As 2018 draws to a close, we evaluate the year we’ve had and consider the next.
Have you ever heard someone say, “This year was the worst. I’m so glad it’s almost over! Surely next year will be better. It has to be!” And then, they name all the things they think went wrong during the year.
Conversely, have you heard someone say, “What an interesting and amazing year this has been.” Then, they list good things that happened, people and opportunities they are grateful for, and perhaps unexpected challenges they faced but how they navigated them and turned them into something positive or offered gratitude for the lessons?
Which person do you think will have a better experience in 2019?
Our thoughts and thought processes are the seeds of our future. What thoughts are you nurturing? Are you focused on disappointments, anxiety and fear, or are you focused on gratitude and positive expectation? Do you look for what is wrong or for what is right?
There is truth in the saying, “Energy goes where attention flows.” The person who concentrates on gratitude and on what is going right in their lives is much more likely to make healthy goals and generate the positive energy and steps to achieve them. The person who gets stuck focusing on disappointments tends to have a victim mentality and will generate negative energy that will breed more negativity and negative experiences.
Which kind of person do you tend to be? If you tend to be more on the negative side, how about shaking things up and listing everything that is going right or that you can be thankful for? If, at first, you have trouble finding things to be grateful for, start noticing the things and people around you:
“I’m thankful for the sunrise. Look how beautiful the clouds are as they begin to lighten. I’m thankful that I am breathing. If I am breathing, I have another day to create the life I want. I’m thankful for this delicious cup of coffee that is waking me up. I’m thankful for my friend, sister, parents.” You get the idea.
List the things that are going right and give thanks for them, and list the things that you want to achieve. Start concentrating on all these things and move forward with action steps and positive expectation.
Right now, we are planting the seeds for our future. Let’s make sure we are planting and nurturing the seeds we want.