Welcome to the new year my friends. I hope you are over that fuzzy headed, blind-eyed bleary New Year’s Day haze. I keep thinking, how am I going to make my first post of the year inspiring for you. What can I do or say to make it pack a punch (but not too big of a punch) that will start our year together off in a bright and happy way. Well, after 2 gazinta (Yiddish word for ginormous) glasses of wine, a little insomnia and a stressed teenager, I have it! Voila! The first bean post of the year is going to be about the things I learned in 2016. That’s right my caffeinating crew, let’s review, and remind ourselves why we do this every day. And by this, I mean life. How can we make it really count?
My first post, my sweet, wide eyed caffeinators, is going to be a list of the habits and attitudes I began to focus on last year. Of course, I need to continue blazing my trail learning more, sharing more and living more in the way that I want to live, but that all stems from attitude and habit. So, without further ado…
8 Things That Should Shape Your Life (based on personal growth experience)
- Say Thank You. Do it, go on, thank everyone for everything. The bagger at the market, your spouse for putting petrol in the car, your kids for cleaning up, your dog for making you walk. Come on- just do it- all the time! Make it a habit that becomes second nature- heck, thank your socks for warming your tootsies, and by all means, thank the great and powerful Mr. Coffee for those much-needed morning beans.
- Practice Gratitude. Before you go off- no, this is not the same as being thankful. Recognize how lucky you are, and appreciate what life has given you. Honest. I consider myself completely grateful for my writing – I can work from home, on the sofa, birds on my head and dog on my lap, coffee in hand, and it’s all good. I have good friends, good food and a roof overhead, and an awesome family. Yep, that my petal pretty petunias, is gratitude. Tip of the day: #1 put into practice makes this a super easy attitude to adopt.
- Mindfulness. You knew this was in my top three, come on now. Life coaching classes and psychology tasks are making me realize (as I tell you all the time) that it’s all about being present, and in the moment. It makes you appreciate all the little things. I am still a work in progress, and that’s how we should all be. So tune in, tune out and pay attention to this exact minute.
- Have a Mantra. This kind of goes along with my newly learned meditation skills. I’m not all about the “ohm,” but I try a few common themes. “Today will be a better day.” “I will live the life I want.” “Calm, breathe and release,” and so on. So create your own mantra my beautiful peeps, and let the love flow over your life of mindful gratitude. (There’s a wrapped-up mouthful, lol)
- Imagining my day. So, I can’t reinvent the wheel, stop carpool or the shiz that life tosses at me, but I can try to plan my day for the least amount of stress. Every morning, I wake up (alright, I know, plagued by insomnia I’m already up before the sun). Anyway my lovelies, I stretch, breathe, and think, as I brush my teeth, of what I have planned for the day. I believe myself when I say that it will be a good day. Confidence and mindfulness are the team players here, but it helps. Really. It makes all the cruddy stuff seem not to bad, and I can focus on the pleasant sides of today.
- Pay it Forward. That’s right, give it back. The secret to a good life, is to give back. It’s not necessary to flaunt your volunteer time, donations, or whatever, but it’s a real pick me up. Think about when you have a coffee with a friend who just needs to talk, and how they’ve been there for you. It’s amazing how once you extend yourself, it keeps coming back to you, over and over and over.
- Intention. Do things with intent, stop flying by the seat of your pants. It’s like my meditation class – I have to purposefully breathe, feel my body, feel the universe. It’s all about finding purpose in what you do. Think about the questions “why am I here?” “what is my purpose in life?” And really give the answers thought and credence.
- Understand that success comes in many ways. And there is plenty of success to go around. Just because it takes you longer, or you feel like everyone around you is celebrating success, doesn’t mean it’s not in the cards for you. No one is withholding it from you, taunting you; so let go of the little green eyed monster. Here’s a little trick – wish that happy success on your friend, and watch it come back to you. Maybe not immediately, but a better opportunity will be there. Be patient.
Understand that I still have a daily battle in my mind. I try to be happy. But it’s a struggle. I often find myself surrounded by negativity, or I feel like a failure, but I do try to stay positive. I run between the happy hippy and goth girl, but both have their merits.
It means I am human, (albeit sometimes a frustrated, snappy, defensive one) All those amazing things I just listed for you – heck, they are keeping me in check. They are helping me to move ahead – to lean more towards the person I want to be, the one you all think I am. But like I said, I am a work in progress. Thanks for taking the journey with me. We’re going to have a great year.
Stay motivated and caffeinated!😉☕
Happy New Year!