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How to End the Year and Plan for the New Year in 7 Easy Steps

December 20, 2011 by

Yesterday, for the fun of it, I pulled three Tarot Cards from the Lifestyle section of MSN.com. I received the Five of Cups for the Challenges card. My question was, “What career path is right for me?” Here’s an excerpt:

When the Five of Cups is in this position, maximize what is left after loss. The receiver of this card received copious potential in the five cups shown, but three of them have been upended and their contents spilled into the earth. Whether it was carelessness or destiny that spilled these cups isn’t ultimately important.

The ending of the reading got me to think about this year and the challenges I faced. Actually, it’s been a challenging four years! Even though I have 3 cups that spilled, I still have 2 cups left. I can use them wisely to rebuild my resources. I can make the best of what is left and cultivate a new beginning. I can stay optimistic.

I use the word ‘plan’ in the title of this blog post very loosely. There’s a saying, “Man plans and God laughs.” True, you can’t plan everything in life; however, it helps if you have a ‘general idea’ of where it is you’re going or what you want to do. It also helps to Let Go and Let God which means … Throw your intentions out into the universe and release them. According to Les Brown, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” End the year with a little self-reflection and preparation for the New Year. Below you’ll find tips on how to do that.

How to End the Year and Plan for the New Year in 7 Easy Steps

1. Reflect on the year by asking the following questions:

  • What did I learn about myself that I didn’t already know?
  • What obstacles did I face? How did I overcome them?
  • What was good about this year?
  • What was not-so-good about this year?
  • What were the BIG LESSONS from this year? What did I learn from them?
  • How did I strengthen my spiritual growth?
  • How did I evolve?
  • What was my biggest success? What was my biggest blunder?
  • How did I self-sabotage myself this year? List the ways.
  • How many people moved out of my life? Why? What did I learn by them leaving?
  • How many people moved into my life? How did I draw them to me?
  • Anything else I might add.

2. If you moved during the year, remember the following, “When you move, you take yourself with you.” If you move again in the New Year, remember you take yourself wherever you go. Be mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to move.

3. Write letters to people who’ve hurt you or vice versa. Please do not mail these letters! This is an exercise for you to exercise these people from your mind.

4. Accept what happened during the year and release it. Do not carryover any grudges to the New Year. Forgive and let them go. What’s done is done. Learn from it and move on with your life.

5. Give thanks that you made it through another year. Be thankful you survived the year. The New Year is a blank slate. Do not take it for granted.

6. Become very clear about what it is you want for your life, for the New Year. Write down your dreams, hopes, and desires. Stop focusing on your current reality and start writing a script for your life. What does your life look like? What career do you have? Who’s in your family? What kinds of people surround you? Write it all down.

7. Focus and mediate on what your life will look like in the New Year. Once you become clear about what it is you want for your life, focus on it. Don’t focus on the how or when. Just focus!

Amandah

 

 

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What’s the Point of Life?

November 22, 2011 by

A very ‘short anecdote’ based on the 10 random words from Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #194. Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:02 AM PST

Put
Point
Bizarre
Weave
Spiral
Weird
Goofy
Pop
Cult
Fan

“Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!”
~ Sir Walter Scott

Melanny pondered Sir Walter Scott’s words as she gazed at the ocean from the deck of her Malibu home. She’s been contemplating life since her childhood best friend Karrey overdosed a few weeks ago. Melanny tried to help her, but she couldn’t. No one could. Life really is a spiral. We think we move backward, when in fact, we continue to move forward. How bizarre is that? What is the point of life? She continued to stare at the ocean.

Karrey had a goofy, weird sense of humor – some people thought she was over the top. She loved The Cult and was a huge fan of music from the 1990s. Karrey loved alternative music but would listen to Pop music now and again. She was a free spirit through and through. Why did she have to put those damn drugs into her body? Melanny was searching for answers that may never be answered.

Amandah T. Blackwell

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How to Focus Your Mind and Outsmart Poverty

October 28, 2011 by

Question: How do you focus your mind and outsmart a poverty consciousness? What is a bottom-line approach? So many programs drone on and on with detail after detail. There has to be a better way to outsmart a poverty consciousness.

Answer: Start focusing on you and your life. Stop thinking you can’t have a wealth consciousness; stop thinking that you’re responsible for everyone. You’re not! You are solely responsible for you and your happiness. No one can ‘get’ this for you. You must want it bad enough to erase the beliefs and thoughts that were spoken over you as a child.

What do you truly want for your life? Write it down — be clear about it. Also, stop asking unsuccessful people for their opinions and thoughts on your desires. Most peoples’ minds are switched and hooked into the ‘poverty’ mindset. You won’t get far if you continue to ask others about ‘this or that.’

How to Focus Your Mind and Outsmart Poverty 

1. Get SUPER clear about what you want. What do you want? Can you visualize it? If not, can you find pictures of what you desire? Write down what you want and visualize everything the best you can. However, don’t become consumed by your desires — let them go. You can add, “This or something better for my highest good and the good of all.” Smile about your desires and know that you can have what you desire.

FYI: Most people really want love, peace and happiness. Material items are just that — they’re material.

