A Circle

Holiday time is over.  We did it all--from Thanksgiving to the December "Sugar Month" of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years.  It is time to shift gears and go back to "regular" life.  When I packed up my decorations this year, I also removed from my collection all the things that I no longer want to display or care to store in my basement.  I lightened the load, so to speak.  When I went to my gym, Orange Theory, I heard one trainer joke that chicken breasts and salad sales have gone through the roof all of a sudden.   The magazines and ads at stores are no longer full of ooey gooey party foods and treats but blenders and protein powders and workout clothes.  Apparently and all of a sudden, we are back to business and can flip a switch and turn our backs on everything we engaged in during holiday season.

Unfortunately, we are human beings not robots.  We don't flip switches and change behavior instantly.  Even if we could do that--could it last?  As human beings, we shift our mindset--and in doing so, we can make valuable changes gradually so that we move more gently.  So many people talk about how important a healthy lifestyle is and how much they'd like to be living a healthy lifestyle.  No one I know talks about important it is to radically change behavior, overnight, at the stroke of midnight.  It's not natural or normal.

With that in mind, let's imagine a circle--no starting point and no stopping point.  Let's imagine the curve and gentle, forgiving shape...there's always a place to move to.  Let's consider the next few months in our cold climate.  We know we will be spending more time inside.  I suggest we make our homes as comfortable and cozy as possible--a refuge from the harsh elements.  I also suggest we make our thoughts as comfortable and cozy as possible--a refuge from the harsh messages we so often send ourselves.   By doing this, we can practice a level of kindness and compassion that will naturally lead us to take better care of ourselves.  

You can find yourself at the center of your circle.  You can find yourself surrounded by friends and family and positive helpers who add joy and spark to your life.  You can find yourself moving away from what distracts you from getting what you really want.  You can shift your mindset.

There is no perfect in this circle, but there is abundant room.

Welcome more of what serves you well in 2017.