Did you do it?
January 3, 2008
It’s a new year; did you make a resolution? I made a no-resolution resolution long ago. And, at the same instant, resolved that I would be single-minded anytime I truly desired a specific change — regardless of the season or date. If you made a resolution, add a promise to yourself that, if this thing is truly important, you will spend some time thinking about it — imagining it. This technique, of course, works year-round; but if you made a resolution, you need it now.
Here are some common resolutions people make and break each year (these are in no particular order):
- To lose weight
- To be nicer to someone — or everyone
- To be more active
- To eat healthier
- To work on improving their relationship
- To spend more quality time with the family, kids, etc…
- To work less — or more
- To make more money
- To stop smoking
- To stop drinking
- To stop taking prescription or non-prescription drugs
- To start exercising
- To overcome a habit, or drop a ritual
- To overcome a fear
- To move or relocate
- To change jobs
- To start school, or a career
- and so on, and so forth…
If you made a resolution that is not on this brief — but popular — list, and you feel it should be, please feel free to email me and I will expand the list… But you get the point, right? This list doesn’t change much from year to year; and people aren’t getting any more successful at achieving these “lofty?” goals. More and more Americans are overweight, sick, stressed, divorced, unhappy, in debt, afraid, stuck, and frustrated than ever before. Over half of all marriages end in divorce; and you know the rest are not all “blissful.” Over two-thirds of all Americans are overweight; and our health problems seem to be growing as a result of our current approach to them.
But what if people could really make a new year’s resolution to change one or more of these things in their own lives? What if everyone who wanted to lose weight could actually lose as much weight as they wanted? What if you could restore your health and reclaim your life — and happiness? Would you? If people did, would these numbers be growing? I don’t think so. Why would people choose suffering over peace or happiness?
Of course people don’t choose suffering; nor does suffering choose them. But something has clearly happened to the way we think about things — something that weakens our resolve. All of the things people seek to change are the results of choices — or the results of the stress caused by making choices. And most people are making choices to try and avoid or conquer some sort of stress. When stress is chronic, our attempts to manage it become chronic — whether they are helpful or not.
Habits, of course, are the result of repetitive thought (which becomes automatic and unconscious). To get rid of a habit, you must do something else in the time you have been giving to expressing your habit. In other words, you replace one thing with another — or with several other things. As all of your habits are simply expressions of deeply rooted, repetitive thoughts, or “programs,” the obvious way to make a resolution work is to DEEPLY and REPETITIVELY think, feel, and remember NEW THOUGHTS that are more in alignment with what you want than the “old” thoughts you have been thinking. Change your mind; change your life.
But changing your mind isn’t the same as WANTING to change your mind; when you change your mind, your life changes automatically. Lots of people want to change their minds on New Year’s Day; but most are not successful. Sure, they talk about changing their minds; but then they fall back into old routines and old ways of thinking — and nothing changes. They’ll say their resolution didn’t work; but it worked perfectly. They may not get what they HOPED for; but we always get what we are resolved to receive. A few dropped resolutions and we’ve lost the idea and the spirit; yet we still go through the motions — compounding our sense of loss or failure.
You must become the change you seek. This requires slightly more thought than the mere wanting of a thing requires — hence all the unfulfilled people in the world. Wanting a thing is easy; everyone does it. Focusing, single-mindedly on a thing, however, is something only a few are truly interested in doing. And, as a result, most people don’t really understand the power of their own resolve, or will. Declare a thing; and declare it as many times as you have to in order to believe it. When you believe a thing is already accomplished, it will be; you simply need to say, “Yes,” where appropriate and do what you are moved to do. Talk only about whatever it is you truly want; and do what feels good and right in your heart. As long as you have that feeling inside, you are on the right path. All things are possible; and miracles — if that’s what you want to call them — do indeed happen every minute of every day. Pick a miracle for yourself; and keep it in your heart. If you’ve made a resolution, keep that in your heart. If you can keep a thought in your heart long enough, you’ll soon develop the resolve to see it made real.
To help you keep your resolutions alive and well — in your mind and heart — we will continue the discussion on the main topics listed above (as well as any new resolutions you might send in…):
- Health and Wellness
- Weight and Fitness
- Relationships
- Creating Change (eliminating fears, phobias, limiting beliefs, etc…)
Happy New Year!
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