Each
December, right before the winter holiday break, a friend of mine
used to ask the students in her high school creative writing classes
to make three separate lists of the things they'd like to (1) stop
doing, (2) start doing and (3) keep doing in the new year.
Invariably, she found the majority of her students could readily
identify a long list of things they wanted to quit doing, but found
it much harder to create a list of positive goals they wanted to set.
Moreover, very few could describe what they were doing well and
wanted to continue doing.
STARTING
FRESH
Does
that sound familiar? Many of us are like those high school students:
although we're quick to criticize our past and vaguely hopeful about
our future, we generally don't give ourselves much credit for what's
going well in our lives at present.
I
believe that's why most people's New Year's resolutions are doomed to
failure: because they involve a high degree of judgement and
rejection of the past in favor of some elusive, golden-hued,
hoped-for future that isn't really anchored in the present tense.
Heading
into the new calendar year, there is such a strong cultural bias
towards making New Year's Resolutions, focusing on a fresh start,
beginning a new diet, creating a budget, clearing clutter, finding a
new relationship, etc. As laudable and desirable as such goals might
be, I believe it's equally important to be grateful for those aspects
of our lives which are currently going well. To be patient, kind and
accepting of ourselves just as we are in the present tense, before
trying to "improve" ourselves by creating a field of
affirmation for a possible future. Only then do we have a firm
foundation on which to build our field of dreams.
STARTING
HERE
That's
why I hope you can join us for the first Sunday Morning
Circle of the New Year, as we examine the subtle-but-important
differences between setting New Year's resolutions and affirmations;
between creating goals and holding a vision; between wants and
desires. As we do so, we'll focus on embracing the goodness in our
lives as the basis for a group process of writing letters of vision
and affirmation to ourselves for the coming year.
Then,
at the end of the morning, you'll be invited to place the letter
you've written to yourself in a sealed, self-addressed envelope,
which we'll hold for you throughout the year, then mail back to you
in December.
STARTING
THERE
If
you've already done this with us in past years, you know what a
powerful exercise this can be - and will want to be there. And if
not, you're in for a special treat. Either way, please do plan to be
there and join in the process of affirmation with us. The
first Sunday Morning Circle of the year has always been a
powerful, high-energy occasion - but it should be extra-special this
time, because we'll be meeting at our new location in the spacious,
light-filled art gallery at Say Sí. What a great way to start the
New Year! I sure hope you can join us there. I promise that you'll be
glad you did!
With
blessings and best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year,
Rudi
PS:
Speaking of things that are going well, I'm delighted to report that
we have not only met, but exceeded our goal of raising $8,000 through
our Year-End Giving Campaign. As of December 31st, we had received
$9,604, which enabled us to finish our fiscal year in the black and
begin the New Year on a firm financial footing. Many thanks to all of
those whose generosity made this possible, with special gratitude to
Betty Franklin, our hard-working President of the Council of Stewards
for initiating the Campaign and holding the vision!
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