Mid-life moodiness has had me struggling to see the sunny side, as does the lack of stimulation from seeing friends, being comfortably around others, and seeing live entertainment and sports.
For those reasons it seems more important than ever to start the year off doing all I can to feel good about myself. I know that if I don't like me than it's downhill from there. And with how 2020 was, I'm not far enough from the bottom to risk going any further down.
This is my 'best of the internet' edition for starting the New Year. Here are the things I've either downloaded seen that I think are worth your time and why:
This Brain Dump from createandthrive.com. I had to finagle a bit by taking a screenshot to print it (since I wasn't yet subscribed to that website's freebies), but I printed several copies and so far, I love it! It's a quick way to prioritize and set multiple goals for the day.
2. My second best find for the New Year is a TED Talk by Ethan Hawke called Give Yourself Permission to be Creative. A friend shared it and when I watched it struck several chords with me. A new year is a great time to consider your legacy and purpose, and the thing Mr. Hawke said that was the best for me was that you need to be driven by what you love. I've lost some focus on that. His main point was that it's okay to fail or stink at something, at least you're trying. You can watch the TED Talk here.
3. While I love the written word, I've never been the fastest or most comprehensive reader. I do very much love a good audiobook and use both the local library app and audible to attain them. I had heard great things about The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, so I downloaded it some time ago and finally decided to listen yesterday while I was taking down Christmas stuff.
I have to say, I didn't absorb a whole lot of the introduction, but when he got to the four agreements it was so applicable to my life. I struggle with letting go of the past as well as not taking things personally, and Ruiz addresses these things in a practical way that gave me some strategies I could use.
4. I saved the funnest one for last. This is great for a pick-me-up and a little inspiration. I stumbled upon MakeoverGuy on YouTube and it's so uplifting! This man and his team makeover people and the typical video is around a minute long. I bet you cannot watch just one! In an era of sweat clothes and ponytails watching these little videos inspired me to actually put some effort in to looking a little more awake and alive. I do love my plain self, but it's nice to try a little and be a little more at ease with my reflection in the mirror.
Those four things are my 'finds' for the start of the year. I'm using them to stack the deck in my favor as the year begins. I've heard it said, "take what you want and leave the rest." I invite you to do the same. That said I do hope you enjoy any one of them as much as I have so far!