Ahhhhh,
Spring! We've had more than our share of winter rain (200% of normal)
and boy, am I looking forward to Spring this year. As if to tease
me, the tree outside my front door burst into pink blossoms in January
only to be snuffed out by more rain and wind. Soon we will see more
permanent evidence of nature embracing the renewal of life. The
surrounding hills are lush with new spring growth that has benefited
from all the rain. Spring reminds me of the importance of fresh
starts and new beginnings. Every day, we have an opportunity at
a fresh start.
Embracing
Renewal
When we have dreams or set targets that don't quite turn out the
way we'd hoped, or as quickly as we'd hoped, it's easy to feel discouraged.
If you no longer desire the goal or your dream no longer motivates
you, the healthiest thing to do is recognize that fact and let go.
But if you look deep into yourself and know that you are on the
right track, that is when we need to dig deeper to find our inner
faith, dust ourselves off, and embrace a fresh start.
A fresh
start lets you clear the emotional slate and take a deep breath
as you evaluate your progress:
— Are you still on course, as planned, or did you lose yourself
along the way?
— If you got lost, or are not seeing results, what do you need
to do differently to make the next attempt successful?
— If you don't have all the answers, who do you know who might
give you a different perspective?
— Then, take action and make the necessary changes with faith
and belief in yourself.
Persistance, after all, is more responsible for success than talent
or money combined.
— And,
last but not least, renew your commitment so you can embrace your
fresh start with the same enthusiasm you had when you first began
your journey.
I've had friends who have been on their own personal journeys, whether
for career transition or rejuvenation, or for improving their health
and lifestyle, and while most have been successful in their process,
rarely have I seen them go from decision to do it to success in
one step. So why, I wondered, do I expect myself to be successful
on the first try? Such expectations make it harder for me to enjoy
my journey, so I'm making a fresh start in allowing my journey to
unfold at it's own pace.
Renewing
Affirmations
Just as renewing your commitment is essential, so is examining your
affirmations from time to time to see which ones need an overhaul
or, ahem, to be tossed. Affirmations reflect where you are at the
time that you write them. A lot can change in three months, six
months or a year. Some dreams come true, some change, and some,
well, they just stick out like sore thumbs reminding us that at
one time they were important. Who wants to be reminded of a dream
or target we no longer care about, or worse, that represent our
coulda-would-shouldas?
The latter, by the way, make highly ineffective affirmations and
I highly recommend you weed those out of your collection as quickly
as possible.
The
plain fact is, your affirmations must serve you, and motivate you
just as your dreams and targets do. Effective affirmations...
>Contain
perfectly positive phrasing and eliminate the words with negative
meaning such as no, not, or contractions that contain them, such
as don't or aren't.
>Are
written in the present-tense
as though the goal has already been accomplished.
>Evoke
the positive feeling that you associate with achieving the related
goal or dream.
>Are
broken down into segments that are believable to you. By
all means, break your larger goals into smaller steps so that you
feel a sense of accomplishment, and further motivation, as you reach
and surpass each milestone.
>Are
specific to you, preferably written in your own handwriting
which is recognized by your subconscious mind, and are amplified
further when read aloud.
Spring
Clearing
Treat yourself a refreshing fresh new start! Take a moment, today,
to evaluate your affirmations to ensure they are still serving and
motivating you. If the goal is still viable, but the emotions or
wording could use some help, take some time to rewrite them.
Working with affirmations is an on-going, continually evolving process
that can consciously, and unconsciously, keep you moving forward
your whole life. Don't wait that long, though, to make a fresh new
start.
