I RESOLVE TO . . .

I Resolve To™ . . . Do What I Love And Take Breaks! - Day 241

Gifts, talents, moments of brilliance . . . we all have them.  Don't let anyone ever kid you, or tell you that you don't have them.  Each one of is unique and blessed with gifts.  Each day we choose to use our gifts .. or not.  Maybe there are days that are so filled with 'living' that we don't get a chance to truly cultivate our talents or spend them as freely as we would like, or in the way that we would like, but tomorrow is a new day, a new opportunity.  Personally, I struggle with that delimma all the time.  There just aren't enough hours in each day to do it all. In some respects, my full plate keeps me going.  I love what I do and I do what I love -  but I also know when to take breaks.

On the days that I'm feeling somewhat depleted, not particularly happy with progress on some of my projects, or when I'm just craving for some down time, I take a break.  Today I got my bike tuned up and toured Fredericksburg for an hour.  I backed off a little bit from some of my other commitments even though they were things I really wanted to do.  There's always another day, the work will get done - at home, in the garden, my business, my hobbies and interests - and I will make some time for my creative projects.  But, to stay healthy and enjoy the journey, I know at times I just have to back off a bit from commitments and responsibilities, even if it's just for a couple hours. 

Backing off helps to avoid off burn out. It enables you to 'stop and smell the roses'.  You give yourself a much needed break - and the opportunity to pursue your dreams with renewed vigor another day. 

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 31, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Draw From My Internal Well Of Resources - Day 240

Each one of us has what it takes to achieve and succeed.  I realize that's a bold statement, but I truly believe that if a person has the desire and commitment, and implements the necessary follow through (a plan), he or she will succeed - maybe not always in the exact way, or specific timeframe that he/she would anticipate, but succeess can indeed be a reality. 

So why are some people more successful than others?  That's a complicated question, unique to each individual.  Many of the answers can be found by doing your homework - learning all that you can about what you hope to achieve, and how you can achieve it.  Many of the answers can be found by studying what others have done to succeed.  And many of the answers can be found in taking classes, getting an education, finding a mentor, and like-minded souls with whom you can share the journey.  These are all examples of 'exterior' answers to the 'how, who, what, when, where, why' that will guide you to achievement.

At the end of the day, however, it's the 'internal' answers to these questions that become most important.  It's our 'internal well of resources' that gets us there. To truly achieve and succeed, a person must look deep inside, do soul-searching, take stock of what has been achieved, and what will be achieved.  You have to look inside to find the courage, conviction, determination, patience, passion, persistence, perseverance, optimism, commitment, faith, hope, and 'know how' to make a dream a reality - to achieve and find success. 

Without looking deep inside and answering the 'internal' questions - all the 'external' information, the 'how to's' will only get you so far.  Another person, persons, or organizations, or books, classes and so on can't do it for you.  At the end of the day, if you truly want to fulfill a dream, keep a New Year resolution, or achieve a goal, you have to do it yourself, with your own sweat equity and know-how.  In my own life, I've found enormous reward and fulfillment from my dreams.  You can too!  Why not give it a 'go' today?

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 30, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Learn Something New Today! - Day 239

Life offers so many learning opportunities!  The question is do we pursue what's offered, or ignore those opportunities.  Each and every day we're challenged by problems that we can solve if  we so choose.  Each day we can open a book, search for information on the Internet, take a class, have coffee and discussion with friends and colleagues - the possibilities are endless.  School shouldn't end with childhood and young adulthood.  School ideally continues for a lifetime.  Perhaps the lessons aren't always learned in the classroom of a schoolhouse, but they are learned by 'living'. 

Learning and growth ultimately lead us to personal fulfillment, joy, happiness, and reward.  Those lessons keep us going - they help us to move our dreams, resoltions and goals forward, one small step at a time, one day at a time.  The more we learn, the more we know, the more likely we will succeed - achieve our dreams. 

Give it some thought.  What do you want to explore today, this week, this month? What do you need to know to move your dream forward?  Figure out 'what you want to learn', then the 'how you will learn it' falls into place.  So crack a book, do some browsing on the Internet, put pen to paper and write a story, pencil to pad and create an piece of art, brainstorming and coversation in a cafe with friends . . . so many possibilities!  What are you waiting for?!?

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 29 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Reach For The Stars! - Day 238

Reach high, as high as you can - try to capture a star today!  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reaching for the stars and pursuing your dreams.  This summer I was chatting with a dear colleague who is retiring - retirement for her means earning another degree, writing books, starting another career.  It was wonderful to listen to her talk about her dreams.  She is beginning a brand new chapter in the book that is her life, and she is excited.  It made me excited about my own dreams - to write books, photograph the world, help others, be fit and healthy.

During our conversation she mentioned something her Mother use to tell her.  I may not quote her exactly, and I apologize for that, but it goes something like this:  Reach for the stars, you might not capture a star, but maybe sprinkles of stardust will rub off.  What a magical thought.  Makes me happy just thinking about it.  Life would be so barren and boring without dreams, without striving to touch a star, and be touched by stardust.

To some that might sound silly - not very serious, or pragmatic, but you know what?  We have enough serious hours in the day - why not lighten up every now and then.  It makes me happy just thinking about all the possibilities - it makes me happy to open my mind to the possibilities, to dreaming impossible dreams - and making them happen.  Life is so, so short.  Why not spend part of your days on earth doing the things you love - and loving the things you do?  Lord knows we spend enough of our hours tackling work and responsibilities that are necessary, but perhaps not always as fulfilling or magical as we would like.

You don't have to wait for New Year's day 2008 to make a decision to pursue a dream, do it today.  Turn your dream into a resolution and make it a reality with daily goals - small steps taken one at a time, one day at a time.  Give it some thought - give it a go!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 28, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Approach This Monday With A Sunny Outlook! - Day 237

A sunny outlook!  That's how I plan to approach this Monday.  It's my choice - and regardless of what life throws my way, I'm going to find my way to a peaceful, tranquil attitude, coupled with a smile.  You can do it too, if you have the desire, and willingness to work at it.  Spending some time with your dreams is sure to put a smile on your face, as well.  With that in mind, I offer these warm words of inspiration on this 237th day of 2007 . . .

