While it would be lots of fun to win the lottery - pay off debt, have more peace of mind about money and earning a living, buy a few things, and have the ability to focus full-time on my creative projects - in all likelihood my life would probably not change dramatically because most of the things that bring the truest sense of joy (to me) can't be bought. In the end, if I won the lottery, I would probably start a foundation give most of it away to charity (find ways to help the environment, kids, animals, the elderly, and the fight to end breast cancer).
I enjoy doing the exercise where you 'daydream about what you would do if you had all the time and money in the world'. It helps me to bring my dreams into clearer focus and to imagine what can 'be' someday. But as I 'dream large' - long ago, I made a committment not to "wait" for just the right moment, or the right amount of money, or the right level of creativity, to pursue and achieve my passions.
I like to count my daily blessings and to celebrate what I have, what I have accomplished, and all that I am, rather than dwell on what I don't have, or what I have not achieved, as yet. As each year passes, I learn to be a bit more content with 'what is' at the same time I challenge myself to dream about and pursue 'what can be'.
Even on the rough days when things are going wrong, when there is not quite enough money to make ends meet, or when I feel like I have fallen off the sailboat that contains my dreams and I just can't swim fast enough to catch up with it as it floats closer and closer to the distant horizon - I still strive to embrace the joy in each day. I appreciate the gorgeous sunsets, a friend's kind words, the ability to enjoy my long nature walks, or the taste of a sweet peach on a warm summer day - all the simple wonderful things in life that are often free, but often brushed aside because we are chained to the drama of the moment. More and more, I am trying to live in the moment - set life's dramas and challenges aside long enough to appreciate the simple beauty of each day if you open your all your senses and your mind.
I intend to 'Find Great Joy In The Ordinary And The Extraordinary', as part of my Third Annual I Resolve To . . . Challenge: 365 Resolutions For Health & Happiness. Why not join me? The objective is very simple: Do at least one thing each and every day to promote health and happiness for 'YOU'. Banish the 'Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome'. Instead, make every day New Year's Day. Make every day count with 'daily resolves'. The list of possibilities is infinite and can be tailored to your own dreams, resolutions and daily goals. If you need some help - a little nudge, a bit of inspiration, tips, advice, and news about the best ways to make resolutions a reality - please use IResolveTo.Com as one of your resources. To see my personal 'Health & Happiness Tapestry', click through my 2009-2011 Photo-Resolutions, each one documents my journey toward greater health and happiness! Resolve365 in 2011.
To better organize myself, each weekend I am posting a Daily Resolve 'To Do List' - at least seven resolutions from my 'Health & Happiness Tapestry' that I plan to achieve, and I will undoubtedly throw in some new ones along the way. My Daily Resolve 'To Do List' is one more way to focus and track the small daily steps that I take toward health and happiness. For decades, I have tracked my dreams, resolutions and daily resolves in my journal and on my calendars with colorful stars. Here are the 'Daily Resolve' highlights for the week:
I RESOLVE TO . . .
- Read a great book (check).
- Visit the dentist for my check up (check).
- Bask the sunshine, veg by the pool (check).
- Cross nagging 'To Do's' off my list today (check)!
- Give my shrubs a haircut - enjoy time spend grooming my yard (check).
- Remember daily servings of fresh fruits and veggies - buy local produce (check)!
- Work my way methodically through my house cleaning - and enjoy each task (check).
The whole purpose of Daily Resolves is to mindfully inject a small bits of joy and healthy habits into each and every day. The small daily steps do add up to big results over time because they are concrete and manageable (which helps to eliminate the fear factor and sense of being overwhelmed). That said, what is really important is 'right now' - enjoying each and every moment of the journey toward health, happiness and making dreams a reality!
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!
Need More Inspiration? Wear Your Resolution By Visiting The I Resolve To . . . Shop At CafePress: IResolve To . . . Resolutionista Gear And By Joining The Official I Resolve To . . . Group At Gather.Com. Get going on your 2011 New Year Resolutions with the I Resolve To . . . Worksheet 2011. View my 2009-2011 Health & Happiness Tapestry by clicking through Daily Resolve Photo-Resolutions.
Kim M. Simpson - April 17, 2011
Copyright © I Resolve To® . . . * All Rights Reserved.
Comments