-Marcia Williams
Hi Everyone,
I hope you are living your dream life!!!!
As 2024 accelerates to its end like a boulder speeding down a steep incline, I decided to pause for a beat and reflect a little on a single slice of life. I want to ask a question: What makes you happy?
Is a good workout everything you dream of, or do you dream of a plate full of chocolate chip cookies? Does the unconditional love of a puppy fill you with joy, or would you rather be zip-lining with your sisters? Is a day filled with sunshine enough for you, or must you be on the beach at 80 degrees, slathered in coconut-scented sunscreen to feel euphoria?
I've spent much time chasing personal happiness, believing that only a grand gesture, a significant success, or the larger-than-life existence that follows could satisfy me the way I longed to be fulfilled. However, with the passage of years, I've come to understand that the key to the elusive happiness I've been seeking lies in simply loving, forgiving, and embracing myself exactly as I am.
I find happiness in spending time with my family, loving my children, and getting together at least once a year with my sisters. My sisters and I try to meet for a vacation, which most often includes a hike, a spa day, and something that challenges us. One year, we accidentally tried to drive a car up a mountain hiking trail in a downpour (the mountain rangers were not happy with us). Another year, we conquered zip-lining over the Green Mountains of Vermont, and who of us can forget white-water rafting on the Rio Grande? Spending time with my sisters, and doing some pretty scary shiz, brings me happiness.
I also get a great deal of joy from service. I have always been active in raising money for charities, and this year, I set my challenge to walk 60 miles in one month for St Jude's Children's Hospital. I passed my goal and did 100 miles!!!!! I firmly believe that the joy and fulfilment you gain from helping others far outweigh what you give.
My health and fitness have always been linked to my happiness. While I have my regular favourite exercises, I also like to try new things. Learning new things is excellent for cognitive behaviour and memory retention. Stretch your grey matter along with your muscles!! I keep it going with Rick Bhuller's speed walking, chair and face yoga, and my new favourite, dance fitness. Dancing raises your heart rate and works your body, but it also releases chemicals in the brain that work to reduce cortisol and, therefore, reduce stress, anxiety and depression. So turn up the music and shake your booty because if you don't use it, you will undoubtedly lose it!!!!
Another method for increasing happiness I have tried for 2024 is working with a life coach. A life coach may help you develop your sense of purpose, unblock your creativity, manage your stress, and overcome the bad habits that hold you back from reaching your goals. I have been working with Elizabeth Craig Rametta for three months, and the changes I have noticed in me have been astounding. Elizabeth wears many hats; she does tarot readings, reiki, coaching and photography. She has just opened her studio, ElizabethCraigPhotography, and has included me, aged 67, in the online catalogue. Being included in this project has done wonders for my self-esteem!! Elizabeth is also a writer and has published the "Little Book of Self Love," which you can buy on her website. For me, hiring someone to help sift through the mire is a game changer, an absolute 'holy shit,' freeing experience I should have given myself years ago.
As we prepare for 2025, setting new goals, both lofty and achievable, the best advice to remember is: love yourself, keep life simple, share your space with someone who will listen when you speak, dance until your face falls off and LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH!!
Be Healthy, happy and beautiful,
Marcia
I would love to hear from you. Email me at: polishprinces57@hotmail.com.
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