January 1st is here, blank and fresh like the first page of a brand new notebook. Don’t you just love beginnings? As the calendar page turns, it’s as if the air is cleared and every breath is full of possibility. What will you do this year? Who will you be?
As the world rushes to make resolutions, perhaps you can first take a breath and create some time to ponder what your body and soul really want in 2012. If you just join the crowd in saying you want to lose 10 pounds or eat better or get organized or exercise more, your intentions won’t be clear enough to be meaningful and actionable. Making real changes requires specificity and determination. You need to be ready to do the work and feel drawn toward it or it simply won’t happen. So please, in these precious, unmarred, first few days of 2012, make time to think. Resolve that you will listen to what your truest self wants. And then commit to delivering exactly that.
Let me illustrate this point. I started 2012 by doing 108 Sun Salutations today in a New Year’s Day yoga class. As I was deciding whether or not to take this on, I did a few sun salutations at home yesterday. It really wasn’t bad at all. “Ok,” I thought to myself, “how hard can this be?” After taking the class, I can tell you the answer is PRETTY DARN HARD! One sun salutation is easy if you’ve been practicing yoga, but 108 is NOT! In fact, I’d argue that 108 of anything is difficult! (Plus, the darling instructors leading the class threw in lots of extra twists and turns for good measure – which did nothing to easy the difficulty.)
My point is that 108 days from now (April 17th if you’re keeping track), your resolution to eat better or to work out more or to get organized simply will not feel as easy as it does today. Make the resolution anyhow. But get some support! Enlist a friend to cheer you on, or reach out to my team at Nourish. We would be honored to walk beside you in 2012 as you make your health and well-being a priority.
I’d love to hear from you to talk about how we can support you. You can email me directly or call us at 513-245-4224.
Here’s to making 2012 your healthiest year yet, one day at a time!