3. Say yes. Sometimes it’s easier to turn down invitations, suggestions, offers or requests, isn’t it? We’re busy, we’re nervous, we’re in a rut routine. But what would happen if, just once this year, we said YES to something we normally would brush off or turn down?
4. Say no. And then there are the times we need to say no, but it’s so hard! We don’t want to hurt feelings or let people down. We don’t want to miss out. But what would happen if, just once this year, we said NO to something and created a little margin in our lives? What if we opened up a little space for God to move, for life to surprise us?
5. Eat the rainbow. Now look, I am not saying you need to count calories or points. I’m not guilting you into buying vegetables you will never eat and will find three weeks later in the corner of your fridge, cursing me as you throw the soggy produce bag in your trash. Please. I would never. But how about we try to mix it up — just a little bit — this year? Try a new food — or a new food combination (pomegranate seeds and dark chocolate is on my list). Introduce a tiny bit of variety to your plate with colors and textures, and yes, eat the rainbow. (I do not mean Skittles. Ahem.)
6. Put your inner critic in time out. Nobody needs Simon Cowell or your mother-in-law or your mother or your high school basketball coach whispering (or shouting) in her ear or her heart. Negative self-talk is toxic; we all know this. But keeping That Jerk (what I lovely call my critical inner voice) squashed is hard . . . and sometimes she sneaks back in. And before you know it, the mean girl from 7th grade is asking you, “Really? You’re wearing THAT?”
So maybe the first step in beating a critical inner voice is to just take a short break. Tell your critic, your judge, your jerk to take a hike for the afternoon, for the day, for the week. Who knows? You might enjoy the peace and quiet so much you might kick that voice off the island for good.
7. Reach out and touch someone. No, not literally. And not in the creepy sense. I simply mean to reconnect with someone who used to be a part of your life but hasn’t been for a while. Perhaps it’s a friend who moved across town, or maybe it’s your grandma who doesn’t get out often and you’re just so busy that it’s hard to visit. Whoever it is, whoever you’ve been missing, why not reach out and reconnect this year? Send an email, mail that card, or even — gasp! — pick up the phone. [Unless you’re missing your ex-boyfriend who recently sent you a friend request. That one I’d steer clear of.]
