As February approaches (January where have you gone?)it is an excellent time to take a peek back at the New Year's Resolutions you were so excited about at the beginning of this month...
I wrote this on January 1st: "2011, I bid you adieu - you were a stressful year, a whirlwind-of-ups-and-downs year. But I forgive you. I will choose to remember you in your very best light - my engagement, earning my 200hr certification, the accomplishments and joys of my friends and family. I also choose to be motivated by your upsets. I will not be afraid to make changes or take chances this year."
Instead of posting my resolutions for you all to share, I decided to save them and check in again in a few weeks. I wanted to give myself goals I could stick to this year. Really, more than a list of goals, I wanted to give myself an intention. Setting an intention implies that first you need to recognize the way in which you would like to change. To do so we need to look inward, form a bit of a plan to weed out what is not serving our intention - to see if we are holding ourselves back in any way. Then you can move forward and create real change. The word for this in Sanskrit is 'sankalpa' or: resolve, determination, good intention.
After a good hard look at myself, I decided that my number one resolution this year is to be brave. Sometimes, in order to do what is best for you, you have to face fears and give in to the unknown. You have to surrender. You need to make room and accept that change may take time(versus whatever instantaneous result we crave). This idea can be daunting enough that we decide, instead, to stay exactly where we are - even if it means we are not as happy as we know we could be. Doesn't that just have a need for sankalpa written all over it?
It seems to me that this lack of drive is fear causing us to pause on our path, so I resolve to (gulp) be brave. I cannot say that I want to teach more yoga, but not go out and audition. I cannot say I want to publish my writing, but never submit my work. I would like to push myself to achieve more this year and can only do that by taking more risks. So cheers, 2012, your first month nearly at an end, I welcome the adventure.
