by Brigitte Mars

Any new beginning presents us with the perfect opportunity for change. A journal can be an excellent tool on life’s path. Write down what you want your life to look like in a year and what steps you are willing to take to achieve those goals. Write ten things you want to accomplish this year. Write down 100 things you wish to do in your lifetime. Putting goals on paper is a first step to achieving them. Take a picture of yourself now. Do another next year at this time. If we keep doing the same things, we are likely to get the same results.     

1. Waking one half hour earlier gives you more time for yourself. Stretch before getting out of bed, like babies and animals. Prepare for morning the night before by packing a healthful lunch, laying out clothing, and whatever papers you need for the day, for a more serene night and day. The best time to exercise is in the morning, when the air is cleaner. Exercise increases endorphin production, enhancing cheerfulness, energy, circulation, digestion, immunity, posture, and elimination. Exercise in open air, or at least with the windows open when possible. Walk or ride a bicycle, taking the less polluted route. Provide back up plans, such as a dance video when inclement weather keeps you home. Get rid of clutter. Make someone’s day and what can’t be used give away, have a yard sale, donate to a charity, recycle or reinvent.     

2. Invite a few friends over. Have healthy potlucks at rotating homes and give every one the opportunity to put a business card into a hat. Each participant can draw a card and commit to offering an exchange. You might find yourself trading a massage for a feng shui consultation, or a landscaping consultation for a facial. By learning more about the talents of those around us, we create friendships and expand our business. If there is any one in your life that you need to forgive, owe an apology to, or need to return a borrowed item, do what you can to make it right, if possible. If you are blessed to have found a partner, get healthy together, by exercising or preparing food as a team. Keep learning about love and relationships your entire life.    

3. Keeping a food journal and recording what one eats and drinks encourages insight about what is going into our bodies. Say a blessing or take few deep breaths to get calm and present before eating. Put your fork down between bites. Using a smaller plate, cocktail fork or chopsticks to dine reminds us to appreciate each bite. We require fuel more so at midday than at night. Lunch rather than dinner as the main meal may work best. Rather than snacking into the night, right after dinner, floss and brush your teeth to discourage food consumption. If you must eat something choose celery or raw carrot. This year, equip your kitchen with what is needed for healthier living: a blender, food processor, dehydrator, juicer, etc. Find other ways to reward and comfort yourself other than food. Make a list in your journal.  Enjoy the sensual delights of an aromatherapy bath, foot massage, or walking in a beautiful environment be it nature or an art museum.     

4. Breathing more deeply and fully increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. Good posture encourages deep breathing, good circulation, a calmer mind, improved concentration and mood, and better function of all the organs. Wear comfortable clothing that promotes circulation without binding. Take walks in the pine forests or along the beach and breathe the air. Live a greener life. Support organics. Go vegetarian, or vegan. Recycle more than you already do. Vote with your dollars. Buy that which supports good causes and do your best to consume less that is harmful or polluting to the planet. This may be the year that you stop buying things that require dry cleaning and buy organic cotton or hemp clothes. We can’t just talk about saving whales and rainforests. Put your money where your mouth is and be willing to donate to at least some good causes. Gardens affirm our belief in the future, even if it’s the balcony, or a sprout garden on the kitchen counter. Start or join a community garden. Plant fruit trees. “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is now.”  Learn about wild edibles instead of spraying them. Be a steward of the earth and help recreate a paradise. Have an attitude of gratitude.      

5. Speak out more. Take time to sign petitions or write letters to the editor about community concerns. Is there something that you might like to teach others or give a class on? Have a hobby you love as a form of self-expression. Hand activities keep our brains alert, and hands out of the snack bowl. Drawing, playing a musical instrument, knitting, crochet, macramé, sewing, woodworking, origami, and beadwork can all make our realms more enriched. Let your projects be an expression of your love and positive thoughts.     

6. Perhaps some old habit is getting in the way. Write down all the reasons you want to let go of an addiction and post it in several places where you will see it daily. Find support with a qualified practitioner, on the net or with a group. Learn about getting more alkaline. When our bodies are in a more acidic state, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with unhealthful cravings. Keep learning new things your entire life. Is there something you have always wanted to learn? Make a commitment to read a least two books on the subject and/or take a class on it this year. Listening to motivational tapes puts your consciousness where you want it.     

7. Do you have a path that helps you feel connected to Divine Source? This might be the year that you visit a place of worship, remember to pray, learn to meditate, join a spiritual study or discussion group, create an altar or place for contemplation in your home, or read books that are spiritually uplifting.

May this New Year be filled with truth, beauty, goodness, and health!