A New Year for Positive Change

2020 was a very trying and challenging year for us all.Even with it being the holiday season, many of us felt too worn out to really celebrate or appreciate it. We are all a little tired and a little worn out. Nevertheless,the new year is here, and there is more reason to embrace and celebrate it than you might think.

A big part of celebrating a new year is letting go of the old one. I think we are all happy to leave 2020 in the dust. The New Year is a perfect time to throw out all of the things that have hindered us this year. We can toss aside our political indifference and try to work oncoming together a little bit more. We can toss aside any anger or resentment that we are carrying inside us and turn the page in our lives. We can detox ourselves from social media, television, and stop allowing ourselves to digest all of the endless drama.

Time to Embrace Gratitude

It is also time to embrace new and happier things. Let us embrace more love, let us set more positive goals for ourselves, let us set aside our differences, and come together to work for a more positive future; let us dream harder. When we make happy goals for ourselves, we strive to reach these happy things. When your eyes are on your goal, that is all you are going to see. Those big or little bumps in the road are only visible if you take your eyes off your goal.

The New Year is a time to really identify areas of improvement in ourselves. If we have been stressed a lot, we should stop and ask ourselves why that is and how we can fix that. If work is the cause, then it may be time to look for another job. If people are causing our stress and unhappiness, then perhaps it is time to let go of certain relationships. There is no better time todo that than in the New Year.

2021 will be a great opportunity to express more gratitude. Have more gratitude for the things that you do have. Give yourself more acknowledgment for the challenges that you overcame, not only in 2020, but up until this very moment.

It is often times easier to sulk on the things that one does not have than to appreciate the things one does have. We are truly the lucky ones who made it out of this pandemic and made it to see another year. Thank your family,thank your friends, and most importantly thank yourself for making it, for pushing through and pulling up those around you. We all matter to someone.

The Bigger Picture

The biggest thing we all need to work on more is coming together and embracing being one. We are all human; we are the same life force. It is the broken ties that bond us together as we pull through this challenging year together. It is so vital that we work together to fix what was broken in 2020,and the years passed.

We Need More Kindness in 2021

Make kindness your New Year's resolution. Compliment somebody, pay for the customer's food in the line behind you, leave little notes of encouragement on a piece of paper and put inside of a library book or RedBox DVD before you return it, help an elderly person across the street. The best way to heal broken people is with love and kindness. The world always needs more of that. Perhaps kindness can be one of your goals.

So, take time to think about yourself and those around you. Create positive goals, work a little harder, be a little kinder, and let us work together to make 2021 better than 2020.

Have More Mindfulness

Putting mindfulness at the top of your New Year's resolution list is a great way to being the new year. People who live mindfully quickly begin to feel better about themselves and others. They are also more likely to keep their other resolutions as well.

Mindfulness is becoming a popular tool for living well, but the art of mindfulness is ancient, dating back about 2,500 years. The purpose of mindfulness is to stop suffering. When you are mindful of each moment,you are relieved of worry, negativity, and frustration with yourself and others. However, how can one practice mindfulness in their daily life? Here are some tips for living mindfully and reaping all the rewards of a mindful life.

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Pay Attention to Your Thoughts

The point of sitting meditation is to sit simply. We all have a running commentary going through our minds, but we rarely understand that we are affected by it.

When we sit mindfully, we pay attention to what is happening in our mind sand bodies. We try to cut off those storylines that keep running through our minds by compassionately saying to ourselves, "stop thinking."

This practice teaches us to be aware of our thoughts and understand that they do not need to affect us. It also lets us begin to feel what is going on inside us. We will notice our pain, frustration, love, and joy free from the storylines. The practice brings freedom from the bondage of our minds.

Free yourself from your mind's control by paying attention to your thoughts.

Pay Careful Attention to Others

Often when we go about our lives, we do not notice what is going on with those around us unless they call themselves to our attention. By the time they get our attention, they may be irritated or feel neglected.

When you are mindful of others, you stop thinking about what you will say next and start listening to what they are saying. You notice your children's joy and excitement or your partner's passion for a project. You get to pay attention to them as they grow. You become more patient with yourself and others. You stop wanting to fix their pain and learn to guide them toward healing themselves.

You do not argue as much with your partner when you are mindful of what they are saying and doing. You begin to see them differently and understand their side of the story. You begin to understand what they are dealing with and what they need from you to accomplish their goal. You want to help because you see them with patience and compassion.

Free yourself from relationship difficulties by truly noticing others.

Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

Notice where you are and what is happening around you. We can notice the improbable complexity of the world around us. When you do this, you will be shocked at what happens without you noticing. You might discover a bird's nest or a rabbit family in your neighborhood. You will see the incredible beauty humanity has created through the years in architecture and art.

Your pet's energy in playing becomes a delight to watch. Your children's creativity becomes more beautiful.Your home becomes a safe haven in which you can be comfortable without needing to rush around to get something done. Life is so much better when you take the time to pay attention to your surroundings.

Try to look around you with the wonder that young children naturally have. It will change the way you see everything and make you want to see more.

Free yourself from distraction by looking around in childlike wonder.

Put Mindfulness At the Top of Your New Year's Resolution List

Mindfulness is both an art and a science. Everyone who practices mindfulness practices in their way because we are all individuals. Nevertheless, the rewards have been scientifically proven in therapy applications.Mindful living is astonishing because it relieves us of many problems that occur in our daily lives.

Free yourself by practicing mindfulness.

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