Indulge me. Take a deep breath in, and exhale. It’s 2019.
Time to take stock and reflect, set goals, make resolutions.
Four days in, I’m still knotted up in details for improving myself. Yes, I’d like a full makeover, but realistically, let’s be kind. So, I’m reminded of a quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of the Mindfulness Revolution. He said, “Until you stop breathing, there’s more right with you than wrong with you.”
Phew, I was holding my breath there. Now there’s a way forward. So how do we know what’s right with us?
Sometimes we get a “mirror” when a compliment or a gift arrives. Someone will say or do something kind for us. Do we graciously take it in, say “Thank you.” Or do we quickly wet-blanket the gesture with a “You shouldn’t have,” indicating we are not open to our own good.
Then there’s the self talk. Often we are our own worst critics? Do you ever cut yourself any slack? What thoughts greet you each day when the alarm goes off? Does that inner voice say, “Oh, @#%&*!, here we go again?”
How about making self-compassion your New Year’s goal. Begin by smiling more in 2019. Smiling increases endorphins, those feel good hormones. Smiling may actually change your mood.
Next, reconfigure your time so online life will balance your offline life. Plan more Human Being time to walk in Nature, spend time with loved ones, connect with people, look into their eyes, listen to them. Take in their compliments. Pause before answering. Notice if you are breathing. “Am I breathing?” is a great way to check in.
Say yes to your humanness. Make yes, yes, yes, a pep cheer. Yes, I’m OK. Yes, I can do this. Yes, I can say “No.” Yes, I can say “Yes.” Affirm yourself daily in small ways.
And make time to nourish yourself by being creative. “….it’s important to set aside time to have your own “human being moments”. One of the most effective ways to center yourself is (by) writing letters. Creating letters and envelope art offers a plethora of benefits: you connect to another person (the letter recipient), you can practice your hand-lettering/calligraphy, and you exercise both creative writing and artistic skills.” https://thepostmansknock.com/
Making better friends with yourself will lay the foundation for success with all those goals and challenges you’ll encounter this year.
Accentuate the positive. Smile to yourself. As long as you’re still breathing, you’re OK. So take another breath in. Exhale. Happy New Year.