“Make dreams, not resolutions” was a slogan I saw in my Twitter stream recently, and I’ve been quite captivated by the thought. In that spirit, I offer these few words of encouragement as we head into a new year that—despite looming fiscal cliffs and on-going worldwide strife—is, as always, full of hope and new possibilities.
Resolutions are Duties, Dreams are passions
As a planner by nature, I’m a huge believer in setting goals and establishing plans. Yet, oddly enough, this doesn’t extend to New Year’s resolutions. While resolutions are a type of goal or plan, somehow there’s something very downcast and difficult about “resolutions.” Too often, they seem to be about “giving up” something, rather than moving toward something with vigor and spirit—a duty or obligation rather than a passion. This is why, I think, resolutions often go by the wayside after only a few days or weeks. They don’t elevate our hopes or engage our dreams.
We all can be more organized, or manage our time better, or be more focused, or more responsive, or stop doing this or start doing that. Those are all on our checklist as mature adults—and we should do our best to improve in each area. But in terms of charting a path for the new year, they’re not going to truly inspire many of us. What if, instead, our goal was to dream a new dream, or to re-invigorate an old one … even if it’s one that might strike some as impractical or unrealistic? Maybe so—but that’s ok. It’s your passion, and who knows where it might lead?
What If
… you gave yourself permission to pursue your love of foreign cultures by Continue reading
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