Serenity & New Year's Resolutions

Well it's time for a new year and I have seen a lot written about attainable New Year's Resolutions.  So the question of the day is What is your New Year's Resolution?

I know that over the next few weeks I will be attempting to figure out what exactly I would like to accomplish in the upcoming year.  These are goals for both personal and professional.  On the personal side I know that I need to exercise more, watch what I eat and not be so willing to just roll over when I am faced with decisions allowing everyone to input their opinions on me.  It will take initiative for me to become a more decisive person.  Over my life I think that in order to not make waves or be argumentative that I simply gave in.  I have done this with both personal and professional decisions and it's making me a very unhappy human being.  So no more.

I must learn to stand my ground.  Now this doesn't mean that I won't listen to other opinions or take circumstances into consideration, but for now I must learn to believe in myself.  I cannot and will not allow people to run over my feelings, my opinions or my beliefs.  This goes for all aspects of my life.

I believe that serenity can be found daily by believing in yourself.  Through most of my life this hasn't been the case.  I was filled with self-doubt and still am even as I write this, but my goal and resolution for 2013 and for the rest of my life is to change this one aspect of my life and I truly believe that it will enhance the every day serenity I find.

A Very Happy New Year to You!!!!

Finding Serenity in a Full House

Well, it's holiday season and our neighborhoods are filled with lights, traffic, people who take the holiday spirit a little too far, nice people, grumpy people and houses filled with people.

So the question is how do you find serenity in this chaotic few weeks?

I have 2 unemployed adult children, one of whom is now living at home and the older one decided to escape from NYC and come home for a visit.  Now don't get wrong, when you have lived sans children for a couple of years having them back is fun.  I do like being able to converse at dinner (husband is on assignment in another state and comes home for the weekend), but I find that I can unexpectedly get frustrated and tense when they get loud, obnoxious and what I perceive as disrespectful.  So how can I detach from this and find my serenity and my happy place?

There are several ways I have found to disengage from the craziness.
1.  If it's late in the day a nice glass of wine in a quiet spot, if its the afternoon I will make myself a cup of herbal tea and sip it in a quiet corner with my Kindle.  I have found that when I'm frustrated, angry, tense or unhappy reading a romantic novel helps remove me from the stress and envelops me into a fantasy world for a few minutes.  Also, the characters in these stories seems to have problems much more serious than mine, so I end up feeling much better about life in general.

2. Music - I have mentioned this before but laying in a very dark room at night surrounded by soft meditation music seems to cull the stress and allow a deep sleep.

3.  Leave the house and go for a walk, especially in the evening when people have their houses decorated with beautiful lights.  I find stars, the moon and Christmas lights to be magical.

So my advice for finding serenity during chaotic times - look around you and take in the good, the beautiful, the laughter and the love.  Have a glass of wine, a cup of tea, take walk, read a romantic story and you will locate your serenity.

Happy Holidays!