HI! I’m Alison, and I’m a fairly crazy person who helps other people feel less crazy and do what they feel called to do! I love to help us all feel as awesome as we are. And I BELIEVE THIS: Feeling GOOD IS FUN!
BUT (THAT’S A BIIIG BUT – little in the middle but she got much back!) the work behind feeling good can be UNCOMFORTABLE – it requires effort. LUCKILY we are humans! And our intellect enables us to do that work, live, feed ourselves, AND find fun and joy. It’s not frivolous, it’s necessary. FUN IS A PRIVILEGE OF OUR INTELLECT! I hope some of my awesome ways to kick off the new year will help you not only find the fun in feeling good, but also feel the awesome that’s already inside you!
You’ve MAYBE heard this all before – but maybe I’ll say it in a way that will STICK!? That’s always my goal!
1. Input equals output.
SO TAKE IN SOME GOOD! Podcasts (cough – like Awesome with Alison), books, GOLDEN SILENCE! These are all GOOD things that will help you put out more GOOD things. When you’re feeling stagnant, think about your input. You can’t pull water from a dry well! FILL ‘ER UP!
2. Change your thoughts.
I have the secret to life – ready? HA! If you want different results you need different thoughts. Often for me, I cannot change my thoughts until I WATCH and observe my thoughts. This means meditation, reflection – whatever I can stomach. Having a hard time with meditation? Try a gratitude practice! Gratitude is scientifically proven to make everything better (for real, it’s science)! I have an awesome free one RIGHT HERE.
3. Move it or lose it!
In order to save your mind, you MUST move your body! Movement doesn’t have to be marathon running! It can be dancing, walking, color guarding – if you do that please send photos! Just know this: moving your body is the FASTEST way to change your mental state. Why is this important? Refer back to number 2! GEESH! Sometimes, when I’m exceptionally depressed, my husband will literally help me put my shoes on, because he can see how badly I need a walk. If you CANNOT get your body up due to injury or something else, remember even stretching or walking around your house can help. That’s what I did when I had broken ribs. Make MOVING it so you don’t LOSE it one of your first lines of defense for your mental health!
4. Take time to celebrate wins.
UGH THIS ONE IS SO HARD AND ANNOYING TO ME. BUT spending time to be proud of your accomplishments will refuel you, and make you a more awesome person to be around. You light up the world when you DO YOUR THING – don’t forget to share that light. Make a toast, go to dinner, or take a celebratory lap around the house. You are doing a really good job! Also say that to yourself periodically – in the mirror. “I’m doing AWESOME!” (Fist pump not required but encouraged.) Because what’s the point of achieving all this crap if we can’t enjoy it? It’s wasteful. Truly.
5. Invest in people who invest in you.
Your time is precious and your energy priceless. Make sure you’re maximizing all you have with those who invest in you! This is some of the best business advice I have for you too (I also founded Alison’s Brand School – WINK)! We often tend to invest in those who are NOT investing in us – and that’s the quickest way to bankrupt your feelings of awesomeness.
6. You are not a robot – don’t expect to behave as one.
This means you cannot be perfect, and also perfect does not exist. You will make mistakes, you will learn awesome principles and not apply them perfectly. Progress will not always be linear. Why? BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT. I have to remind myself of this daily. Do I wish I was a robot? Honestly sometimes it seems nice. Sigh.
7. HANG OUT WITH ME (or other people you like)!
I think one super important thing we can do for ourselves is find people WHO SPEAK TO US. If you like the way I talk about these things, come hang out with me! OR make it a point to “hang out” with or spend time with other people who say things the way you need to hear them.
I KNOW that 2019 can and will be your best year yet! So don’t look back – you’re not going that way. And remember, only you can be YOU – and you’re already as awesome as you need to be.
Where you can find Alison: If you’d like to spend more time talking about feeling as awesome as you are, how to do what you feel called to do in life and also how to make feeling good FUN, you should for sure listen to my podcast Awesome with Alison! It’s free, it’s to-the-point, and I’d love to have you as part of our Awesome Empire. I’m also on IG as @thealisonshow - where I dance and share my thoughts and life.
Photos courtesy of The Alison Show