Happy Belated New Year! Choose to Honor YOUR Heart's Desire!

Dear Reader,

Happy New Year! Here’s your brand new slate of opportunity to manifest what YOU truly desire! Let’s choose to let go of the woulda/coulda/shoulda’s of your mind and focus on what YOU REALLY WANT! If we are honest with ourselves, many of our to-do’s are born from other people’s expectations and desires for us! We often serve our roles as spouses, parents, children, and employees and then, if anything is left over energy wise, we consider what we want and decide if we want it more than just turning in for the night! When was the last time you actually picked which freshly baked, just our of the oven, cookie you wanted FIRST before umpteen little hands got in on the deal? Or got to pick what movie you preferred to see over the latest G-rated flicks your kids (or grandkids) wanted and the action thriller your spouse preferred? These little tendencies to let go of wanting for ourselves are endearing but they can also cause us to lose touch with what we really want and over time we can literally forget what delights us as individuals!

So for this month, or just for this moment even, let’s just STOP and ASK OURSELVES…. WHAT DO I REALLY WANT? And LISTEN! If we give our hearts a chance to speak up, we will get a message, but we must give pause to our autopilot ways of living. So for 2018 consider building in ME TIME first. Learn to meditate. Take a nature walk. Start a journal. Plant a garden. Cultivate a relationship with yourself. You do this by setting aside time with yourself every day even if it’s just for 15 minutes. No phone, no TV, just quiet time so your heart can begin dialoguing with you. What you will discover is your own voice and it is an essential part of the chorus of life!

We are all here for a purpose. Yes we are here to support one another and rejoice in our interconnectivity, but we each bring a unique dish to the banquet of life. When we take time to discover and nourish our own creative natures, we contribute more to the world and enjoy our Earthly adventure more too! That WANTING part of you is not the selfish aspect of you… it is your heart wanting to be heard and EXPRESSED! (A golden little gem of a book that will help ignite your intuitive fires is The Magic Path of Intuition by Florence Scovel Shinn).

Here are three ways to AWAKEN your heart’s desires so 2018 can be your best yet!

Clean your vessel! Our bodies are our soul’s primary paintbrushes so if we have allowed our bodies to become gooped up with life experiences that have left us brittle and broken, time to clean up so we can start a new masterpiece! Start the New Year with a cleanse that feels inviting not overwhelming! I do the 10-day Lemonade Master Cleanse (The Complete Master Cleanse by Tom Woloshyn) once a year to give my body a chance to shed what no longer serves me. Or add a few green drinks to your weekly regime! At the minimum, be sure you are staying hydrated! We are made up of 60% water and we must stay hydrated to feel and function at our best! Add fresh lemon to your water to stimulate digestion, reduce inflammation and boost your immunity!
Become an expert on YOU! Start to court yourself! Start small if it has been awhile! Try different scents or essential oils to see which ones resonate most with your preference! Get new soft bed sheets! Taste different teas and high end chocolates and allow yourself to have your own stash of favorites in your pantry! Try different massages…. Do you prefer a facial or reflexology? Maybe you are like me and prefer BOTH!
Do the unexpected! We often behave as we think we should behave. But within each of us is that vibrant yearning child who still hungers for expression! What would your inner child like to do? Just do it! The beach is one of my favorite places to take my children. As I’ve gotten older I sometimes sit out and simply watch them swim when the ocean feels too cold for my liking. But every now and again I just plunge into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean (alright it may be 70 degrees but it FEELS FREEZING!) and then we all get bundled up and share some hot French fries! It’s all about balance baby!

RESOLVE that YOU WILL SHOW UP FULLY FOR 2018! This world needs you! I believe in you! Dust yourself off and SHINE! Happy Everything, Diana

Diana Stone, M.A., is a Wellness Consultant and inspirational writer and speaker. Connect with her at dianalynnstone@me.com or www.dianalynnstone.com