What Are Your New Year's Restorations?

I know. I know. You thought there was a typo. I don't like the idea of resolutions because resolutions are meant to change the person whom you are into a person that you have never been. Usually resolutions are left in the trash with the empty ice cream carton that you vowed to stay away from. Or they are left hanging on the indoor clothes line, oops, I meant treadmill, right along with the hundreds of dollars worth of workout clothing that you never actually used.

A restoration is something that you have been familiar with. It is getting yourself back to a particular place in your life where you were happy. When was the last time you can say you were happy with yourself? Take a stroll down memory lane and notice how you really felt about yourself both physically and emotionally. What was happening in your life? Who was in your life? How did you treat yourself and how did others treat you?

Now once you start to pinpoint the areas in your life that you are unhappy with and you begin to remember those times when you use to feel happy about those things, take the time to write down what you remember. Take note of the details. How did you wear your hair? What affirmation were you repeating to yourself to get through tough times? How old were you?

Hopefully you will begin to see a pattern of things that led you to stop being happy. Now is when you can get your hands dirty and begin to pull all of those weeds of negativity out of your life and get back to nurturing yourself. Be your own best friend for a while. Learn to depend on yourself to make yourself happy. It could be as simple as picking yourself up some flowers. Paint your toenails. Wash your car. Whatever makes you smile. Smiling is really the first step to restoring yourself to your former happiness.

It may be uncomfortable at first and you may feel silly but tell yourself how good you look. Compliment yourself on the things that you do well for yourself and for other people. Once the world begins to see how you treat yourself, they will take notice and those who want to fall in line with your way will stay, those who don't, will fall away.