"When I hit those hair-pin curves on this journey down the highway that is my life, I keep my little vehicle centered and on course through creativity, faith, hope, optimism, and maybe a sprinkle of stubborness for good measure." Kim M. Simpson

"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings."  Dave Weinbaum

"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance."  Harrison Ford

"The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost."  G.K. Chesterton

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When a person responds to the joys and sorrows of others as though they were his own, he or she has attained the highest spiritual union."  Bhagavad Gita (1st or 2nd Century) from 1001 Meditations by Mike George.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 27, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Be Happy And Grateful! - Day 236

Be happy, Be grateful - if just for this moment, this day.  Why not give it a go.  Maybe is sounds simplistic - or pollyanish - but the alternative is to be sad and unhappy.  Who wants that? No matter what life tosses you today, be happy that you 'have today'.  Be grateful that you have the opportunity to make decisions and choices about how you spend your day - and whether or not your dreams, resolutions and goals will get some tender loving care, a little bit of nurturing.  Time slips away so quickly.  Don't let minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years slip away - and with them your dreams fading into the background. 

Each one of us has dreams and it's up to us to make them a priority.  'Yep', you still have to deal with the 'In Box' - and all your daily responsibilities.  But you can also strive to devote 30-minutes, or an hour each day to your treasured dream.  Think of the benefits, the rewards, the happiness.  Stop procrastinating! 

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 26, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Check In ! - Day 235

How are you doing on this the 235th day of 2007!  Making some progress with your dreams, resolutions and goals?!  I hope so.  Life is so busy, it's hard to pack everything into a day that you would like, just not enough hours.  It's Saturday, as things slow down a bit, why not make a little time for reflection - and do a thorough weekly 'Check-In'.  Without checking in at least once each week, it's hard to determine what is working and what's not.  It's hard to keep track of the victories, successes and milestones.

Take some time today and pull out your Daily Resolution Diary - your journal.  Do some new homework, breathe some new life into your plan - update your list of daily goals.  Reflect on all that you have achieved - then do something 'nice' just for you.  Give yourself a 'gift' for working hard to make your dream a reality.

If you've been slacking - don't beat yourself up.  Stop feeling guilty.  Guilt, regret and remorse won't help you to fulfill your dreams, keep your resolutions, and achieve your goals. Only you can do that - one small step at at time, one day at a time.  Achieving dreams takes thought, creativity, 'action', patience, passion, and persistence.  Sitting on the couch with a remote control device will give you a few hours of escape into television fantasy lives - but it won't help you to achieve your own dream.  Being a couch potato won't make your dream a reality.

But that spark hiding deep within your heat and soul will make your dreams a reality!  It begins in that moment when you open your mind to all the possibilities - and make a decision to go for that dream that's been dormant.  It's that moment when you know what you have to do.  I hope you will toss gasoline on that spark and light a match - today.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 25, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Explore! - Day 234

Explore, see, do, learn, create, enjoy!  Life is truly a journey with so many wonderful options available to us.  So many decisions and so many choices!  I show up here at I Resolve To everyday and write about things that I've learned in my day to day life with the hope that my experiences will help someone else. I've always believed that if I help just one person to take one more step toward a cherished dream, I have succeeded in my goal.  That's what keeps me going with this project.

As I sit here and write, however, I want to point out that I truly believe there is no 'right or wrong' in how you 'do' this - how you work toward your dreams, goals and resolutions.  I believe you have to do a lot of internal soul searching to decide what you want to 'do'.  The 'how' you want to get there is equally important, but there are so many 'ways' to do it'.

Over the years - actually since I was a kid - I've done my homework.  I've always believed I could find answers in the experiences of other people.  I've been reading self-help books (some good, some mediocre and some really awful), biographies, how-to's, text-books, novels - anything I could get my hands on really - that would answer my 'question of the day'.

As I look back, there was no one, right - 100 percent - answer.  Other human beings, like me, and the zillions of people who write self-help books, and hold seminars, can offer advice about how you can proceed with your journey, but keep in mind there isn't just one right way to make this journey.  That's the beauty of life.  What works for me, might not work for you and vice versa.  You and I are individuals with our own delimmas, challenges, backgrounds, talents, skills, dreams, lives - and on and on - each one of us is unique. There is nothing wrong with borrowing the wisdom of many and creating your own 'patchwork quilt' of how you will achieve your dreams, resolutions and goals.  But your patchwork quilt is going to look completely different than mine . . . and that's okay!

I don't write about how to lead every aspect of your life here at I Resolve To.  On purpose.  I have no idea how to tell another person how to build a complete life that works for him or her.  Personally, I would be wary of anyone who tells me 'this is the way, the only way to ________' . . . you can fill in the blank.  And please keep in mind I'm not talking about laws or morals - as a society we have to follow rules to keep order.  I'm talking about advice that is dispensed by all the self-help gurus to improve lives. 

My point here is this:  there is no single, 'right', one size fits all, best way to live, achieve, dream, succeed.  Each one of us has the opportunity, intellect, and choice to borrow credible ideas from wherever we can get them and build a system that works - for me, for you . . . as individuals. 

So take what I write with a grain of salt - the same as you would take the advice of anyone, even a trusted friend or family member, with a single tiny grain of skepticism, so that you can make your own educated decision about how to pursue your dreams.  Learn from others, be grateful for what they offer - but in the end trust yourself to decide what works for you and what doesn't - to build a system of living, achieving, learning, feeling, doing, that works for you.

That said, I offer the same advice that I close with everyday . . . in the hope that you will take pieces of what I've learned with you - but only the pieces that work best for you to achieve your dreams - the pieces that you know will fit snugly like that wonderful glove on a cold winter's day! 

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 24, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Enjoy My Day! - Day 233

Why not strive to make today a great day?  Regardless of what life throws our way today, why not work to make the best of it, do our best, and find some pleasure and joy - in whatever way we can, in experiences large and small?  With that in mind, I offer these warm words of encouragement, and wish you well as you wind your way through the day . . .

"If you have made mistakes there is always another chance for you . . .you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing called "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down."  Mary Pickford

"Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks" Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) from 1001 Meditations by Mike George

"The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome some ecstatic experience."  Emily Dickinson

"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beetoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.  He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."  Martin Luther King, Jr.

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."        William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States

"None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the corner, waiting a few months or a few years to change the tenor of our lives."  Kathleen Norris

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 23, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Be Thankful For My Successes! - Day 232

Each one of us has them:  Successes, Wins, Victories.  There is nothing wrong, and everything right about celebrating the great things that we're capable of achieving - the great things that we have already achieved!  When you take stock on a regular basis - remember your successes with pride - that process can inspire and motivate you to take the next steps toward making your dreams resolutions and goals a reality. 