2. Stop listening to the dogma of others. Steve Jobs was right, “Don’t listen to the dogma of others.” Stop taking advice from unsuccessful people. Surround yourself with successful people and you will be successful. Stop asking for permission from your spouse, mother, father, boss, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. and live your life for you.

3. Toss out duty and obligation. There’s no law that says you MUST follow in the footsteps of your parents. There’s no law that says you MUST ALWAYS say “Yes” when you want to save “No.” You have a duty and obligation to yourself to live a happy and fulfilled life. Stop worrying about everyone else and start worrying that your life is passing you by like an out-of-control train. You don’t always have to help others. In fact, you could be doing more harm than good. If you keep helping people out, how will they ever learn to help themselves? It’s something to think about.

4. Start focusing on abundance. If you’re like most people, your mind is tuned to the “All Poverty 24-Hour Station” which is holding you in a place of lack. Start to recognize the abundance around such as ample trees, the yards of green grass, etc. You won’t and can’t attract abundance if you constantly focus on lack.

5. Stop hanging around with poverty conscious people. Like it or not, your family could be sucking the life out of you. You have every right NOT to hang around with these people. This may seem harsh but if you truly want to outsmart poverty it’s time to reevaluate your connections such as family and friends. How are they contributing to your success? Are they contributing to your success? Do they whine and complain? Do they blame their parents, the government and economy and other outside influences? It’s time to get your ‘personal house’ in order. It’s time to be truly honest and to let the people in your life go if they’re not healthy to be around.

Napoleon Hill’s book Outwitting the Devil is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to overcome a poverty conscious. It’s one the most thought-provoking books of its time. Even though it was written in 1938, it certainly applies to the 21st century. It’s a bottom-line approach to getting to the root of poverty conscious. Like it or not, self-examination is required. If you’re not willing to do the work from the inside out then you’ll still be stuck in your poverty consciousness. If you have children, you may want to take responsibility for your life, get clean and rid yourself of poverty consciousness once and for all.

Key Terms

1. Dogma

2. Napoleon Hill Foundation

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7 Habits That Lower Your Self-Esteem

September 25, 2011 by

You have the power to increase your self-esteem — no one can do it for you. If you want to increase your self-esteem, change your daily habits. If you have a ‘monkey mind’ that constantly puts you down, dissolve it once and for all. Negative self talk lowers your self-esteem. Associating with people who constantly complain and whine about life drains your energy and lowers your self-esteem — limit the time you spend with them.

7 Habits That Lower Your Self Esteem

1. Negative self talk. Are you constantly criticizing yourself? Do you put yourself down? If you do, it’s no wonder you have low self-esteem. No one is perfect. Stop the negative self talk and you’ll increase your self-esteem. Say affirmations such as, “I am beautiful; I am loving and lovable; I matter; I love and accept myself; I love and approve of myself.” Get a hand mirror and say these affirmations every day. Look directly into your eyes and say the affirmations with great feeling. Also, compliment yourself. If you do something good, congratulate yourself. Say, “Great job on writing that article” or “Kudos to you for shoveling your neighbor’s driveway.”

Stop the negative self talk and compliment yourself to ‘shift’ your energy and increase your self-esteem.

2. Associating with negative people. Associating with negative people can suck the life out of you and lower your self-esteem. Why would you have high self-esteem if you hang around with people who complain and whine all of the time? Lower energies aren’t good for your mental, emotional, and physical health. The next time you’re with negative people, really listen to their words and feel their vibration. You may feel your jaw and stomach tighten. This will affect your self-esteem. You’ll feel depleted and won’t have a zest for life. Detach from these people and thank them for the lessons they’ve given you.

3. Associating with negative people. They reflect back to you what you’re creating in your life. Thank these people for the lessons they provided, bless and release them.

4. Seclusion. When was the last time you enjoyed a night out? If you’re anti-social, it can lower your self-esteem. Perhaps you believe you don’t deserve to have friends or fun. Where do these beliefs come from? Are they true? Being secluded is no way to live. Take baby steps to meet people. Attend a church service or volunteer for at your favorite charitable organization. It will increase your self-esteem.

5. Watching depressing movies and television shows. Mind what you watch. Believe it or not, you could be influenced by movies and television shows. If you constantly watch the news or shows that are violent or filled with grief, it could lower your self-esteem. It can become depressing to watch news shows that only report the bad in the world. What about the good? Believe it or not, there is good in the world.

Monitor how much news you watch. Instead of watching depressing movies or television shows, watch comedies. Laughter is the best medicine!

6. Looking at the glass as half empty. Look at the glass as half full. Life is filled with ups and downs. It’s a great way to see how you handle situations. If life wasn’t filled with challenges, how would you grow? You would stay stuck and wouldn’t move forward in life. That’s no way to live.

7. A poor attitude. A poor mindset produces a poor life. If you don’t believe this, look at the balance in your checking and savings account. Are they at the maximum of $250,000 FDIC insured? Or, are they $100, $20 or $5?

If the above habits resonate with you, make a decision to acquire new ones. It takes 30-days to change a habit. Are you ready for the challenge? Your life will change in ways you may not expect. Does this scare you? Change can be good but you won’t know unless you get rid of your old habits and replace them with new ones. What are you waiting for? You have the power to increase your self-esteem. There’s no better time than to start than the present!

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