It’s All In How You Look At Things

December is a time of both reflection and expectation. As the year draws to end, we can’t help but find ourselves reflecting on the events and activities of the past year and look forward with joyful expectation to the year ahead. We start thinking about what we’ll do differently next year, what goals we’ll set and how events from the prior year that either caused heartache or joy will influence us as we go forward.

I’m amazed the power that one day can have on our mindset. In reality, nothing has dramatically changed in our lives between December 31st and January 1st but how many of us wake up on January 1st feeling different and I’m not just taking about that New Year’s Eve hangover : ). We embrace the idea of a new beginning and a chance to make improvements in ourselves and our lives that somehow felt beyond us just 24 hours prior.

Never underestimate the power of our minds. Wayne Dyer has a quote I love, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” We’ve been conditioned to look at the New Year as a new beginning and as such, we look out with excited anticipation of all the opportunity that awaits us. In reality, nothing has changed in our lives other than the passing of another 24 hours. But we embrace this time of year to self-reflect and make positive changes in our lives – we change the way we look at things and things we look at do indeed change. Tasks that burdened us before are now approached with a renewed sense of spirit and energy. Losing 10 pounds seems undoable on July 1st but January 1st; we’re ready to take that challenge on.

The biggest challenge is to maintain that sense of energy and excitement throughout the year. We have the power to do this as we’ve already demonstrated on January 1st. Hold onto those feelings and when you feel like that energy or excitement is waning, and it will because that is the reality of our life, repeat Wayne Dyer’s quote, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” We have a choice in how react to the hardships, even the simplest ones that come into our daily lives. A traffic jam or a long checkout line can so easily throw us off course and change our mindsets. Don’t let it rob you of that magic you found on New Year’s Day – make the choice to continue looking at your world with the joyful expectations of the New Year!

The Magic Of The Moment

We’re entering what probably is one of the busiest times of year for most of us. The holidays with all their treasured traditions have been officially ushered in now that Thanksgiving is over. I can remember feeling tortured as a child as this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas passed ever so slowly. What a different experience now as an adult! The days seem to go by in the blink of eye and I feel like we’re just putting away the Thanksgiving turkey when Christmas Eve comes knocking at our door.

As a child we had the gift of time and a free spirit to take everything in and experience life without limits. Perhaps that’s why time moved more slowly back then. Living in the moment came so naturally where now we have to make a concerted effort to do the same. When did we lose that childlike quality to live in the moment? When did we start moving away from the present moment and living our lives thinking about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow?

I don’t think we’ll ever know the answer to that but the ability to live in the moment is a precious gift we should all have on our “wish list” this holiday season. It’s easy to get lost in the hectic pace and extra demands of the holidays and when it all comes down to it, we do have a choice in how we respond. This time of year can be just a magical as when you were a child. The wonder and beauty of the holiday season is all around us but if we’re focused on everything we need to do or worried about what we haven’t done yet, we’ll most surely miss out on it.

As I write this, it’s snowing and I’m watching the neighborhood children outside my window happily playing. Mind you there’s probably two inches of snow at most on the ground, but that’s not stopping them from sledding and building snowmen and snow forts. All they see are possibilities and they are living in the moment to bring those possibilities to life. They are experiencing life without the self-limitations we’ve grown accustomed to as adults and their joy is contagious! We can most definitely learn a lesson by watching our children. Take time this holiday season to embrace your abundance and live in the moment. Let yourself reconnect with that inner child you lost so many years ago and watch the possibilities magically unfold this holiday season and throughout the new year!