Goal For The Green

It’s true – you can have, do and be anything you want in life.  But, we’ve been conditioned to think otherwise. So, how do we get it?

First of all, you need to know what you want and really get in touch with it.  Set aside some quiet time to meditate and take an inward journey.  Like the Bible says get to “know thyself.” It is a learning process to train your mind to get in the proper mindset, visions and positivities to create the life you want.  You need to know how to CREATE desired results.

The next step is to just “BE”.  To “BE” is simply the self-image that you hold of yourself in the corners of your mind.  You’ll know you have achieved your state of being, when it is no longer a question.  You ARE whatever you’ve set out to become.  Real change happens from the inside out.  The Law of Attraction, teaches us that like attracts like. Whatever your thoughts are, you attract those thoughts to your life. So, there is no room in your thoughts for negativity.  You must erase your “stinkin’ thinkin'” ( the stuff you were raised with that tells you that you can’t have what you truly want).  Replace it with your new self-image of what and who you are.  The hard part is, you must ACCEPT yourself in your new role.  It is a choice and a decision, but just do it.  You’ll be glad you did.

The next step is to THINK.  Is your life all that you want it to be?  If it is not, it is because of your thoughts.  Your thoughts control your life.  They are responsible for both the good and bad things that happen to you.  Don’t allow yourself to be a victim of your past. Don’t allow thoughts of lack, scarcity, or negativity to enter your mind.   Instead, take charge of your life, by taking control of your thoughts.  Create the life of your dreams.  Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow doesn’t exist yet- so, NOW is your point of EMPOWERMENT.

Watch what you say.  You know the old saying, “If you don’t have anything good or kind to say, say nothing at all.”  So, speak only good, kind, prosperous, and positive words in all situations.

Then play name it and claim it.  Act as if and truly BELIEVE you are already living your perfect life as you visualized and designed it.  Surround yourself with people you admire and look up to.  This process does take time and commitment to yourself.  Always tell yourself that you are worth whatever it takes.  Be consciously aware of the steps to creating change, and live everyday in the NOW.

     It’s that time of year again when we spring forward.  Only this year, we really got a jump on it, an entire two weeks earlier.  It turns out we can thank President Nixon for the idea.  He signed it into law back in January 1974.  It’s Indiana’s first time of jumping on board in thirty years. Not the whole state though.  It seems most of the state doesn’t want to be on it. Only the population hubs came onboard, so that they are in sync with Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville.  So, most of Indiana and Arizona are the only states that stick to Standard Time.  Studies have shown in the past that DST saves energy, in many cases increases productivity at work, and may be a factor in reducing crime rates.

     The longer days don’t just mean we have to get up earlier.  It is a great time to make some adjustments around the house that can help save money.  Here are five things you can do to get started.

     Open your shades, curtains, or blinds during the day to let the daylight in.  It helps reduce both heating and lighting costs.

     Reset the timers on interior lighting and HVAC sytems to coincide with your daylight work hours and hours of operation.

     Adjust your outdoor lighting to come on when you need it.  Especially in areas of walkways and parking.

     Change your timeclocks and security systems to reflect the longer days and seasonal holidays.

     Keep anything with a photocell clean, so the lights come on only in response to darkness, instead of when the photocell is dirty.

Most of us set goals as an objective to achieve a desired outcome or a desired state of affairs. In today’s world, it seems that everything is “green” or “going green”.  So, why not goal green?

The thought came to me one day when I was thinking about my Mom.  She was the most organized, well planned, detail-oriented woman I have ever known.  I affectionately named her the “sticky queen.”  There were post-it notes everywhere in her house, on the fridge, on the phone, on and in her checkbook, the washer and dryer, even the bathroom mirror. I thought perhaps she couldn’t remember what she needed to do in a day. She boldly assured me that was not the case.  “If I write things down and stick it somewhere in plain sight, I’m more apt to complete the task. What I don’t finish, I move to the top of the list for the next day,” she explained.

It sounded like a good idea, but I didn’t take it to heart until about five years ago, after she passed away.  I had been one of the last of the great procrastinators, excellent at putting things off.  I always carried my thoughts, goals and plans with me in my head. I didn’t feel the need to take the time to write things down. I had even quit making New Year’s Resolutions, because most of the time I never got past January with any of them.

Mom was a well organized person because she took the time to set daily goals, and she wrote them down.  I now also write down goals, but not on sticky notes.  I’ve come to realize that if you can get in the habit of doing this, you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.  It is the fact of taking the action of writing things down that creates visualization.  Visualization paints the picture in your mind of the goal or task you want to create or complete.  Post your goals in writing and with pictures on a bulletin board. Put the board in plain sight, where you can see these goals at least three times a day.  In doing this, you will notice how it helps you stay motivated.  Then watch yourself create what will become your reality.

There are many topics to cover as we strive to goal green and live a greener lifestyle. I think of green as an action and success color.  Green symbolizes earth, nature and life. Green also means go, – or in this case goal.  It is my desire that you will join me, as we set green goals to become Earth conscious, Energy smart, and optimally Healthy, just to name some of the ways to goal for the green.