☺ Jump-start 2013 with Positive Change ☺

My first post of 2013! How exciting! ;)

Honestly, I've been a bit all over the place with how I wanted to express my feelings of the new year. Finally, after scribbling down notes and thinking to myself, and aimlessly writing, I came to my conclusion. Since ReLove Plan.et has always been a place to inspire, to kick on those happy shoes and dance around with silly bliss and motivation, I figured that's what this post needs to be about. I already wrote a rather forward "Motivational Mondays" Post that I wanted to kick the New Year off with, but here is a little extra positive re-enforcement… or a second wake up call for me to tell you to make this year fantastic. 

I'll start by mentioning what I've said before; I'm not too much for New Year's Resolutions--in fact I wrote a post about it last year. So, not to repeat myself too much, I am simply going to say that I am For "Self Resolutions." 

What is the point of resolutions if we are just going to break them after a few days, or weeks, or moments, or seconds? So many of us have all these great ideas and inspirations and then come the New Year… well, nothing has changed, because--as I've mentioned a few times now--the turning of the New Year doesn't magically make things change. You have to make things change. So why do resolutions fail when we have such good intentions? Maybe because they aren't completely heart-felt, after all, there's almost this obligation to make these resolutions in the first place, instead of them coming from a place of inner wanting and choosing, or, more importantly, Commitment. Another reason I think they fail is because the second that we feel We fail, or our Resolutions "fail" then that's it, it's done, no more. I'm talking about the first slip-up, the first bump in the road, the first incident that makes you throw your arms up in the air and go "nothing's changed!" "2013 sucks just like last year!" 

Whaaaaaat???

Is this not madness? I say it time and time again, never give up, always stay positive, focussed, and encouraged, no matter how many bumps, falls, scrapes, scars, and tumbles you have. If you don't climb back up then you are just dragging yourself through the mud collecting more scrapes and burns and dirt, whereas if you keep standing back up then you are slowly but surely going to stay standing. You may still stumble, but you can easily climb back up. So stand back up! Get back on your feet, dust yourself off, and keep going. 

To hell with resolutions, say Yes to Life! Because life truly starts Right Now! If you're having a bad day then you can Start Over right in that moment. You never ever ever have to stay down. Ever. Have I said that enough times yet? Start again, because you can and because you have the will to choose and Do. So Do. 

Doesn't it sound like a much better idea to put effort into Feeling Good, then to feeling Bad? It seems like such an obvious answer, yet we too often place far more energy into feeling bad. We do so by complaining about ourselves, about others, about our jobs, about money, about the things we don't have. We do so by slunking down in front of the television and watching mindless shows and movies with a shit-ton of subliminal messages meant to make you feel bad about yourself. We do so by moping, sulking, and feeling sorry for ourselves. Think about All that Time and Energy that you could be using to Feel Good instead! Seriously!!! Is it not worth it? 

It may seem tedious at first because you're moving away from "comforts." But what you need to realize is that they are false comforts; they don't make you feel good, they're just comfortable. Step out of your comfort zone and do something different. Live your life differently. If you want to be happy then start to change the way you act, feel, and do. Change your habits. Change your attitude. It will all amount to transforming your life into this beautiful vibrant fantastic wonderful magical awesome world. 

So. It's 2013. Make your Resolution a lasting one and Change Your Self and Your Life. Make Happiness the air you breathe, every move you make, every word you speak, every thought you think. Make Happiness a Habit. 

I did it. And so can you. Don't be lazy, get up and shout out to the world how awesome your life is. Because it is. You just haven't noticed yet.  

I wish you all a very Happy Happy New Year! Much Love and Hugs and all that good stuff. ;) Keep smiling! 

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☺ Motivational Mondays: Life Starts Now! ☺

 We're taking back Mondays!!!

"Motivational Mondays" are fabulous tips to get you excited and pumped for the week! 

