The power of THREE...
Hey all, Sam here, and welcome to November!
As we approach the end of the year we tend to reflect on the year so far and begin to consider what the next year may have in store for us. As the party season approaches, sometimes our healthier, more mindful habits are replaced with the thoughts that "I'll start again in the new year". It's great to enjoy the Christmas season, and all the festivities it brings, but I want to set you a task today to help you avoid the mindset that we have to put our healthier habits on hold whilst we deservedly enjoy ourselves!
1 - Write down THREE things that you feel you could set for your 2019 new year resolution (even if you don't set resolutions, give this exercise a go anyway).... Choose one (or all) of those things and note down THREE reasons why this is important to you. Is there a particular reason you cannot start this now? If not... let's go for it!
2 - Write down THREE things that you have done this year that you are proud of... Again, choose at least one of those things and write all the reasons this made you proud. How proud would you be if you kept with your good habits for the rest of the year?
3 - Write down THREE people in your life that have had an influence on how your year has been (it may have been a positive or a negative influence, both are important). Can you write a message to them? Or a letter, or email? It may be one that you never send to them but it is there to 'tell them' how they made you feel and what impact they had on your life this year.
Somebody asked me this week how they can become more like me! When they explained it further, what they actually meant is that they see me as somebody who has overcome obstacles to become who I am - who knows what I want. I was so touched and it really felt like an honour that this person, who hasn't known me for too long, is looking to me for advice to be able to live their best life. They see me as someone who approaches situations differently from how they currently do and so I introduced to them a little 3 step programme of "becoming more mindful!"
Step 1 was to add 10 minutes of mindfulness to their life each day - it may be by using an app like Ash and myself do, it may be by using a meditation video on YouTube or it may be sitting in silence, connecting with the breath.
Step 2 was to write a letter to their future self one month or year from now, starting with the line "wow, what an incredible year..." and writing about all the things they had achieved as if they had hit all of their goals within that time period.
Step 3 was to use the power of THREE. Three things to be grateful for every day. Three goals to achieve by the end of the week.
Three good qualities they feel they possess. When noted down, small tasks broken down in to threes become even smaller!
These are all examples we have used a lot in SMASH - quite simple, mindful techniques - but it's always a good refresher so that when you are talking to friends or family about what mindfulness is all about, the power of THREE can help you remember at least some of these things!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend...and genuinely, it is a coincidence that today is the THIRD of November!
Sam and Ash
