So, how are your New Year’s resolutions going?  I sometimes feel like the battered and bruised trees, bushes, and grass around this time of the year: after a grueling winter, I am not quite sure if my resolutions are ever going to spring back into a vibrant part of my life again, however many mantras I use.

But the thing is that the lengthening days and Naw-Rúz make it a perfect time to revisit my New Year’s resolutions.  And I also tend to revisit some of the tools that I use and adjust them as needed.  When it comes to one of my favorite tools, mantras, I find that happier, perkier ones tend to take the lead some time around March.

Post-Its and Prints

I tend to surround myself with mantras; some of them are “short-term”, helping me get through a specific project or event.  Others are more “long-term”, in that they address a more profound change I’m working on.  For the former, I use Post-Its and even the proverbial lipstick on the mirror.  I also have a Pinterest board here filled with printable mantras for a quick and quickly available pickup.

But for the latter, I like devolving the responsibility to people like Anne Garrison, whose gorgeous prints brighten my personal space by combining inspiration and art.

Four of my Favorite Anne Garrison Prints

Four of her prints in particular represent what I feel are some of the most important profound changes a person can choose to undergo.  Although we know that despite all the darkness in the world, we are in the process of building an amazing future for the human race, it sometimes gets hard to remember the good stuff; we have to choose what to focus our thoughts on, and it has to be on the positive.  Anne’s “Always Bring Your Own Sunshine” is a beautiful gold on white print that serves as a constant reminder of this important, profound change essential in fuelling ongoing perseverance.

Having faith in things like the innate nobility of man and our common capacity to create a better world is vital to remaining positive; I’m sure then that it comes as no surprise that Anne’s “Have Faith” print is another one of my favourites.  The words written on a grey background remind me of a ray of light piercing through the gloom, while the delicate, swirly font reminds me of the constant state of joy faith brings us.  It also reminds us that although it might look like it, we’re never alone.

Building a good life is something within everyone’s grasp and combines easily applicable elements with the difficulty of remembering to apply them regularly.  Anne’s “A Good Life” print is a reminder of some of these elements and comes in handy when deciding what particular virtue to focus on that day/week/month.  Anne’s “Whatever You Are Be a Good One” is a reminder of the importance of striving for excellence however we might choose to contribute to our personal development and to that of the community.

Final Thoughts

There are a number of Etsy shops that have amazing prints available for all tastes and needs.  Most of them also offer a personalised printable service, meaning that they will make you the print of your choice if you send them the quote you want drawn up and ideas of colour scheme and the likes.  For some of your lifelong struggles, finding the perfect inspirational print just might be worth the while.

Do you have any prints of your favorite mantras?  Which of Anne’s prints represent some of the profound changes you are working on?  Do you have a preferred shop where you get your prints?