Feeling low? Moody? Down on life? Well, that's what these posts are for! Time to feel awesome again and get some Positivity rolling! Just because it's Monday doesn't mean you can't have fun, smile, and enjoy Today! Apply these tips to your week and try to tell me that you don't start to see an improvement in your life! ;)

It's all about You! Change your perception, change your attitude, love your life! xo

*****

Alright loves, this is a very special New Years Motivational Mondays post! It is, after all, the very last day in 2012! *gasp* So, as with every New Years, people start making resolutions, saying goodbye to the past year and resolving that This year is going to be Their Year! 

Well, here are my tips for you this week and to keep with you in this brand new year… 

☺ Life Starts Now! New Years is a terrible excuse to wait to start living life. We say things like "next year will be better," and "I can't wait for this year to be over." Umm, I've got news for you, nothing is going to be different in the New Year, tomorrow, or whenever if that is going to be your attitude. You are placing happiness constantly in the future, just out of your reach. Choose to change Right Now. Right this Second! Your New Year starts NOW. Your clean slate begins Now! Make changes, don't just sweep the past year under a rug and wait for things to magically happen. Make them happen! How? Read on…  

☺ Stop Moping and being a Sorry Suck! Holy, blunt much?! ;) Sorry, but every so often I like to be brutally upfront and honest, like a nice little slap on your pretty faces to get you to realize how useless sitting there feeling sorry for yourself is. I know, because I was one of those people for yearrsssss. I get it, it's hard to break that bad habit. Not! It's difficult because we're lazy and we make it hard, and because we would rather complain than actually do something about it. It's so much easier to sit there feeling all depressed and sorry for yourself than to actually get off your ass and start feeling good. But, guess what? You're going to feel a damn large amount better if you switch off that sorry suck attitude and start feeling good about yourself. If you want change then you have to make those steps. Stop giving yourself excuses, because that's all they are. Oh, what? You're "depressed"? I was too, I was suicidal, hated myself, hated life, and wanted to die. Guess what? I love myself today and I love my life. Know why? Because I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and actually use all that time towards improving myself. And you can too. So no more excuses! 

☺ Keep on Keepin on! Getting to the happy road takes time and effort. It gets easier, I promise. But it does take rewiring your brain and attitude and habits, which is why it can take quite a bit of work at first. Never get discouraged. Actually trying means you're heading in the right direction. Every day becomes easier. Every day you are forming new habits. So you can either build positive happy habits and attitudes, or you can continue down a spiral. Never give up! Stay strong, don't get discouraged, remember that you are amazing!   

☺ You are so much better than you Believe! Part of being unable to change is the unwillingness to accept that you are worthy of good things in your life. Well, I'm here to tell you that you totally and absolutely deserve happiness, love, and all goods things in your life! Oh yes you do! Just because life has dragged you around doesn't mean it was because you "deserved" it, it's simply life trying to teach you something. Sadly, we often get stuck when something unfavourable happens, we feel down on ourselves and get discouraged so the cycle continues. You can change that though, but first you must believe and accept that you are super awesome and deserve all the happiness and love in the world! You deserve All Good Things! Keep your chin up, you are lovely and deserving and wonderful. Start loving and appreciating yourself or you'll never be happy. Read this article for more on loving yourself:  

 ☺ Learn from the past! Instead of just forgetting about this past year and pretending it didn't happen, Learn from it! Tough experiences teach us valuable lessons. If you just ignore the lessons those experiences were trying to teach you then you are going to find yourself repeatedly back in those places until you do finally learn. This doesn't mean you should hold onto everything from your past, not by a long shot. Let go of the negative and bring only the positive into your present. If it does not serve you then let it go. Just make sure you are letting go in the right way, as I said, and bring forward the lesson and leave behind the negative feelings and emotions. 

