More giggling in the New Year…what a concept and totally attainable. Even for this fresh, brand new 50 year old from 2013!
In the spirit of not overburdening ourselves with too many ideas and goals and resolutions – I’m keeping this post short and hopefully, very sweet for you.
What I’ve always found with “New Year’s Resolutions” is that it mostly weighs people down with goals and overwhelms us in so many ways – especially if the resolutions are struggles and aren’t being adhered to and we fail. We ultimately start with negative chatter in our minds and disappointing ourselves and this really makes no one happy – especially us. Time to say “NO” to these harsh and restrictive goals.
Sometimes it’s just simply too much to burden our minds with ideas that we aren’t good enough (for example, if I lose 40 lbs. – then I will be happy and like who I am) and create resolutions that are monumentally huge and in the end, unattainable. Letting go of these difficult goals and expectations releases stress and the internal struggle that can cripple our chance for our connection to contentment. I like to think of it this way that only loving your body when it is perfectly in shape is like only loving your daughter, when she was little, if she was perfectly behaved.
It’s time to stop struggles and realize happiness and acceptance comes from within. 2014 is the year that we stop comparing ourselves to others and realize that “acceptance of what is”, is the new way to ease stress. Sure there’s nothing wrong with setting goals like losing weight but an easier goal might be to drink a green smoothie every morning for 7 days to become healthier, and then losing weight would be the side benefit and does not define the goal. If your goal of eating healthier is aligned with bigger goals you can honestly feel good about, that have nothing to do with what your scale says, your likelihood of success and not sabotaging yourself will be huge. Think about maybe supporting the right businesses (local) and care about the environment and maybe only buying what you need for that day (so there is no waste) and what makes you feel good (on every level), at Farmer’s Markets (helping local farmers) and embark on living a sustainable life with healthy whole, plant-based foods (the healthiest way to go). This goal suddenly becomes larger than you and it becomes a pleasure to share and contribute to. This is a win-win for the planet and your body.
2014 is my year to be gentle and kind to me. Deeply accepting of my mind, body, soul and all those crazy, spicy, passionate dreams and emotions. THIS is me! I get it now! The more resistance I have towards me and that I should talk, look, eat, or even behave a certain way, the more I’m not aligned with who I am. I mean, if I don’t like who I am or if I don’t want to be with me, than who does? “May we all accept who we are and find joy and love within”. This is where the giggling comes in…. the power to laugh at myself and let it all go with love for me. I like to call this Self-Compassion.
2014 will mean surrendering to an easier life without resistance and celebrate everything this life has given me. For me, simplicity at home and at work equals deeper joy, better health, real contentment and ultimately, more creativity. More than anything else, when I feel like I’m far away from myself and I’ve lost touch with my creative side, it’s because I haven’t aligned myself with my authentic world and there are too many distractions. May we all let go of struggles, harsh people and critical words and breathe new inspiring words and kindness into each of one of us – including ourselves.
2014 is about loving my life and stop chasing bright, shiny objects. I mean, if I have that material object – is it really going to make me happy? The more we attach ourselves to our outside possessions and shiny things, funny enough, the more stress comes into our lives. It’s time to re-assess what is most valuable to our joy. Simple Living.
My giggle today (for the first day of the new year) was with my husband, Ken.
Picture this: It’s 5:30am and he got up to go to the bathroom. In his ever-cuteness and typically total nakedness, he tiptoed in the dark to not awaken me in his adorable stealth manner. Not realizing that I was already wide awake – I’m such a light sleeper; I actually can hear a pin drop (or even his toes crack) and he knows it. So, I got to witness this sight this morning of the outline of Ken, his hair a mess, his arms outstretched to the side, high on his tippy toes, this larger than life man, slowly and gently making his way to the bathroom – just like a cartoon character. I had this huge infectious smile on my face and when he did the same thing to make his way back to bed the identical way, the giggles just bursted out of me and he started laughing too. What a way to start my day.
If you take the time to slow down and embrace your beautiful life, these giggles are all around us and sometimes; it only takes a new shift in thinking to start them flowing.
Who said at 50, you can’t giggle? I think that’s exactly what the world needs more of it.
Inspire. Peace. Love…2014
