Each New Year brings awesome opportunities for personal growth.
Now is the perfect time to make powerful change—your willingness is at an all-time high.
To help you get a jump-start on your resoluting, I’m sharing thirteen happiness tips from my new book, May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness.
Apply these principles, and you’ll kick off the New Year with power, commitment, and confidence. Each tip will greatly help you redirect your energy and learn to heighten an inner sense of power to let your outer life grow, expand, and flow.
Top 13 tips in 2013
WARNING: These Tips May Cause Miracles!
Tip #1: Focus on What Makes You Feel Good
One simple way to energize your life, create more time, and be more productive is to feel inspired. When you focus on what is joyful, you bring more joy into your life. Take time to engage in your hobbies, read inspiring books, or listen to music that you love. You don’t have to wait for inspiration: find it by focusing on what gets your mojo working, and you’ll energize every area of your life.
Tip #2: Keep It Simple
Have you ever desperately wished you could make change happen overnight? If so, you’re not alone; we’ve all been there. But we must surrender to the fact that real change happens by adding up subtle shifts. Each subtle shift creates a new experience of positive change. When we add up these moments, we create new behavior. It’s important to keep it simple and stay in the day. Let yourself off the hook! Instead of getting overwhelmed by thinking about changing your whole life right now, simply begin paying attention to the moment-to-moment subtle shifts. Trust that the miracle lies within the subtleties.
Tip #3: Just Show Up!
The Kundalini yoga masters taught that ninety percent of the practice was just showing up to class or sitting down to practice yoga. If ninety percent of creating a new habit is just showing up, then we can take the pressure off. If your goal is to work out more, remember that ninety percent of the resolution is to get your butt to the gym! Stop waiting for something major to happen—just show up for change.
Tip #4: Say Less; Listen More
Ever walk away from a conversation feeling hungover from all that you spewed? Do you ever lose track of your filter and overshare? Or are you someone who is totally unable to listen to other people and instead only ramble on about yourself? Let’s get honest here. If we want to keep our private life private, then it’s important to use today’s tool.
Whenever you notice yourself oversharing, simply say to yourself: W.A.I.T. (Why Am I Talking?). This simple acronym will take you out of the ego behavior and center you back into your truth. Even if you’re mid-sentence, it’s okay to W.A.I.T. Use this technique as often as possible, and soon you’ll become a great listener!
Tip #5: Be More Real!
This year, make a commitment to be authentic. Get naked with your truth, offering the world your greatest gift: your authentic self. Begin a practice of being yourself on dates, in the office, or even in your home. We all thrive on true connection, so this year, get naked with your truth! Don’t deprive the world of your authentic gifts. Even if it feels uncomfortable at first, go with it. You’ll feel liberated in no time.
Tip #6: Peace Begins with YOU
Let’s get real: No matter how happy or serene we may be, there are always those friends, family members, or co-workers who can get under our skin. Rather than allow these moments to shake up your world, it’s important to understand that these people are your greatest assignments for spiritual growth. When you learn how to release your resentments quickly, you will experience a whole new freedom and happiness.
This tip offers you a fast, simple, and effective solution for releasing anger when people piss you off. You can practice this meditation anytime and anywhere. You can even begin right now.
Gently press your thumb against your index finger, then your middle finger, then your ring finger, then your pinkie finger.
When you touch your index finger, say PEACE
When you touch your middle finger, say BEGINS
When you touch your ring finger, say WITH
When you touch your pinkie finger, say ME
Breathe deeply as you say each word. Go as slow or as fast as you’d like. Use this technique in line at the bank, under the desk in an office meeting, or in the middle of a fight with your lover. This technique will get you through all kinds of crazy emotions and help you release resentment fast.
Tip #7: Take Yourself on a Date!
At least once a week, take yourself on a date. This is a powerful habit to create early in the year. By taking yourself on a date, you commit to genuine “me time.” Need some suggestions? Take a long yoga class, prepare a nice meal for yourself, or spend a few hours in a museum. One of my favorite me date rituals is to walk through the park while listening to an awesome playlist. A weekly date with yourself will give you an awesome recharge.
Tip #8: Practice the “F” Word
Carrying resentments into the New Year will only re-create the patterns from the years prior. This year, vow to let go of resentments by practicing the “F” word and FORGIVE. Become conscious of whom you need to forgive (including yourself) and be willing to let go of your resentment and turn it over daily. Each morning when you wake up, set the intention to forgive. This daily intention will ignite a consciousness of forgiveness and provide you with the necessary tools to allow the “F” word process to set in.
Tip #9: Eat Mindfully
To keep your miracle mindedness intact, you must feed your soul superfoods. For example, this New Year I’ve committed to kicking the coffee. Rather than go nuts trying to eliminate everything bad in your diet, keep it simple and choose one thing to let go of. There’s a chapter in my new book, May Cause Miracles, dedicated to mindful eating. Let this chapter inspire you to keep it simple and wholesome. There’s no need to kick it all at once. Small shifts create powerful change.
Tip #10: Turn off Your Phone and Shut Down the Computer
These days, it’s way too easy to get sucked into technology and lose track of time. We can spend hours on social media, internet shopping, or seeking some other kind of online stimulant. Try to take a technology break at least once a day. During this break, take a walk around your neighborhood, write in your journal, or dance around your house. Lay low on the technology and recharge your spirit.
Tip #11: Unleash Your Creative Side
This year, tap into your creative side. For example, I am committing to spend more time painting. Creative hobbies will take you out of your daily patterns and ignite your inner spirit. Pledge to engage in a creative project as often as possible. You’ll find that time spent in creativity heightens your happiness and gives you more energy for the other areas of your life.
Tip #12: Expect Miracles
Kick off the New Year with a miracle mindset. Begin each day with a prayer for peace and happiness. Say out loud or to yourself: “Thank you, inner guide, for reminding me of all of the love and light in my life. I welcome positive support throughout this day. I expect miracles.” This daily prayer will kick-start your day with a miracle mindset and awaken your consciousness to the greatness around you.
Tip #13: Repeat Positive Actions. Repeat, repeat, repeat…
Making change stick isn’t about buying abdominal contraptions, chomping nicotine gum, or following a trendy diet. True change doesn’t allow for shortcuts. It calls for willingness, commitment, and repetition. The key element to making change stick is a forty-day practice of repeating new behavior. It’s this repetition that will allow you to truly make your desired change last. Indeed, neurobiological studies show that forty days of repeating new behavior reprograms your brain by reversing neural pathways. It’s this reversal that changes your patterns and behaviors and, therefore, your life.
For further guidance on how to make this a miraculous New Year, check out my new book, May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness. Order the book today and get a free course on How to Create What You Want in 2013 and my free meditations! Trust that the Universe has your back, expect miracles, and be happy!
Featured in the New York Times Sunday Styles section as “a new role model,” motivational speaker, life coach, and author Gabrielle Bernstein is making her mark. Expanding the lexicon for the next generation of spiritual seekers, Gabrielle is the #1 bestselling author of the book, Add More ~ing to Your Life, A hip Guide to Happiness. In September 2011 Gabrielle launched her second book, Spirit Junkie, A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles. In 2008 she launched her social networking site HerFuture.com for young women to find mentors.
For more on Gabby, please visit her WEBSITE or follow her on FACEBOOK or TWITTER.