In any given day life throws plenty of obstacles at us, at the same time that it tosses wonderful gifts our way.  The obstacles can drag you down, wear you out, get in the way of your dreams if you let them.  One positive way of looking at obstacles is to view them as opportunities to grow, learn, problem solve, become stronger and smarter.  Then celebrate the fact that you actually overcame the obstacles - add them to your list of achievements.  Use them to fuel the fire of your dreams.

Life can be wonderful, but its all about choices and decisions.  Why not choose, today, to pursue your dreams, rather than wait for the 'perfect' moment, the 'perfect' set of circumstances to arrive.  Why not simply 'go for it' today rather than tomorrow - do the very best you can and be proud of your courage and determination?  What do you have to lose?

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 22, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Pay Attention To Flashes Of Insight! - Day 231

Flashes of insight can be wonderful!  Flashes of insight, for me, are those moments in which I have a breakthrough.  They usually happen when I've been brainstorming, or mulling something over - and over, and over - in my head, in conversations with loved ones, friends, mentors, or clients.  My thoughts, what I should do, what I should learn, how I should proceed (or not proceed) become crystal clear.  I've learned to pay close attention to those moments.  They're always followed by a realization that I'm right on track with my thinking - and a burst of energy, a smile, a sense of relief, often a flood of subtle, or 'big' emotions.

I'm very passionate about the things that I love in my life - my career, family, friends, hobbies, dreams, and so on. I put my heart and soul into everything.  There is no half way with me.  That's why. day after day, I preach about the benefits of my I Resolve To Formula For Success - and my 10 Step System For Achieving Dreams, Resolutions and Goals.   I start the creative process, here at I Resolve To, with a very simple formula:

Cherished Dream + One Sentence Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement, Fulfillment!

I begin with that formula, then implement five very specific steps - The Five I Resolve To Do's:

1. Dare To Dream:  Open your mind and consider all the wonderful possibilities.  Make a list of the 100 things that you want to do, see, feel, achieve, create, have, learn, experience in your lifetime.  Then pick just one dream and focus exclusively on that one dream.
2. Decide:  Make a committed decision, a promise to yourself, that you will pursue you dream for 365 days.  Make a commitment to pursue it with dogged determination and patience, passion, persistence, and perserverance.
3. Define:  In one concise sentence, turn your dream into a firm, specific resolution, such as I Resolve to exercise daily for 30-minutes by running, swmming, walking, playing tennis, and doing Yoga. 
4. Develop A Plan:  Do your homework to determine all the many steps that are necessary to turn your resolution into reality, then build a short, medium, and long-range plan that will enable you to make the journey one small step at a time, one day at a time.  Before you begin to implement that plan, fully understand the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' of your dream, and making it a reality.  Keep a Daily Resolution Diary, so that you can measure progress, hone your plan, make course corrections, and track and celebrate your victories!
5. Do It Daily:  This is the most important part.  Take one or more small steps (goals) each and every day for one year.  At the end of that year turn your resolution into a Lifetime Resolution, a dream that is with you always! 

As I continue the journey toward fulfilling my dreams, keeping my resolutions and achieveing my goals - I pay very close attention to The Five I Resolve To Don'ts:

1. Don't PROCRASTINATE:  Stop the Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome dead in its tracks.  Once you've identified your dream, turned it into a one-sentence resolution, and built a short, long and medium range plan filled with daily goals - Go For It!.  Stop waiting for tomorrow.  Do it today.
2. Don't Give In To Fear of Success or Failure:  Learn from the past, and move forward, don't keep re-living it.  Don't let fear (of past failures, or potential future failures) stop you from living your dream.  Yes, you might 'fail' but think about what you lose if you don't 'try'.  Equally important, don't worry about how your life will change if you succeed.  Yes it will change, but that's far better than staying in a 'rut' and living a life of 'regret' for the things you wanted to do, but chose not to do.
3. Don't Get Overwhelmed or Discouraged:  There will be a lot of rough days in which you feel like nothing is going right.  You'll feel like you're not making any progress toward your dreams, and your life is being hijacked - Overtaken By Events - OBE.  It's during those rough patches that you truly need to take things one step at a time, one day at a time.  It's at those times that you should pull out your Daily Resolution Diary and look at all your accomplishments - celebrate your successes, revel in your victories.  The hard times will pass.  Tomorrow will be a brand new day!
4. Don't Grow Bored, Weary, Or Burned Out:  Listen to what your mind and body is telling you.  If you're getting tired, or burned out - slow your pace, review what you're doing and make course corrections.  Take a break, but be sure to set a re-start date, with specific tasks in mind.
5. Don't Give Up:  Again take a break.  Celebrate your successes.  Seek advice from a mentor, teacher, friend, or buddy who shares your dream.  Do a thorough check-in with your plan - review your journal entries, try something new.  Develop a fully renewed effort before you do something as dramatic as 'giving up'.

I live these Do's and Dont's - I believe in them as much as I believe in myself and my dreams.  They do work.  Bottom line, they help me to truly appreciate and act on those wonderful flashes of insight - those moments when things in my life become truly clear to me.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 21, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Make This A Wonderful Monday! - Day 230

There are 135 days left in 2007. That's plenty of time to make your dreams, resolutions and goals a reality!  Whether you're struggling to identify and define a dream, or working furiously to make a dream happen, time counts. Why not make the most of your time today?  Spend your time wisely, and make sure to devote part of your day to your dream.  Anything less than that is a disservice to 'you'!  With that in mind, I offer you these words of inspiration as you make your journey this week . . .

"Happiness is A butterfly, which, when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you."  Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) from 1001 Meditations by Mike George.

"People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering."  St. Augustine

"The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear.  It is the storm within that endangers him, not the storm without."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Learn to accept that everything should come to pass exactly as it does."  Epictetus

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can start another."    Anatole France

"And now, here is my secret, a very simple secret:  it is only with the heart that one can see clearly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."  Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 20, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . See The Sunshine Through The Rain - Day 229

Thankfully, the rain is finally starting to fall from the clouds in Virginia.  Ordinarily, I hope for sunshine each and every day.  I'm not a winter person.  I adore spring and summer.  But drought conditions in my neck of the woods are truly making me appreciate the storm clouds.  When the dark clouds and thunder roll in these days, I almost want to applaud as I look on from the sun room of my home.  The clouds march in and pause, it rains, and my trees, shrubs and garden beds look revived.  I feel sure they'll live to see another day.

