Try Something New

Six months ago I bought an easel and canvas. It sat in the corner of my office for the past six months untouched. Today I set the intention to paint a picture, and I finally did! I wondered why it took so long for me to paint my first masterpiece, and then I realized it was because I did not want to "ruin" the perfection of the white, blank canvas. So why is it we are afraid to try something new? Why do we have the idea that if we don't do something perfect the first time it is not worth trying? Don't be afraid to take a chance at trying something new because you might mess up, look stupid or fail miserably. You might find that the something new is something that you have been missing in your life.

Being Your Own Hero

When we set goals in our life we often feel defeated when we do not succeed. Many of us look for the "hero" to assist us or save us during the struggles that we endure in the journey of reaching our goals. It is important to remember to honor yourself and be your own hero. We cannot rely on others to assist us in reaching our goals. If we lived life like this we would never be fulfilled. Take time to think about what your own superpower is and how you use it best. Is it the power of organization? The power of integrity? Whatever it may be; be sure to use it to your optimal level and don't hesitate to exercise your superpower on a regular basis. When you keep this in mind you will find that your goals are more obtainable and less defeating! Give it a try!

A New Year

At the beginning of a new year many people feel they need to set "New Year's Resolutions." Often these "resolutions" are followed for the first couple of weeks of the new year and then they fall to the wayside. Why is this? Many people set unrealistic New Year's Resolutions. Yes, we may want to change bad habits, but when we set too big of a goal we often set ourselves up for failure. How can we avoid the feeling of loss and failure? Simple. Start out by setting a small obtainable goal. For example, many of us decide that we are going to lose weight. We hit the grocery store the first day of the new year and purchase all healthy food. We also sign up for a great new gym membership. We eat "healthy" food and hit the gym every night for the next three weeks, but then we realize we really want to eat that chocolate Santa leftover from Christmas...so we do...and we eat the leftover cookies and other treats and before we know it we decide that we can no longer do it and we quit the gym and go back to the poor eating habits. We are left feeling defeated and like a failure. So start small. Go to the grocery store and purchase your regular food items, but instead of getting the bag of cookies replace it with a yogurt. Do this every time you buy groceries....before you know it you will have replaced your junk food with healthy food. This principle can be applied to any goal or resolution....just take a few minutes to break the big goal down into smaller goals that will assist you in obtaining your final goal!