Three Wise Thoughts – Part Three: Welcome the Real You to 2009

Inevitably
we would all end up here...the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.  The cycle and movement of time is the
most certain aspect of our unpredictable lives.  We count on this surety so much that we plan, build up and
celebrate the passing of time.  Yet the
transition from 2008 to 2009 is not any ordinary passing of time. This transition is a
passing of life, a chance to wipe the slate clean and start again.  In other words the cycle starts again.  

This new beginning is not a cycle per se.  We
bring with us all our learning, lessons and wisdom of another year gone
by. 

Perhaps we are in a spiral
then, yes a spiral of life continuously propelling us forward.  We are
all on spirals of life turning and twisting.  The secret is to get the balance right, be who we really are and enjoy the ride.  

Get the balance right

Well I
think, believe, whatever you want to say, that getting the balance right is
exactly how we enjoy the ride. 
When we know that the inevitable comes anyway why not make the most of
it.

Getting
the balance right at the start of the year will set you up for success. I know
I am speaking of a period of time. Yet I also believe it is a time to realign
ourselves, restart, reconnect with why we are here, revisit our desires, wants,
needs, relook at what we do and change for the better.  Well at least create the intention to
do so.

Resolution vs intention

At this
time of year we are often reminded to make our resolutions.  Usually this exercise is in response to
what we wish could be different in our lives.  The act of resolving is then related to not doing something
that gets in the way.  This
traditional act of making resolutions may have a negative undertone to it when effort is pushing away from something we don’t want rather than stepping into something
we do want.

Resolutions
can be effective, and they are more powerful when we also hold the intention.

We can
create these statements at any time of the year. Making a commitment in times of major transition, such as between one calendar year and another, adds to the power of the experience.   There is a chance for more momentum and motivation. So why not…

To resolve or intend?

The
difference between resolve and intend is important.  When we resolve to do something we are making our mind up.
It is about the act of deciding. 
This act sets the mark in time yet does not propel nor hold the action in
continuity.

When we
intend to do something we actually hold in our mind at all time the constant
decision to do something.

One is
using our mind to mark a point in time the other is to use our mind to manage
time in continuity.

Creating
real change requires both – the decision and the constant thought in our mind
about this decision.

At another level both resolving and intending are setting ourselves on course so we do more than play with our mind. We play with all of who we are.

So how do
we combine resolution, intention and balance.  The answer is to focus on being real by looking at ourselves from a whole person perspective.

Resolve and intend to be the real you

When we
think of being real we think of being whole.  Being whole is also where balance comes in.  All parts of ourself working together in unison,
complementing each other.  There is
a certain synergy and flow to our lives when we are in balance.  We know what this feels like yet for
many of us the moments are fleeting and the time spent rebalancing ourselves
out of proportion.

There are
many wonderful ways to ‘self assess’ ourselves and self manage.  Many of the models and systems are in
depth theoretical summaries. 
Rather than refer to any one in particular consider the following as a
way to look at your situation. Whether you agree or disagree, take a moment and
open your mind to another way of
looking at yourself.

Consider your self comprised of four aspects – mind, body, heart and soul. 

Levels of engagement make the
difference

Each
moment in time our level of engagement in each of these four aspects varies.
Variation occurs for many reasons including time of day, state of mind, health,
life events, environment, global events, personal events, time of year, time of
month, seasons. The list is endless. The point being that we are never
perfect!  Yes I would like to
repeat this...we are never perfect!

We also have varying levels of control over these situations.  At any
moment we will vary in our personal level of engagement in each of these.

I have
written about this concept before in terms of conversation and relationship.  So
borrowing from that post I remind you of the levels of engagement (with an
update).  I used the analogy of a car shifting gears to explain how you move from neutral to fifth.

 

Now the
trick is to look at each of the four aspects in the model above in terms of how engaged you are in each.  At any moment in time you can say to yourself "How engaged am I in my thoughts? my senses? my feelings? my passion?".  This is the starting point and also the way to check in and find out how you are going. 

Get off to a good start

We often hear the expression “get off to a good start”.  It seems that the way we start makes a lot of difference.  I think it makes a difference in the sense of our ability to handle the unexpected, manage the ups and downs, deal with delays or road blocks.  When we are not on a good start then we are using additional energy to right ourselves AND work on the areas of our focus.  

We can not only start, we can also restart.  Many people either avoid commitment to change or give up too early simply because it does not go right the first time around.  It is important to stay with  your decision, revisit it regularly and adjust along the way.

So what are waiting for?  Get started now and reflect, create and express your resolutions and intentions.

Have a great start to the new year!

Let's go there...

Jenn