The same is true when storm clouds roll in, in a person's personal or work life.  There is no perfection in life. We have good days along with the bad days.  Unfortunately we can't control all that happens in a given day.  Actually, so much of what occurs in life is totally out our control.  If you dwell on that fact, it could be staggering or crippling in the long run.  But, truly, at the end of the day, all you can do is 'do your best'.  Deal with all that life throws your way, in the best way that you can - and hold your dreams close, preserve and protect them.  It's your dreams, your loved ones, the things that you treasure in life that get you through the rough patches. 

That's why I so strongly believe that each one of us needs to identify and pursue our dreams, resolutions and goals.  Our dreams help us to grow, learn, and be better human beings.  They make us happy.  They fulfill us.  They give us meaning and purpose. They make the glass 'half full' instead of 'half empty'.  Our dreams can help others, as well, when we strive to 'pay it forward'.  Our dreams can lead us to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Our dreams can be 'magical'. 

Why not open your mind today, and Dare To Dream.  Why not go for the gold, seek and find the magic.  When you do that there is a split second of clarity that finally arrives - there is a split second in which you know what you 'must do' and you 'make a decision to do it'.  You decide to commit.  You decide to 'go for it'.  Why not make the leap of faith, and 'go for it' today?  What do you have to lose?

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 19, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Be Happy Today! - Day 228

I Choose To Simply Be Happy Today.  My life isn't perfect.  I know I can do better, but I'm grateful today, and everyday actually, for all that I am and all that I have.  Of course there will be bumps in the road, obstacles that will get in the way of my dreams, and annoying things that will slow my progress, and get in the way of my desire to be 'happy', but I'm just going to be happy regardless. 

Even if my cable, phone, or power goes out - those incidents (and poor customer service) at times, drive me absolutely nuts, but that's another post entirely  - I'm going to 'be happy', even when I'm sitting in the dark without a computer, phone, television, or water, with work going un-done.  I'm just not going to react.  I'll take a nap instead. Life's too short.  Alas, I digress.

For the past 10 years I've been doing 'morning pages' in spiral notebooks - it's part of Julia Cameron's The Artists Way 12 step program for creative folks.  At the end of my three pages of 'morning pages' each day, I always close by thanking God for all that I have and all that I am.  I'm not an overtly religious person.  I've always felt that what I have to say is between me and God, and I keep it that way. But I do believe in gratitude for the good things in life, saying 'thank you', and showing folks that you appreciate them.  When you reach out and touch someone else in that way - gracious gratitude -you make them happy, you make them feel good at the same time that you feel wonderful about your own actions.

So why not just simply make a choice today to 'be happy'.  The alternative is to be 'unhappy'. Who wants that.  Do something nice for yourself.  Do something nice for for someone else.  This is it, folks.  When the curtain goes down after the final act - you don't get 'do overs' - just one life. 

Why not make it a happy life regardless of daily circumstance.  Why not make a choice to pursue your hearfelt dreams rather than waiting until it's too late.  Whatever you truly want to do, achieve, be, feel, see, experience, learn, create, have - why not start today rather than postponing for another day.  What do you have to lose - except one more day to 'be happy'?

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 18, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Enjoy Friday! - Day 227

TGIF!  I may sound like a broken record, but I love Fridays.  And an crazy as it sounds, I love Mondays too.  I try to make the most of every day.  Friday marks the end of the work week, and a bit of a break, time to catch your breath and have a little fun.  Monday, the start of a new week, presents an opportunity to make progress anew with dreams, resolutions and goals. 

Personally, I've been crashing Mondays, Fridays and everything in between, to get caught up with work, at the same time I've been trying to enjoy August and the final dog days of summer.  Somehow, I manage to find balance.  It's a struggle at times, but I work at it.  I hope this weekend you find your own balance between responsibilities, relaxation and dreams.  I hope you're able to barbecue, work in your garden, shoot hoops with your kids, lounge in the hammock, read, run through the sprinkler, be silly, laugh a lot, hit the local Dairy Queen, and thoroughly enjoy the weekend.  With that in mind, I offer these words of inspiration . . .

"People come into your life and people leave it . . . you just have to trust that life has a road mapped out for you."  Orlando Bloom - British Actor

"I shut my eyes in order to see."  Paul Gaugin

"For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."  Vincent van Gogh

"Defeat is not the worst of failures.  Not to have tried is the true failure."  George E. Woodbury

"If you love someone, set them free.  If they some back they're yours; if they don't they never were."  Richard Bach

"A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life." Richard Bach

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 17, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Make Good Use Of My Blank Page Today! - Day 226

A brand new day!  Isn't it wonderful that we were given a new one this morning?  No matter what happened yesterday, or the day before - good or bad - we got a brand new day today, a brand new chance to try again, thanks to God's good graces.  What a wonderful gift. 

Personally, regardless of what set of circumstances I'm dealt today, I'm going to make my own thoughtful 'choices' about how I react, how I approach my day, what I plan to focus on, my attitude, and so on.  I'm choosing right now to make the most of everything, rather than sleepwalking through the day.

I view each and every day as a new, blank page in the book that is my life, and I intend to make concious, good choices about how I make each 24-hour journey.  I believe in living each day as if it's New Year's Day.  If you're a chronic resolution-setter like me, you understand that wonderful feeling that bubbles to the surface on January 1 when you've been given an 'entire' brand new year to achieve, do, be, experience, see, feel, create, learn!  It's fabulous to have 365 new days, 365 new blank pages on which you can leave your mark. 

If you're like me, when you're given those new blank pages, you fully understand that you don't have to draft that tired list of things that everyone thinks you have to change.  Instead you can draft an empowering list of dreams - the things that you want to 'do' while you're still here on this earth - and make a promise to yourself to pursue one of those dreams with patience, passion and persistence.  There is nothing wrong with thinking outside the box.  Why not be a Resolution Revolutionary and have the courage to try something different, a simple, common sense approach?  Why not be a Resolutionista?  Someone who turns dreams into resolutions that they make and keep.  Someone who enjoys the journey?  Someone who follows the I Resolve To Formula for Success . . .

Cherished Dream + Determined Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement, Fulfillment!

With that strategy in mind - In addition to responding to everything that drops into my 'In-Box' at work and at home, I'm going to devote at least 30-minutes to my dreams today, and everyday.  All too often our dreams hit the back burner because we're Overtaken By Events - OBE - all the stuff that happens during the day that you have to respond to, or else! 

All too often we don't allow our dreams to serve as 'equals' on the priority list of daily responsibilities.  Those responsibilities - work, family, home, school, hobbies, church, and so on - are vitally important, but it's up to you and me to give our dreams equal opportunities to grow and flourish, along with the 'In Box' tasks and the rest of our daily responsibilities.  To do otherwise deprives us of the joy and fulfillment created by pursuing heartfelt dreams.

