Newness

Decided to start this blog today.  A spontaneous decision.

I bought 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rueben in December and have found that it is working, im happier.   The advice is practical, it has made me think about what is important to me and I am doing all the little niggling tasks that have been bugging me for weeks, months, years!  Result.  Nothing else I have read has even got me near to that, although it could be said Im in the right place for it now.  When the student is ready the teacher appears.

In addition to that, after a visit to my local library for a kids book, I had a little stroll around and saw a book that caught my attention.  How to Be Your Own Best Friend by Dr. Paul Hauck, what a guy.  Having been a self help coach for the past 2 years, and a stress advisor prior to that, I have read many books on self development, self improvement, self awareness etc.  This book really hits the mark for me, a no-nonsense approach.

Its time to stop being wishy washy and start making the changes I need to make to change my life for the better.

At this point I would like to add, that I dont have a horrible life, Im not sad, Im reasonably healthy, I have great friends, know how to let my hair down, I could be doing with more money, as could most of us.  I have heating, hot water, food, a roof over my head and a wonderful family and for all of that I am very grateful.

But......I have been wishy washy for long enough, there a things I want to do.  I want to look after my health better, I want to lose a stone in weight, I want to take my kid to Disneyland in Florida, I want to have less clutter, I want to stop buying things that I dont need, I want to fix my shower which has been faulty for a year, I want to move to France! and I honestly believe that if I start with fixing my shower this will help me get to France.

These things take a new awareness, I have been looking through the same eyes for too long, and although there are lots of things I see, for example, I am trained to be aware of my thinking, good and bad, and sometimes I choose to change unhelpful thinking and sometimes I wallow in it, but I know Im doing it, its my choice.  I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time on a beautiful island meditating with psychiatrists and buddhist monks, I have met amazing people, and have the most gorgeous friends with amazing spirit and compassion.   I know what happens when feelings come up...and go back down...and come up again...it eventually sets you free.  But this awarness I need is different.  I need to actually see what is around me.

This is going to take practice, being in the present and having the energy to change.

Spontaneous, spur of the moment decisions....so they still have a place among my new strategy of starting a plan and sticking to it.  Let see where I end up.  This is my new project jotter.