☺ Consciously Create the Life You Want! One more time now; nothing will change just because it's the new year, You have to Want the change. You have to BE the Change! If you want your life to be kick-ass fantastic awesome fun then make it so! You are the author of your own life. For all the ups and downs, you are responsible for what kind of attitude you are going to have. Whether an experience will make you stronger or weaker. You can choose to be dragged through the mud or you can choose to stand up and stomp and play in the puddles. Only You can choose to make your life awesome. ♥

☺ Learn about the Law of Attraction! Oh yes, you better believe I'm bringing this up again. ;) The Law of Attraction brings into your life whatever you are thinking about. If you are constantly complaining, constantly focussing on the negative, then you are going to be constantly bringing that into your life. Gratitude is everything, the single greatest key to truly changing your life. Start being grateful for absolutely everything, big and small. Focus on the Good, not the Bad. Do this and you actually Will change your life and 2013 Will be Your year! ;) 

I will also be releasing a new "Happiness Guide" zine soon, so keep an eye out for that! ;) 

Have a safe and Happy New Year! 

Much Love from me to you! 

Create a Nice Day and Create a Nice Year! xo

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☺ Motivational Mondays! ☺

We're taking back Mondays!!!

"Motivational Mondays" are fabulous tips to get you excited and pumped for the week! 

Feeling low? Moody? Down on life? Well, that's what these posts are for! Time to feel awesome again and get some Positivity rolling! Just because it's Monday doesn't mean you can't have fun, smile, and enjoy Today! Apply these tips to your week and try to tell me that you don't start to see an improvement in your life! ;)

It's all about You! Change your perception, change your attitude, love your life! xo

Whoa! Christmas eve! And New Years is sneaking up! Where does the time go?! 

Anyway, I'll be taking a couple much needed days off to relax and be merry, but I couldn't leave without giving you a quick Motivational Mondays post. ;) 

☺ Just Keep Smiling! Because that's what the holidays are supposed to be about! There may be ups and downs, quarrels with families, and so forth, but just keep that smile on your face and you'll find yourself having a good time! :)   

☺ Be extra Kind! Take a little time to perform random acts of kindness, tis the season after all! There are so many others in need, and so many ways to spread a little extra joy into someone else's life. So go do it, whether it be big or small, no action is too small!  

☺ Give Gifts! To five random people. This doesn't have to be anything extravagant, hell it can be super tiny, but the thought behind the action will go a long way! Walk down the street and just hand out a few gifts to people and wish them well.  

☺ … And Breaaaaathe… It's so easy to so caught up in the chaos of the holidays but now is the time to just relax and enjoy yourself. If you're not doing that then you're doing something wrong and missing the point of getting together with friends and family. Breathe! And relax! Take time to just sit and relax and observe the joy around you.  

☺ In case you missed it…  Read up the article I wrote last year (and have repinned to the top of the blog) on how to survive and add joy to the holidays: http://www.reloveplanet.com/2011/12/making-holidays-magical-stress-free.html

☺ Release Expectations! We often have this image in our heads of how the Holidays, or Christmas, are going to be. You know, images of that perfect holiday get together. Well, things happen, bumps happen, and you can't create a perfect moment by forcing it. Perfect moments come from releasing expectations, not getting attached to one particular idea or outcome, and learning to go with the flow and enjoy whatever comes. So enjoy whatever comes, go with the flow, and, oh yeah, Smiiiile! ;) ♥

☺ Remember it's just a day. Christmas day (if you celebrate it) is really just a day. It's a day like every other day of the year. So don't hold it up on a pedestal, don't let yourself down, don't get bummed out if you can't celebrate with friends or family that particular day. There 364 other days of the year for you to spread joy, smile, and spend time with loved ones. It's just a day. Enjoy it, but don't get attached. ;)  

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Holiday season, however you are celebrating--or not celebrating. 

Much Love from me to you! 

Create a Nice Day! xo

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☺ Holiday Season; Stress, Family, & Bringing Back the Magic! ☺

We're one and a half weeks away from Christmas! If that isn't exciting I don't know what is! It's a special time of year when things are a little more magical, people are extra happy, and everyone is a little kinder to one another… or at least that's how it should be. I know that, sadly, the reality is often the opposite. The holiday season has its own load of stress to unleash. Money is tight and yet we run around spending it all on material presents. Parents fight with each other in toy stores over getting the latest must-have gifts for their children. Families stress over making a big huge family dinner. There are presents to think of, find, and buy. There are christmas parties to attend, errands to run, shopping to do. And if your family is like most then it is dysfunctional and untamed and can draw out unresolved issues, emotions, and stresses. Not to mention it's the beginning of the winter so many of us feel the effects of the lack of sun and therefor Vitamin D.

