Hope in 2021 (Debbie Castle)
2021 has begun. We’re into another year!
I hope you know how much influence you can have on what will happen for you and those around you in 2021 and beyond.
Each of us has a powerful mind and heart, capable of creating images of a brave, new world. How will you use your mind to benefit yourself and those around you, as well as nature, in 2021? Here are a few tips:
Watch what you think! It’s a full-time job to make sure we create thoughts and images of good wishes for ourselves and others. Using the mind in a focused way to picture good health and well-being for myself and all around me is one way of pursuing images of a better world.
Watch what you say! Words take form from our thoughts. This is our way of moving what’s inside of us outward as we interact with others. The words we choose to speak directly affect our being as well as the well-being of those with whom we interact. Taking a moment to ensure what I have to say will have a beneficial effect on me and the people around me is a life-giving practice. If I’m not sure whether the effect will be beneficial, then it’s best left unsaid. We have the choice.
Watch what you feel! Much like words, making sure our thoughts are of a beneficial nature will ensure health-giving feelings. The vibrations of our good feelings radiate outward to influence others. We cannot control how others will feel, but we can influence the environment we share.
Watch what you do! Again, actions are the product of our thoughts. We may spend time thinking about something we did. This is useful if it guides us to learning lessons about what to do differently next time, to produce better interactions with others. In actual fact, the time spent choosing the right thing to do in each moment, means we don’t have to busy our minds reviewing our past actions or interactions.
Also, in building hope for a better future, think about ‘who’ is doing the watching – this is a fundamental aspect of creating hope for a better future. We are sentient beings. There are the words, feelings, and actions that are visible to others, but inside there is the ‘me’ that watches and knows what would bring health and happiness to the interactions with others.
Allowing the ‘being’ that is me to be in control of my thoughts can bring hope that what I feel, say, and do in 2021 will bring goodness and well-being into my life and the lives of those with whom I interact. Why would I ‘choose’ to do otherwise? Conscious behaviour is a decision to live life moment-to-moment in a healthy-giving way.
Four practices for creating hope for a good year ahead:
- Wake-up at least 30 minutes before you have to. Feed your mind with good quality thoughts for 10 minutes. Regularly starting your day this way can bring health, happiness, and harmony. Examples of good quality thoughts include:
- I relax my muscles.
- I release any anxiety.
- I feel lightness.
- I feel free from tensions.
- I am refreshed.
- I share my smiles.
- I am a peaceful soul.
- I nurture peace inside me.
- Interact with others from the best in you to the best in them. Smile before they smile, greet them with a ‘good to see you’, speak only about life-giving matters.
- Take time for yourself throughout the day – even taking a minute every hour to stop, breathe deeply a few times. Have the thought to breath in good energy and breathe out peace to the world as you exhale. Connecting with a higher life force will add to your refreshment.
- Go to bed at least 7 hours before you have to be awake the next day (including time for #1 above). As you go to sleep, imagine your next day, fill it with good thoughts, feelings, interactions with others. Go to sleep counting the smiles you will create the next day.
[Debbie Castle is a part of People Development Limited (PDLTD), a Canadian consulting firm specializing in people-centered, customized program design, process facilitation, and social change initiatives in countries around the world. Debbie’s greatest joy is inspiring teams of facilitators to recognize their strengths and virtues and give their best to their communities, organizations, and nations - to bring renewal, relevancy, and effectiveness toward shared vision.]