make time for ourselves, time to spread kindness to others, and time to be grateful for what we have and for what others have done for us we are putting positive energy in to the Universe and hence opening ourselves up to receive positive energy back. When life knocks us down it can be very easy to focus on the negative. “Why did this happen to me?” And sometimes that can be a fair question. It’s okay to be down or feel sad for a while. It’s okay to not understand why something bad has happened. But don’t stay there. Don’t get stuck focusing on that negative thing. Let the feelings pass through you and then do your best to focus on the positive again. Every time you feel your mind veering back towards the negative-re focus it on the positive things. We cannot control what others do or outside things that occur to us, but we can always control how we respond to them.

So let’s make 2019 a year for a better us. Let’s promise ourselves to be kinder, gentler, more thoughtful, more mindful… more positive. Spread love, my little doves. And have a Happy New Year.

Don't make a wish. Make a plan...