NO RESOLUTIONS, NO GOALS
Here are some powerful tips to help you as you start the new year:
1 > Be nice to yourself
This is the only way to get to your heart, to honor it, to heal it, and to nourish it. Don’t be harsh. Don’t beat yourself up for what you don’t have or haven’t done. Look at yourself with kindness.
2 > Allow your heart to reveal your innermost joy, wishes, and your dreams
Make it a habit to pause and check in regularly with your heart of hearts. Tune in with curiosity and courage, as Elizabeth Gilbert encourages. Let your fears be; don’t give them too much time of your day. Breath in. You’re fine. Let down your guard, and your iron fist. As Gabrielle Bernstein says, step back and let the universe do its thing.
3 > Allow yourself joy
Whether it’s the joy to dance, to draw, to lay in bed a minute longer to pray for a good day. The joy to write in your journal. The joy to play with your kids. The joy to cook, the joy to see your friends, and the joy to be by yourself.
4 > Take your wishes seriously
Think of them like you would of your body, because your heart, your mind, and your body are a unit. Do you want a change? Do it. Does your current lifestyle support your wishes? If not, change it, one step at a time. Do you want a different job? Search for one. Remember to think about what you like to do first. Then, identify ways to get paid, whether taking on a job, or working for yourself. Are you frustrated with your housing situation? Look for a more suitable place, even if it means to downsize. Are you unhappy in your relationship? Commit to more kindness and empathy, or leave it behind. Do you want to be healthier and leaner? Watch what you eat, go out for longer walks or runs until you sweat, or dance your butt off. Nourish your gut as much as your skin. Nourish your mind as much as your body. Nourish your heart as much as your mind and body.
5 > Let your dreams project what they will
Your dreams are the painters of your inner wishes. Your dreams hold the map to your future happy self. They point to where your heart wants to be. Have you been dreaming to move away? Have you been dreaming to start a business? Have you been dreaming about committing to your relationship? Have you been dreaming to go on adventures? To start a blog? To do art? To learn about science? Welcome those dreams, don’t send them away. Not so fast. They are your heart’s way to align with your actions.
6 > Don’t set goals. Set intentions
Align your actions with your joys and your wishes and your dreams. Set intentions. My dream is that this year I will finish my book. My intention is to write a little bit every day, even if it’s just a paragraph. Every morning, spend an extra few minutes in bed, and with your eyes closed, let your heart reveal your two-three wishes for the day. Remind yourself of your intentions at lunchtime. Calibrate your actions and align with your heart regularly through the day. This way you’ll optimize your life on a daily basis.
7 > Upkeep your body so you can upkeep your mental health and focus
Choose your sport with kindness and firmness. It has to be joyful and it has to be regular. I don’t like gyms, and I used to not like to run. But I found in recent years that I do enjoy running. It helped me keep my weight stabile, and and my mind calm. I sometimes stopped running to cry. I have been healing my heart this way. I learned a few years ago to pair an activity that tend to procrastinate with an activity I love. I paired running with listening to podcasts I love. Find your pair and do it regularly, whatever that means to you. Be kind to yourself. You can do it, and you deserve it.
8 > Honor your every day by writing down a few thoughts in your journal
I do mine on Google docs, and I can easily find what I wrote this time a year ago. It’s fun and revealing.
9 > Be brave so you can be authentic
You are unique, and what works for others doesn’t always work for you.
“It takes courage
to do what you want.
Other people
have a lot of plans for you.
Nobody wants you to do
what you want to do.
They want you to go on their trip,
but you can do what you want.”
- Joseph Campbell
I did. I went away for a year with my family. I fulfilled a life long dream to take my family back to my homeland of Romania. I travelled through Europe, and through my own soul. What came out from fulfilling this old wish was incredible. I started my own research consulting company. I started a happiness research project. I am half way writing my first book. I am a more thoughtful and more compassionate mom than I was before.
May your deepest wishes come true in this year! May you be happy!
Raise your glass. Here is to more happiness and less suffering. To more artful living and less pain.
#elizabethgilbert #josephcampbell # wisdom # newyear
