A while ago I saw a comment from Rosita Cajas on Facebook that says: “…looking for inspiration to make my 2012 resolutions…. So much to decide with only one week to go!”. I bookmarked a Like and came straight to the blog to share a simple idea, because there are many of us who will be marking 2012 with new or reinforced resolutions. Right?
So well, if we are indeed beings composed of 4 dimensions, as Stephen Covey says, maybe the new year’s resolutions have here a practical guide to start. I think so and here I leave them for your consideration: we are body, mind, heart and spirit.
As we head into 2012, it is a good idea to make resolutions that address our physical dimension. Here you can go from marathon to tubing, from lipo to weight training, from yoga to weights, from highlights to a new haircut, from nutrition to your favorite sport. Almost certainly, all the resolutions of the year have to do with exercise and weight, so it is easy to agree here. We must passionately take care of ourselves and our health, because only then will we be able to give our best.
When it comes to the intellectual dimension, we surely agree as well. We have to grow in knowledge, we have to learn, read, expand and inspire us. How about a Nobel Prize book a month? A new seminar or event? Going back to school for art history? How to live in financial balance? A TED talk a week? Here there is much to choose from, for if service to others is the path to greatness, we have much to learn, know and discover. Knowing is the first step towards sensitivity.
In the emotional dimension I find the purposes that I enjoy the most. These are all the resolutions that will take care of my family, my friends, the people with whom I share my life and to whom I owe heartfelt New Year’s resolutions. From one lunch a month with my friends, an exotic trip with my children, living life as a couple wholeheartedly and planning ahead, to being generous, giving to those who have less and dedicating yourself to helping with open hands (I recommend you watch Staying in Love). In this dimension I place my most important passions: the people I love. Also what I love to do that will ultimately bring me results in my professional career. Money will always be better as a result and not as a goal.
Last but not least, there is our spiritual dimension. At the core of our life should be our core values, what we believe in and what we achieve meaning by. Some find it in meditation, others in the Bible, the Koran or the Torah. Wherever you find it, this is a dimension that must also be deliberately attended to. (Look where we are: Openhouse, for we may be trying to reinvent religion in pursuit of an intimate relationship with Jesus).
As Covey puts it, we are something like four-room houses. For this reason, we must order them and dedicate time to them regularly, all at the same time and always with attention. From my own experience, it is a good idea that each dimension is constantly attended to. Do you find it daily? How do you see it?
The 2012 resolutions are coming, and as there are many of us looking for inspiration for 2012, as Rosita posted in her profile, here are some ideas for you. Now, I propose to sum it up in one word: I WILL SHINE.
May it be the best year of your life!
You will shine(don’t miss this video until the end 🙂
We are not what we have, but what we share. So take paper, pencil (or fingers to the computer, iPad or your mobile) and start writing your new resolutions for 2012. You have the idea to serve, 4 great chapters to start with, a lot to give and a lot to achieve.
Cheers!