Hey,
How is the new year going for you?
Do you feel happy?
Are you enjoying each new day?
Or are you still dealing with negative things from last year?
Hello,
My name is Jacqueline and welcome to my Tranquil Spirits podcast.
As we were heading towards the end of last year,
I heard so many people saying things like,
I can't wait for this year to end,
This year has been terrible.
People were posting on social media and most of what I was reading just seemed so negative.
This got me thinking about my year.
And yes,
I also had a year with many difficulties and a lot of change,
But I decided not to focus on those.
Remembering all the negative things which have happened made me feel unhappy,
Sad and then angry.
Probably like many of the people whose posts I had read earlier on social media.
No,
I decided to leave the old year with memories of all the good things that had happened throughout the 365 days we all lived through.
It's always our choice what we focus on or remember,
But whatever we focus on or remember creates our feelings and emotions.
And whatever emotion we are experiencing in the moment,
The universe gives us more of it.
Knowing this,
I did wonder why so many people just wanted to remember all the negative things which had happened to them in the year we were about to leave.
I wanted to leave the old year feeling happy because I knew that starting a new year with feelings of anger,
Frustration or sadness would only attract more situations which would bring me those same feelings.
I decided to take with me into the new year thoughts of fun times with my family and friends,
Beautiful places I had visited,
The amazing memories of delicious foods I had eaten and the warm feelings I felt when I thought about each and every one of them.
By making a conscious decision to do this,
My new year has already brought me joy and I have already made memories I want to remember and which make my heart smile when I think about them,
Even though we are only a few weeks in.
But if we are someone who automatically seems to only remember the negative things of life,
Here is a way which might help us remember the positives as we enter a new year.
Get yourself a jar or a suitable container with a lid.
Throughout the year,
Every time something fun happens,
Write it down on a piece of paper,
Fold the paper up and pop it into the jar.
You could do this once a week,
Once a month or just whenever you experience something you want to remember.
It could be a place you visit,
A conversation you have with your grandchildren,
A delicious meal you have with a friend,
A beautiful flower you see,
Really anything at all.
Throughout the year you just keep adding to the jar.
Don't read the pieces of paper,
Just keep living the best life you can and record it on a slip of paper every time something fun or interesting happens.
Then,
In the last few hours of the 31st of December,
Open the jar and read each piece of paper.
This not only helps bring back so many happy warm memories,
But it also makes you feel good inside and excited for the new year ahead where you will have a whole new 365 days in which to make more wonderful memories.
This is a really fun thing to do with children as they see life so differently to us grown-ups.
And then on the last day of the year,
You can enjoy remembering the happy moments together.
Remember,
It is always our choice what we focus on and how we react to things.
I choose to start my new year the way I want it to continue,
With happiness and excitement in my heart.
How about you?
Let me know your thoughts on this and whether a new year jar is something you will do.
Thanks for listening.
Have a beautiful day,
You deserve it.
And remember,
Always follow that dream.
Thanks again for listening and I'll speak to you again soon on my next Tranquil Spirits podcast.
Bye for now.
