The very best gift to give our-self.....with love

One of the easiest and nicest gifts you can ever give to yourself is to surround yourself with loving and kind people whenever possible. I realize sometimes it is not always easy, and we do not always have a choice. But, when possible, keep the company of those people you admire. It has been said that we become the five people we associate with the most. Choose wisely! I am fortunate to have a close family and many good friends. We spend a lot of time together and I am okay if I let them rub off on me! They are pretty good😁. I also have a group of what we call the “GNO’s”, and just had our Christmas party. On the way home, I was thinking to myself how I was so grateful for all of them. They mostly bring a sense of joy and comfort to my wellbeing. There might be a few times that we have had a little bit of drama, but it all works out and we are able move on and have fun.

In our normal everyday life, we are surrounded with a variety of people, some by choice, some not so much. Some of these people we deal with on a daily basis are a joy to be with, and their presence nurtures and encourages us. These people seem to cheer us on and wish us to do well. They listen to us when we are not doing so well. Others may have the opposite effect, draining us of our energy, making us feel tired and exhausted. Our well-being can be easily influenced by those around us, and if we can keep this in mind, we might choose a little differently on how we spend our time. I know this quite well. I learned a lot several years ago that there are people who truly care about us and those who are just mean peeps🤔🤔. Have you ever been around someone who tries to make you feel bad? This can create a toxic environment and is not healthy. If possible, stay away from. We do have a choice in how we let these energy draining people affect us. Pretend to have a magic armor that protects you from their negative or mean spirit and go about. (This is only to be used if you have to be around them. If not, stay the heck away!).

I encourage all of us to think more deeply about the people we interact with. Hopefully, it becomes easier for us to fill our lives with people who help us cultivate healthy and positive relationships. Even though it might not always seem like we have much control over who we are with, we do. The power to step back from toxicity lies within us. All we have to do is take a few moments to reflect on how another person makes you feel. If it is bad, stay away if possible. I say this because it could be a boss or coworker and that is NOT FUN. If that is the case, we need to learn ways to not take their mean spirit with you. In other words, brush them off or wear your armor! Do not take anything they say personally. Assessing the people we spend the most time with allows us to see if they add something that is constructive to our lives. Should a friend sap our strength, for example, we can simply set the intention to tell them how we feel or simply spend less time with them. We will find that the moment we are honest with ourselves about our own feelings, the more candid we can be with others about how they make us feel. While this may involve some drastic changes to our social life it can bring about a personal transformation that will truly empower us. You can also set rules. I have a rule with a friend that we discuss no politics. None. I also have learned to change a subject if I feel it is changing attitudes. We are different people with different views, likes, dislikes, beliefs, so conversations can become a little negative. Learning to love people beyond these attributes is good for the soul. It sometimes takes strength but can really feel good. I enjoy when my father-in-law will ask one of my children a question knowing their view and knows what they are going to say. He is able to challenge them in a fun spirit and that is okay. I find that a great way to learn more of opposing views. Keeping it in a loving and fun spirit, makes us all feel better.

I am truly grateful for my family and friends. I am going to make sure in 2022 that I spend more time with those who care about me and make me feel good. I will not always have a choice, but plan on doing my best with avoid or spend less time with those who do not add to my wellbeing. Will you do the same? When we surround ourselves with positive people, we can choose to clear away the negativity that exists around us and create more room to welcome nurturing energy.

We have talked about being out of whack, and feeling a little behind, out of control, and feeling a bit of overwhelm. Well, this week has been a long wild week. I have taken 3 finals and feeling exhausted. I am glad I am finished and now can prepare to enjoy the rest of the year. I know a lot of you do not believe in NEW YEAR resolutions. I do. I have kept two in my entire life. That is not what I would call successful, but I was 45 when I kept my first one. Oh, I gave up little snickers and starburst. I was addicted to them and ate them almost daily. Sometimes, that was my lunch. Yuck. Now, I have no desire. Yes, that is how it usually works. Years ago, I asked my son Parker if he was going to have a New Years resolution and he looked at me strangely. He said mom, if there is something that you have given a lot of thought that you should not be doing, then start now. Why wait? 🤷‍♀️I felt a little embarrassed but considering the source, was not surprised. The most disciplined person I know. Anyway, I am going to have a resolution. No, I am not starting until Jan 1 because I am not that disciplined and not sure what I am going to choose! So, think about it and let’s come up with some ideas to make us better in 2022!