“New Year’s resolutions don’t mean a thing.” “They’re a waste of time.” “They don’t turn out, so why bother.”
And it’s true; sometimes the resolutions we make don’t come to pass like we’d planned.
But whether or not a resolution is a good thing is a discussion for another time. In the meantime, life carries on. And the desire to become more than what we are now will keep prompting us from within.
It’s a built in aspect of our nature. It’s there to stimulate us to grow and change beyond our pre-conceived limits about ourselves. Some say it’s connected to our purpose for being on the planet. Even so, the question really is, “Are you listening?”
Are you listening to that part of you that wants something to be different this year than it was in the last? Are you ready to deal with that certain something you’ve been putting off, perhaps for a very long time?
Like landing that dream job, or writing that manuscript, or making that special trip.
Or perhaps it’s something on the inside that’s been calling out for your attention, like an emotional concern that feels like it’s never going away.
Here’s a little secret about our innate desire to grow and change: it can stimulate the emergence of internal resistance too, an energy that pushes back against our well intentioned energy to move toward that something we desire.
Resistance is a tough opponent that can tie us up in emotional knots. We don’t want to get into a tug of war with it. Neither do we want to push ourselves through it. Pushing through it can exhaust the psyche and lead us to burn out.
We want to move forward with that something we desire for our life without pushing or forcing it forward, but moving forward nonetheless.
How do we do this?
By moving in concert with the natural rhythm of our own energy to see that certain something to fruition.
Of course setting the intention, seeing the end result in the mind or laying it out on paper, are all helpful along the way. They focus the mind and help us to chart a clear path to get to where we want to go.
But the experience we have along the way is just as important as the practical aspects of how we get there. Do we push and force ourselves through, or do we invest our energy in a different way: in aligning with it, in moving in concert with our energy, rather than against it, in the direction of an honest desire.
You may find relief in knowing you can get a thing done without the stress of pushing or forcing your way through it, and exhausting yourself in the process. You may find in doing things this way, you get even more done. I know I do.
But what if it’s an emotional thing that’s calling out for your attention? Something that’s been languishing inside for far too long, and you’ve become tired of the waves of emotion that leave you feeling out of control.
If you find this is where you are, here are a few thoughts to consider: There is a way through. There is a way through. There is a way through.
There are a few things in life we can’t do alone. Healing the pain inside is one of them. Maybe it’s time to try something you haven’t tried before to help you through to the other side.
Whatever is calling out for your attention, try setting an intention, charting the course, then acting in sync with the natural rhythm of your own energy to bring that certain something to fruition. And when needed, reach out for the help you deserve.
This is a kinder, gentler path to growth and change.
