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So the joyful holidays are behind us and I’m staring at a living environment that needs going through again. Is it better than last year? Absolutely, but it’s still too much stuff. Am I feeling frustrated? You bet. “Stuff management” isn’t my idea of using my valuable time for fun, creativity, contributing more to the greater good or being healthy.  Am I fine? No.

What a great post for the first of the year, you say? But there is power in honesty, I believe. And I’ll be the first to start. There are a lot of people going through life saying “yeah, I’m fine.” Not to be negative but I don’t buy it. The self -journey can be hard but ultimately hugely rewarding as most of us know. It IS a new year after all and many of us are seriously looking to improve what hasn’t been working or has perhaps left us feeling empty in areas of our lives. So in the spirit of onward and upward I’ll keep this post short but I’d like to share where my thinking lies for 2018.

Every year I go back to a book that author Mel Robbins has written called, Stop Saying You’re Fine: Discover a More Powerful You. Many of you might actually say you are, but then I know just as many who will say they are not fine in some area of their life. This past year has seen us all adjusting to an unpredictable election, the deaths of too many celebrities and artists we held close to our hearts. On a personal level I have friends who had deaths in the family, lost jobs, and lost relationships. I recently learned that a lot of our millennial population doesn’t know connection or long-term joy. That leaves me not feeling fine. (See the video link by author and TED speaker, Simon Sinek, below in Sources. It’s worth the watch!)

Ms. Robbins points out that there are seven major areas of one’s life:  Family, Love, Spirituality, Career/Purpose, Friends/Community, Body/Health and Money.

I suppose we might all find room for improvement in each of these areas in our lives but that can be daunting and we might not make any changes. Too many resolutions or “goals” (as I’m reading, the new “go-to” word) have been proven not to work and just sets us up for failure.

For the past two years I’ve been writing about my successes with the Power of Two mantra. This year, I’m picking two areas of my life that I want to devote more intentional energy to. If I do more than that I can tell you that it’s not healthy and I will be Not Fine. We all know what “Not Fine” feels like: stress, fatigue, digestive and other health issues, mood swings, etc. Anything that impacts our health in a negative way causes inflammation and is simply not healthy, not fine.

Using what I already have and pouring love into community are my two this year. Using what I have encompasses all that I have acquired over the years and have in my personal toolbox – spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, creative. I “know” that I have everything that I need in my life. Therefore, reuse, reduce, recycle, experience renewal. I intend to get more physically involved in programs where my contributions are truly uplifting to both people locally and with wider reach. Love connects and where there is connection, I believe for me that the five other areas in my life will all be elevated to a place of “FINENESS.”

Speaking of connection, I don’t believe that all social media connections are healthy. I believe they isolate, create depression, perpetuate bullying, reduce the ability to have personal relationships, take away from other healthy activities and create addiction issues. Call me crazy. This year, I plan to “reach out and touch someone” (do you remember that old telephone slogan?) through face-to-face actions or through real phone time. Honestly, for me there’s just too much information (and much of it is great) but it’s like having the encyclopedia placed in front of me at all times of the day. I’ll try to stay informed but I’d rather stay personally “connected” to what’s going on with my family and friends’ lives through real time. I’d also like to help a millennial experience some “life off the grid.”

This year, I challenge you to ask yourself – are YOU fine? And if not, I ask that you join me in some time of reflection and honesty. Pick two areas in your life where you need self –nourishment to feel better. When your soul is fed, your inner light will shine and you can feed the world.

If you want to commit to making two significant changes, Mel’s book offers significant suggestions, worksheets and easy to follow steps. The rest is up to you.

Believe in the Power of Two! Small steps can lead to huge impacts. Try it!

Be Fine, Be Happy, Be HEALTHY!

Peace and the Power of Two to you in 2018!

 

Sources:

Mel Robbins: http://spiritualityhealth.com/reviews/stop-saying-youre-fine
Simon Sinek Explains the Millenial Paradox:

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