Still Happy New Year!

I am that person who celebrates the new year all month long, embracing fresh dreams and aspirations. While we are motivated to make this year better than the last one, many of us feel hesitation, even paralyzed, unable to move forward. I, too, have been in this place, feeling stuck and overwhelmed by fear. What has helped me? Learning to take a leap of faith, to believe in myself and a power greater than me. Today’s message aims to inspire you to do the same, offering insights from my book, Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want (Voted “Best Personal Development Book of the Year 2024” by Best Holistic Life). I encourage you to explore ways to break free of fear, just as I did (and continue to do), and trust that there is a power greater (however you define it) than you who will guide and support you, even in the darkest of times. Read on; maybe the story from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusader will inspire you to overcome those barriers and take a leap of faith.

His eyes anxiously dart around an imposing dark cavern with his hand on a heaving chest as if he is cradling his breath. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy faces a ravine so wide and deep that it takes everything to make that first seemingly impossible step to get to where the Holy Grail is hidden. When he finally gathers the courage to defiantly stretch his foot forward and down into what appears to be only air, a bridge appears to support him across the unimaginable. That is also what happens when we lean into our Faith. An invisible force guides and protects us. I think this is true even for the nonbelievers in the crowd who genuinely trust their path. Supportive opportunities and people will and do present themselves.

Although believers and nonbelievers can be fooled into thinking they are taking action, only to find themselves staying in the same place, in reality, they are just repeating the same behavior, not getting anywhere, not getting any better. Why? Because it is comfortable, it is what they know, maybe have ever known. It can be extremely uncomfortable to think of doing anything different. Yet, that is exactly what they, we, need to do: something different. You may have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So, stop the madness. Instead, lean into your Faith for support in making healthier, more loving, more self-compassionate choices, especially when it is scary. Faith can help you break old patterns that no longer serve you in exchange for ones that do or give you the nerve when it fails you.

I see Faith as the ultimate karma code cracker. When I studied Primordial Sound Meditation, a form of Transcendental Meditation, at Deepak Chopra’s center, I learned, good or bad, karma is essentially making the same decision over and over, repeating actions with the same consequences. When does this change? When you become aware enough to create a new choice. If you look up this Sanskrit word, karma means action driven by intention, which leads to future outcomes. These intentions are formed by the memory of past actions stored over time deep within us, spiritually speaking, held at the level of the soul. However, something else is going on as well and is happening inside your head.

In your brain, memory is neurons and synapses acting together, creating a pleasant or unpleasant memory, good or bad. Memories then get stored with others that are similar. There is a saying in neuroscience, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Neurons are your head’s messengers that travel along synaptic highways, transmitting information to different areas of the nervous system, producing neural feedback that is negative, positive, or neutral. This messenger service allows you to preserve and create memories. When you repeat any action, you bring up its associated memories. Whether positive or negative, they will remain so until you consciously change them. You can use the brain’s neuroplasticity to create a positive experience in your mind. So, consider constructive thoughts or experiences to redirect the negative ones causing you to feel in a way you do not want. Hold a new Happier experience in your mind for twenty to thirty seconds, enabling it to imprint in your memory. Juxtaposing two experiences in your mind, one negative, the other positive, and deliberately focusing on the constructive one, the other will fall away from lack of attention and a positive neural pathway will be built. When you consistently take in good experiences, the brain’s neural networks eventually get reprogrammed, and positive neural pathways become your default mental state.

By becoming aware of what is not serving you well, you can shift your energy toward making choices that feel good, creating Happy memories, changing unproductive thoughts, and breaking habits that hinder you. You can let go of the fear to change to take a chance at something new, and what can give you the strength? Right, Faith. Even though your heart is pounding, sweat is on your brow, and the next step in front of you seems impossible, think about how you can be like Indy. Believe an invisible bridge will appear as you consciously take a leap of Faith.

Before I end this blog, I want to share a few other things for you to consider as you move into the second month of the new year.

I feel the start of a new year really begins for me on Saturday, the 6th, “the epiphany” in my faith -- when John the Baptist baptized Christ in the Jordan River. Now, I am not here to talk about being a Greek Orthodox Christian or even Christianity. Your beliefs, as I already mentioned, are entirely your business. However, before we leave the first month of the year, I think it is worth considering what this time represents: the turn of another year and a time of renewal or rebirth. It is when we want to come into the new year clean, purified of negativity, to open the way for goodness to abound and to possibility.

On January 6th, in my church, the priest blesses the parishioners with holy water as a cleansing of the spirit. Other traditions have different practices. Indigenous cultures use sage to smudge their homes to clear negative energy. The Hindus cleanse themselves of impurities in the Ganges. Some sprinkle salt around their room to remove negative energy and purify themselves. Whatever works for you, during the remaining days of January, the invitation is to identify and release what is no longer serving. Leave it behind; cleanse yourself of what does not and will not serve you well as you step forward in your creative journey. Consider what you would like to bring in instead.

As the year ended, I shared the following on my social media accounts and thought I would also leave them with you. I encourage you to use them to look deeply into what will matter to you in 2024.

Reflect & Set Intentions

• Spend some time reflecting on the past year. What were your achievements and challenges?
• Set intentions for the upcoming year. What goals do you want to accomplish? Consider both personal and professional aspects.

Establish Realistic Goals

• Break down your yearly goals into smaller, achievable tasks.
• Create a plan for the first few months of the year to kickstart your progress.

Prioritize Self-Care

• Take some time for self-care -- this could include a relaxing bath, a favorite meal, or a good book.
• Ensure you are getting enough sleep to rejuvenate your body and mind.

Connect With Loved Ones

• Reach out to friends or family members. Whether in person or virtually, strengthen your connections.
• Share your reflections on the past year and listen to their experiences.

Embrace A Healthy Lifestyle

• Incorporate physical activity into your day. It could be a workout, a walk, or yoga.
• Make mindful food choices, focusing on nourishing your body with wholesome meals.

Celebrate Your Coming Year

• Celebrate your achievements from the past year and any wins so far this year. Acknowledge your growth and resilience.
• Plan a small celebration, even if it is just a quiet night, reflecting on your goals.

If you're interested in learning more from Maria, you can find her Stage 32 Webinar, on demand HERE.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .