A Clean Slate

One of the things I like about the New Year is being able to “reset” if you will.  It is a great opportunity to start things off the right way. 

I take inventory of my life, and try to smooth out the edges.  Take a look at your eating habits, exercise routine, reading habits, social relationships, spiritual life, family life, organization around your house and work, etc.  No matter where you are in each of the categories (doing good or bad), now is a chance to start a new direction.  If you don’t like the script of your life for the past few years, tear that script up!  Write a new script for your life.  That’s the great thing about being a human being, you can start over anytime you like.  We have been given the freedom of choice.  Be sure to make good one’s.

A friend once told me, “If you don’t like where you live, move.  You’re not a tree!”

Take some time this weekend or in the next couple of days and take inventory of your life.  What direction do you want it to go?  What kinds of things do you want to accomplish that you haven’t yet?  What’s going well?  What needs to be changed and what needs to be eliminated. 

In regards to social relationships (family,friends, acquaintances) you need to ask yourself 3 questions.   1) Who am I around?  Take inventory of the people you spend the most time with. 2) What are they doing to me?  In other words what is there influence on me like.  What do they have me reading, how have they got me talking, the overall influence.  3) Is that Okay?    Depending on the answer to the third question, you should do one of the following 3 things:

1) Disassociation, 2) Limited Association, 3) Expanded Association. 

1- Disassociation:  Some people are not good for you and must be cut out of your life.  Bad influences can ruin your life.  If you spend time with people like these, life suckers (people who suck the energy and life right out of you), it’s time to move on.  Self-confidence is the key here.  You are worth making the change for.

2- Limited Association:  Limit your time spent with people who are poor influences, but you can’t disassociate with altogether.  This could be a work partner or relative.  Someone who is a negative influence on you, but you are forced to be around occasionally.  Spend what time is necessary, but don’t hang around these people for extended time periods, otherwise their negativity will rub off on you.  Think of this analogy.  If you wore a pure white suit or dress into a coal mine, and spent the day there, no matter how careful you were, you would get dirty.  Your mind is the same way.  If you are around negativity all day, no matter how positive you start out, you will be influenced.

3- Expanded Association:  Expand your association with people of quality and substance.  Those people who are good, positive and inspiring influences on you are to be cherished.  Find ways to spend more time with these people.  People who motivate you, challenge you and lift your spirits.  I’ve heard it said that our income will reflect the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with.  Also our values are influenced too. 

Make sure that if you want to fly with the eagles you are not scratching with the turkeys!

 So it’s almost a new year.  Make it count.  Start fresh and make the little changes that will make all the difference.  We at Dadsworld wish you the best!