April 14, 1933 12 Theses Against the Un-German Spirit: A ...

Three Reasons

Why You Will

Keep Your Resolutions

in 2012













byRusVanWesterveltandCaraMoulds
www.coolbluesouls.com
copyright2012(ofcourse)





Oneofthereasonswhysomanynewyear’sresolutionsdon’tlastisbecause,
well,that’swhatwe’retold.

TheyWon’tLast.

Wehearitallthetime,don’twe?

Whymakethematall?Theyneverlast.
Never.

Imakethemeveryyearand,withinaweek,Broken!Justlike
everybodyelse’s.

They’refuntomake,butdoesanybodytakethem
seriouslyanymore?


Yes.Asamatteroffact,manyindividualstakethemveryseriously.

Thedifferencebetweenyouandthemillionsofothersoutthereisthat,simplyput,you
arenotanyoneofthem.Youdon’thavetoworryaboutanybodyelse’ssuccessesor
failures.Allyouneedtobeconcernedwithisyourlife,andyourresolutionfor2012.

Suddenly,itjustgotaloteasier,didn’tit?

Onceweabandonthetrendsandignorethenegativechatterthatsurroundsus,wefree
ourselvestoaccomplishthethingswehavealwaysbelievedwerepossible.

Andnow,wonderfully,THEYARE.

Beforewetouchonthethreereasonswhyyouwillkeepyourresolutionsin2012,
let’slookatre-establishingourfoundationofliving.

Thetroublewithfoundations,though,isthattheyareusuallythoughtofas
somethingoldwithchippedstone,soiledbrick,andaccompaniedbyanasty,stale
stenchofdampdecay.Theyharbortheburdensofmanyyearsofuseandabuse,
retainingtheemotionalturmoilthathasfallenhere,yearafteryear.

Andwhathappenswhenwefeelourresolutionsbeingchallenged?Welookback,see
ourpastsinsomebroken-downfoundation,andbelievethatwearedestinedfor
somethinglessthanwhatwehavealwaysdreamedpossible.

Thatoldfoundationhastogo.Thechippedstone,thesoiledbrick,thedamp,stale
stench.
Allofit.
GONE.

Partofembracingyourresolutionsislettinggoofthethingsthathaveheldyouback.
Maybeitissomethingthatyouhavebeenclingingtoforalongtime–anold
relationship,anathleticform,ahealthieryou.Or,maybeitissomethingseemingly
smallbutstillsignificant(whetheryouwanttobelieveitornot)–abeliefthatyou
aren’tdeservingofsuccess,aself-appliedpressurethatyouneedtobeperfect,a
thoughtthateveryoneelseisbetterthanyou.

Letthemgo.
ALLofthem.

Throwthemintothatdampandcrowdedfoundation,closethecellardoor,brushoff
yourhands,andwalkaway.
Thatwasthen.
Thisisnow.

Notoneofthosethoughtsorexperiences–notasingleone–mattersanymore.

Whatmattersisrightnow.Thismoment.

Stopandimaginewhatthatmeans.Nomorebaggage.Nomoresadness.Nomore
second-guessesorself-defeats.Allofthatisinthepast.

Thisisnow.Yourfoundationisnew.Beautiful.Anditiswhereveryouwantittobe.
Maybeyouenvisionabeautifullylandscapedfoundationwithcolorfulliliesandroses
liningtheentireperimeter.Theyemitamagicalfragranceofpossibility.
Orperhapsyourfoundationisatopaclifflookingoverthebrilliantandmagnificent
ocean,witheachwavecatchingthesunjustrightasitrushestocrashontheshores
belowyou.Thescentofsaltywatersmixedwiththefloralfragrancesthatsurroundyou
areabsolutelyconvincingthattoday,thismoment,anythingispossible.

Thisisyourfoundationfor2012.

Thisiswhereitallbeginsforyou.

Allyouneedtodoisrememberthatyouarehere.

Now.

Inthepresent.

Theplacewherethereisnohistory,onlypossibility.

Sostandtallinyournewfoundation,andbelieveinthesethreereasonswhyyou
willkeepyourresolutionsin2012.Noone,andnopast,isstoppingyou.

2012?It’sallyours.Everygloriousmoment.Allyours.








THE THREE REASONS WHY YOU WILL




KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS




I N 2 0 1 2



3.YouEmbraceYourWordOfTheYear.

Thisisyourmantra,yoursingle-wordchantthatholdseverythingaboutyourgoalsfor
2012.Choosingthiswordisnotsomethingthatyoucandonecessarilyinoneafternoon
sitting.Sometimes,ittakesalittletimefortherightwordtoemergethroughthe
myriadideasandgoalsyoumighthavefortheupcomingyear.

Sohowdoyoupickthatonerightword?

Here’showIchosemine(andI’llletyouknowwhatthatisalittlelater).Haveyouever
madeanincredibledishthatincludesavarietyofvegetablesandseasonings?Onthat
firstnightwhenyoueatthatmeal,justafteryou’vepreparedit,youcantasteeach
spice,eachvegetablethatyouhaveused.Thecayennepeppersnapsatyou,andthe
sautéedonionsaddadistinctbitetotheendofeachmouthful.LikesomekindofWilly
WonkaEverlastingGobstopper,eachtastehasitstime.

Thenextday,though,aftertheleftovershavehadachancetomishandmash
overnight,theindividualflavorsallmelttogethertoformsomenewsingle,collective
tastethattranscendstheindividualflavorsfromthenightbefore.

