{"id":1950,"date":"2019-03-01T03:50:28","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T08:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=1950"},"modified":"2019-04-05T02:09:10","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T06:09:10","slug":"week-333-happy-march-and-cheers-to-new-beginnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=1950","title":{"rendered":"Week #233 – Happy March! (And Cheers to New Beginnings!)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Springtime at the Jersey Shore! (photo credit: Grace Church)<\/p><\/div>\n

Week #233 – Happy March! (And Cheers to New Beginnings!)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Greetings \u2014 and Happy March!!!<\/p>\n

February was a cold one!!! \u00a0As the rest of the country sat in a pretty solid deep freeze for the past few weeks…Los Angeles wasn’t all sunshine and beach weather. \u00a0Not only have we had record rainfall…we also experienced the coldest February on record for decades!!!<\/p>\n

Which made that first 60-degree day feel pretty darn good!<\/p>\n

And while some of you may still be buried in snow, it’s a good reminder that Spring is right around the corner! \u00a0Daylight Savings Time, the Vernal Equinox, and the first day of baseball season…they all arrive this month!<\/p>\n

Which has me thinking about this photo of the first sight of crocuses popping through the mulch at the Jersey Shore…which lead me to a post I wrote in\u00a0April 2015 (Week #27)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In that post<\/a>, I recalled\u00a0a phrase that Rob used to say to me: \u201cLet the balloon go, Grace.\u201d \u00a0He was talking about worry (and sometimes needling me about my stuff) \u2014 but it has stayed with me as I look around at the things I\u2019ve held on to, the time it has taken to think about it all, and the time it will take (either now or later) to \u201cdo something\u201d about it. \u00a0Even if that means ultimately just throwing it away.<\/p>\n

As I approach the three year anniversary of our sudden move to Los Angeles…I’m forced to evaluate how far I’ve come, where I’m going, and what might be standing in my way.<\/p>\n

And the fact that I’m still largely unpacked from that move tells me a lot. \u00a0As many of you know, I have trouble parting with things. \u00a0But not unpacking is something else. \u00a0It’s hard to hold on to the past and grab on to the future at the same time.<\/p>\n

So this year, this magic year three, I find myself at a cross-roads. \u00a0There is no going back, really. \u00a0Only forward. \u00a0And that’s going to require a lot of letting go!<\/p>\n

Do you have things that you are holding on to that might be holding you back?<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Is it emotional clutter\u00a0\u2014 like\u00a0anger, resentment, grief, loss, a mistake, a regret, a secret, or simply a missed opportunity you are punishing yourself over? \u00a0Or maybe it\u2019s physical things that are standing in your way? \u00a0Or a toxic relationship that is stealing your joy?<\/p>\n

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: To New Beginnings! \u00a0<\/strong>March is a great time to open up space for new possibilities! \u00a0This month \u2014 join me in releasing whatever is holding you back. \u00a0Clean it out, declutter it, give it away, let it go. \u00a0Find a release ritual to help you \u201clet those balloons go\u201d and open your hands to what\u2019s possible. \u00a0Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n

(But whatever you do PLEASE DO NOT release real balloons into the air\u2026they\u00a0are only a metaphor! \u00a0And otherwise very bad for the environment!)<\/em><\/p>\n