READ: Why Resolutions Fail and How You Don’t Have To by Shasta Townsend

Happy 2012! There is something wonderful about the turning of the calendar into a new year. It is that feeling that anything is possible. It is that feeling of getting a second chance. It is the feeling that this year finally I will get it right.

So many people make New Year’s resolutions just hoping that maybe this year they will make the changes they want for themselves and their lives. And so many people will fail.

I love New Year’s but I know resolutions don’t work.

Resolutions are based on the idea that there is something wrong with you and your life – that there is something you need to change and if you can change then and only then will you be happy. Resolutions require a lot of hard work and this hard work is often based on the idea of unworthiness, self-loathing and lack. If only you could lose that last ten pounds or stop smoking or eat better then you would be worthy and happy. Resolutions don’t work for you because ultimately they make you feel bad, they are overwhelming AND they are not based in an uplifting energy. No one wants to feel bad or overwhelmed so you get gung-ho for a while (like a week) and you don’t smoke but then it feels hard so you have just one cigarette and then you feel bad and overwhelmed which only makes you want to smoke more so you do and then before you know it you are smoking a pack a day and it is only January 15. Whoo.

Rather than resolve how about you use the new year to REMEMBER…

Remember your truth…You are an infinite, powerful, amazing creator who is supported by an infinitely loving Divine Source. In other words there is nothing wrong with you. This doesn’t change because you smoke.

Remember your value…You are a wonderful person whose smoking, over-eating or whatever action you don’t like does NOT determine your value. Live a great life based on your value. Quit smoking because you want to feel good not because someone says smoking is bad.

Remember your joy…Life is not about being perfect. It is about having purpose, joy, love and ease. So maybe it is time to find deeper purpose and joy so that you don’t even want to smoke.

Once you REMEMBER then ask what is my intention?

For me when I REMEMBER my truth and I begin to let go of the voices, ideas and thoughts that keep me small and contained. The same voices that tell me something is wrong with me and I need to change. We all need evolution and expansion but what if we sought it from a place of possibility rather than self-loathing?

When I remember my truth I say, YES, anything is possible. Then from this standpoint of possibility I ask myself what do I INTEND to create this year? What do I want to step into? What fun do I want to have? What do I want to gift myself and the world with this year?

THEN…I have a clear intention.

THEN…Actions follow naturally and not because I am forcing it.

Feel the difference in these statements:

I need to lose 10 pounds so I will force myself to go to Yoga everyday and put over 5 kilometres on the treadmill each day.

OR

I intend to feel alive, whole and at peace in my body so I will commit to healthy practices that help me do this such as daily Yoga practice, eating more alive food and walking over 5 kilometers everyday. I use these tools to help me celebrate my body.

So what is your remembrance, intention and natural actions?

For me…

My remembrance is anything is possible because I am Divine.

My remembrance is life is about play, joy and expansion.

My remembrance is I am a creator who seeks to BE love and light here now.

My intention is let’s see how far we can take all of the above in 2012 and truly be possibility!

Stay tuned for the actions. I know it will be a great year and a great ride!

Wishing you all deep remembrance and love,

Shasta

Remember to tune into Shasta’s Vivid Life Radio Show Possibility 101 every Wednesday at 4:00 pm eastern standard time on www.vividlife.me.

A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see. As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling. www.balancedlifeyoga.ca

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