One Year Wiser... One Year Younger
Last week I celebrated a birthday. The cards that came from friends were all different but the theme was the same. Essentially all my friends were expressing their inspiration by the moves I made in the last year. Because of that validation I knew I wanted to share some gifts with you… 38 gifts to be exact.
Never grow up. Be Peter Pan. Don’t buy into the diatribe that an adult acts any certain way. You can be any way you like and that’s just fine.
Smile every day. There is science that says smiling and laughing actually prolongs your life…. But regardless it makes things so much more smiley.
Move. Don’t pull the “namaste in bed”. Your body needs to be in motion in order to stay in motion. Getting older isn’t totally mental because your body does age and things hurt or sag or freeze if you don’t keep at it.
Stretch like a yogi. Be flexible in body, mind and spirit. Know what you want but be willing to be pliable if things don’t go exactly how you anticipate.
Take a stand. When you believe in something fight for it. Know that someone else might have some answers that you don’t have but that doesn’t mean you are wrong.
Your body is a wonderland. Aside from the naughty bits, you need to know your body and how it responds to touch, nourishment, movement… know your body. (and forgive me for quoting John Mayer)
T-t-t-t-touch me. You actually need to be touched, hugged, or feel a body next to yours. Babies who don’t get touched don’t survive. Be a baby. Get touched, hugged and loved.
Thanks-giving. Not just for turkey… Every day be grateful for one more day. You’re breathing… you’re moving… you’re living… you’re loving...
Forgive. People may not be the people you want or need them to be. Send them love anyways. If they are hurting and taking it out on you send them the love they are missing instead of holding onto your own hurt and anger. You’ll thank me for this one.
Speak out Louise. Even introverts need to stop hiding in the shadows. Be seen. Be heard.
Confront but don’t conflict. People do you dirty. It happens. Confront the situation but not know that confronting your own feelings doesn’t mean that you are in a conflict… nor does it need to be violently communicated.
Sledgehammer, meet wall. We collectively build walls to protect ourselves throughout our lives. They protect us from feeling pain or hurt. But often times they hold us back from feeling or experiencing good things too. Knock it down.
Love more. Your heart is the engine of your machine. Why not operate on a full tank as opposed to empty...
Live more. Make an apoca-lyst. Do things you’ve always wanted to do. Live like tomorrow doesn’t exist because really today is the day.
Get out. I’m not Elaine from Seinfeld. I’m actually telling you to get out. Travel more. Find places to explore that you’ve never seen where you live. Go on adventures as much as you can.
Get uncomfortable. Discomfort is nature’s way of protecting you. But like I mentioned earlier… protection also is an easy way to stay stagnate in your world. Why not move forward. Why not experience everything.
Eat, Drink and be merry. There are so many tastes in life. If it won’t kill you why not give it a try. Eat! Drink! Be MERRY!!
Clean your house. We collect things… sometimes as placeholders for memories. Holding onto them assuming you are going to lose the memory is asking for trouble - and a whole lot of mess. Get rid of the things you don’t need. Keep the memories. Journal or photograph things because an instagram clutter is much better than a house full.
Declutter your mind. We hold onto things past their expiration date. Let it go. Declutter the things holding you down and back.
Delocate once in your life. You can be anything or anywhere you want to be. Your home is in your heart. Be there.
Let your spirit shine. Spirituality is a connection to something bigger than yourself… to understand that you aren’t the maker or breaker of the world. Think big thoughts and shine on.
Be one with the people. Commune in order to have a community. You need this. We all need this.
Stand alone. While having people is important… standing on your own two feet… being able to pick yourself up without relying on someone else to be that for you… that’s what it is all about.
Stay cool. If you stop looking at others to dictate how you act you might just see that you actually are really cool. Be cool. Be proud of how cool you are.
Be sassy. No explanation needed.
Be yourself and make no apologies. You are a unicorn. There is one of you on this planet. Love who you are. The perfections and the imperfections because there is no one else out there with your freckles, your dimples, your beautiful smile or your sexy body. Yeah, I said sexy.
Don’t be fake... ever. Hiding for someone else’s benefit doesn’t benefit you. If someone can’t handle who you are then they shouldn’t be in your life. Be you. Play full amps... at 11.
Seriously, stop apologizing. You don’t do that? I’m so sorry for saying that. Nope. I’m not. While humans make mistakes… hurt people… We shouldn’t apologize. We should own the fact that we made a mistake, learn from it, grow from it, and never do it again. This plays out in every instance. Stop apologizing with words and be a person of action.
Paint happy little clouds. Or just come up with anything creative that you might be able to muster. And do it daily. It’s important to activate every part of your brain. James Altucher says we should come up with 10 ideas a day whether we act on them or not. I’ve never been able to do that so I won’t tell you to do that. But I will tell you to do something creative at least once a day.
Shake that booty. Dancing is good for the soul. I’ve talked about it before and you’ll never hear me stop talking about it. Move your body. Dance your ass off. In public. In private. Do it to it.
Lose your adult at the door. Hula hoop, jump-rope or do something that reminds you of how carefree you were when you were little. Because aside from not having bills to pay we had really did have an excitingly adventurous spirit when we were little because everything was new.
Laugh at your falls. When you were a baby and learning to walk falling most likely turned to laughing. After you laughed you stood up to try again. Approach life like that.
Be the person you want to be with. Live a life that makes you appealing to you. Because whether someone is there by your side or not… your life will be the best life for you.
Cry. You’re allowed to feel the emotions you feel and there is nothing wrong with it.
Get out of your own way. Opportunity knocks all the time and we keep putting our fingers in our ears ignoring the ringer. Stop it.
Be a believer. You have crazy ideas, right? Believe in them. Believe in yourself. Believe in possibilities. And if you must… be a Belieber.
Fall in love. I don’t just mean with people. I mean with life. Fall in love with every part of your life. And fall in love daily. If you aren’t living your dream you aren’t moving.
Have fun. My dad’s advice. Every day… of your entire life… should be for having fun.
All proper new year requires reflection and I hope you take one of these pieces to heart and take action. Because I’m wiser than I was yesterday even though I act like Peter Pan sometimes.
Much love!!
Heather