Natural Living: Transitioning into New Year of Enlightenment

We create New Year’s resolutions as a way to start over and maybe even create a whole new us. But often those promising resolutions fail before they ever really begin. Perhaps we’re just making the wrong resolutions.

What if there was one New Year’s resolution that had the inherent ability to completely transform our lives? Instead of changing or improving something, what if we went to the core of all issues and we resolved it once and for all? What if you could reclaim your full connection to who you really are?

Does enlightenment sound too ambitious for a New Year’s resolution? Really, it’s not. You don’t have to become something new. It’s like coming out of a tiny one-person tent after a long, long sleep and realizing it was set up in the grand ballroom of your palace. So, let’s reset our vision of who we really are and then get to the work of waking up and getting out of this tent. We’re so much more than we know. Yes, enlightenment is a grand resolution, but also possible, and the benefits begin from day one. Even just peeking outside the confines of our tent softens the edges of suffering and loneliness, anxiety and sadness, giving us more hope and comfort.

Most people I believe would welcome this positive energy enlightenment into their lives and leave their hardships behind. Research shows again and again that cultures with little materialism yet a large community are happier than their counterparts who strive to get the latest, greatest, biggest piece of technology. By escaping materialism you can welcome true happiness!

So, what better way to do this than to start fresh with New Year’s resolutions that simplify life, leave stress behind, create community around you and start living and loving life every second of the day in true enlightenment?

Here are some pointers to get you started:

Love: Spend time with your loved ones, converse, understand them, and make them happy. Learn to love like a dog — no barriers; just true affection.

Kindness: Practice random acts of kindness and compassion. Help those in need. Volunteer. Make someone smile.

Know yourself: Become attuned to what brings you happiness. Study yourself. Learn about what you love, and about your ability to love. Increase your capacity for compassion.

Meaning: Give yourself a purpose. Find meaning in your own spiritual way, through those you love in life or through the things you’re passionate about.

Flow: Eliminate distractions, and really pour yourself into whatever you’re doing, until you forget the outside world.

Think positive: Try eliminating negative thinking from your life and think positive instead.

Small pleasures: Make a list of small things that give you joy. Sprinkle them throughout your day. Notice other small pleasures as you go through your day.

Be aware: Like that of a small child, who finds a speck in the snow so mystical and creative. Enjoy the splendor around you.

Health: Nourishing your body through exercise and eating “live” foods will create a happier you.

Get outside: Enjoy and experience the natural beauties of the world.

Live in the moment: Live every moment grateful for that moment and for who and what’s around you. Live life to the fullest in every moment and be YOU, everyone else is taken!

Don’t worry if you didn’t set goals for the New Year, each and every day is another opportunity to seize the moment and change your life for the better and experience enlightenment! January 28 marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year and the Fire Rooster. Stay tuned to next week on what this year’s energy may bring.