In my twenties, when things weren’t coming together the way I wanted, I was desperate for how-to answers. That’s when I discovered “self-help” and looked for anything that would show me a better way.
After a while, I realized a lot of the hyped “self-help” was garbage. I got very picky. I learned to separate the wheat from the chaff.
That’s when I found The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale. In The Strangest Secret, Nightingale talked about the power of habits. Something about it was uplifting and filled my cheerless and depressed life with hope. So, every day, I listened to that thirty-minute cassette as I drove to work (to a job I hated).
The Strangest Secret was one of the most meaningful pieces of self-help I ever used. It made a difference in my life then…and still affects the way I live today
Last month, just a couple days before Christmas, I was thinking about The Strangest Secret. My friends and professional speakers Theresa Hummel Krallinger and Cathy Sikorski were guests on my radio show, The Friday Happy Hour. After the show we had our own happy hour back at my house (one with alcohol).
As we talked, the conversation rolled around good health and “natural” remedies. Yes, we’re all that old. One of the remedies was starting the day by drinking a glass of lemon water. That’s one of those things that has lots of benefits, including reducing inflammation.
So I told Theresa that I’ve been drinking lemon water first thing in the morning for years. I don’t every think about drinking lemon water, unless I’m out of fresh lemons. It’s a habit. It was the same with a couple other “natural” remedies.
Theresa laughed. “That’s why your skin looks so good. You’re already doing these things.”
That’s the “strangest secret” at work. The “secret” is in turning into habits those things that elevate and nurture us…to do them without even thinking about it.
Now that we’re in a new year, the habits you have (or develop) will affect everything you do this year. So, looking at your goals, ask yourself: What kinds of habits do I need to develop to achieve my goals for this year?
If you’re stuck for some habits that can change your life in 2017, here are eight habits that you can work into your life. Pick one and make it your own:
- Reduce inflammation: Start your day with a glass lemon water
- Boost brain health: add 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of black pepper to your food (or drink them together in a glass of water)
- Stretch your body for five minutes every morning before getting out of bed
- Foam roll to release tightness anywhere in your body
- Love yourself: Every day, at least once during the day, look in the mirror, smile and give yourself a compliment. If you can’t think of one right off, here are three: “You’re doing great!” or “Thanks for all the good things you’re doing” or “good job!”
- Live by Intention: Chose an intention for the year and meditate on it for five minutes evey day. For example, Oprah’s newest intention is “live fully.” If that was yours too, you would take five minutes each day and think about what it means to live fully.
- Prepare for Success: Each night write down the three top priority tasks for the next day. Do them first, before you look at your phone or read emails.
- Victory is the stretch you make our of your comfort zone to get from where you are to where you want to be. In 2017, make Victory a habit.
Which is your favorite? OR, do you have another one that you can share with the Victory Chicks? Tells us FB at the Victorious Woman Project
If you’re intrigued and want to listen to that recording, here it is: Earl Nightingale’s Strangest Secret