What would Happen?

From an e-mail I sent out at the beginning of the year--one of my clients suggested it belonged on my website, too.  And since my son is asleep, and I have time:

What would happen if you woke up January 1st and decided to choose

--to be a good person.

--to be happy.

--to be healthy.

--to live only in the present knowing that living in the past brings regret and living in the future brings fear and neither one is truly living.

--to put yourself first, not in a selfish way, but in a way that allows you to love yourself so that others can love you like you deserve and you can return the favor. 

--to call a friend you haven't spoken to for too long because you're "just so busy" and say hello.

--to visit your mom or dad or sister and thank them for being a part of your life, not because you know it could be your last chance but because you mean it.

--to hold the door for a stranger.

--to give some time or some money to a charity.

--to find your glass half full.

--to recycle the plastic or paper or cans you throw away everyday.

--to conserve electricity by turning off the lights

--to save gas by walking or riding or car pooling to your destination

--to conserve water by cutting down your usage of EVERYTHING, which leads me to suggest

--to drink enough water (half your body weight in lbs in oz of water/day) because water is necessary for the proper functioning of EVERY physiological process in your body.

--to stop buying bottled water because of the expense and waste and

--to filter your own water.

--to take old plastic bags to the grocery store so you don't have to get new ones.

--to compost and give back to the land instead of adding to the landfill where things don't bio-degrade as well because they're not exposed to oxygen.

--to eat REAL food and not crap out of a box (which adds a stress load to our Earth as it adds a stress load to our body).

--to workout by strength training 2-3 days/week and

--to workIN everyday by doing yoga or stretching or tai chi or simply being alone and comfortable and without judgment with your thoughts.

--to take the stairs instead of the elevator.

--to breathe deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth, expanding your abdomen and not your chest.

--to spend money on everyday products that don't harm the environment (like natural cleaning supplies or laundry detergent) or your health (like soaps/shampoos with ingredients you can actually pronounce).

--to understand that everything you put in or ON your body (food, water, chemicals, etc) becomes part of every cell of your body.

--to go to bed at a decent hour.

--to read a book and switch off the t.v.

--to pick a can or bottle on the sidewalk as you walk to your car so that you can recycle it when you get home.

--to resist the negativity which bombards us from all sides, understanding the reality of its existence yet knowing we are not powerless and decide to affect a change.

--to listen when someone thinks enough of you to confide in you and

--to be truly present with him or her knowing their presence in your life serves to teach you something about yourself.

--to simplify your life by working for money less and for yourself more.

--to laugh everyday.

--to give thanks for the many blessings in your life. 

--to realize that chickens have skin, eggs have yolks, milk has butterfat--nature made them that way and Nature is NOT stupid!  Altering them only makes them worse.

--to dine only in restaurants which serve organic/local food and, if you cannot afford to (though your medical expenses beg to differ),

--to ask the places you eat at the origin of the menu item (is this fish farm raised or wild caught?) so they know it's important to you.

--to decline that last drink or bite of food, leaving the table satisfied but not stuffed.

--to try a different recipe.

--to write something with your non-dominant hand.

--to drive a different way to work.

--to listen to a book on tape instead of the radio.

--to learn a new language.

--to think outside the box.

--to question the advice of your doctor who is overweight, skipped his last 2 meals, couldn't run a mile, yet is prescribing a medication instead of a lifestyle change.

--to judge less and empathize more.

--to appreciate a sunny day.

--to see possibilities.

--to get off the matt one more time.

--to acknowledge the negative thoughts but don't dwell on them and

--to find a way to change that idea to one which nurtures you and anyone who comes in contact with you.

--to infect everyone with your zeal for life by sharing with them this e-mail and making the years and months and weeks and days and hours and minutes and seconds and each space between heart beats better than the one before it.

What would happen?