Happiness. Lives can become so chaotic and cluttered with negativity. It's so easy to allow these things to tear us apart and wreak havoc on our mind & spirit. Once our minds start to drift down that path, it can take a miracle sometimes to re-route our thoughts.
My soul has grown a tremendous amount in the last year. Spiritual growth, but also just a deep down soul growth. I began practicing yoga this year (check out inner bliss studio and tell them I sent you). After my first time going, I made a pact with myself that I would go at least once a week. No matter what it took to get me there...my family made it happen. It's me time. It's time to take a deep breath and reflect my thoughts inward after spending the day taking care of everyone else. It's time to cleanse away all the dark thoughts and clean out the clutter...like hydrogen peroxide bubbling in a deep dirty wound. It's time to stretch and take care of my body. I have learned so much about myself through this practice and I can't wait to see where it takes me.
Taking care of others. I made a personal decision this year to start being more charitable. With my time, my money, my efforts & thoughts. The rewards have been bigger than I ever could have imagined. One of our pastors said he had an account that each month he would pick out a charity/person/organization to donate $100 to. He would sit down with his kids..and they would decide together where the money should go. I thought that was a fantastic idea to get your kids in the spirit of giving. My kids are a little too young to understand this right now, but I've made a conscious effort to do this myself. It is so uplifting to help someone else. In the end.....it lifts you up more than it lifts the receiver. I find that if we don't make a purposeful effort to set aside money for giving, it ends up being spent frivolously on things that don't matter.
I found a new charity that I plan to start volunteering my time with. It's something I am very passionate about, and I will go into more detail later. I know these experiences will change me...challenge me to grow...and broaden my horizons. I'm attending a workshop in a few weeks, and then I will have more details about the new opportunity.
Efforts & thoughts- I've taken more time to take care of those around me. To reach out and offer a hand, to pray for those who are struggling, and to offer words of encouragement. Again. This has touched me in so many ways. Another huge one...compliments! Everyone loves compliments, but how many times do you say in your head "cute purse", "wow she looks pretty", "he did a great job on that project". I feel we have gotten so closed off as a society that people find it akward to throw out a compliment to someone. In the last year or two...I've made a conscious effort to compliment people and you would not believe how it blows their mind. (guys...hint...girls love to be called skinny). You are carrying on with your gloomy day (if you live in Cleveland)....you tell someone you love their new haircut...watch their whole world light up! They will feel 50x better and you will feel 100x better. It doesn't cost anything.....and its even more rewarding when you do it to a total stranger. If you see a Mom hauling her kids around...trying to keep everyone in order, while simultaneously trying to run errands...tell her she's doing an awesome job. You will change her life without costing you a nickel.
Prayer. I've been praying a lot more. I decided it's time to stop relying on myself for everything and start trusting God a little more. I've been diving into my Bible to learn more and challenge myself. I've connected myself with a group of people at church...and we've formed a bond that can't really be described. It's been an amazing year spiritually.....and this is just the beginning.
Forgiving. This has been huge for me. I tend to be one of those people that carries around a lot of baggage in this department. If someone has wronged me, it tends to consume me in the darkest way. This year....I began forgiving......everyone. It has set me free. Do you have a grudge against someone? Is this negativity holding you back? I challenge you to be up front with that person and tell them you forgive them. Your world will change. The more we despise someone/something, we tend to treat them poorly. The worse we treat someone, internally we feel bad, and despise them even more. Its a vicious cycle.....and the answer is forgiveness. Openly forgive someone and it will set you free of this destructive path.
Find something that makes you happy. There's so much out there.....submerse yourself in it. Relax. Don't take yourself so seriously. Don't worry about what other people are up to....its just a waste of time. Push out the negativity.....cleanse yourself with deep breaths whenever you are being challenged. Find your own ways to lift your spirit........especially while lifting others.
Namaste!
(Womens Health Magazine)
