LGFB Guest Post: Simple Steps to Becoming Better Than Before This Holiday Season

Today we bring you the third installment from our guest blogger Jane Wilkens Michael, host of the Jane Wilkens Michael Show…Better Than Before.

During this holiday season many years ago I discovered my mission – my passion – in life. I found that in helping others to become Better Than Before, I might truly make a difference. And for my family, friends, readers and CBS radio audience, it is the gift that has kept on giving. I am continually inspired whenever they thank me for guiding them, either in person, print or on the air, onward and upward on the Ladder to a Better Quality of life, as part of their journey to looking and feeling Better Than Before.

I find it particularly encouraging, though, when the cancer survivors among them tell me how they are now able to view themselves in a new light, even after all they have endured. “Physically, emotionally and spiritually I may have been through the ringer,” one breast cancer survivor recently shared with me. “But I truly surprised myself that I emerged on the other side a much stronger person.” She told me that she now has a far greater appreciation for life and how simple acts of kindness can be so empowering. “I am also looking through a different lens now and I am grateful for that. Even my scars don’t have a negative connection anymore. They remind me of everything I’ve been through and I’m still here. I no longer focus on how sick and weak I was, but how strong I am now.”

It is important to remember that the road to a better quality of life is paved with the small decisions that we make each day. Lasting benefits rarely come from dramatic changes. Therefore, start by taking baby steps. And find a task that you know you are able to easily accomplish. Even the smallest action you can do to move forward creates the positive momentum that propels you up the Better Than Before ladder.

Think of the Japanese word Kaizen. It is actually made up of two words, “kai” meaning change, and ‘zen’ to make good or make better. Therefore, we should make an effort to continuously improve each day through tiny, incremental changes. Granted, depression, anxiety and stress are always hovering around. It’s how we handle those challenges, however, that makes us succeed — or succumb!  Try to focus on what’s positive in your world and not dwell on what could go wrong. I found that most life-altering events, good or bad, can help us progress on the path to where we want to go. So even if they are not what we expected, it’s important to learn from them and become a stronger person because of them. No matter what we are dealt in life, we can find a way to work through it. Never give up.

Start by simply visualizing a twelve- rung ladder. Then familiarize yourself with each of the Lifestyle Disciplines – in other words, the Rungs. Think of a quick tip for each that you have found helpful or would like to try. For example, was there a makeup suggestion from the Look Good Feel Better website? Or a recipe that you could slip into the Creative Rung? For the Healthy Home Rung, try reciting this mantra as soon as you wake up: Every day in every way I am feeling Better Than Before. For the Support Rung, saying “I love you”—whether to your spouse, a friend, your caregiver or your kids—is a bona fide mood lifter and stress reducer. And when you say “thank you,” you increase your optimism and boost your immune system.

So with the New Year rapidly approaching, remember to let go of all anger and resentment; and, most importantly, try to be kind to yourself – after all, you’re the only self you have! Finally, as you begin your climb, never forget three important life lessons: Love deeply, forgive quickly, and above all, try to become just a little Better Than Before.