How to avoid being discouraged

Make 2024 the year that you SOAR!

Don’t have time to read the whole post? Jump to the Baby Step...

How to avoid being discouraged?

Live your life this way…

But first, a little backstory on today’s post.

I started a New Year project with my beautiful daughter yesterday but didn’t realize I would experience some life-changing epiphanies as well.

We joined the recent craze called “cash stuffing” which is just a trendy word for saving more money for the things we want. After listing all the items I wanted to save for and prepare for, I felt overwhelmed. My brain immediately screamed out, “It’s too much! We’ll never get it all done in such a short period of time!!” Which, though harsh, is true. My first epiphany was this…

I can’t get it all done. But I can get done what’s most important to me.

Which, brought up another minefield of thought…what do I actually want?

Having been a single Mom for most of my kids’ lives, I never thought to answer that question before. My attention was always focused solely on them and their needs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s a Mom thing. Yet, somehow, I forgot about myself along the way. I never included my needs.

So now looking at this list of all the things I have yet to accomplish, I experienced a feeling so strong and so immense, I felt it pierce my heart. I wrote this word on the back of the list:

DISCOURAGED

The official meaning of the word is: having lost confidence or enthusiasm; disheartened.

And, when you break it down even further (dis-couraged), the prefix “dis-“ indicates “not” or “undoing.”

Therefore, I was experiencing the undoing of my courage.

Immediately, my mind went to the opening scene of It’s a Wonderful Life (#all-time fave) where two celestial beings summon an angel to help George Bailey through a rough time.

(#every time a bell rings) Image courtesy of Google

Clarence, the angel, asks why he’s been assigned to help George: “Is he sick?”

Joseph replies: “Worse…he’s discouraged.”

That hit me hard and deep because it resonated with the message my Soul had been trying to tell me all along. Which was this:

Make yourself a priority.

So, what to do now? That question led me to epiphany #2

I decided to focus on the opposite of discouragement instead. So, wouldn’t you think that was encouragement? Nope. I’m choosing for it to be delightful.

I choose to feel full of delight.

Which brings me to today’s Baby Step and the powerful mindset of a very delightful woman…

(#everybody loves Mary) Image courtesy of Google

BABY STEP

Every January, I encourage my Qigongers (my made-up word for the peeps who attend my Qigong class) to join me in choosing an intention for the year ahead. It’s not a set-in-stone kind of commitment, but rather, a guiding light leading in the direction we want to go.

As part of that yearly ritual, we each choose a word upon which to focus for the next 365 days. One word you speak every day upon waking and before going to bed. It seems like such a simple practice, but the residual effects are magical.

You see, speaking your intention to the Universe leads you to opportunities you never considered before and to meeting people you never expected to pop into your life. It’s like sending out the Bat signal to the Cosmos.

THIS is what I want so please send it to me.

In years gone by, I’ve chosen words as reminders to work on improving certain qualities (forgiveness, compassion, fulfillment). Then there were words I used to deepen my experience of life (peace, love, joy).

This year, after my major epiphany (read about it at the top of this post), I am choosing a word that resonates with how I want to feel.

And, for me, the opposite of feeling discouraged is feeling delightful.

I am actively choosing not to feel overwhelmed but rather to experience delight in all I do…whether it’s paying the bills, cleaning the toilet or embarking on a trek through the Redwood Forest (#bucket list…the Redwood Forest, not cleaning the toilet).

What could be better? Think Mary Poppins and her wonderful adventures along with her cheerful spirit. Not to mention her bottomless bag of goodies perfect for every occasion.

So today’s Baby Step is this:

Choose your word for the year.

What do you hope to gain? To accomplish? To do? To feel? To become?

One word. One year. One focus.

With that being said, I leave you with these timeless and iconic words of wisdom from everybody’s favorite Nanny…(start today with a happy tune to keep stuck in your head - watch the video HERE)

Song lyrics courtesy of Lyric Find

In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game

And every task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

A robin feathering his nest
Has very little time to rest
While gathering his bits of twine and twig
Though quite intent in his pursuit
He has a merry tune to toot
He knows a song will move the job along - for

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

The honey bee that fetch the nectar
From the flowers to the comb
Never tire of ever buzzing to and fro
Because they take a little nip
From every flower that they sip
And hence (And hence),
They find (They find)
Their task is not a grind.

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way.

I would love to hear your success story! Share it HERE.