Celebrating the Rat

Happy New Year...again!

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, and the start of the Year of the Rat. Apparently the Rat is the first sign of the Chinese zodiac and signifies new beginnings. That makes 2008 a great time to start new ventures and break new ground. The year of the Rat is also an equally good time for thinking and intellectual endeavours. And for anyone who has forgotten the resolutions they made on 31st December all hope is not lost. You now have a second chance to start afresh with the celebration of Chinese New Year on February 7th ;-)

Chinese Zodiac

There are 12 different animals in the Chinese zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. Each has its own distinctive set of characteristics. For a bit of fun have a look at this site and find out what sign you are ;-)http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/01/10/cny_calendar_feature.shtml

If you're celebrating this week, have fun!

And remember "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.....the second best time is NOW" Chinese Proverb

Denise x

Half Full or Half Empty?

Have you ever noticed how some people have a habit of focusing on all the things that could possibly go wrong, on the things or people they don't like, or on what's missing in their lives? And is it any coincidence that when people do this they feel less happy with their lot?

Ok, there will be times when a healthy dose of realism is useful for each of us. And being human means we do face challenges from time to time. But too much attention placed on the negative can do more harm than good.

For starters, how do you feel when you think about problems or failings? I know that when I fall into the trap of focusing on what's not good the resulting stress and tension doesnt feel very good. Contrast this with how you feel when you think about your successes and dreams instead. Aren't those feelings of excitement, fun and joy much more pleasurable? ;-)

Secondly, there's now growing evidence that 'what we think about comes about'. In other words, whatever we keep focusing on is more likely to appear in our lives. For instance, when we repeatedly think about stress and illness, messages are sent to the cells and chemical reactions in our bodies, our thoughts become fulfilled and we get ill! On the other hand, scientists have discovered that positive thoughts and feelings can trigger neuropeptides in the body which are responsible for a range of beneficial functions such as cellular repair and pain management.

The Power of Imagination
Doctors at Yokahoma City University in Japan showed that 84% of people taking part in an experiment could eliminate the standard histamine response to poison ivy. The itching, swelling and blisters disappeared when the participants under hypnosis simply imagined the poison ivy to be a harmless plant. And what's more, a large number of participants broke out in blisters when they reversed the experiment and imagined the harmless plant to be poison ivy!

Law of Attraction
Best sellling authors Esther and Jerry Hicks (http://www.abraham-hicks.com/) teach that when we continue to focus on what we want, or don't want, we'll attract it into our lives. They also teach that many of us are already creating by default as we are getting what we pay attention to whether we want it or not!

So what kind of thoughts are dominating your thinking? Are you creating what you want, or are you getting what you don't want?

• 
  Look around for a moment. What are you most happy with in your life? And what kind of thinking brought those things, people or situations to you?
• 
  Now notice anything that you're less happy with. What kind of thinking brought those into your life? What changes would you like to make? What changes in your thinking will you make?
  

Be kind to yourself, take a 'half-full' approach to life, focus on the good stuff and enjoy the results ;-)

And remember "You get what you think about whether you want it or not!" Abraham - Hicks

Thanks for reading
Til next time
Have fun!
Denise x

The Peril of Perfection

As I opened a new tub of butter this morning I discovered a quote on the inside which read "Wonky is good, never trust a symmetrical loaf". What a great start to the day ;-)

It got me thinking about all the time, energy and effort people often invest in striving to Be Perfect or achieve perfection. 'According to who?', I ask. And 'For what purpose?' The reality is that people often create their own rules about what 'perfection' means. They experience stress and pressure while attempting to reach 'it'. And give themselves a hard time for 'not being good enough' when they make a mistake or don't quite hit the mark!

Coincidentally, I also heard on the radio last night a psychotherapist talking about the relationship between stress and perfectionism. She described how perfectionists will often experience stress and frequently see 'failure' because they strive and strive for perfection and then realise it wasn't actually possible.

So is there ever such a thing as 'perfection'? And is it necessary anyway?

Take carrots for instance. Which type of carrots would be better for us nutritionally, Naturally Organic or Genetically Modified? I think we'd probably all agree that organic carrots in their natural state, whilst not necessarily perfect in shape, colour or size, would be the better choice even though the GM carrots might look more 'perfect' ;-)

Whilst a healthy desire to deliver high quality, do a great job or keep in shape is certainly a good thing, striving for perfection through fear of not being good enough as a person is probably not very helpful. So in life, why not give yourself a break, accept that you are already enough and celebrate a little 'wonky-ness' ;-)

And remember "Aim for success, not perfection.........fear always lurks behind perfectionism" David Burns

Thanks for reading
Til next time
Have fun!

Denise x