New Year’s Resolutions that work
Make your focus count in 2015 –
How has your year gone? Happy-thank-you-more-please or rather-not-repeat-thank-you? A little of both I presume.
Chinese astronomy, which informs the agriculture necessary for civilisation, recognises the cycles of nature, particularly in the context of yinyang and wuxing (the 5 Elements). At the recently passed Winter Solstice on 21st of December, the year is at full yin, the darkest day of the year. This is the time that yang dies completely and is conceived afresh to grow once again, reaching its peak on the Summer Solstice 21st June before slowly receding. The Winter Solstice is called ‘the conception’ or ‘insemination’ of the year ahead – the spark of life ignited in the fertile waters at the darkest time. Until the Chinese New Year on 19th February (the exact date varies year on year), when the buds of new life start to break the surface of the earth, the year is in the stage of gestation – it is in the womb, so to speak: in a state of foetal development. This is the time of reflection, reassessment, renewed structuring, the laying of sturdy foundations. This is the ideal time to be making intentions for the year. Only, there is a big difference between speaking an intention and acting an intention. A good friend of mine says that intentions are actions, if you are not acting on your intention then it is not your intention. It is a fancy; not a true, heart-centred focus. It is not true if it remains as something you see as separate from yourself right now, something as separate from your current reality.
This year, therefore, I want to put two questions to you about your New Year’s resolutions; because most New Year’s resolutions fall unachieved on barren ground:
1. What do you want to do or achieve in 2015?
2. What are you definitely achieving in 2015 to make this coming year one of the most exciting years of your life?
New Year’s Resolutions need to touch your heart
You can feel the difference of course. Excitement.
It is good to be clear on what we want, however it is essential to decide on what we actually are going to do, what we really most want to do; because big, exciting, meaningful goals are only achieved when the motivation is there. Doing things that we think we ought to do, things that other people tell us we should do, things that are ‘socially acceptable’ or ‘financially viable’ leads to boredom and our plans laying incomplete. Telling ourselves that our goal might not be possible because of one thing or another is another obstacle. But if we choose positive, realistic goals that make our hearts sing, then all obstacles can fall away, because our heart is set on finding a way through.
Let’s be clear on this – what excites the most, enlivens the most. And resolution, in the true meaning of the word, means to finish what you say you’re going to do. The details of how you achieve our goals, however, requires faith and flexibility to adapt to whatever obstacles we may or may not find.
I’ll tell you what I’m going to do –
I’m going to climb a mountain in Wales (on 11th January), wrestle venomous snakes in the Sri Lankan jungle, learn scorpion charming in Morocco in the Sahara desert, make scorpion venom cancer medicine in Cuba and learn in detail about the free healthcare systems of these countries from those who run them. Besides my clinic work, I can’t imagine anything more exciting and important for me than this. (There is plenty more I want to do, but if I do them it’s a bonus.)
Whatever it is you most want from this year, be clear that you are going to achieve it, because you have the passion in abundance to do so, and when you have the next step waiting for you, take action.