If you have a dream that isn't getting an equal opportunity to thrive an flourish - if it's just a quiet spark living in your heart and mind, maybe it's time to pour some gasoline on that spark.  Do your homework and build a plan that enables you to take one small step - fulfill a daily goal - each and every day.  Each step, each goal, builds on the next one - until you've fulfilled your dream, kept your resolution, and achieved success via your daily goals! 

It's like compound interest on money in the bank, it quietly, steadily builds. When you reach the summit in your journey - don't cross your dream, your resolution off your list - take it to the next level and make it a Lifetime Resolution that's with you for good!  That's what being a Resolutionista is all about!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 16, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Be Thankful! Day 225

Life is good, even on the bad days.  With that in mind I try to be grateful each and every day for everything that I have, everything that I am.  I hope that life is treating you well also and that you have countless blessings.  I send these warm words your way . . .

"I don't think that . . . one gets a flash of happiness once, and never again; it is there within you, and it will come as certainly as death . . .''  Isak Dinesen

"'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary."  Louisa May Alcott

''Stop standing on the sidelines.  Maybe it's time to join the game.  You only get one shot - one life.  Don't make it a life filled with 'reget' for what could have been.  Make it a life full of joy and happiness for what 'is' . . . ''  Kim M. Simpson

"It's the friends you can call up at 4 A.M. that matter."  Marlene Dietrich

"I like being unconventional."  Florence Griffith Joyner

"There is a fountain of youth:  it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love.  When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age."  Sophia Loren

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 15, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Celebrate These Wonderful Dog Days Of Summer! - Day 224

I just love August!  You still have to go to work and fulfill family obligations, but the weather is warm, the skies are blue and sunny, and life takes on a slightly slower pace.  Maybe there's a beach vacation in the works, or barbecues on the calendar, days lounging in your hammock, or working in the garden. 

Personally, I made a point in July and early August to crash on work projects, so I could achieve a more moderate work and personal pace for the remainder of the summer.  I made a promise to myself to have some fun, lighten up, and do some 'adult play dates'.  A couple weeks ago I made up a list of 35 things that I'd love to do this month.  I love lists - brainstorming and committing your thoughts to paper helps to make goals a reality.  It really does work!  Here's the status of my August 'lighten up and have some fun' project:

1. Take my Mom To Dinner - check.
2. Go barefoot - check (daily!).
3. Have a barbecue - check.
4. Hit my favorite coffee shop, Hyperion Espresso - check.
5. Laugh more, be silly and give a hug or two - check.
6. Hit the local Farmers Market - check.
7. Swim and float in the pool - check (daily!).
8. Spend time in my garden/yard - check.
9. Turn off my Blackberry at 6 PM - check.
10. Buy a big bag of bing cherries - check.

Okay - two more weeks in August, so there's plenty of time enjoy the rest of my list.  In addition to doing more of the same (what's listed above) - I also plan to:

1. Take a walk to Mott's Run Resevoir - it's beautiful!
2. Read a book, just for fun.
3. Hit my local Dairy Queen.
4. Enjoy a movie in between errands.
5. Call an old friend 'just to say hi'.
6. Take a new friend to dinner.
7. Pull out my digital camera and shoot some new photos.
8. Hide my Blackberry on the weekend.
9. Doze in my favorite lawn chair.
10. Dance in the rain and be grateful for everything I have and everything that I am.
11. Pull out my old '70's albums and dance, dance, dance (silly is okay every now and then!)
12. Take in a baseball game - not sure if the Nationals are winning, but I love beer and hot dogs!

This is what summer's all about!  You don't have to be a 'kid' to enjoy the dog days of summer.  You just have to be open minded, and light hearted!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 14, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Make The Most Of This Wonderful Monday! - Day 223

TGIM - 'yes' I celebrate Mondays 'and' Fridays!  I actually try to make the most of each and every day, as I work to achieve my dreams, resolutions and goals.  I hope you're also making the most of each day, enjoying a wonderful summer, and reaping fulfulling rewards from pursuing your dreams.  If you have a dream, but are still suffering from the Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome - maybe it's time to stop procrastinating.  Instead of stalling, why not begin working toward one of your dreams?  Why not begin living your dream? 

Each one of us has dreams - big ones, little ones.  No dream is too large or too small.  No dream is unworthy.  Each dream is as unique, valid, important, and wonderful as the person who is trying to make it a reality.  You don't have to wait for New Year's Day 2008 to make that dream happen, you can do it today.  You can become a Resolution Revolutionary - someone who strives to achieve their New Year resolutions 365 days each year; someone who doesn't generate that same tired list of 10-20 things that need to be changed, but instead pursues that one dream - that one thing that is truly inspirational, interesting, exciting. 

Begin your journey as a Resolution Revolutionary with this simple I Resolve To Formula:

Cherished Dream + Determined Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement, Fulfillment!

It's up to you. Start by becoming a Resolution Revolutionary - then graduate to being a full blown Resolutioista!  We Resolutionistas pursue our dreams, resolutions and goals with patience, passion, and persistence.  We Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, Do It Daily.  We truly enjoy the journey, patiently, passionately, persistenlty! 

Stop standing on the sidelines.  Maybe it's time to join the game.  You only get one shot - one life.  Don't make it a life filled with 'reget' for what could have been.  Make it a life full of joy and happiness for what 'is'!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 13, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Use The Start Of the School Year As A Motivator! - Day 222

Be a Resolution Revolutionary and Make Everyday New Year's Day!  That's a longtime 'motto and practice' that I live by.  I pursue my dreams, resolutions and goals 365 days each year.  If I'm not actually working on my dreams and resolutions, I'm thinking about the next steps/goals, plotting and planning.  As that process unfolds each year, I look for a constant flow of ways to motivate, inspire and engage myself in the journey.  The start of a new school year is no exception - it's another opportunity to use the beginning of new season to rev my engines!

I always operate from a plan and timeline with deadlines.  That calls for building in milestones and ways to measure progress, and make course corrections.  Seasonal motivators such as the start of Spring, Summer and Fall are wonderful sign posts (milestones) to build into a plan.  A lot of folks get stuck, or give up on dreams, resolutions and goals because they don't have a systematic, thoughtful, organized way to move from Point A, to Point B, To Point C. 

