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Created By: Sybil R. Smith
Thriving in life begins with creating momentum for growth. Momentum comes when we clear out the "junk" of our life. It only comes when there is room to grow.
You know, the stuff you don't want, the stuff that aggravates you, the stuff that holds you back from being a radiant and successful YOU! Here is your Personal Checklist to get started releasing...
- Release the junk to Goodwill.
Have you noticed how much stuff you accumulated this year? We are master collectors. Clearing out the physical stuff can clear the way for mental and emotional possibility. Get your girlfriends together, find a truck, and have a party! Give away those old clothes. Give away the little plastic plates you used in college. Give away anything you haven't touched in the past year. The bonus for this clearing out is that being generous just feels good! What a great way to start your journey.
- Say goodbye to that unhealthy habit.
Everybody has unhealthy habits and lifestyles. Junk food. No exercise. Smoking. Biting your nails. Procrastination. Complaining. We all do it. And here is why New Year's resolutions don't work - these are huge lifestyle changes that happen over time. Resolutions as we normally see them are things that can happen immediately, be conquered quickly, and then we're done. This can be the start you need by intending to change these habits over time and learning to be patient with yourself.
- Give up being busy.
Quiet time is a tremendous healer. Our world is moving so fast now, we hardly have time to blink. Feelings of being rushed, pushed, pulled, hurried, etc. are choices that we make. Be on the offensive team by creating clear time in your day for quiet - every day. Be still.
- Release the stored emotions.
We have lots of feelings swirling around inside us all the time. We are feeling beings. Through the year though, we often ignore the need to express those feelings. Review your emotional year, and LET IT OUT! Find the memories that still hold intensity, and find a way to let it go. Your Journey to Thrival needs to begin with a clean spirit.
- Get rid of those little reminders of your unhappy self.
As a teenager, I was quite the depressed little girl. I did what most depressed teenage girls do...I wrote it ALL down. I had quite a collection of journals, all filled up with depressed, unhappy thoughts. Why did I keep them? It was safe, and it reminded me of "who I was." On my journey toward Joy, I was held back by keeping those journals and thoughts. The remedy? I shredded them, page by page. I went to the store, bought a brand new shiny shredder, and watched each page be torn to pieces! It was relieving to hear that motor running and seeing the pages turned into tiny little bits.
Get those memories out, and get rid of them! They may be old journals, pictures, unwanted furniture, old ID cards, or mementos from a previous time. Whatever they may be, be rid of them. Lighten your load to make room for the joyous possibilities.
- Give up the cruise control.
As part of being in this culture, being on cruise control, or autopilot, is considered normal. This means we say "yes" to things we don't really want. We busy ourselves with activities we don't enjoy. We put the blinders on and run, passing by great possibilities, but never indulging ourselves. Let this be the year that you choose every action you take. Take some time to think about what you do and don't want to do. Do you love the spiritual group you are in? Do you enjoy helping with your kids' soccer coach? Does the commute with your coworker bring you pleasure? Make the choice.
- Quit holding yourself back.
As children, we hear the word "Yes" (or some other affirmation) up to a hundred times per day! As adults, we MIGHT hear it once or twice. Why is that? We assume that we are done progressing as a person, and the world - well, our culture - insists on correcting, denying, redirecting, and putting down. Do yourself a favor - give up saying "No" to yourself. Find ways to affirm yourself, or better yet, just say "YES!" a couple dozen times per day.
- Let go of the inner voice.
That little voice in your head that just keeps on keeping on. You know the one...the one that replays conversations over and over and over again. The one that says, "Why can't you do anything right? You're lazy. You just don't have it in you." That voice has GOT TO GO!
- Let go of living "The Jones''" dream.
This is the fun one - just be yourself. Express your sense of humor the way you like it. Cry when you want to. Say "No" to others if you want to. Sleep for two days if you want to. Be the crazy cat lady if you want to. Your life is what you make it, and today is your opportunity to make it what you want. Don't worry if you don't get it right today...there will be another chance tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Nobody is telling you how to live your life but yourself.
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