Where January is considered the New Year, February would be considered the month of New Beginnings.

February is filled with festivals that celebrate purification and the beginning of new things. The Chinese New Year, Groundhog Day, Candlemas, the Festival of Brigit, Imbolc and even Valentine’s Day all honor a resurgence and new beginning of some kind.

We can choose to do this too, and honor ourselves and the decisions we will be making throughout the coming year.

Participate in Life
Sometimes we get so busy living life that we forget to take care of ourselves and our own needs get lost in the shuffle. Do you love to go hiking, or spend time in nature? Have you been wanting to go back to school? How about that yoga class or water color class you’ve been wanting to take? If you wait another year to do these things, that’s just another year you will be disappointed in not having done them. When you allow yourself to be a participant in your own life, you will experience more energy and joy, and find fulfillment in many places.

Clear the Clutter
I know you’ve heard this a hundred times, but clutter really does stifle our energy. When we get rid of those extra things around the house, our own creativity will soar! Clean out those closets and cupboards and feel your home fill with inspired energy.

Find Reasons to Celebrate
Celebrations are an important part of life. They give us the opportunity to honor special events, and bring us together as a family and community. You don’t actually need a reason to celebrate to have a celebration (though between official holidays and birthdays, there are certainly ample opportunities). You can celebrate “Just Because.” Have a potluck, and decorate your table with flowers, or plan a picnic. Bring yourself together with your family and friends, and life gives you reasons to celebrate.

Purify Yourself, Body and Spirit
Now is as good a time as ever to really start taking care of yourself. Too many people wait until they have to take care of themselves. They may find out they have an illness, or stress related disorder. Taking vitamins when you become sick is not nearly as effective as taking vitamins before you get sick. So start your program now (and if you are already experiencing physical and emotional symptoms, it’s certainly never too late to start). What can you do to purify your body? Proper nutrition and exercise are high on the list. And you may choose to see a holistic health care practitioner or nutritionist. You can choose to do yoga, massage or acupuncture. For your spirit, you may choose to do meditation or visualization, journaling or reading inspirational books.

Whatever you decide to do, decide to do it now. You deserve to be happy, so put the focus on yourself for a while. When we honor ourselves in this way, we radiate inspiration and light out into the world around us, and become a beacon for those looking to find their way.