Happy New Year!
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! This newsletter is a simple message of gratitude to all of you, for who you are and what you contribute. It all counts, and each of us is important.
We were talking today about New Year’s Resolutions and how powerful they can be. Generally, when we make a resolution, it is in response to a desire to better ourselves in some way, and to put some new structure in place for achieving our desire. We’d like to add a couple of components for you to consider this year, once you’ve established something you’d like to grow or change.
1. Feel the feeling of your desired outcome in your body, and give that feeling a name: joy, peace, vitality, etc. This feeling is your intention.
2. Reflect and observe, “What beliefs, attitudes and habits do I need to let go of to make a clearing for my new choices?” We can’t layer new behaviors over the top of old beliefs and habits. This step is critical to identifying why and how resolutions fail. We have habits that keep our desires from coming into being, and we have to be able to spot them when they happen so that we can make a new choice.
3. Practice “Active Surrender”. Active Surrender is our phrase for letting go actively, moment by moment, of habitual states of mind, emotions and behaviors that get in the way of our new choice.
Here’s a very simple example. I’d like to move my studio cycling to the early morning. I know this will give me more vitality during my day, more focus, and a feeling of accomplishment with which to begin my work day. Vitality, focus and accomplishment
are my intentions. When I reflect and observe, I notice that what stands in my way is simply that it is cold in the morning (!), and also that I have developed a belief that it is more yummy to sleep (even though after I have done so I feel disappointed.) And further, when I wake up at 6am, I talk myself into a belief that I need more sleep, when this is in fact not true. Believe it or not, that little process in the morning is all that’s between me and vitality, focus and accomplishment.
So, morning by morning, I can notice when this is happening, actively surrender it, and choose something else -getting out of bed! This simple added step of noticing the habits that stop me, and actively surrendering them, is the key to a resolution that lasts beyond January 15th!
Take stock of all the blessings of 2009. Any of us who are still standing with our dreams in hand have weathered a lot! And may 2010 hold for you a promise of fulfillment, contribution and peace.
With Enthusiasm,
Lucy Morris and Paula Sellars
www.phoenixpossibilities.com
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