The New Year is around the corner. As we wind up for the holidays, I’ve noticed some old feelings creeping back – and that’s why I’d like to remind you to keep an eye on your priority list this holiday season!
Your Own Priority List and Why You Need to Be On It
Awhile back, I noticed I felt a bit out of sorts. I had struggled to get back “on track” with my regular writing schedule, and had been skipping workouts left and right. It was not working well for me.
Essentially, the holiday madness caused me to slip off of my journey toward personal fulfillment. I found myself floating through my days mindlessly, feeling busy and harried instead of centered and peaceful.
I’d been aware of this situation for awhile and had been working on getting my mind in the right place again, seeking solutions to my malaise.
Allow me to preface the next paragraph by telling you, in case you weren’t aware, that I think Oprah Winfrey is an absolute goddess. If you disagree with me, that’s okay, but don’t let it deter you from the message I’m trying to get across here.
See, I happened to catch most of an old episode of Oprah in which she very openly and honestly shared her personal struggles with “falling off the wagon.” And while she did discuss her struggles with weight (as the symptom), her main confession was that she’d been failing to take care of herself.
She was so busy working and taking care of everyone around her, that she forgot to make time to nurture herself. In true Oprah style, she had a plan.
One thing that she said several times when discussing her new plan really stood out for me.
Who of us isn’t guilty at one time or another of forgetting to add ourselves to our ever-growing lists of responsibilities? I know that I have been on more than one occasion. Sometimes, we let life “get in the way” of taking care of ourselves.
This may seem like the right thing to do at times–especially when our jobs or loved ones require extra attention. But its then that we must make a specific effort to build a little time into our days to nurture ourselves, our souls, our individuality.
Take a moment to think about it. When was the last time you did something just for you? When was the last time you scheduled time in your life for yourself?
I’m not asking you to take an entire weekend away, or even an entire day. We all know that sometimes that isn’t possible. Instead, I’m asking you to take ten minutes, an hour, whatever you can afford in your day.
Maybe you need to get up an hour earlier, or stay up an hour later. Perhaps you can sneak it in during your lunch break or baby’s nap time.
And, you may be asking, what should you be doing to take care of yourself anyway? This completely depends on you. What makes you happy? Could you use a nap? Simple downtime? Perhaps you’ve been meaning to work out or read a good book. And who doesn’t enjoy a nice hot bath?
The point? It doesn’t matter WHAT you do, so long as it’s something only for you. As Oprah said on her show today, it’s really a love issue. We must love ourselves in order to love others–we must love ourselves in order to maintain any level of happiness and personal fulfillment in our lives.
Today, my challenge to you is to be brutally honest with yourself. Open up like Oprah did on her show that day, and figure out what you can do to make yourself happy. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to feel joy. What can you do to make that happen?
How much love can you give yourself in 2016? Don’t wait – go sign up for the all-new Project Blissful 2016 now and get ready to start the next phase in your journey to ultimate fulfillment – whatever that looks like for you.
Tell me what you’re looking to change about your life in 2016, and I’ll be sure to create free content that teaches you exactly how to do it. PLEASE, share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Just in case you missed the show (like me, lol), I’m including a few key points from the People report, which were noted during a game of “Never Have I Ever” played on the show.
Madonna cozily leaned in for a cuddle with Bieber and said, “I feel like I’m getting to know my new boyfriend.”The flirtation continued the theme of Madonna’s taste for younger men, which DeGeneres brought up just before the game began. (See the full story at People.com)
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. On the one hand, to each his or her own – and the older I get, the more I realize that age is just a number. So on that side of things, maybe it’s not a big deal. Obviously Madonna’s not planning on having any Bieber babies, right? So a fling is a fling – who are we to judge two grown adults?
On the flip side, there are those who would frown on this deal for the most obvious reason – the age difference.
If you don’t find yourself feeling disgusted by it, would you feel the same if it were an older man dating a younger woman? Say it were the 56-year-old Prince and the 21-year-old Ariana Grande? Would that be different for you, or the same? Why?
As tattoos become more ingrained in our culture’s identity across the generations, fashionistas around the country are asking themselves: do I REALLY want that tattoo?
Things to Consider
Tattoos are (pretty much) forever–the fact is that having tattoos removed is pretty painful (not to mention expensive) and from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t always work all that well. So whatever ink you get today you will still have in 20, 30, 40 years. If you’re 19 years old and thinking of tattooing your face–take this advice if you take nothing else from this post: DO NOT tattoo yourself ANYWHERE that you can’t easily hide in business attire if needed. You never know where life will take you, and if you “grow up” and find yourself getting screwed out of the best job offer ever, you’ll know exactly who to blame!
