A Gratitude Jar For 2013

Happy Belated New Year!  

Usually we start the New Year off with resolutions, which is a good thing.  Make them working goals to reach by year's end. That takes a little pressure off and gives you a whole year to work on those things that need to be worked on.

Another thing you might consider is a gratitude jar.  The above floated around on Facebook prior to year end and it looked like a wonderful idea. I happen to have one, so decided to start one of my own.

It doesn't have to be a jar, you could get a nice decorative box and place your pieces of paper in there.

Before bed just remember to write down everything wonderful that happens during your days, fold the  paper and put it in your jar or box.

Here's to many blessings throughout the year!

Happy 2013!

New Year's Resolutions How To- out with the old, in with the new

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”  Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The start of a new year is the perfect time to transform our lives by discarding what is no longer useful or helpful to us, be that physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. It's also a great opportunity to embrace the things that will benefit us and make us better human beings. Making those annual 'New Year's resolutions' is a great way of implementing that change, as long as we are realistic and don't berate ourselves at the end of the year for failing to achieve all of our goals. But go ahead and make that list, and keep checking back to reaffirm what it is you want to accomplish during the year, remembering that things can change, and that's okay.

Here are some steps to help you along the way.

1. Determine what you want:  Think about what it is you really want your  life to be, who you want to be. What are your dreams and aspirations?  What would you like to accomplish?  The more passionate you are about it, the more likely it is you will bring about that change.


2. Write them down:  It's important to put it in writing, plus you will have it there for reference throughout the year. Being very specific often helps certain individuals, since it gives them something to work towards. On the other hand being too specific could set you up for failure, so if you are one of those types it's probably best to be a little more ambiguous about the things you want to accomplish. For example, if you'd like to lose some weight or exercise more, rather than giving yourself a specific objective, be more general:  "I want to lose weight" rather than "I want to lose 20 pounds".  Personally, I'd love to lose 10 pounds, but I'd be happy with 5. 

3. Write in the affirmative: When making resolutions or affirmations, it's very important to write in the affirmative rather than the negative. "I want to be more patient with people" is far more powerful than "I no longer wish to be impatient with people." 
4. Visualize achieving your goals: Picture yourself doing or being whatever it is you want to achieve. How does that feel? What does it look like in your mind's eye. Feel the actual emotions of being or doing whatever it is you want to be or do. Act as if.

5. Plan of Action:  You might also want to write down a step by step plan on how you intend to reach your goals. And some of your goals might be interconnected.  Say you want to lose weight and you also want to exercise more, exercising more will be part of the plan to help you lose those extra pounds. If you want to be more loving and generous, detail the ways in which you might do that, and whether that will entail money or actions: by donating to charitable organizations or donating your time to help someone in need. Detailing those plans gets you steps closer to achieving them.  It's like a contract between you and the universe.

Whether you have a few resolutions or a long list, keep in mind that as you travel through the year things could and will change. Be flexible. Some goals might not seem as important and will drop off your list, and you might wind up adding some along the way. 

Remember, you always have each day to regroup and start afresh and the effort is what is most important.

Happy New Year 2012

I think for many, including myself, 2011 has been challenging at best.  Finances and health have been a major struggle this past year. Thankfully, the latter part of the year brought some stability to my health issues, the Ulcerative Colitis is completely in remission, with only some minor digestive issues unrelated to the UC. The pain is almost to the pre-procrit days, and I attribute that to the tart cherry juice and Wobenzyme tablets, which I take daily. I hardly notice it at all, and am very grateful for that.  However the finances continued, until the end, to be rather pitiful.

When I lived in Quito Ecuador (for two years as a teen), tradition was to burn the old year (Año Viejo) in effigy on New Year's Eve. We'd  head out to Amazonas Street (one of the main drags which was blocked off on December 31) and we'd walk up and down enjoying the street entertainment and the burning of the effigies.

This year I wouldn't have minded having a 2011 effigy to burn, but instead I cleaned my house, made myself some collard greens and black-eyed peas, ate some grapes, and am good to go. I'm really not a superstitious person, but thought it would be fun to try some new, New Year's traditions.

We start every year with a new slate, and I am looking forward to making it a good one. 

Make some New Year's resolutions, but make them do-able. Of course, the most important thing to do is to re-connect with your spiritual objectives, because everything else falls into place when you are aligned.

I wish you peace, joy, abundance and above all else good health.

Many blessings!