Each year around this time, I tend to think about decluttering. Decluttering is the process of removing unnecessary items and excess possessions from an environment. It involves assessing and organizing your belongings to create a more organized and functional space.
With too many belongings, you tend to get stressed and can feel overwhelmed. By clearing out, you can reduce stress, improve focus, and create a more harmonious living environment.
Do we do it? Sometimes.
Gratitude is a powerful emotion that has profound effects on our well-being.
When we express gratitude, we acknowledge and appreciate what we have, which cultivates a sense of happiness and contentment. This positive mindset helps us to focus on the positive aspects of our lives and fosters a sense of gratitude for the small and simple pleasures that often go unnoticed.
It is a simple practice that can have a profound impact on our overall happiness and mental health.
In the new year, several exciting opportunities await you.
You could explore new hobbies, such as painting or playing a musical instrument. Or you could take on a new challenge by learning a new language or pursuing a new career.
Additionally, you could focus on self-improvement by practicing mindfulness or setting fitness goals.
Each new year offers a fresh start and endless possibilities for growth and happiness.
I gave up resolutions a while back, and each year try to pick one or two words that represent the focus and intent that I’ll be putting into the coming year. After thinking about it a lot, trying to parse down every goal I was anticipating accomplishing this year, I finally came up with: Progression.
To progress: “to move forward or onward in space or time”.
And this focus is to encourage me to be making daily progress towards those same goals that I seek to accomplish.
We’re not always in control. I’m fact, it seems like what we do actually have influence over is quite limited.
This can be scary.
But facing fears is how we find out just what we’re capable of. And that’s a huge part of what we’re here to do.
This week feels marginal at best. From Boxing Day to New Year’s Day, what do we really anticipate achieving?
It’s a good time to reflect on the past year. You can identify areas for improvement for the coming year. Maybe focus on setting realistic goals.
You could find meaningful charities to donate to, getting that little extra tax benefit.
Or, you could just pretend to work. Whatever gets your goat 🐐
An acquaintance got fired up by the video game awards recently. While the spread of “fun” in the form of video games could be debatable, depending on who you are, I was taken by the argument.
The claim: that someone there stole an idea, created a game, and made millions. Setting aside the veracity of the claim, I’d like to take a moment to consider the way ideas and creation could work.
There’s another person I can think of (and I’m sure we all have a person like this in our lives) who constantly bemoans “someone else beating them to their ideas.” They say that they had the idea first. And then someone else comes along with it, and makes it happen.
Well, maybe. But here’s the thing. If you don’t do something with your idea, someone else will. There’s no monopoly on ideas. They can come from anywhere, and go to anyone.
So when you have an idea, act. Otherwise, you really should give up the disappointment of someone else bringing it to fruition.
How to describe the spirit of Christmas…
It’s probably a feeling of festivity and joy that surrounds us during the holiday season. We generally seem to have more goodwill towards all.
It is a time when families come together, friends reconnect, and strangers extend a helping hand.
The simplest things, that would be lovely done any time of year, take on a special significance during the holidays.
Merry Christmas.
There’ll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There’ll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago
This seemed odd to me for many years. But…
Ghost stories have been told at Christmas dating back hundreds of years.
For starters, the winter season is often associated with darkness and the supernatural, making it the perfect time to tell tales of ghosts and hauntings.
The holiday season also evokes a sense of nostalgia and a desire to revisit the past, which fits perfectly with the themes of ghost stories.
And, of course, Christmas is a time for gathering with friends and family, and ghost stories previously provided an entertaining way to pass the time and create shared experiences.
Of course, Frederick Forsyth’s ghost story novella, The Shepherd, received the Disney treatment and can be watched on Disney+ right now.
A fifty-year-old commercial that led to a tune with immense staying power.
Conceived in an airport cafe in Ireland, where creative director Bill Backer was held up because of a bad weather forced landing. He noticed formerly irate passengers sitting together, with snacks and sodas.
“In that moment [I] saw a bottle of Coke in a whole new light… [I] began to see a bottle of Coca‑Cola as more than a drink that refreshed a hundred million people a day in almost every corner of the globe. So [I] began to see the familiar words, ‘Let’s have a Coke,’ as more than an invitation to pause for refreshment. They were actually a subtle way of saying, ‘Let’s keep each other company for a little while.’ And [I] knew they were being said all over the world as [I] sat there in Ireland. So that was the basic idea: to see Coke not as it was originally designed to be — a liquid refresher — but as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples, a universally liked formula that would help to keep them company for a few minutes.”
The ad was born, and it captured the essence of unity and togetherness, promoting the idea of global harmony and inclusivity. With its heartwarming message and memorable song, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony),” the ad resonated with viewers and solidified Coca-Cola’s position as a global brand.
