Better Late Than Never

Better Late Than Never: This One is For You

Post one of the series

Title: EYES ON THE PRICE

When I asked a few people what their New Year’s resolutions were, most people responded to not making any resolutions this year. They’re not going to make any promises to themselves that they know they can’t keep up with, and understandably so, right? After all, everyone is afraid of going into February with that feeling of being too late to continue in the pursuit of their self-development journeys and missing out on various opportunities.

According to lifehack.org, People are “treating a marathon like a sprint” and not being patient with the NEW lifestyles they set out for themselves which subsequently resolutions not being met. The outcome? They tend to either put it off as NEXT year’s resolution or simply choose not to make any at all. It is therefore important to always commit yourself to nurturing habitual positive thoughts over your desires so that you can see the greater outcome. Be more patient with yourself. You have to think the time is always NOW and that you haven’t missed your moment. It takes time for actions to become habits.

Take a baby learning how to walk for example. When the baby falls while attempting to walk, he/she isn’t discouraged to the point of choosing not to try again. On the contrary, the baby sees their elders walking and instinctively knows that it’s possible for them to do the same. “If they can do it, I can do it too!” Another example is in reference to the “quit smoking” commercials which imply that since it doesn’t take overnight to create the bad habit of smoking, one needs to cut themselves a break on not being able to suddenly put the cigarette down right away. Afterwards, the commercial encourages the individual to keep trying and supports them through the steps it takes to keep moving forward (as they expect for people to repeatedly fall and get back up until they fulfill their ultimate goal of quitting).

So if you are a little discouraged from tripping over the starting point, brush the dirt off and keep these things in mind. For only you have the ability to either see things through or never at all. It’s a matter of persistence, hard work and determination with your efforts focused on the end goal!

Post two of the series

Title: TO NEW BEGINNINGS

I say it every year and I will say it again: The best books to start off the year with are self-help and life coaching materials. WHY you may ask? Well, this is because they enable you to grasp that it’s possible to achieve your goals by feeding your mind with affirmations which help sow that seed. It is critical to start off the year with a set mind frame of continuing a positive thought process because it sets the tone that if and when you fail, it is part of the process of being successful and not to get stuck on negative thinking processes.

These books give you the affirmation that not only do you have to hope for something but also expect it thus encouraging you to grasp the idea that this good habit of thought creates actual manifestations of your desires. The purpose is to keep hearing that it’s possible and that this could be and will be your year. ITS THE HABIT THAT’S NOT SERVING YOU or THE HABIT THAT IS SERVING YOU kind of sense. If you allow negative thoughts to take over your mind, you have chosen to serve that particular habit. So when bad thoughts present themselves, quickly think a positive thought to override the negative one. The intent is creating this belief that your steps are ordered, to have a spiritual connection to what it is you most desire in your life, and to get you into a mental state of a new beginning of abundance.

A few of my favorite books that I always start off with are “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz, “The Power of the Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy, and “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. If you actually have time to sit down and read a book, then by all means check these out. But for those who don’t have time, Audibles would be the perfect fit. In fact, when people ask me what music I listen to, I always say that I am listening to books. It’s just easier to listen to them while you’re on the go.

Post three of the series

Title: HEALTHY EATING FOR MENTAL CLARITY

“Starting new eating habits” should also be worked on in the same manner as attaining mental clarity. Suppose you are starting a new eating habit for example. People take on these “eating lifestyle” commitments, only to disappoint themselves after not meeting their goals right away. Be patient with yourself and stop being so harsh. You expected to be a successful vegetarian after scarfing down pot roast and steaks over the holiday period that just ended not too long ago?

Start by cleansing your palate before changes in your eating habit can happen. You can detox your body using teas, clays, herbals, and the lemon/vinegar beverage approach. It’s great to have the idea of wanting to detox your body for whatever reason you desire, but I personally hear people getting hung up on HOW to do it and then they give up due to not knowing how to go about it. There are too many ways to keep up with them. When in doubt on how to detox your body, just drink plenty of water until you adopt your own cleansing method.

And the benefits are numerous: Not only does detoxing give you mental clarity, it can also be used as a good blood and palate cleanser. Also noteworthy is that when you do stick with a cleanser, it helps get rid of cravings for things like sweets and salts. This cleanses the blood and adjusts your palate so your senses of taste can be restored. Detoxing is a big trend in the beginning of the year not only to achieve mental clarity but to also be physically fit and not just in a “nutritional supplemental dietish way”. It’s one of the purposes of the “infamous’ Daniel Fast or “Pulse” eating lifestyle for 21 days.

Remember how Nebuchadnezzar’s guards recognized, after so many days of being on a particular eating habit, Daniel and his friends appeared to have more physical and mental clarity with good personal appearance? Some people choose to adopt this eating lifestyle in the beginning of a spiritual endeavor, or perhaps, in preparation of a new eating lifestyle.

I personally don’t reference myself as ever being a “dieter”, but I have always tried to keep processed sugars and salts to a minimum. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, I eat whatever I want under the sun. If it’s important to incorporate fruits into your eating habit, pick your favorite ones and do not worry about which ones happen to be the best. I found out, through talking to people, that when they did try and change some of their habits, it only served to remind them of the fruits and vegetables they do NOT enjoy. Don’t eat them then.

Start off with baby steps and work your way up. The goal is to keep trying and not to give up or keep putting it off. You will want to be persistent so that it eventually becomes a habit. The time is always NOW.

Scholars believe that it takes only 30 days to create a habit and that your body’s physical and mental change happens every 11 months. That’s less than a year of working on getting a brand new you to manifest with at least 10+ good habits that you can establish within the same year and not end up pushing everything on to the next year’s resolution list!