The Power Of Beginning This Year With Thank You
The idea of a new year is full of opportunity. The new year is an opportune time to start over. A new calendar gives reason to reset, and simply beginning again with no explanation needed.
On a global level, the human race collectively resolves to new behaviors, habits and activities.
For example, in January, gym memberships typically flourish and for the first 30 days or so, people are actually showing up to work out.
Sales of planners are at an all-time high and those who have made plans actually follow through.
According to Forbes Magazine, only a dwindling 8% of people achieve their resolutions this year.
US News reports that 80% of resolutions fail by February.
Will you be amongst the 80% that quit in February and the 92% that fizzle out sometime after the novelty wears off?
Or will you be wildly successful this year?
Rather than forcing yourself to follow through, consider that where you begin matters.
Where We Begin Matters
Many times, however, we do not begin from a place of sufficiency, but rather, from a place of lack. The majority of us resolve to change our life from the validation of what we see as acceptable in society.
We want to lose weight to look good. We want to get a promotion to elevate our status at the work place. We acquire additional training to build our credentials.
There is nothing wrong with goal setting and ambition. After all, without having a destination, and a charted course, many may drift about and never set anything in motion.
Shift Your Energy
A powerful 3 step inside out practice to New Year’s resolutions will inspire follow through for the goals you set this year. Even when the going my gets tough and you want to give up, this practice will help you remember how amazing you truly are, and that you can accomplish anything you set out to do, if it comes from the right place.
For every resolve, apply these three steps in your process: (1) Take inventory and begin with sufficiency, (2) Recognize the miracle (3) Apply the super power of gratitude.
RELATED: 8 Reasons to Respond With Thanks EVEN WHEN You Feel Ungrateful
1. Take Inventory & Begin with Sufficiency
When we set our goals and intentions for this new year, we might consider beginning anew from a different place, from a mindset of sufficiency rather than lack.
Lack might be a very solid foundation to desire for many, if not all of us. It signals to us that we are not where we want to be, and this deficiency leaks into our subconscious, creating a false identity that we adopt as though it is Truth.
This false identity fosters insufficiency in many levels, tricking us into thinking we are not enough. So then, we must strive to work harder, be more, do more and achieve more.
“We are not skinny enough, rich enough, pretty enough or talented enough.”
These insidious subconscious mantras rule our lives from the inside out and our waking consciousness has no clue but to follow the beat of the ego’s drum.
Our behaviors are the drones to our motivations and when we highly value society’s opinions of us, we lose sight of the miracle that we are.
2. Recognize the Miracle
Whether it is weight loss, making money or otherwise, it is an enlightening practice to look deeper at our motivations. Doing so helps us begin to identify the energy behind the desire so that we actually stick with our resolutions and achieve our goals.
Instead of coming from a place of lack and want, we might begin with taking inventory of what we have. Knowing what we have enables us to go from taking our blessings for granted to a living each day of life with awe.
I’ve pointed out just a few below to get you started.
Our Bodies
Our amazing bodies are the physical vessels that support our living. Pause for a moment and account for the miracle of life - of birth, of standing, of sitting, of speech, of the wonder of your musculoskeletal system! Along with muscles, our immune, nervous and digestive systems work in perfect concert to support our living.
Think about the many ways your body supports you in your activities of daily living.
How many times have you recovered after getting sick?
How many ways can you see the amazing human body work for you that you have taken for granted?
Name the totally amazing ways your body supports your life?
Occupation
The fact that we have mad skills makes us employable! Our skills make us feel as though we have value - that we are valuable. Truth be told, our skills do not make us valuable. We are inherently of great value, just as we are.
What we do for a living in life is not the value of our life, it is merely a set of skills that we have applied to functioning at a task: our job.
However, our many talents, intuitive and learned, have given us so many memories of challenges, achievements and accomplishments. Our educational and skilled experiences have landed us in our current occupation.
Take a moment to remember where you were when you had your first job, and where you are today. Think about the trials and tribulations you have undergone to get to where you are.
What three things are turning points for you in your career?
Family
Bring a family member to mind. Think about your relationship with them (no matter if you are currently irked (or otherwise irritated) by them or not.
How many times has this person challenged you, perhaps triggered you, and therefore, has helped you grow?
How many times has this person made you feel like the hero, or villain, or victim in life?
How has this person expressed their love and inspired you to love?
Go through this process and take inventory with every person in your family, especially if your resolutions have to do with family (or a family member) this year.
3. Apply the Super Power: GRATITUDE.
With the inventory you have made, give thanks. Giving thanks is a practice that turns what we have into enough. This practice will lead you into looking closer at abundance, rather than seeing lack and deficiency in your life.
Recognizing sufficiency and that you truly are a valid, and legitimate inhabitant of planet earth will remind you of your birth right - that you are here to live and embrace the richness that is life itself.
For every resolution, write down three things you are grateful for.
For example: weight loss
If weight loss is what you are resolving this year, name three things you are grateful for. Some examples are the following:
1. I am grateful for the many ways my body has supported me throughout my life.
2. I am grateful I can walk (see, hear, have functioning of fine motor skills).
3. I am grateful for my strong bones that support my frame.
...and then, in your own way, in your own time, give thanks.
Say THANK YOU to your amazing body for supporting your life. To each and every cell in your body give thanks.
If each cell in your body has a consciousness, they would be happier and more joyful. If spoken to with kindness and treated with benevolence, each individual cell would flourish from wholeness, rather than scrapping by from scarcity and lack. In turn, your whole body will be healthier and happier.
Start With “Thank You”
Shift the energy from which your resolutions come and give thanks. Beginning this year with sufficiency by thanksgiving for the abundance that flourishes in your life, will support you, shift your mindset and your entire way of living from lack to abundance, from insufficiency to overflow. This embrace of your personal power will empower you to allow life to flow easily through you, and as you as you live another fantastic 525,600 minutes of 2018.
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