Often they haven't done enough homework to understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how that is involved in moving from Point A to Point B - they haven't identified all the many steps (goals) that are necessary to achieve  a dream.  Or they can't visualize how to turn a resolution into reality.  If you want to move the football down the field, you have to have a game plan.  The same it true for achieving dreams, resolutions and goals.

I start the creative process, here at I Resolve To, with a very simple formula:

Cherished Dream + Determined Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement, Fulfillment!

I begin with that formula, then implement five very specific steps:

1. Dare To Dream:  Open your mind and consider all the wonderful possibilities.  Make a list of the 100 things that you want to do, see, feel, achieve, create, have, learn, experience in your lifetime.  Then pick just one dream and focus exclusively on that one dream.
2. Decide:  Make a committed decision, a promise to yourself that you will pursue you dream for 365 days.  Make a commitment to pursue it with dogged determination and patience, passion, persistence, and perseverance.
3. Define:  In one concise sentence, turn your dream into a firm, specific resolution, such as I Resolve to exercise daily for 30-minutes by running, swmming, walking, playing tennis, and doing Yoga.  Turn that resolution into a Lifetime Resolution that will be with you always.   That resolution is one of my own Lifetime Resolutions.
4. Develop A Plan:  Do your homework to determine all the many steps that are necessary to turn your resolution into reality, then build a short, medium, and long-range plan that will enable you to make the journey one small step at a time.  Keep a Daily Resolution Diary, so that you can measure progress, hone your plan, make course corrections, and track and celebrate your victories!
5. Do It Daily:  This is the most important part.  Take one or more small steps (goals) each and every day for one year.  At the end of that year turn your resolution into a Lifetime Resolution, a dream that is with you always!

With my formula and these fives steps in mind - as you do your homework, build your plan and timelines - it's important to review your annual calendar and identify seasonal and personal milestones and motivators.  The start of the school year is very similar to the New Year on January 1 for many people.  A lot of folks - with or without children - love the start of the school year and the onset of fall because it marks a brand new season - an opportunity to start  a new chapter, to begin writing on a fresh, blank page.  I adore the spring and summer months because I love warm weather, sunshine, and being able to do things outside; but the fall months have their beautiful benefits as well  - cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, jackets, football, Halloween, and on and on.

As you continue the journey toward fulfilling your dreams, consider building these seasonal motivators/milestones into your calendar:

1. January 1 - New Year's Day
2. February 2 - Groundhog Day
3. February 7 - Chinese New Year
4. March 20 - Spring Equinox
5. March 23 - Easter
6. April 21 - My Birthday
7. May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
8. June 21 - First Day of Summer
9. July 4 - Independence Day
10. September 3  - Labor Day, The Start Of A New School Year, The End Of Summer
11. September 23 - Fall Equinox
12. October 31 - Halloween
13. November 22 - Thanksgiving
14. December 25 - Christmas

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 12, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Avoid Perfectionism - Day 221

There is no such thing as 'perfect' in perfectionism.  I fully agree with that notion, but I - like many people - struggle with it at times.  When you're working hard to do a great job - whether at home, work, or with dreams, resolutions, and goals - it's so easy to fall into the trap of seeking 'perfect' outcomes.  Intellectually, I understand that there is no such thing as perfect in human beings.  We're wonderful, but imperfect, flawed creatures.  Emotionally, however, when I'm in the heat of battle, sweating over a project or a dream, it's easy to get caught up in perfectionism.

That said, sometimes we come awfully darn close to perfection - in the beauty that we can create (writing, art, music, for instance), the good things that we can do for others, the great things that we accomplish in our lives at work, home and in the community.  But at the end of the day, all we can really 'do' - is to simply 'do our best'.  The outcome doesn't have to be 'perfect' to be a wonderful success.  All we can expect from friends, colleagues, and loved ones is that they strive to do their best, nothing more.  When mistakes are made the best course is learn from them, forgive them - let them go - and move on with a promise, a firm commitment, to try to do better. 

I try to practice this approach in my life - with myself, friends, loved ones, colleagues, pets, dreams.  There is no 'three strikes and you're out' in my life.  I'm like a St. Bernard, I stick with my dreams, friends, family, colleagues, loved ones - all the people and things that are important to me - through thick and thin, good and bad.  Same goes for my dreams, resolutions and goals. I make Lifetime Resolutions that I have promised to pursue for years and years to come.

A few days ago, I wrote about striving to live a life of integrity.  I really do believe that honesty is the best policy.  Telling the truth is the right thing to do - it keeps a person out of trouble.  But life is not black and white.  There are infinite shades of grey.  My reality, my perception of the way things 'are' is different than yours.  Your reality and perception is different than mine.  Despite hard, cold facts - there is more than one reality because of all the many shades of grey, and the way in which we as human beings interpret the grey areas of life.

Personally, I'm opposed deception in any form, but there are reasons for everything.  Folks make mistakes, they're not perfect.  Bottom-line, honesty and integrity provide better, more successful results in virtually all endeavors.  But, at the end of the day, all you can do - is simply to 'do your best'.  Being overly critical and relentlessly hard on yourself (or others), won't provide the same fulfilling and beneficial results, as honest introspection, seeking input from people who care about you, doing your homework, setting your priorities, building plans, charting your progress, celebrating your victories, and working hard.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 11, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Make The Most Of The Wonderful Weekend Ahead! - Day 220

TGIF!  'Yep' that wonderful day of the week!  I hope you'll have some time to devote to 'you' and to your dreams during the days ahead.  Wishing you warm dog days of summer, blue skies, and a couple fun filled days . . . here are a few words of encouragement to get you going!

"The dream was always running ahead of one.  To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle."  Anais Nin

"I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment."  Frances Farmer

"The excursion  is the same when you go looking for your sorrow as when you go looking for your joy."  Eudora Welty

''If you could make one wish, knowing it would be granted with no questions asked, what would it be?  Don't think too long or too hard.   Go with your first reaction.  You don't need a Fairy God Mother or a winning lottery ticket to achieve your heart's desire.  Passion deep within your heart and soul, hidden or unseen, is waiting for a spark.  Light that spark and fan the flame.  The power is within each one of us to grant our own wishes."  Kim Simpson

"Dare to dream, decide, define, develop a plan, and do it daily.  If you follow those five steps, in one year you would be amazed how much you can achieve with a cherished dream.  Think of the journey as one resolution, one day at a time for one year.  Then go for it!"  Kim Simpson

"Living in the past is a dull and lonely business;  looking back strains the neck muscles, causes you to bump into people not going your way."  Edna Ferber

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 10, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Strive To Live My Life With Integrity - Day 219

A house of cards is just that, a house of cards.  It doesn't take a strong wind to blow it all down.  All it takes is a whiff of a slight breeze to lay waste to such a fragile structure.  The same is true for deception and dishonesty in day to day life.  When you build parts of your life - dreams or relationships for instance - on lies and dishonesty, they will never stand the test of time.  They will crumble to form a pile of dust.  You may succeed, but it will be a hollow victory.