(Sorry about going all Mom on you, but come on now! Let’s stop with the neck tattoos and the face tattoos and the arms and the huge giant leg, back and whatever else tattoos. I mean, unless that’s your style, or whatever–just saying, if you want to have the option to change your mind, change your direction in life–whatever–you need to ask yourself if you’re prepared to wear long pants, long sleeves, crazy thick makeup or whatever else you’ll need to cover up the evidence of your crazy misguided younger self! Ok, I digress…moving on.)
Don’t date yourself–skip tattoos that include names of of bands, games, individuals you don’t know in person and people you have or want to have sex with, even if you’re married.
Bands, games, singers, actors, etc. in tattoo form are just a way to be seriously “dated” in the future. Remember how much you loved New Kids on the Block or NSYNC or whichever band turned your crank 10, 20 years ago? Which actor did you love? Were you a Justin Bieber devotee? Anyway, I promise you that it’s highly unlikely that you’ll REALLY always love them.
And when it comes to people you want to have sex with (or have had sex with), maybe that’s just a personal thing. Someone told me once that tattooing a lover’s name on your body is basically a predictor of the end of the relationship. Now, I’m sure it’s just superstition, but I cannot tell you how many people I know who have (or love people who have) someone else’s name tattooed somewhere on their bodies. Nope, not kidding.
Start small, and don’t go overboard. There’s no reason to have your whole back covered in a tattoo that takes 67 hours to finish your first time out. Just get a little tiny heart on your shoulder blade or a star on your lower back, maybe. Or whatever you prefer–just consider starting small because a. you really don’t know how much it’s going to hurt if you’ve never had a tattooo (and even if you have, the pain is more intense in some areas of the body than others) and b. you never know what the future holds, and it would totally suck if you lost out on a potentially life-changing opportunity due to crazy face tattoos. (Obviously, none of the above applies to already-successful rock, pop, hiphop and rap stars–they’re making enough money now that it won’t matter when they’re older and look hilarious.)
Frequently Asked Tattoo Questions, Answered by a Tattoo Artist
While most tattoo shops are clean and up-to-code, there are some cases where getting a tattoo puts you at risk for complications such as infections, communicable diseases and more.
The process needs to be better understood, so we gathered up these frequently asked questions and got advice from a tattoo expert.
1. Can I Get Infectious Diseases From Tattoo Needles?
There has been some concern recently regarding transmittable diseases (particularly Hepatitis-B and AIDS [HIV]) and tattoo shops. Just as in a dentist’s office, as long as the area is strictly sanitized, your chances for infection will be greatly reduced.
2. Can I Get Aids From Tattooing?
When needles are passed from IDU to IDU and reused without sterilization, some of that blood remains in the syringe and is passed on to the next user. If infected blood is passed, the recipient can become infected with HIV, which leads to AIDS.
Tattooing is VERY different from injecting drugs. The needles used in tattooing are not hollow. They do, however, travel back and forth through a hollow tube that acts as an ink reservoir. The tip of the tube is dipped into the ink, which draws a little into the tube.
3. Can My Tattoos Get Infected?
Not as long as you take care of your new tat. Some people have trouble healing tattoos with colors they are allergic to.
4. How Do I Ensure That My Tattoo Stays Clear and Bright?
Once it is healed, there is very little that will screw up a tattoo. Aside from a scar-causing injury, the one exception is prolonged exposure to sunlight. The newer inks are better at resisting fading, but whatever you do, if you spend lots of time in bright sunlight, your tats will fade (over a lifetime, not over a week). So, for best results, just try to keep them out of bright sunlight.
No one wants to become a cave dweller just to keep their tats looking good, so just use some common sense.
Think of your tat as an investment–slather on that sunblock so it doesn’t turn into a dark blob.
Tattoo art has become very popular and people are getting tattoos for lots of reasons. Taking good steps in choosing the right tattoo, getting it applied properly and with the proper care are among the most important things to consider when thinking about getting a tattoo.
One last bit of advice–Make sure you do your research. Read all you can about tattoo art safety and when you’re ready to get your tattoo, you will feel much better about your decision!
So, how about you? Do you have any tattoos? Are you considering getting any? Let me hear about it in the comments section, below!
Okay, so a recent appearance on the 
