What is your New Year's resolution?

Please consider sharing your New Year's resolution with other readers. It can be a very powerful way to reinforce what you plan to achieve in the new year. Putting it in writing makes it more tangible and real. It also makes you accountable. The new year is ripe with opportunity. Empower yourself and make a resolution that enables you to live how you truly desire to live.

Here is my resolution:

I resolve to have complete trust and faith in myself, what the universe brings about and in God (my heart, my inner wisdom, my higher self).

I chose this resolution because so many good things arise from faith and trust. Perhaps all good things!
I desire to trust and have faith 100% of the time so that is what I am pursuing.  

What about you? Make it bigger than you deem possible. Follow through with actions to bring it into your life!

Happy New Year!

Give yourself the gift of peace! (Internally Grateful Newsletter Volume 16)

Happy Holidays! 

Action for the week:

I want to help you feel good this week. This is my gift to you.

Certainly there are many things in our lives that we can feel concerned about, worry about and endlessly stress about. Unfortunately, we very easily connect with negativity and stress, and have to go all out to make a special effort to feel good about our lives. Well, here is your opportunity to give yourself the break that you need and feel good about your life.

Drop everything and go off into a quiet space...clear your head and focus on your breathing. Intend to feel good no matter what is happening in your life. Allow yourself to drop all your worries and cares. Allow yourself to connect on another level with yourself, deep within. Do this for a few minutes.

Keep breathing deeply and relax your body fully. Connect with your life force. See your current stress as a reflection of fear and nothing else. Know that you are not alone and that you have a loving voice within that would like to speak to you and help you find peace. Sit quietly and let your loving voice surface.

Ask your loving voice about any concerns that you have and openly receive its comfort. Ask for solutions and suggestions to help you feel good about what lies ahead. Ask your loving voice to relieve you of your stress and help you see life differently. See how your hurt yourself needlessly and take on a loving perspective.

Keep breathing and relaxing until you shift and see the light within. Be patient and just let it happen; take the time required to feel good and the light within.

Continue to feel good for a little bit longer. Feel this loving energy throughout your entire body and mind. See the light within in your mind's eye and feel it consume you.  

Thought for the week:

Let your loving voice consume you.

My Artwork

I have some of my artwork displayed in a wonderfully inviting and warm coffeehouse in Barrington. At the moment, four of my paintings are on display. The atmosphere is great and the coffee is absolutely superb. There are about six other artist's works on display. Be sure to have a cup of coffee. They sell locally roasted coffee beans too. You will enjoy it!

Here is a link to Cook St. Coffee in Barrington.

Feel Joyful

The holidays are upon us. This is a very stressful time for many people and for obvious reasons. Sometimes it is related to all the expectations we place on ourselves. Another major cause of distress are the ideals that we have regarding what we expect the holidays to feel like and actually be like. We often have expectations that are unrealistic. We want the perfect menu, to find the perfect gifts, and have perfect moments with the people that we care about. We have the holidays all perfectly designed and planned within our minds.

Too much importance is placed on creating perfection (our version of it) and expecting what the holidays should be. Starting now, let yourself feel and be joyful. Allow yourself to let go of your expectations, no matter how big and small they are, and feel joy instead.

We think that our distress is largely related to too much to do and all the other activities that the holidays bring, however, it is really related to how you feel inside. Stop trying so hard and go with the flow of life. Stop expecting and start accepting.

It is time to feel joy. Focus on allowing joy to be your priority. You can, you know that, right? Be driven by joy, not gifts, tasks, chores or making a good impression. You cannot control how other people act or what they choose to do, BUT you can choose to feel joy in spite of what others choose.

My holiday wish for you is that you will feel an abundance of joy. Give yourself the gift of joy above all else. This will make your holiday season truly perfect!

Internally Grateful Weekly Newsletter, Volume 14

Relax, it all will get done.

 

Action for the week:

I know that you have too much to do. We all do at times and sometimes all too often! This is when you have to be stronger than your conditioned mind. You have a story playing in your head and it goes something like this...

First the to-do-list is recited in your head. Then thoughts of how you can rush through the day and get a portion of it done. Or perhaps you are trying to figure out how you can get three weeks of tasks done in one day (like that is even the slightest bit realistic) and you feel pressured that you will never be able to get it all done. 

You body tenses up and then more feelings of inadequacy start surfacing and then you feel even worse than you did before. Not helpful in the least!

Unfortunately, many people excel at self-torture. I certainly have but I learned that very often it is just a bad habit. A habit that can be broken. You are not going to participate in any self-torture this holiday season. Here is what you are going to do to kick the habit:

When you start going to the dark places, pressuring yourself and feeling inadequate, simply stop yourself right then and there. Say to yourself that you are no longer going to play this game. It is a game after all. Tell yourself that you are going to be relaxed and that you are going to interject a new story: I will get it all done. 

If it is helpful make a list of what needs to be done and then write a realistic target date for completion. Do what is most important and urgent first. Don't add any drama to the process.

Another important thing to do is ask for help. Look

for ways to ease your burden and enlist a bit of help! 

Thought for the week:

I will get it all done. I feel relaxed and good

about my ability to get done what needs to get done.

Peace of mind is at the top of my list!