Deception is an easy trap to fall into in virtually any aspect of life.  Whether you're working hard to achieve a dream, or striving to build a relationship, it's easy to believe what you want to believe to make a situation live up to your expections, your wants and needs - even if it's not 'reality'.  You believe what you want to believe to get by, or make yourself feel better, even if it's not true. 

An equally damaging trap to fall into is one of overt acts lieing and deception with loved ones, colleagues, or others in your life, to achieve ends that would not have been achieved with simple honesty - again to fulfill your wants and needs.

Deception and dishonesty have been with us since the beginning of time.  They're part of human nature, but that doesn't mean we have to live in a house of cards.  Instead, we can choose to live with integrity - with honesty and incorruptibility.  When mistakes are made, we learn our lessons, seek forgiveness - from ourselves and those that we deceived - and move on with determination and commitment to do better.  And we should remember always, at the end of the day, nothing good can come from lies and deception - whether deceiving ourselves or others.  We should strive to give our dreams, our relationships, a chance by living with integrity.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 9, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Have A Fabulous Day! - Day 218

It's not winter.  It's not cold.  No boots or coats, so enjoy your day!  It's August, we're in the midst of the dog days of summer!  What's not to love about your day today?  Hopefully the sun is out, the skies are blue, and you'll sail through your day.  With that in mind, I offer these wise words of inspiration as you enjoy your day and work toward your dreams . . .

"Courage looks you straight in the eye.  She is not impressed with power trippers, and she knows first aid.  Courage is not afraid to weep, and she is not afraid to pray, even when she is not sure who she is parying to.  When she walks it is clear she has made the journey from loneliness to solitude.  The people who told me she was stern were not lying; they just forgot to mention she is kind."  J. Ruth Gendle

"It's never too late - in fiction or in life - to revise."  Nancy Thayer

"No one can arrive from being talented alone.  God gives talent, work transform talent into genius."  Anna Pavlova

"You never find yourself until you face the truth."  Pearl Bailey

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." Helen Keller

"Life . . . It's all about setting priorities, doing the best you can, celebrating your wins, learning from your losses, and just 'getting up the next day to do it all over again.'"  Kim Simpson

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up, for that is just the place and the time that the tide will turn."  Harriet Beecher Stowe

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 8, 2007
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"You never find yourself until you face the truth."  Pearl Bailey

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." Helen Keller

"Life . . . It's all about setting priorities, doing the best you can, celebrating your wins, learning from your losses, and just 'getting up the next day to do it all over again.'"  Kim Simpson

I Resolve To™ . . . Dig Deep For Inspiration This Month! - Day 217

The work pile is growing a bit smaller and more manageable, thank goodness!  There is light at the end of the tunnel this month.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm hitting the peak of one of the busiest times of my year in September, so I've been crashing to complete an array of projects - and in turn, take a much needed break this month (a break for me is to slow my pace, but that's as good as a week off sometimes).  Most importantly, a breather, and time to re-charge my batteries will enable me to re-focus my attention on creative projects.

With my creative projects in mind - I declared August a 'fun zone' - a time to schedule some 'adult play dates'.  As I pointed out in earlier posts my goal is to lighten up, laugh a little more, alter my routines, and have some 'fun'.  My To Do List is broad, as I noted in my post below, everything from taking my Mother to lunch/dinner, to hitting a Farmers Market, enjoying Dairy Queen, and floating in my pool.  I am making good on my promise to do many, if not all, of the 35 things I brainstormed on my original list - and 'yes' I am enjoying the implementation part of my little project!

But there's more to it than just simply having fun, and re-charging my batteries.  I'm also trying to listen more, really open my eyes and look around, and to stop speeding through my day.  My goal is to find inspiration in all things simple and profound in my daily life this month.  As hard as it might be, I am going to sit still in my backyard and just enjoy the birds, trees, flowers, and blue skies.  I really believe in enjoying the journey, and I really try to do that day by day, as I love what I do professionally, but sometimes the pace gets so hectic, it's hard to 'stop and smell the roses' (trite as it sounds, it's important).

Last year for instance, I chose to curtail a lot of projects and activities in September, October and November because I was getting burned out.  I learned my lessons the hard way of course, and I want to avoid burn out a second time - hence my August effort to have some fun and lighten the load.  This year, in September, October and November I intend to be writing and working on designs for my resolution project.  I intend to be refreshed, inspired and 'ready to go' - not 'burned out'.

Bottom line:  you really need to listen to your head, heart and body to avoid burn out, keep your life in balance (all work and no play is not a healthy way to live), and to stay inspired and committed to your dreams, resolutions and goals.  So much of this is common sense, sometimes we make things harder than they need to be - and sometimes we just don't pay attention to what our bodies are telling us.  If you're like me, and you burn the candle at both ends - you really need to pay attention to your head, heart and body - that way you'll be able to vigorously pursue your dreams 365 days a year, rather than fizzling after a few weeks or months.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 7, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Make Time For Me This Month! - Day 216

I'll be the first to admit that my life has slipped out of balance recently.  Way too much work, no play, and not enough time to devote to my creative projects.  Needless to say, creatively and personally, I'm feeling like a desert:  parched.  One thing that will quench my thirst, is to devote some true quality time to my resolution project this month - my book, my product designs, my blog.  I intend to do that mid-month and get fully back on track throughout the remainder of this year (149 days - 4 3/4 months!) 

The second way I intend to bring my life back into balance this month is to have some good 'old fashioned fun'.  I've written about this quite a bit in recent days and I'm happy to say the lists of 'fun' activities that I proposed are either happening, or are in the works.  Here's an update - probably more for my benefit than yours because lists help me to keep track of progress.  But, perhaps, you'll take some of my idreas and have some fun this month too!  Here goes - part of my recent orginal list of 35 ways to lighten up this month:

1. Take my Mother to lunch. Done!  Dinner Wenesday night.
2. Make deviled eggs and have a barbecue, complete with chocolate cake and farmers market veggies.  Done!  I'm hitting the farmers market and barbecuing with friends Saturday and Sunday.
3. Spend a morning tending my garden.  Done!  Depending on rainfall, I'm planning to work in my yard and garden Friday and/or Saturday.
4. Hit my favorite coffee shop - Hyperion Espresso. Done!  Friday or Saturday when I hit the farmers market.
5. Go barefoot.  Done!  I do that almost everyday in August.  :)
6. Float in the pool and stare at the blue sky and fluffy white clouds.  Done!  Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and next Tuesday (I've got all of this worked out, otherwise it won't happen - I'm pathetic, I know myself too well - if I don't write it down, schedule it, it might not happen; so much for being spontaneous, at least in this case!)
7. Find a Dairy Queen and have my favorite treat.  Done!  This weekend, trust me!

