2011! What’s happened to your resolutions? Most of the ones we make centre around things we think we ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be doing - such as eating better, exercising more, or drinking less - as if they are some measure of our true worth as people. But we so often end up feeling worse about ourselves because they have an inbuilt implication of failure attached to them, leaving us feeling that nothing we do will really make a difference. This leaves us lacking the incentive to even begin to try to put them into practice.
It doesn’t have to be like that though. You could enter the New Year slowly and gently, with an open heart. You could look back over the past year, remembering what has gone right with gratitude rather than regret for lost opportunities or mistakes. Acknowledging how you have used your strengths and lived out your most important values gives a whole different perspective.
Looking at the previous year this way lets you see a whole world of possibilities instead of getting bogged down in the ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’. Focusing softly on a hopeful view of the year ahead allows you to not only imagine the outcomes you want to achieve, but to believe in them enough to work on making them a reality.
When you allow yourself to experience the positive emotions that are attached to strongly-held beliefs you create a powerhouse of motivation, commitment and energy to draw on. Yes, it will take effort and determination to make changes or to establish new approaches to life’s challenges. But with your sights firmly on your values and strengths and a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you can move through the coming year with a stronger sense of meaning and purpose.
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Comments:
From Jasbinar Singh
Thanks Marian - very life affirming ! A great reminder to approach life with a gentle touch.....
From Marian Kerr
Thanks Jasbindar. Often change happens slowly and gently, one small step at a time. Being kind to yourself in theprocess makes it a much more pleasant experience.
