So – today is New Year’s Day!
A day when many “resolve” to do something to better themselves and their lifestyles for the upcoming year.
According to a common study, only 8 percent of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions.
The reason why?
Many set overly ambitious goals.
Other goals are WAY too restrictive and too sudden of a life change.
What starts out with extreme energy and gusto fades quickly when we come to the realization that the resolutions are too difficult to keep.
Huffington Post states, “Small, incremental lifestyle changes may feel less sexy, but they have a much greater chance of creating real change. According to Dr. Roberta Anding, a registered dietician and nutrition professor at Baylor College of Medicine, moderating your resolutions could be the difference between giving up in February and creating a lasting lifestyle change.”
So instead of resolutions, what if we change our mindset and start viewing things as a “reset.”
In this new year, what if we view each new day as a new beginning.
And – as we look at each new day as a new beginning, what if we become intentional about not being obsessed with things of this world and culture in which we live. What if, instead, we become intentional about the state of our hearts.
The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu share that the very purpose of life is the goal of avoiding suffering and discovering happiness. While I’m not sure that is “the very purpose of life” – it does have some merit for a life of contentment and peace.
If we will begin to live into a new way of thinking and being that focuses on our heart, there is action required on our parts. We have to let go of “ick” and work on filling ourselves with happiness. When we do this happiness will become more than a fleeting state. It will become an enduring trait. Yet, it is up to us to make it a way of being.
The Psalmist writes, “sorrow lasts for the night. But joy – joy comes in the morning.”
What is the state of your heart today?
Suggestion – take the parts of your heart that bring you sadness, anxiety, and fear . . . and meditate/pray on letting those things go and recalling things that bring you happiness and joy.