Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a lovely festive break. Personally, I am raring to go again now – there are only so many days I can watch TV, eat chocs and socialise before I’m itching to get back to work!
I hope that’s how you feel about your work life. If it’s not, why not think this year about what you are going to do to change things? We only continue down the same path we’re on in life most often because we think we have to. But we really don’t. Take courage. Consider what makes you happiest and resolve to work towards getting more of that into your daily life this year. It’s a no-brainer isn’t it, but so few of us actually do it.
Life is a choice. If you don’t like where you’re heading, take a different path. I always think of a new year as a fork in the road really; and you can choose which way to go. Will it be the same path this year or a completely different one? Most importantly, if you choose to stay on the same path, be it in a relationship, at work or whatever, are you going to drag yourself down the path muttering and chuntering as you go, or are you going to lift your head up high and walk down it with purpose, knowing you’ve made a choice and welcoming it. Perhaps you should skip down it, happy in the knowledge you’ve made your decision and free from the worry of not knowing what to do.
I hope this is making some sense! I simply mean to remind you that life is full of choices. We are where we are because we have made choices and have put ourselves in a particular position. We can equally make other choices to change it again; life evolves, it is not static. If you can’t change everything or a major thing, change some smaller stuff; you’ll be surprised how even seemingly tiny changes will add up to a whole new way of doing things.
Most of all, change the way you think – life is just an attitude, a way of thinking really, and we have the power to change that most of all! Sure, things happen all the time, but the way it affects us is controlled purely by the way we choose to think about it, by the attitude we take towards it. Goodness knows, I’m not a saint and sometimes I can’t see the positive in something and inevitably some things get to me, but overall, I am trying to recognize when it’s just my approach to something that’s causing the stress. Once you know that, it is real power to control your life and deal with what life throws at us. Change your attitude and you’ll change your life! Glib, perhaps, but oh so true! Enough of the new year lecture – have a great 2009 and make it count for you!
I Resolve To…
I know a lot of people don’t make new year’s resolutions and that’s mainly because they already think they’re going to fail. What a shame. I always do – if only because it makes me think about what I may want to do or change this year. Here are a couple of the resolutions I have made – why not join me?
- Stop Worrying
I ended 2008 in a state of worry, like most people. I worried about what’s happening in the world, to our economy, our planet. I worried about the changes we’re making to our business and what the future might hold. I worried about why my waist seemed to disappear 2 weeks after I hit forty and why I can’t seem to get it back as easily as I used to! I worried about my health since 2008 seemed to be a difficult one for my allergies and immune system.
But I resolve to stop worrying about it. I realise I am worrying more about the economy, planet etc because I am inundated with media stories about it. You can’t move for bad news at the moment, can you? I know it’s there, but I don’t want to swim in negativity, so I resolve to stop watching the news and reading the papers again. I did this for years but have slipped back into it. If it’s bad enough, I’ll hear about it. But for now, I resolve to surround myself with more positive things.
Business worries? I am daft. I think I’m good at my job. I love what I do – it’s a vocation and lifestyle, not a career choice. I resolve to believe that if people know and feel that when I deal with them, they will stick with me. Even the experts are saying that businesses who offer a great service will be fine through this recession, and I know I’m blowing my own trumpet a bit here (and why not?!), I think our service is superb: great knowledge, expertise, products and all given with joy. Don’t feel sick – it’s true!
Waist worry? I resolve to accept I am no longer twenty and the 200 sit ups a day I did then that could get me into any LBD I fancied no longer works quite as well! I resolve to do more exercise which is related to the next worry…
Health worries. Part of the reason for the worry above is that I haven’t been exercising and getting out and about as much as I did because I haven’t felt as well as I did. This is simply because I am not looking after myself as well. As many of you know, I became a medical nutritionist because I was poorly and what I would term ‘pre- ME’ in my early twenties. I will always need to watch what I eat, how much exercise and rest I get. I feel SO much better than I did then, but it has slipped because I got complacent. So, I resolve to start looking after myself better, making sure we have good food in, that I cook more instead of working late all the time, that I get out for a walk every day (the post office run for your orders is helping here – thanks!) and that I include more things that make me happy like reading, writing, seeing my friends and family, playing with my business, doing facials and being with animals (Philip not included!).
- Dance More
This will help with the waist worry above, but most importantly, it is hard to feel negative when you’re dancing, isn’t it?! There is a reason why Strictly Come Dancing has become the most popular light entertainment show on TV this year and that’s because dancing is such as positive, life-affirming, optimistic thing to do. It’s great in the face of a global down turn and all that means. There’s not a fat lot we as mere mortals can do about that, but we can keep ourselves positive and fit! Doesn’t matter if you dance around at home unseen, or you go to a class. I know at least two people who dance at home: one lady writer puts on her favourite records after writing her murder mysteries for a couple of hours because it makes her move and cheers her up, another puts loud music on when she’s tidying up or just because she fancies it, and dances round the room like a looney. What a wonderful thought. I resolve to do it (no peeking at the windows!!)
- Donate My Chocolate Money
I admit to having a penchant for chocolate. I have a blood sugar condition (PCOS) and sometimes it’s the only thing that will pick me up quickly enough, although I know an apple will do it too, so I’m kidding myself there! I’m not resolving to give it up completely as I know that would be unrealistic, but this bit of research has given me an idea….A recent survey showed that in these economic times, two thirds of us are spending more on sweet treats than a year ago. World Vision found 63% of us are choosing chocolate. True comfort eating! It’s probably the increase of tryptophan which comes in chocolate that helps to boost serotonin levels.
In harder times, I think that is the best time to count your blessings. Things may be tougher than they were, but how much harder is it for other people? In developing countries, for example, the price of a chocolate bar could make all the difference to a hungry child. Or closer to home, there are loads of people and animal charities which need our support even more. Charity giving tends to go down in recession, unsurprisingly. That means they suffer more. If you choose to give something up that’s not good for you anyway eg. for me the cost of a newspaper and the regular Green & Blacks chocolate bar, and then donate what you would have spent, you help yourself, but you also help others too. It can be a great motivator for you, but also brings such a positive feel to them as they get extra help, and you because you’re giving it. Something positive from a negative: a win: win.
If you think that the average newspaper/chocolate bar/sweet treat costs about 50p and you multiply this up, say for 5 days a week, 50 weeks of the year, that adds up to £125 per year. World Vision says sponsoring a child costs just 60p per day, for example. But just think what you would like to help. I resolve to get a jar and every time I do my normal shopping and would have bought a paper or some chocolate, I will put the money in there instead and donate it at the end of the year. I’ll let you know how I’m getting on – why not join me?
Anyway, enough about me, although I hope you enjoyed it! Let’s get on with the rest of the newsletter….