In Your Success Zone Blog

Resolutions or Intentions to Create?

 

It's that time again! Making up the list of Resolutions for the New Year is as much a part of the holiday  season as parties, gifts, and reconnecting with family and friends.

Well, I'm not doing it. I'm not making a Resolutions list any more - it's too durn much like going on a diet - which is almost always on everyone's Resolutions list and gets shuttled by the end of January. 

Nope, I'm making a "What I Intend to Create in 2009" list. It just is more fun and inviting. And I know I will actually do what is on that list.

As I look back on my Intentions to Create list from 2008, I find I have achieved everyone of my intentions. On my (very short on purpose) list were

1. I write daily
2. I love myself and others 
3. I actively engage in my life  

I didn't know how these intentions would show up or what I would have to do to become the person that does these things. But this year Life has offered my opportunities to grow in each of the areas listed. And I have found ways to respond so that I am writing, loving, and engaging more now than a year ago.

So I'm upping the ante for 2009 and going bigger. Here's my list of what I Intend to Create in 2009:

1. I am powerful and prosperous 
2. I create and contribute 
3. I love life fully  

Yep, it'll be a stretch, but I know that Life and I will work it out.

How about you? What do you intend to create in 2009? 

From Oppression to Passion

Oppression Card VoyagerTarot.com

Change Card VoyagerTarot.com

Art Card VoyagerTarot.com

This morning I drew the Oppression card from the Voyager Tarot for a sneak peek into what is going on with my work. [Picking a Voyager card is my morning ritual. You can pick your own Voyager card for the day on-line here.] Oppression is the principle of being snagged spiritually. It tells me to finish a spiritual lesson to get free and fired up again. Frankly, I was surprised that Oppression showed up today as I have been feeling more expressive in my work lately. So I asked "What do I need to do to free myself from Oppression in my work?" I drew Change which tells me to change my daily routine in small incremental steps for more balance. Change most certainly means - not staying up until 1 am to watch Olympics, political conventions, or movies so that I get rest and feel refreshed the next day at work, - eating what I know will agree with my system so I have stamina and feel good, and - getting to the gym more than once a week so that I am strong and energized. I get it that taking care of my physical plant (body) will help me feel more energized and spiritually connected. But I thought there was more and wanted to know, "How do I do that - really?" I pulled the Art card which tells me to - take a broader perspective, - connect with my passion, - hatch a plan with strategies that I can execute, - see a promising future for my work, and - communicate, communicate, communicate! Now I know what I need to do to get free and flying again, and I'm on it. Here's a question for you Creative Entrepreneurs: How do you work out of being bogged down and reconnect with your creative energy and business drive? I would love to hear what works for you!

Running Down the Path of Fear

If you are a creative person, you may be a very good worrier - busily imagining a myriad of bad consequences and getting tangled up in them instead of experiencing what you really want.

I once read that creative people worry more than people who are not so imaginative. Makes sense to me. If you are creative, you are always coming up with ideas, trying new things, going here and there in your imagination. A by-product of being creative can be the penchant to run down the path of fear. I confess to being a very good worrier. If there were a "Dream Up Really Stunning Negative Consequences" event at the Olympics, I would have been a contendor.

In 1996 I was introduced to Abraham,  a group of non-physical beings who speak through Esther Hicks about the Law of Attraction (like attracts like). You may have seen Esther Hicks in The Secret (Original Edition) or read her excellent book Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires.

Listening to Abraham talk about the Law of Attraction, I realized that by imagining the worst case scenario, I was directing my energy in the direction of what I don't want! I then noticed that directing my attention to what I do want was tricky because the bad stuff seemed so compelling and "real" - it just demanded my attention!

With clients, I notice the same thing. It takes deliberate effort to get off the subject of "What's Wrong" and on to the subject of "What I Really Want". Part of the difficulty has to do with our wiring for survival. It's more important for species viability to realize that there is sabertooth tiger lurking in the grass and run (awareness of danger) than blissfully consider a dandelion and get eaten by said tiger (lack of awareness and severe negative consequence).

Now that sabertooth tigers pose a minimal threat, this run to the negative consequence also has to do with choice and feeling able to make a difference in how your life goes. An excellent practice to develop when you find yourself mid-sprint on the path of fear is to ask yourself, "Is this what I really want?" If yes, keep running. If not, stop and consider what you do want and begin to meander down that path instead.

A break in the pattern may not be easy (I'm still practicing!), but it opens up new opportunities for you - ones that you may like much better than what's at the end of the path of fear. Now that's a creative act!

Win or Lose - You Decide

How about those Olympics!?! I've been glued to the tube all week and am so inspired by the incredible athletes, the venues in Beijing, and the stories that have emerged.

I have seen athletes realizing their Olympic dreams:

Michael Phelps winning 8 for 8 gold medals,
Dora Torres taking 2 silver medals literally back to back at age 41, and
Usain "Lightning" Bolt cruising to a win in the 100 m to become the fastest man on earth.

I've also seen the athletes whose dreams have been dashed:

Alicia Sacramone falling off the balance beam and likely costing the US Women's Gymnastics Team the gold medal,
British champion Paula Radcliffe dragging herself over the finish line of the Women's Marathon in 23rd place,
and Aussie hopeful Eamon Sullivan failing to win gold at the Water Cube.

Win or lose, each of these amazing athletes will have to wake up tomorrow and decide his or her future.

To what will Michael Phelps devote himself now?
How will Dara Torres channel her incredible competitive spirit and body?
What else can Usain Bolt accomplish?

Will Alicia Sacramone forgive herself and move on to accomplish other goals in her life?
How will Paula Radcliffe handle not winning an Olympic medal?
Will Eamon Sullivan continue to compete or turn his attention elsewhere?

These question got me to thinking about the decisions we mere mortals (non-Olympians) must answer every day - will I win or lose today? And then I thought about what the game is.

The Game of Life is what we are playing. And each of us has our special events.

My field is the Emotions and my events are Acknowledging and Healing My Emotions and Using My Power for Good.

Your field may be Creativity and your events may be Following Your Inspiration and Allowing Money into Your Experience.

Or perhaps your field is Parenting and your events may be Learning from Your Children and Healing Your Past as You Parent.

I leave you with these questions for Olympians and the rest of us:

What is the field of your endeavor?

What is winning to you?

What are you deciding to do today about winning in your Game of LIfe?