31 Jan WANT TO HELP OTHERS IN 2017? FIRST HELP YOURSELF

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!  All of us at PBE wish you a happy, healthy and meaningful new year!

And you know what the best part of the New Year is?  It’s like a new notebook with a fresh clean page to start the year anew!  And with that, our message to you is simple.  Let this be the year of self love.  Real self love.  And let that self-love be governed by two simple practices.  Self care.  And helping others.  it’s really that basic.

THE OXYGEN MASK APPROACH

If you’ve ever been on a flight to anywhere, you know the drill.  Should the cabin lose air pressure (God Forbid!), the very clear directive is to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before assisting others.  And if you think about it, self sacrifice, while romantic in it’s notion, doesn’t benefit anyone.  Because how can you be of service to others, if you aren’t ok yourself?

5 Simple Steps to Ensure Your Oxygen Mask is Securely Fastened

1. Get Enough Sleep.  We can’t stress this enough.  Your mental and physical health starts with getting 7 – 8 hours of sleep every night.  Do what you need to do to get to bed earlier.  Lower the lights, turn off the screens (including the TV), drink a cup of Chamomile Tea, take a hot bath and do whatever it takes to wind down and sleep soundly.
2. Eat Well and Exercise. You know how this works.  You are what you eat.  It matters.  No more excuses.  Eat whole foods.  Avoid the junk.  But back on the sugar, caffeine and alcohol.  Schedule in time to move your body.  On the regular.  This is the year of making health deposits not withdrawals.  Just. Do. It.
3. Dream a Little (or actually, a lot!). This is important.  When we are ruled by our over scheduled lives and endless to-do lists, time goes by.  And if you’re not careful, dreams wither.  That makes you susceptible to falling into the insidious trap of busying up to mask your frustration and disappointments.  Instead, grab your journal, meditate, go for long walks, and spend some quiet time with yourself to listen to your inner earnings. And honor them.  And then…….
4. Prioritize & Schedule.  This simple strategy is the basic building block required to make your dreams come about.  Whether it’s a small dream like tidying up your house or a big one like going to Paris or maybe writing that book or switching careers.   Prioritize the actions steps needed to get there and schedule them in your planner.  Get them on your to-do list.  Baby steps count!
5. Find Your Joy!  This will look different to each and every one of you.  But if you follow steps 1 – 4, you’ll start to see things develop in this area.  Maybe your joy comes from yoga, or spending more time with your friends and family.  Maybe it’s from getting involved with your community or reaching out to someone in need.  Maybe it’s putting that creative thinking cap on and going for it.  Each of us were blessed with gifts and it’s our obligation to make user of them.  Whatever it means to you, remember that happiness (like good health) is a practice.  And practice makes perfect.

Now, Help Others

This is intrinsically tied to finding your joy.  Being of service to others, no matter how big or small is one of the most important sources of happiness.  So, think about ways you want to and can be of help to others.  Maybe that means being kinder to your family and friends.  Or maybe that means volunteering and giving your time to an organization that’s meaningful to you.  Short on time?  Maybe you can pony up some funds.  Whatever you choose, start rolling this practice into your life.  And we guarantee that this will put a smile on your face and the face of others.

Wishing you all the best in 2017!

Vivienne & Andrew