Ten Butterflies

The sun has risen over a brand New Year.  We have been blessed with a soft drizzling rain.  The earth laps it up like a hungry puppy.  It is beautiful.  Most of us are excited about the prospect of a new year.  It is part of human nature, we love new beginnings even if they sometimes terrify us.  It is also a time of reflection and making new resolutions.  However, often those resolutions do not last long.  I believe that one of the reasons of their quick demise is the fact that we do not take them seriously, so I thought, instead of jotting down a few resolutions, I will go a step further and make a covenant with myself for myself.  I came up with a list of ten "I Will's".  You could call them my ten commandments.

Here is my list, but you are welcome to make your own list.

1.  I will laugh more, even at myself.

Laughter has healing qualities.  It relieves our stress levels and releases endorphins.

2. I will leave the past where it belongs.

Dragging the issues and the pain of the past with us changes nothing about what happened, but it  steals our joy of the present.

3.I will fill my mind with positive thoughts.

Every thought we have has an impact on our happiness, on our actions and on our lives.  Our thoughts can steer our lives toward joy or sadness, the choice lies in what I allow myself to think.

4. I will look for the good.

Not only will I look for the good in people, but I will look for the good in my circumstances, the world, as well as within myself.

5.  I will have an open mind.

I will be willing to listen to other people's ideas, opinions and advice.  I will be open to new possibilities and solutions.

6. I will love people for who they are.

 I will treasure their unique gifts and value their role in my life.

7. I will cultivate a spirit of tolerance.

Tolerance leads to peace and harmony.  It says that we value diversity and we accept that the sun shines on all people in equal measure.

8.  I will think before I speak.

Our words have power to comfort or inflict pain. Words, once spoken, cannot be unsaid and they cannot be unheard.  We only have control over our words before they are spoken.

9.  I will be grateful.

Focusing on the things we are grateful for draws our attention away from the negative things around us.  When we have a grateful heart it is difficult to complain about anything.

10.  I will not quit.

Sometimes life is difficult, sometimes we face obstacles or hardships, but never grow weary, never give up. Keep going, one step at a time.  Making a promise never to quit, helps to keep us focussed on the end goal.

Print your list out, stick it on the fridge as a daily reminder for the year ahead.  Have a blessed 2019.