But worry not! I'm not trying to paint an unhappy picture for you only to say, "now have fun with all that hectic stress! See ya!" No, no, no. I am here to bring attention to what you may already be aware of (and if you're not, draw your awareness to it so that it can be remedied--should it need remedying) and remind us all that the holiday season doesn't have to be stressful. Remember that you get to choose after all what you want in your life, how you are going to react, and what you are choosing to do. 

I want to place emphasis once more on the family issues, because I feel like this is the time of year when things can get especially dramatic and draw out those family issues and problems we have within ourselves. I know, personally, and from hearing the stories of many others, family is a tricky topic. Many families have divorced parents, abusive characters, are dysfunctional, or in other cases are just plain bonkers. But I want to say very firmly, you are not alone! Families are not perfect, because people are not perfect. We are all on a journey trying to learn more about ourselves and life, how to behave, how to grow, and how to be human. Everyone stumbles, has issues, and has trouble in their various relationships. And that's okay. So if it distresses you to feel like your family is not "normal" and happy and enjoying the "perfect" holiday season, then know that this is not ideal, normal, or probably common. And, again, that's okay. Think about it, even in all those magical sappy movies there is always a problem that needs resolving before everyone can be happy and enjoy each others company and life. In that sense, the movies actually aren't too far off, because, such is life. There are problems and issues that need resolving in order for peace and love to shine brighter. And if you want a happy ending then it's up to You to choose it. You write your own story! You get to choose the ending.

All the people and events in our lives shape us, make us who we are, provide us with lessons, and make us richer people. Your family may not be perfect, but if you are fortunate enough to enjoy the holiday season with even one special person in your life then be grateful and happy and enjoy every second if it. Don't focus attention on the things you don't have, instead enjoy the things that you do have. Be grateful and mindful of all the things you have in your life. Don't spend so much attention on the negativities within your family or your life, it does you nor them any good. People don't change overnight. Some people don't change much at all. But You can choose to be the person you want to be. You can choose to be happy, joyous, caring, giving, and jolly. You can choose to surround yourself with the people that genuinely care about you and love you and with whom you receive an equally beneficial relationship with. Your family is not just your parents and siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Your family is made up of the people who enrich your life; your friends, significant others, acquaintances, pets, and so on. So spend your holiday season with the people you love and enjoy, and embrace and be grateful for their company and that sense of community. Cherish what you have. And that is how you can bring that magic back to the holiday season. Be extra kind to your direct family as well, forgive and be easy on them, even if sometimes it feels like they don't deserve it. But you don't have to spend the entire day with them, be respectful of your own needs and happiness. Enjoy their company when you are with them, and then move on without carrying that extra baggage with you when you depart. Resolve conflicts that need to be resolved. Self-reflect if you need to self-reflect and realize what within your family still upsets you. I've said it before, but you must help yourself first in order to be of good to others. In truth, the holiday season may draw out family drama, but if it does then it should be a sign to you that there are still some things that need to be worked on. And this shouldn't stress you out. Take it with a deep calming breath, accept it, remember it is there to make you a stronger person, and figure out what you need to do to deal with it. If that isn't immediately clear to you, that's okay too. The path will become clear, just don't carry the negative baggage around with you to dampen your mood. 

Enjoy the holiday season because you can choose to. Choose to be kind and happy. Choose to be giving and caring. Choose to carry around that extra bit of magic and holiday spirit with you and pass it on to others. Make your life and the holiday season as brilliant and vibrant as you are. Remember, you choose. So choose to enjoy the magic and childlike wonder of this time of year. Make it magical and wonderful. After all, how ever you choose to celebrate it, it is a pretty fantastic time of year when we let it be.

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