On February 13, 2019

Here’s to more happiness in the Earth Pig Year

By Marguerite Jill Dye 

In this Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig we have the opportunity to choose happiness as our emotional countenance. We also have the ability to manifest our dreams.

What would you like to pursue at this time in your life in the next three, six, and nine months? How do you visualize the life you want to lead in one, three, and five years? Writing down your deepest values and goals, intentions, and a realistic timeline, empowers you to take  steps each day to realize your dreams and objectives.

Venturing forth to meet new people, make new friends, and learn new skills may be out of our comfort zone, but it’s vital for our mind’s good health. When we share our enthusiasm (“God within” in Greek), we also share our joie de vivre. A smile and encouraging word spreads joy, like ripples across the sea. Little by little, they have an effect on humanity.

Creativity opens our hearts to new and inspiring beliefs and thoughts. It encourages us to try fresh ideas and forge new neural pathways in our brains. Music and dance, photography and art, writing, journaling, and pursuing our passions keeps us in a high vibration and fosters fulfillment and contentment.

Writing down feelings in a notebook, instead of holding them in, is therapeutic and healing for our heart-brain connection.

Rather than reliving the past, worrying about the future, or shifting to autopilot to numb feelings and lost dreams, it’s vital to be aware of the present moment to lead a happy life. To live mindfully in this world, taking pleasure from simple things and even daily chores, keeps our consciousness raised and opens our eyes to the beauty around us that blesses our lives.

When we listen to our higher self, instead of the distracting noise and illusion of the frenetic outside world, we are guided by our soul’s intelligence. There’s no limit to what we can do, together and as our authentic selves.

May we be mindful of how we live to create more joy and follow our bliss.  May we be grateful, accepting, and forgiving. May we live in balance, aligned with our values. These are choices we can make that empower us to be good to ourselves and to recognize, cultivate, and share our gifts.

Marguerite Jill Dye is an artist and writer who lives in Vermont and Florida.

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