For most of us, this week is the sobering reality that we must get back at it and really dive back into our work. Our New Year is also a significant transition point in our thinking where we are as close as we will get all year to a "DO OVER."
In the coming weeks we will all realize that our efforts to get in shape, realign our priorities, get out of debt, or advance our lives are met with the VERY DIFFICULT headwinds of personal change. So for the month of January, I will offer a few bits of wisdom that I hope will inspire you to press on.
FIRST. Most of us fail at making lasting change NOT despite our best
efforts, but BECAUSE of our best efforts. This is because we all assume we know exactly what our problems are and what we need to do to fix them. This may be true, but fulfilling the quote above is not as intuitive as most people think it is. Do you think you could advance to higher levels in sports or business without the help of a coach? We all need others to help expose our blind spots and teach us the required skills to advance in our goals.
If our life is not meeting our expectations, it is usually because of something we don't know or won't do. When we become humble enough to learn from others, we open up the floodgates of change.
SECOND. Our problems or deficiencies are not what we first think. In my book Getting Better When You Can't I explain how we don't have problems with our weight, our finances, our relationships, or our careers, instead our problems are essentially TRUTH PROBLEMS. Certain patterns of thinking produce certain problems. We can never live any better than we
think.
THIRD. All personal development is spiritual. You don't need to subscribe to a particular religion or denomination to be "Spiritual." All people are spiritual people. You don't have a spiritual life, you ARE a spiritual life. This is why having someone (like me) is important. I will help you to see that your desire for personal change is
not a shallow pursuit to drop a few pounds. Rather it is the cry of your deepest part of your self that is seeking liberation. Stripping away all those things that distract you and derail the satisfaction of this cry is the heart of all spirituality. This is why I will focus this year on helping you to see this amazing reality. You can do this without worrying about being a religious weirdo or converting to some odd religion. You can connect to The Thing behind the thing in the
privacy of your own mind.
May you recognize the crucial moment that is found in each decision, each day. And may you celebrate the incremental progress that meeting each moment in faith will bring you this year.
k
