New Year's Resolution "Challenge"
How many of us have one (or more) of the following resolutions in previous years?
- Get in better shape
- Lose weight
- Drink more water
- Get more organized
- Exercise every day until the end of time
- Quit drinking alcohol
- Quit smoking
- Quit eating refined sugar, white breads, white potatoes or rice or anything that is white or looks faintly white in general
- Eat more fruits/vegetables
- Blah blah blah
When did we become so ego-centric as a people? Seriously, I admit I have had many on my list any given year, and really, who cares? Who does it really benefit? Yes, I intend to lose the weight I've been resistant to address over the past 2 years. Yes. I have fitness, nutrition and organization goals on my list, but really, who does this help? I'm not suggesting our inner personal goals are irrelevant, in clinical practice and in my own personal life I encourage others (and myself) to set goals and continue to strive to improve thy self. However, I am suggesting if we stop at having purely "self-centered goals", i.e. weight, fitness, etc., we are missing a greater opportunity to have a larger impact on the world. I have this guiding theory of how we are all connected in the beautiful world. Far greater than the Kevin Bacon theory of degrees of separation (or is it connection?), rather each of us is connected to our neighbors/friends/family members/community/country/culture/human race in ways that we sometimes may not even be able to comprehend.For those who attended my recent workshop "Integrating Mind/body/spirit/service for inner peace and happiness" the concepts I am going to explain BRIEFLY are not new. But for those who haven't been or haven't heard me speak elsewhere...here is my philosophy and then....my challenge to each of you.Why does traditional therapy often yield less than optimal results for people seeking help to decrease symptoms of depression/anxiety or other mental health diagnosis? Often times, clinicians focus solely on "the mind" in their various treatment modalities. And why do people who seek to find peace/happiness through exercise often still report periods of frustration and emptiness? And why do people who seek answers through the various spiritual realms still report a sense of something "missing?"My belief....they are ALL necessary for overall peace and happiness. All of them. You are fooling yourself if you think you can only focus on your mind and be balanced. You are fooling yourself in you think you can only focus on your body and find joy and happiness. You are fooling yourself if you think you can only focus on your spirit and find total fulfillment. I would guess Pope Francis himself would concur with why I believe all of these to be true....If we focus only on those aspects that fulfill US as individuals, we are missing a far greater purpose we all have on this earth...To serve others. To give to others. To love others.A recurring theme continues to come to mind, in the spirit of St. Therese of Lisieux, and her message of doing "small things, with great love." What a powerful message, isn't it? Most of us are not necessarily meant to or rather driven to truly monumental things, but perhaps there is a greater need in the world for MORE of us to do small things, with great love? Which is the last of my "keys" to inner peace and happiness....SERVICE!So....my challenge to everyone who reads my blog......commit to doing one act of service per month. One. We all can do one. Why do we wait until Thanksgiving or the holidays when we are given 365 days/52 weeks/12 months a year to be able to make a difference in the lives of others around us. And like I shared a few blogs ago.....here's the secret.....YOU FEEL SO MUCH BETTER IN HELPING OTHERS IT'S ACTUALLY MORE BENEFICIAL TO YOU THAN IT WILL EVER BE TO OTHERS! SHHHH!If you need ideas.....here are some simple things you can do.
- Shovel your elderly (or not so elderly) neighbor's driveway
- Make a meal for a family in need
- Volunteer time at a local charity of choice
- Donate to your Facebook friend who is running/walking/biking for a charity of his/her choice
- Donate your professional expertise to a local charity or in the community
That took me more time to type than to come up with the list.My new FAVORITE way to support our world is to consider if looking for a gift for someone (probably a female but not necessarily) this year.....support one of the poorest countries in the world by buying a beautifully handcrafted handbag/beach bag/tote made by the women of this country. I ordered them for Christmas presents, and they are beautiful. Do I need a designer bag, really? Who does that help?www.amahoroburundi.orgOk....so are we clear? My 2015 New Year's Challenge is simple.Commit to doing some act of charity every month. Share with others. And challenge others to join you in your little way to make a difference in this great big beautiful world! Please share with me on the blog or Facebook how you are doing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5tfktSWFToPeace........