So, how are your doing on your intentions/resolutions for the new year?

If you read my last post, I had quite a lengthy list and I’m doing okay with executing my fine plans. Like President Obama, I too give myself a B+. I’m doing most things, but still have yet to take a bloody yoga class at my gym. Will someone please take me by the hand, throw my mat down on the floor and force my appendages into a tree pose? Please!

This is not a post about determining if you have passed or failed the mid-January-intentions-check-up-test. No, it doesn’t matter if you’re a resolution rockstar or making each Monday in January your “new new year”.

What I wanted to ask you is this: do any of your plans for this year start with any “shoulds”? “I should do this.” “I should do more of that.” “I should be more like Susan Stewart.” I hear that last one ALL THE TIME.

“Shoulds” are intentions/resolutions brought to you by the letter G, the number 17, and your EGO – the voice inside of you that keeps you on that straight and narrow so you perform the necessary functions of life like making a little money, putting a roof over your head and partaking in personal hygiene. Your ego is your view of yourself based on what you have, what you’ve accomplished, what people think or say about you, blah, blah, blah. This is precisely why the ego is so darn good at making sure we take care of ourselves to whatever degree we do. The ego has a place in the world and that is in the world of us not leaving our homes naked.

You should put clothes on before you leave your house, but should you be doing something on your list of intentions/resolutions for 2010?

Did you put it on your list because you are your slimmer/healthy body or you are your flossed teeth or you are your tidy office? Hey, exercise, flossing and a tidy work space are all fabulous situations, but an intention or resolution will feel like an authentic DESIRE if you would do it even if no one knew you were doing it or could tell you were doing it. A desire is when the timing is right for your soul to embrace it into its life.

The timing is right when you will want to rather than feel that you need to.

Authentic desires don’t come from the ego because you don’t have thoughts about yourself being anything more with it in you life…it’s about your life being MORE.

That item on your list is probably a desire rather than a “should” if you have made it part of your life over the last 11 days.

So, I’m thinking yoga might be a “should” for me. It’s 11 days in and still haven’t gone. Sometimes I want to try yoga and sometimes I think that I should because I write and speak about wellness. I am the amount of activities that I do which are aligned with what I write and speak about. You can go back and forth between both voices, by the way. New rule.

We shall see what voice is calling me there….

Review your list. Get rid of the “shoulds” so you can create the space and time for what makes your soul do the cha-cha-cha and leads you to experience even more joy.

That’s why you’re here, afterall.

Big Love,

susan