That’swhenyourwordwilllikelyemerge.Wordslikecavalier,eclectic,sojourner,and
illuminatorsurfacefromthecollectionofwordsgatheredadayortwoago–wordslike
fighterorhealthyorstrong.

Thethingis,youhavetobeyourowncook.Itwon’tdoyouanygoodifIgiveyoualist
ofstarterwords.Thepowerofsuggestionistoostrongtoacceptoneofmywordsand
runwithit.That’slikemicrowavingthatmagnificentmeal,andallyouaregoingtoget
isaTVdinnerloadedwithsodiumthatwillkeepyoubloatedfordays.

Nobodywantsthat.

Sogotothefreshmarket,getoutyourchoppingblock,andmakethatdeliciousmeal
ofspicyverbsandfreshnouns.Letitsimmerforhoursorevendays.Keepthescents
andtasteswithyouatalltimes,andyourWordoftheYearwilleventuallyemerge.
Andwhenitdoes,grabit.Savorit.Makeitapartofyourlife.Writeitlargeinyour
journal,yourbathroommirror,everyshelfinyourrefrigerator.Buildabeautifulbracelet
withthatword,andplaywithitoftenasitdanglesfromyourwristasaconstant
reminderwhatthisyearisallabout.




2.YouLeadACreativeLife.

Keepingyourcreativesideactiveandflowingleadstoamorebalancedlife.Ithelpsyou
thinkmoreclearly,maintainastrongerfocusonthepresentmoment,andsucceedin
accomplishingchallenginggoalsthatcansometimesdrainyourenergyandbringon
debilitatingfatigue.

Simplyput,itbringsbalanceandperspectiveinallthatyoudo.

Youmayhavereadotherbooksthatsuggestdifferentstrategiestokeepthecreative
juicesflowingyear-round.JuliaCameronisgloriouslyfamousforher“MorningPages,”
oneofthetwonon-negotiablesinherworkshopstofollowtheartist’swayofliving(the
othernon-negotiableisthe“artist’sdate,”whereyouscheduletimeinyourweektofill
uptheenergytankwithatriptoamuseum,awalkthroughapark,orameditative
journeypracticingyoga).Cameron’sMorningPagesrequirethreepagesofwritingeach
morning.It’sapartofmyregimen,andithelpsmebegineachdaywithaclearmind
andacreativevision.

Butmaybethisisn’tjusttherightthingforyou.Atleastnotyet,ifever.Afterall,we’re
goingfortheindividualexperiencehere,whichmeansyouneedtofigureoutwhatyou
dotokeepthatcreativesparkandstayinspiredeachday.

Trythis.MyDailyS.P.A.R.C.,oraSinglePageofArt,wRiting,or
Creativityeachday.

DevoteanytypeofnewnotebooktoSPARC,andprovideasinglepageeachdayto
yourcreativeside.Justonepageisallyouneedtogetstarted.

Whatdoyoufillitwith?Anythingthatfallsonthissideoftheimaginative.Words.
Doodles.Shapes.Colors(ourSmash365promptsaregreatspringboardsforyourdaily
page,andtheyareusuallywaitingforyouinyourinboxeachmorning,regardlessof
whenyouawake).

Whateveryoudo,andwhereveryougetyourinspiration,thereisjustoneconstant:Just
onepage.
Eachandeveryday.

Feelcompelledtodomoreonanygivenday?Twopagesperhaps?Ortherequired
threebyCameron?Goforit.Justrememberthat,tomorrow,youstillneedtofocuson
justonepage. JustOne. AndJustEveryDay.

1.YouBelieveInYourself,AndYouJoinA
CommunityWhoBelievesInYouToo.

Look.Weallknowthatitstartsfromwithin.Youhavetobelieveinyourselffirstto
makealltheotherstuffhappen.

Butbelievinginourselvesmightjustbetheverythingthat’sbeenkeepingusfrom
realizingthedreamsandthegoalsthatwehavehadinyears’past.

Soarewecaughtinacatch22?HowcanImanifestaninspiredlifeifIcan’tfirstbelieve
inmyself?

Youcan.Andyoudo.Youalwayshave.Theexternaltugs,pushes,andpullsthathave
derailedushavebeenfrustrating,tosaytheleast.Butyouneverstoppedbelievingin
yourselforbelievingthatyourdreamsarestillpossible.

HowdoIknow?

Youarehere.Rightnow.Youdecidedtoreadthislittlepieceonkeepingyour
resolutionsbecausethere’sstillapartofyouthatbelievesinyourself.

Goahead.Smile.Patyourselfontheback.Knowthatthisisnotsomethingnewor
somethingconcocted.

YouhavealwaysbelievedinYou.

Nowhowdowestopthederailmentsthatmightbeupandcomingalongtheway?We
facethemallthetime,don’twe?Alossofjob,anillness,eventhedeathofalovedone.
Or,sometimesit’ssoridiculouslyinsignificantlikeafifthstraightdayofrain.

Askanybodywhohaseverbeenonatrainthat’sbeenderailed,orinacarthat’sbeenin
anaccident.Nomatterhow“insignificant”thatincidentmightbe,itisstillstaggering
tothesenses.

That’swhywefindacommunity,aplacethatbuildsusup,providesusthesupportwe
need,andallowsustogiveitrightback.It’saplacefilledwithpositivity,withpeople
whogetit,whounderstandyouandknowwhatyouneedtostayontherails.

Wheredowefindthatcommunity?Lookaround.You’vegotsupportinmore
placesthanyoumighthaveeverrealized.


Communityorganizations,writingandreadingclubs,creativityworkshopsandclasses,
colleagues,churchgroups,friends,familymembers–thesearejustafewoft