How to finish 2011 and look forward to 2012

The New Year is upon us and we all look towards 2012 with different expectations about what it will bring.  Some of us will look back at 2011 with sadness, some with relief, some with surprise, and some with happiness, some with contentment.   

I came across a great idea by Janet Beckers the other day. She and her family make a celebration board of things that they did, things that happened during the past year that they want to acknowledge and celebrate.  I was so impressed that I started looking for coloured pencils and my A3 art pad straight away.   I made my celebration board within 20 minutes of watching her video. 

It made so much more sense to recognise the good times, actions of which we are proud, events that challenged us and that we accepted, than to ruminate and berate ourselves over what went wrong.  

Now, if you have had a read of previous posts you will know that I don’t do New Year resolutions.  When I look at my celebration board the best things on there were either totally out of my control (Hello, Emily my new granddaughter!), or things that I didn’t know about until the year progressed, such as the Wealth Dynamics seminar in Bali, the meditation weekend in the mountains…   I think there are only 2 items on the board that I was aware of this time last year.

So, as we are about to have a couple of days public holiday, take time to grab some paper and coloured pencils, crayons or even biros and start your celebration board.   It’s about you and doesn’t have to be perfect or arty.  It’s something to have fun with.  If you have children that’s even better as they are a great inspiration with creativity and fun.  

To start you of here are a couple of pics of parts of my celebration board. 

Remember – it’s about FUN!!!

How to listen better

…………………………………………………….Listen…………………………………………………

One of the key things about being able to communicate is listening, something many of us forget.

I came across this talk the other day and I would like to share it with you. 

I would be very interested in any comments you may have after watching this

 

Acknowledgement: the power of being at cause

 

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: and the power of  being at cause 

There has been a lot written about the Attitude of Gratitude.  People have gratitude journals, gratitude boards, even bubbles of gratitude.  These can be great when you want to acknowledge the things you can be grateful for. Many people like to share the positivity by acknowledging others and encouraging them.  But how often do we acknowledge ourselves for playing a part in the very things we are grateful for?

For example you may feel grateful for a wonderful friend in a time of need.  Have you ever acknowledged yourself for being a great person who attracts that type of friend?

I was stuck in traffic during road-works just outside Katoomba a couple of years ago.  Instead of feeling annoyed and impatient I looked out at the view.  It was amazing – the colours of the cliff faces were wonderful.  I had never noticed this view before because I was always too busy keeping my eyes on the road while I was driving. After that I found myself looking forward to having to stop that those road works – can you believe it???

So, I acknowledged myself for having the patience to notice and appreciate that view.  The funny thing is that since I did that I have become more aware of other opportunities when I am stuck in traffic or behind a very slow moving truck.   I now notice things I had never noticed before.  I am now grateful to myself for taking time to be patient and calm, finding something to be happy about in a situation most people would chose to be stressful.

Look at what is happening in your life and what it is that you can be grateful for; then acknowledge yourself for the part you have played in being able to have that thing for which you are expressing gratitude.

Once you begin focusing on the good things in your life and how you played a part, it is so much easier to be the creator of your life.  I mean, do you really want to be the victim, to be at effect of everything that is happening, or would you prefer to be a cause, to have some control over what is happening? 

The same goes for the reverse – if things aren’t going well, then look at what it is that you are doing and how you can change your contribution to that situation so the outcome is different.  Then acknowledge yourself for that insight. 

How about being grateful to yourself because you recognised an opportunity to learn or notice something instead of complaining or passing judgement?  I’d love to hear how it is working for you.

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

- Albert Camus,

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• Attitude of Gratitude (jazzycoffee.wordpress.com)