In the spirit of packaging up the year to embrace the New Year ahead, the feelings of a fresh start and a clean slate fill the air.
Can you feel it?
I sure can!
ahhh, January... a time when resolutions are launched with enthusiasm, that almost always fade by the time February creeps in.
While I do believe in the importance of being productive, I find it really difficult to get behind the idea of New Year resolutions.
After all, surveys show that less than 10% of people are successful with their New Year resolutions.
I like to think that when we create a foundation for value-aligned intentions, we set ourselves up for a stellar year.
For those of us looking to approach the next 12 months of the year (and beyond) with joy and renewal around every corner, I invite you to first join me in this sprinkle of self-discovery.
Behavioural psychology emphasizes the key to building lasting change is to focus on creating a new identity first.
Our behaviours are a reflection of our current identity and how we see ourselves. So, if we want to create lasting change we need to first get familiar with our intentions and the actions behind those intentions.
In conscious exploration to do things differently this year, here are 3 thought-starting and self-discovery intentions I'm putting into motion this New Year, and I hope the same for you!
"Shouldn't" no more
Have you ever noticed that when you shouldn't yourself, the very act becomes even more tempting.
Maybe you've told yourself this before?
"I shouldn't go shopping" and then suddenly you find yourself even more tempted to go to the mall.
Or what about...
"I shouldn't eat chocolate" and then you eat twice as much chocolate in one sitting than you normally would.
When we shouldn't ourselves, we spend so much of our time berating ourselves about our actions and feeling guilty about everything we do.
Shouldn't statements constrain us from finding solutions to the actions we are trying to avoid.
When we constantly think about what we shouldn't be doing, we only attract more of that negative energy and more of the result that we don't want.
Let's focus our energy on the solutions we want to create rather than the shouldn'ts.
Are you with me?
Creative courage
Courage helps us face difficulty, hardship, fear, and pain.
Creative courage is self-expression without the fear of judgment or rejection.
To practice creative courage is to get to know and befriend that lil voice that speaks to you from behind our ego's voice.
Every project is a kind of creative process. When we cultivate and nurture our creative courage, we actively choose a life that feels genuine and true to us.
I encourage you to take this time to get to know what you really want and more importantly, why.
As Parker Palmer says, "Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent."
From hero To heroine
The word hero implies that we "combat adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength and sacrifice" while the word heroine implies a "nurturing, admirable leader idealized for her courage and noble qualities."
I'd like to leave you with this truly beautiful piece by Anne Davin who encourages us to take on this very shift from a hero's perspective to that of a heroine.
“Although the hero in modern times is a rugged individualist, the heroine is interdependent on others for her survival.
The hero views humans and the divine as separate. For the heroine, there is no separation between spirit and matter. All are One.
The hero is self-sacrificing; the heroine receives from others.
The hero survives against all odds; the heroine’s ego dies to the perfection of whatever is happening, coming into agreement with what is, rather than forcing her will.
The hero dominates; the heroine surrenders.
The hero competes; the heroine collaborates.
The hero revels in his victory, filled with pride; the heroine wears her humility as a jeweled crown.
The hero never questions his value or direction; the heroine lives her life as an open question.
The hero fights death, living in perpetual fight or flight; the heroine dies willingly into the still point of Beingness.
The hero asks, “What can I get for myself?” The heroine asks, “How can I serve the dream?”
Much love and lady flow care,
Elaine Clark, nutritionist, writer, women's health pioneer, and founder of LADYFLOW. Elaine is creating a movement of women living in sync with their hormonal wisdom and creativity. Elaine works with health conscious women to feel at home in their body and awaken to their creative potential. She offers a variety of tools to support women with her workshop offerings, retreats, and wellness products.
