I spent several days over Christmas and New Year's Eve going through all of my stuff. I discovered a lot about myself and my things. I have over 700 books, and some of them I didn't even know I had.
I love books! Just being surrounded by them makes me feel great. As if all that knowledge will seep into my brain, just by being in the same room with them. I find them comforting to read and also just to look at on the shelves.
I have hundreds of cassette tapes and CD's and DVD's as well, and this week I found several that I thought were long gone. I discovered items in the cupboards that I had totally forgotten about. I found things I once cherished and felt so happy to see them again, the way you would a long lost friend. I felt compelled to do this de-cluttering.
I am not really sure why. Perhaps because a New Year was right around the corner and I wanted to start it being clear in all areas of my life. When my home is out of balance, I feel the same way myself, and so, I needed to make things right. It feels wonderful to walk around here now. Much more alive and free and easy.
Today, I am going to think about, get clear about, what it is I would like to accomplish in this new year. I am going to think about the things that would bring me joy and a sense of fulfillment. I am not going to make a list of things I must do, should do, have to do. No! I am goint to make a list of only those things I have always truly longed to do.
Last year, I took a class from a woman who is a ?doer?. She usually has about 15 projects on the go all the time, and accomplishes almost all of them, one after the other, and while I felt a great deal of admiration for her, I couldn't help but also feel exhausted just watching her.
We live in a world where ?doing? is considered much more important than just ?being?. We place much more importance on what a person ?has to SHOW for themselves?, than what a person IS!
Sometimes, it is fun to get things done, and sometimes, it is not. Sometimes, it just feels right to do NOTHING! When I was sick several months ago, this became so clear to me. I had no choice but to just lie down and rest and do nothing, and turn everything over to a higher power. Part of me felt so relieved. Ironically, things worked out just fine without me being there trying to make something happen.
I guess the point I am trying to make here is: do whatever you feel called to do. If that means cleaning out your cupboards, then do that. If it means setting yourself some significant goals for the New Year, then by all means get out your pen and paper and make your list.
You may find yourself listing as one of your goals: time for yourself, time to just sit and daydream, time to listen to the birds sing and watch the flowers grow, time to walk in a forest and hear the message in a babbling brook, time to delight in a beautiful sunrise and mellow in the setting sun, time to be alone and revel in your most cherished memories, time to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of camomile tea.
Dear Heart, my wish for you this New Year is that you take the time to laugh, and dream, and cry, and plan, and sing, and dance, and savor, and devour, and watch, and witness, and meditate, and contemplate, and remember, and forget, and allow, and wish, and just BE, the beautiful, wonderful, resourceful, brilliant, spectacular being, you already are.
Copyright (c) 2008 Veronica Hay
Are you easily distracted?
Most people cannot focus on a goal, without getting ?side tracked.? When this cannot be helped, you can develop a new skill set, through meditation, self-hypnosis, or by learning not to give up. You can learn to meditate in a variety of ways. At my site, we have a course, but you can also find Yoga classes where meditation is taught. There are many good books and CD's. A very good CD is Meditation Made Simple by John Daniels.
Picture it like this: Christopher Columbus truly had a one-dimensional personality; he was focused on finding an alternate route to Asia, to the point of being a poor ?family man.? However, unlike most people, he stayed focused and never gave up.
Now you don't have to give up everything in life to achieve a goal, but you have to focus on your goal, avoid giving up, getting depressed, and make up your mind to enjoy the journey. It is still wise to have a complete life by allowing time for your family and friends. If you stay on a straight course, you will be ?ahead in the game,? but you will have to mentally focus on your end result, even in bad economic times.
Can you rationally separate good advice from bad?
You will hear many opinions ? some will be constructive, and others will be useless. You will have to know the difference, by evaluating all advice without emotion, and with an open mind.
Is the ultimate reward worth the cost and sacrifice?
You should already know that you may invest time, money, work, or all three, to reach your ultimate goal. Envision yourself reaching your ultimate objective, and if it is worth all of the sacrifice, then you should move on to the next step.
Start moving forward now. If you didn't write your goals down, evaluate them, and prioritize them, you should go back to part one again, to finish that assignment. Much similar to a business, you must have a written plan to move forward.
Just don't worry about getting it perfect. None of us ever do, and your plans will change as you go. In fact, life is adapting to a constantly changing universe. Most of us cannot accurately predict the cycles of the economy. We design a plan and prepare to turn on a dime, if necessary. Everything in life is subject to change and all of us have to accept it.
Realizing this, you now proceed with caution toward your short-term goals. Once you have designed your plan, there is no need to ?wait until next year.?
Put your plan into action and take one forward step at a time. This one step is the biggest of all your steps, and your commitment to succeed is your ?guiding light.?
Now, what were the ?hidden treasures? you found in part two? The answer is focus, commitment, and acceptance. You already have them; all you need to do is get the most out of what you already have.
Both Veronica Hay & Paul M. Jerard Jr. are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Veronica Hay has sinced written about articles on various topics from Religion, self improvement and motivation and Fitness. Veronica Hay is the author of In a Dream, You Can Do Anything, A Collection of Words, An Extraordinary Collection Of Writings That Will Uplift You, Motivate You, Inspire You, And Gently Guide You Along The Inner Path Of Your Life. An Inspirational CardSho. Veronica Hay's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Paul M. Jerard Jr. has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Yoga Practice and Anger Control. Paul Jerard, is a co-owner/director of Yoga teacher training at Aura Wellness Center. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and se. Paul M. Jerard Jr.'s top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.