Happy New Year!
Don’t you just love this season? Holiday happiness lingering, strangers wishing each other a Happy New Year, friends and lovers affirming to each other that this year will be better than the last. Everything feels crisp and new – a fresh new year ahead of you, like a freshly washed chalk board, waiting for you to write your story your way and create the best year of your life.
No I haven’t forgotten the snowstorms, gray days, icy roads . . . truth be told, sometimes I think I’d rather hibernate till spring! But there are a few things I rely on to help me weather winter, so I thought I’d share them with you.
Take advantage of the freshness of this time of year – create a vision for your future to live into! Make this the year you create a vision board filled with examples of what you choose to experience in the coming year. Write out your version of your perfect year, and read it often to stay on track.
Staying active is a must! It’s your best antidote to that sluggish feeling, and balances out those extra calories. Sign up for a new class that excites you, so you won’t mind braving the elements to get there. Why not try a new yoga class, or something more active like pilates or belly dancing. You can sample them right here on this blog!
We don’t get as much sun as we’re used to, so it’s a good idea to deliberately get out in it as much as you can. A brisk walk will rejuvenate you, or you can take a tip from cats; bask in sun streaming through a window and breathe in the light.
Even if you haven’t seen the sun in days, be assured its still there, and try not to let the weather dictate your mood. Maybe invest in a light box to give you a boost.
If you haven’t already, winter is a great time to establish a meditation practice. It just seems to come naturally this time of year. Like flower bulbs planted in the fall, we too need time to be still and allow our seeds of thought to take root and grow strong before sprouting to the surface.
The stillness of winter encourages being more mindful of our thoughts. Remember, good thoughts make good things grow! What you put out there will echo back to you, guaranteed! Are your thoughts helping or hindering you?
I wanted to offer you some words of wisdom I live by, adapted from The Five Spiritual Principals of Reiki.
The original reads:
Just for Today:
I will not worry
I will not be angry
I will do my work honestly
I will give thanks for my many blessings
I will be kind to my neighbors and all living things
 
Here’s my version:

Today, I’ll be happy, joyful and free

Today I’ll live in the moment

Today I’ll count my many blessings with gratitude

Today I’ll earn my living honestly and with Divine purpose

Today I’ll be kind to all living things.

Today I’ll judge no one and no thing

Today I’ll trust in the wisdom of the Universe

Today I’ll strive to see the divine spark in everyone.

Thanks for reading, thanks for sharing, and go make this YOUR year!

Love & Light

Alexandria

http://www.AlexandriaBarker.com