Your personal GPS...

The New Year...the downfalls, the Myth & the Truth

 

     With this new year (lease on life if you ask the Mayans) there is always the pressure (from ourselves and others) of "what are your resolutions this year" to deal with?  They are always steeped in a ton of guilt...either cause you make them and break them or because you don't bother to make them...bottom line really is...

 

Resolution + Guilt (you make & break them) = PRESSURE

 

      Why is it year after year we keep slogging our way thru this mine field??  Let's be honest...year after year we set ourselves up for failure by being overly critical of ourselves so we see way too many impossible changes.  Some how in the 24 hour period that surrounds New Year"s Eve....everything we have been doing is suddenly wrong and suspect.  All that we have thought/done over the last 365 days is up for review and the "I'm happy with me and loving life" morphs into "You suck and boy do you have some seriously drastic changes to make, cause you're sure not good enough the way you are".  It is amazing that we allow this troll on our shoulder to take control and manipulate our Psyche year after year.  WOW....do we know how to throw those "HATER" glasses (at the speed of light) that are so tainted and askew we can't help but see the worst.  Now honestly what/who we are on December 31 can't be that far off track...we would have probably picked up on some signs and clues along the way and not be so totally blindsided at the stoke of midnight.

 

     We all know that life is a journey and not a stationary block of time and you are either moving forward or sliding backwards. Sometimes the shift in our course is ever so slight that it goes unnoticed until we look back and see where we came from and where we are actually standing.  I am all for looking at yourself honestly and making the changes as we see and learn more....we are here on this earth to learn and grow...but it is NOT an overnight switch we flip....it is a process that we work at line upon line precept on precept...recognizing the little adjustments we need to make along the way as we catch the little blips in our view.  You can't wake up one morning and decide "today I am gonna run the Boston Marathon" go strap on your tennies and hit the road then be totally shocked when we only make it a couple of blocks.  You can wake up with the same goal but then take it a step at a time until you can't believe you were able to run the whole thing.  It all starts with that thought/inspiration/prompting and you being brave enough to make the changes you need to take that first step. 

 

     Sometimes I think we throw around these hugely powerful words but we never actually define them...so just that we are all on the same page...I actually dug into the dictionary to see what the true definitions were...

 

RESOLUTION - good intentions for virtuous conduct.

RESOLVE - decide...make up one's mind

RESOLUTE - determined, decided, boldness, no vacillation...Firm of purpose

 

      I guess what I am saying is yes...change starts with a resolution and a resolution is really recognizing and acting upon a prompting from the Spirit...broken down into realistic pieces.  I truly believe that God has a plan for each of us as He sees the big picture and that if we hearken to these promptings from Him thru the spirit we will continually guided in what we need to do on a daily basis to "recalculate" our inner GPS.  The more we hear and head those promptings the more they will come and guide us ....turning this HUGE monster that rears it's ugly head every 365 days from a guilt ridden "hater" party to a true time of reflection seeing how much we have grown and rejoice in the fact that we learned the lessons placed before us.  But in those moments when we "fail" at a particular lesson...commit to "FAIL BETTER".  Acknowledge that we fell short while internalizing the lessons it taught us...so next time we will do better.

 

     I have a dear friend who has a great approach to this mine field time of year.  She actually finds a word that is gonna be her focus for the year and then reflects on all of what that word means to her and how she can put it to practical application....for example... "Smile", "Recognize", "Relinquish" or "Push".  Any of these words on their own are powerful but when you break it down into "how can I apply it and learn?" they take on a whole new meaning.

 

PUSH - out of your comfort zone/ past self doubt/ for deeper relationships

RECOGNIZE - everyday miracles/God's influence in your daily life/ small acts of kindness....

 

 You get the picture.  I have been doing it for some years and it can be a powerful tool in your life...and it is really surprising how each year a word will just come into focus for you....just be brave (putting on those big girl panties) and take the first step...finding out what that word will teach you.