Magical May

I'd like to invite you to join me this month for a magical month.  We will focus on how to live a magical life by changing our focus, adding new happiness habits, and releasing some old habits that no longer serve us.  I am committing to posting at least four times per week but hope to post every day and perhaps multiple times in a day as things come up for me.

First I want to focus on something that often robs us of joy... comparison!!  Comparing ourselves to others is completely useless.  As the saying goes, it's like comparing apples to oranges.  We are never exactly the same as another person nor would we really, truly want to be.  Think of how boring that would be if everyone was the same.  And that would imply that we all change in the same ways and at the same time which just isn't feasible.  So why do we do it?  It's human nature but that doesn't mean we have to keep doing it.  It may come up for us but we can choose to let it go.  We can look at others to see how we aspire to be ourselves but not in a comparison type of way rather think of it as window shopping.  I like that and want that for myself.  I don't like that.  I choose to be slender and fit.  I choose to be financially free.  I choose happiness and joy.  I choose to be my authentic self.  I choose to surround myself with loving, kind people.  I choose to have solid, close relationships.

As a health coach and runner, I often see people reaching for what they see as "perfection" immediately.  The key is to make small improvements daily, weekly, or even monthly in your own habits without comparing to "perfection" (which there really is no such thing but...).  One reason for this is to avoid overwhelm and discouragement.  If someone focuses on the fact they have 100 pounds to lose - it may seem overwhelming.  If they instead focus on the fact that they already lost 30 pounds, they can see progress.  Focusing on progress is empowering and uplifting rather than overwhelming and discouraging.

Also, I often see runners saying I ONLY did a 5K!  That's a huge accomplishment that not everyone can do.  IF and only IF you personally want to do a 10K, half marathon, marathon, or longer, build up to it.  You do NOT need to do longer distances to consider yourself a runner.  Don't compare and don't compare times either.  Whether you do a 5 minute mile or a 25 minute mile, just do the best you can.  Again, IF it is important to you to improve your time or distance do it because you want to not because someone else does it.

So today - look at one habit you would like to change and make a small change today!!  You can do it.  Let me know what you pick and give yourself a pat on the back.

Everything will work out magically this month!