Last year was a whirlwind year. As the retrospectives start rolling in, it doesn’t take much to floor me. Did all that really happen in 2019? Has it only been one year?
Author José Saramago wrote this about time: “You never know beforehand what people are capable of, you have to wait, give it time, it's time that rules, time is our gambling partner on the other side of the table and it holds all the cards of the deck in its hand, we have to guess the winning cards of life, our lives.”
You never know what a year is capable of.
Your Best Self; Your Best Life; and You Are the Greatest Hope
Here at the Heartmanity blog, you can see echoes of the same top news stories, pop culture events and world headlines. We talked of family struggles, self-awareness, and workplace challenges.
There is something different about our yearly retrospective though.
In a timeless post titled Trust Only Action in Leadership! Jennifer wrote, “The solution lies in each of us becoming our best. This is our true power. No matter who is elected, be your best self and lead your best life. Always remember, you are the hope!” This is especially true now with COVID, black lives matter, major fires, and ongoing struggles here and abroad.
Looking back at our posts, everything comes back to you and hope. Our blogs might run parallel to worldly news and events, but we believe that you can be independent of the headlines too. Because no matter who is in power and no matter what makes it onto CNN or Fox News—your best self; your best life; and you are the hope.
Here are some of the biggest topics, resources, and tips we wrote to empower you (and beyond):
We began the year by practicing gratitude.
Rather than setting a New Year’s Resolution for 2017, Jennifer began our year with a practice:
Practice Gratitude for a Positive Attitude: “Not only do I love gratitude because expressing it helps me realize just how amazing my life is, but also because I sometimes strive for a future goal and forget how profoundly fortunate we are right now today. As human beings, it’s natural to desire more, to seek to transcend our present self. However, when we rivet our minds on the future, this can keep us from reveling in the bliss of the present moment...There is nothing simpler that replenishes our spirits faster than gratitude. Heartmanity recommend a gratitude practice. It’s a free, easy, and feel-good action that is scientifically proven to increase happiness, enhance health, give more restful sleep, shift negativity to a positive attitude, replace anxious or depressing thoughts, boost resilience, and promote kindness, to name just a few benefits!”
Our goal is not to fight our natural human instincts, but to use our minds in ways that inspire and renew us.
This intention and practice to be grateful daily is one we took with us throughout the year.
Building new brain habits was our top post of the year.
Our most-read posts were about setting goals and building new habits in your brain. Not only does this harken back to our intention of empowering you and practicing positive thinking, it touches on something we’re incredibly passionate about: you brain. Neuroscience is a hallmark of Heartmanity’s worldview. After all, how you pattern your life starts in your brain:
Step 1 of Building Healthy Brain Habits: Dream Big, Start Small: “This Spring, we are bringing you a different take on Spring Cleaning. Why not apply the age-old, domestic practice to your life in a new way? Cleaning old habits out of your brain is more likely to improve your life than mopping.
Together, neuroscientific research and emotional intelligence can help you to change old habits, be more mindful, train your brain for success, and ultimately transform your life. Think of it like a new adventure ahead of you with healthy brain fitness as your goal. It is achievable!”
Essential oils helps with everything from staying sane to cooking, cleaning, and getting out of bed in the morning.
We use doTERRA essential oils not just for soothing baths and massages, but also cleaning, healthy recipes, calming children and even keeping our wits about us when family comes to stay:
A Simple Way to Stay Sane During the Holidays: “You know that whirring-through-space feeling the holidays tends to bring? Everything tumbling around, moving overly fast, twisted out of the normal routine and amplified by familial turbulence. It’s enough to make you wish for some powerful, calming potion you serve your family (and yourself). Not wine.”
Here are a few more favorites on essential oils: How to Jumpstart Your Mood and Mind with Scents, The Best Essential Oils to Spice Up Your Autumn Recipes, Use Essential Oils to Fight Stress and Anxiety.
Emotional Intelligence remains one of our most incredibly powerful tools.
Speaking of world news, staying sane and how to have a good attitude, we dove deeper into a topic that underlies almost every discussion here at Heartmanity: Emotional Intelligence. So much of what we discuss is rooted in EQ, but every once in a while it’s important to zoom out and look at the big picture. Here, we went back to the basics of EQ:
What Is Emotional Intelligence?: “Gone are the days when intelligence was a test score or a number on the IQ scale. Thanks to modern technology, from brain scans to social media, the idea that intelligence is more multifaceted than book smarts is becoming widespread. Emotional Intelligence might be the closest thing to a buzzword that 21st Century psychology has.
But what is emotional intelligence? While it’s easy to think Emotional Intelligence (or EQ as it’s commonly referred to) is all about mushy feelings, it’s actually an idea born from psychological research and now strengthened by neuroscience. But while IQ is a household term, EQ is still making its way into the popular vernacular.
Simply put, EQ is a person’s awareness of his/her own emotions and his ability to use that awareness in life situations. How well do you understand yourself? And do you use that knowledge to succeed in the world around you?”
We’re incredibly grateful for every opportunity this year afforded us to practice, practice practice not only gratitude, but also building new neural pathways and habits, grounding ourselves, and cultivating Emotional Intelligence.
As we head into another year, the opportunities for how we can continue together are boundless. We promise to go forward with the same dedication to empowering you to live your best life.
Here’s to another year addressing that question with Heartmanity, mind and soul.
To shift negative thinking patterns or a stale marriage, Heartmanity can help. If you're looking for better brain health or how to find peace of mind, we can help. Or if you want to be a more patient parent, check out our parenting resources. We're here to support you!
Make this the best year ever by investing in your emotional well-being and growth.