I think that's a good start and it's early in the month.  I began my 'lighten up and relax project' with a list of 35 things that I could do to be silly, enjoy myself, and have some fun - a much needed break and way to re-charge my batteries.  It's part of my effort to re-balance my life.  Unfortunately work tends to throw things out of whack, including time spent on my creative projects.  I'm sure you run into the same problem.  The 'In Box' can take on a life of its own at times.  The trick is to tug hard on the reins, and pull the horse you're riding on back to the center of your journey - balance between work, family, hobbies/entertainments, dreams, and so on.  Balance is so important if you want to remain fresh, enthusiastic, motivated, and full of creative ideas! 

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 6, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Find Balance This Week! - Day 215

Happily, this week I will clear the decks, and bring my workload back into balance!  That, in turn, will help me to proceed through August with a much more manageable pace.  I'm sooo looking forward to devoting some quality time to my creative projects.  I feel as if I've neglected them a bit, of late - but I will make up for lost time :) . . . Even when I don't have as much time to devote to my dreams as I would like - they are still front and center, as I consider next steps, strategies and the progress that I will make in days ahead.

I hope you're enjoying a wonderful summer - happy and productive with ample opporunities to carve out some quality time with loved ones, and with beloved dreams.  With that in mind, as we approach a new new work week, and the beginning of a new month, I offer these warm words of encouragement . . .

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.''  Lucille Ball

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else."  Erma Bombeck

"Imagination is the highest kite one can fly."  Lauren Bacall

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 5, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Face My Fears - Day 214

Each one of us has fears.  Life can be rough on the best of days, but if you want to fulfill your dreams, you have to face your fears, learn from them, and move on.  I write on this topic fairly frequently because fear - and procrastination, unrealistic goals, and lack of structure/planning - can be dream killers. 

Since it's August, and I'm preaching about having a little fun and taking a much needed summertime break - I'll save the long essay for September.  But I want to leave you with a Nelson Mandela quote that I long ago took to heart.  A dear, old friend, Kelly, sent it to me a few years ago and it bears repeating often, so I post it on my blogs each year.  I hope you find inspiration in Mr. Mandela's words . . . and the courage to make the journey toward fulfilling your dreams.

Our Greatest Fear
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some.  It is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we conciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
- Nelson Mandela

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 4, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Make Good On My Promise To Have Some Fun In August! - Day 213

TGIF!  Yes, that wonderful day of the week!  Last Friday, I made a list of 35 different ways to 'lighten up and have some fun' in August.  Well, August is here and I believe in leading by example.  So, next week I'm gointg to try make some time for me, maybe do some nice things for others, and generally enjoy the rest of my summer!   If you're looking for ways to wind down just a bit, here are some suggestions - things that I plan to pursue in the next 10 days . . .

1. Find a Dairy Queen and order one of my favorites!
2. Take in a movie between errands.
3. Take my Mom to lunch!
4. Spend a day in the garden (or a couple - my yard needs some TLC!).
5. Hit my favorite coffee shop - Hyperion Espresso in Fredericksburg.
6. Have a barbecue - yes with deviled eggs and chocolate cake!
7. Go Barefoot!
8. Swim and float in the pool!
9. Be silly, smile a little more, laugh, and give a hug or two.
10. Turn off my Blackberry at 6:00 PM!

I hope you have a wonderful break this month.  Re-charge your batteries, so you can pursue your dreams, resolutions and goals - large and small in the remaining months of 2007.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 3, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Clear The Decks, Very Soon! - Day 212

Crazy, crazy week - but a wonderful week.  I'm continuing my 'crash pace' for work projects, so that August will be a somewhat calmer month.  I'm looking forward to doing a bit more writing, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.  The late nights and weekends will be worth it!  I'm also looking forward to putting in some quality time on my resolution book and related projects - my 2007 New Year Resolution - to help others to achieve their dreams, resolutions and goals.

With that in mind, I send these warm words of inspiration and encouragement your way . . . I hope you're having a wonderful, productive, happy summer!

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day."  E. B. White

"Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility. Effective leaders are able to shake up their thinking as though their brains are kaleidoscopes, permitting an array of different patterns out of the same bits of reality."  Rosabeth Moss Kanter

"Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself.  If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it.  Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out."  Tina Turner - American Singer

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 2, 2007
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I Resolve To™ . . . Give Back By Mentoring - 211

Some days we're just so busy trying to take care of our 'full plate' of responsibilties that we forget to 'give back'.  It's so easy to lose sight of occasionally reaching out and helping another person.  No matter what stage we're at in our lives each one of us has something to offer via our career experience, educational expertise, skill as an artist, craftsman, writer - the list is infinite because each one of us possesses unique life experiences, skills and knowledge.  Why hoarde those experiences, why not share, and try to help someone else as they make their own journey?

I've said this before - and I count my blessings daily - but people in my life reached out to me and helped me both personally and professionally.  They listened, offered advice, expertise, structure, and opportunities for me to learn and stretch my mind.  I am eternally grateful to one and all - friends, parents, teachers, colleagues, bosses.  I understand what I've been given and I try to 'give back' some of what I've learned.

Are you at a stage where you can reach out to someone who's trying to 'make it' in their own chosen profession?  Why not offer a helping hand?  Why not serve as a mentor to a young person in your field.  Or participate in a volunteer program to help a young person learn to read.  Or volunteer your time helping kids 'stay off the streets and in meaningful activities'.  Whatever your interest, whatever your experise, there is a program out there that could benefit from your time and attention if you're serious, caring and dedicated. 

Give it some thought.  You could potentially make a huge difference in someone else's life.  What better reward is that?  You never know, you also might learn something that will help you as you make your own journey toward your dreams.  At a minimum, helping someone else will make you feel wonderful, bring a smile to your face.  Give it a try.  Your kind words, your attention, your nurturing presence could help another person to go out and do great things - things large and small.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who keeps resolutions and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim M. Simpson - August 1, 2007
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