It seems that every year about this time we hear the adage, “out with the old, in with the new”. I take that to mean we should let go of the things in the past that are no longer working for us and be open to the new experiences that await us in the coming year. This advice can be applied to a number of aspects of anyone’s life. It could pertain to your personal relationship with your spouse, or family members, or friends. You might consider what it would mean if you applied it to your career, or your current course of study if you are in school. You might change how you spend your free time, maybe start a new hobby, or learn to play a musical instrument, or start a new exercise program.
Instead of setting New Year’s resolutions this year, what if you looked at your personal beliefs and evaluated them to see if they are still working for you? How about of instead of creating a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, you decided to change how you think about your body and thereby changed your relationship with your body? Let me give you an example.
Let’s say a normal New Year’s resolution would be to lose 30 pounds. Take a moment and think about your relationship with your body. Do you feel like you are in touch with your body. Do you rest when you feel tired, or do you just put on a fresh pot of coffee to keep you going? Do you eat properly when you feel hungry, or do you just get some junk food to fill up on? Taking as good care of your body as you do of your car, or your home, or your golf clubs, will go a long way in helping you to lose some excess pounds. But you won’t be motivated to take care of your body unless you have a good relationship with it. And you won’t have that good relationship with it until you truly see it for what it is, one of the most precious gifts you have ever been given.
Let’s try another example. Let’s say your New Year’s resolution is to enter into a truly loving relationship with someone. There is an old expression that goes something like this, “You can’t truly love someone else until you love yourself.” So instead of making that New Year’s resolution, how about looking at your relationship with yourself? Spend some time understanding who you really are. Take note of all the things that make you the unique individual that you are. Learn to appreciate your self. If there is any truth in that old saying, then maybe by strengthening your relationship with yourself, you just might find it easier to meet that new someone special.
I hope this is making sense to you. We all make our own realities. And we create them based upon our beliefs. So instead of just making up some impressive goals for the New Year, why not decide to examine some of your beliefs and see if changing them can lead you to different outcomes.
Wishing you a very wonderful New Year.
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