Excerpts by Martha Beck
Is this what I want to be doing?
This is the moment when you can make changes. Knowing which changes are best for you comes, always, from assessing what you feel. Ask yourself many times every day if you like what you're doing. If the answer is no, start noticing what you'd prefer. Thus begins the revolution.
How do I want the world to be different because I lived in it?
Maybe you know you're here to create worldwide prosperity, a beautiful family, or one really excellent bagel. If your impressions are more vague, keep asking the question. Live by design, not by accident.
Are {vegans} better people?
It doesn't have to be vegans; the brackets are for you to fill in. Substitute the squad that makes you feel the worst about yourself, the one you'll never have the discipline to join, whether it's ultra-marathoners or mothers who never raise their voices. Whatever group you're asking, “Are they better people?”, the answer is No.
What potential memories am I bartering and is the profit worth the price?
Every time you choose social acceptance over your heart's desires, or financial gain over ethics, or your comfort zone over the adventure you were born to experience, you're making a raw deal. Don’t.
What do I love to practice?
Studies show that masters of skills are simply people who've practiced a skill intensely for 10,000 hours or more. That requires loving—not liking, loving—what you do. If you really want to excel, go where you're passionate enough to practice.
Are my thoughts hurting or healing?
Your thoughts can endanger your happiness. Telling yourself a miserable mental story about your circumstances creates suffering. Telling yourself a more positive and grateful story, studies show, increases happiness. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, choose thoughts that knit your heart together, rather than tear it apart.
So say I lived in that fabulous house in Tuscany, with untold wealth, a gorgeous adoring mate, and a full staff of servants…then what?
We can get so obsessed with acquiring fabulous lives that we forget to live. Sharing joy with loved ones, spending time in nature, finding inner peace, writing your novel, plotting your revenge—you can do all these things right now. Begin!
Wishing you a new year filled with possibilities!!
-Eileen