by
Beverly Sastri
The beginning of a new year brings
fresh excitement for possibilities, an excitement that
invariably inspires a plethora of New Year’s resolutions.
“I’ll stop eating sugar and quit smoking and lose 30 pounds
AND conquer the world.” But often the magic fades, habits
reemerge, and we’re left feeling defeated a few weeks later.
In this piece, author and speaker Beverly Sastri outlines how
to move beyond resolutions into our full potential with the
power of our core truth and vision. I find it
difficult to even write the words “New Year’s resolutions.”
The phrase brings up too many painful memories of the money
I’ve wasted on gym memberships, diet books, and my personal
favorite: the little metal “crunch machine” that I vowed I
would use until I could bounce a quarter off my gloriously
taut belly.
After years of teaching people how to
experience their full potential, I finally realized what the
problem is with those pesky resolutions: they arise from the
thinking mind instead of a deeper place of knowing that I call
“core truth.” Whereas your thinking mind identifies problems
that need to be resolved through force of will, your core
truth recognizes areas of unrealized potential, or visions,
that are
meant to become a reality. A vision represents
the truth of who you are and what you are meant to create. It
is, by its very nature, so inspiring that it practically calls
itself into existence.
Following are some practices
you can use to reconnect to your core truth, craft a
compelling vision, and access a powerful support system that
can help make your vision a reality.
Step 1: Turn
up the dial on your core truth. You are not unfamiliar
with your core truth: most people refer to it as intuition or
gut instinct. It’s your core truth that makes you feel an
instant rapport with one person and just as quickly on guard
with another. It’s a feeling you get when you walk into a
potential new home or job and think, “
This is the place
for me.”
As a reintroduction to your core truth, you
can do a five-minute mini-meditation I’ve adapted from Sandra
Ingerman’s audiobook
The Soul Retrieval Journey.
Click here to discover what it
feels like when you are connected to your core truth.
Most of my clients report that hearing or speaking a
truth gives them a feeling of expansion, relaxation, or warmth
in their chest or gut. I worked with Jeff, an IT manager, who
describes it as “a ’letting go’ in the gut, a sense of ease,
like everything’s right in my world.” Hearing or speaking
something that is not true creates a sense of constriction.
Muscles in your neck, shoulders, or chest may tighten up; your
breathing may become shallow or stop entirely. “I get a
feeling of resisting, turning away, or pushing back,” Jeff
says.
Once you recognize when your truth is speaking,
you will be amazed at how often the feeling of “true” or “not
true” crops up—in the middle of a conversation, while writing
an e-mail, or as you mull over a difficult decision.
Putting Step 1 into Practice Notice when
your core truth sends out signals of “true” or “not true”
throughout your day. Act in alignment with those signals—let
them inform what you think, say, and do.
Step 2:
Shift from resolving to envisioning. Think of a resolution
you’ve made in the past. Chances are, it’s “fixing” a problem
or addressing an insufficiency: I resolve to lose weight, to
exercise more, to stop smoking, etc. The resolution feels like
a have-to or should-do.
To turn your resolution from a
have-to into a want-to, use your core truth to create a vision
for what will happen once the resolution is achieved. Let your
core truth help you paint an image that creates the same sense
of expansion and warmth you feel when you hear a “truth.” For
example, imagine yourself and your life after you’ve lost 15
pounds. Imagine how it feels to be in your new body: do you
feel younger, stronger, more alive, and full of energy? What
will you do with your new body? Describe yourself swimming at
the beach, charging across the tennis court, or having great
sex. This kind of outcome is a long way from a have-to; it’s
an I-can’t-wait-for that motivates you to stay on course!
For my client Jeff, his vision focused on his work as
a professional development manager: “Integrity and commitment
to the individual are my personal hallmarks. When interacting
with me, people transcend boundaries and grow as human beings,
not just as professionals.”
Putting Step 2 into
Practice Assume your resolution has already been
accomplished; describe the wonderful outcome that has made all
your efforts worthwhile. Write your description in present
tense (“I am…” or “My life is…”) and make the description
juicy!
Step 3: Now that you have a vision, add the
stepping stones. Imagine yourself already living the
vision you have created. Take a moment to feel how inspiring
or exciting this vision is to you—then make a list of the
actions or goals that will help you get there. This next part
of the process will feel very familiar to you; it’s where you
might choose to list some of your original resolutions. For
example, if your vision is, “I feel vibrantly alive, radiant
in my body, supple, and strong,” your stepping stone list
might include the following: lose 5 pounds over the next 5
weeks, do 20 minutes of aerobic exercise every other day, and
find recipes for great-tasting, lower-calorie meals (and
actually use them!).
When you view each goal as a
stepping stone toward your vision rather than an end point in
and of itself, your vision keeps you motivated by reminding
you why you chose to accomplish that particular goal in the
first place. “Having a vision creates enthusiasm. I had always
been pretty disciplined about preparing for interviews, but
suddenly I was inspired about it. I really saw how to create a
dialogue with my interviewers,” Jeff shared.
Putting Step 3 into Practice Reconnect to
your vision before taking action. Let your core truth guide
you as you create and revise your list of stepping stones.
Step 4: Looking for more support? Let the events of
your life help you! In addition to your core truth, there
is another universal dynamic you can rely on:
the events of
your life are always working on your behalf. When you
write down your vision and goals, the events of your life
instantly begin to realign to support you in achieving
them. That support may be of the desirable kind: you are
inspired to lose weight and your spouse decides to join you,
or you read an article about a new food program, or you
receive an introductory offer to a local gym. A friend
recently mentioned that he was looking for referrals to a new
dentist; the next day he received a new issue of
Connecticut Magazine listing the state’s best dentists.
On the other hand, you may make a resolution and
receive support that is less pleasant. In an attempt to lose
weight you are confronted by your addictive or coping
behaviors; you notice that you eat when you are upset, tired,
or feel lonely. The message is that it’s time to transform
those behaviors by identifying and resolving the fears or
discomforts that drive them.
Whether pleasant or
painful, your life circumstances are the catalyst that brings
support, deep wisdom, and transformation. For Jeff, that meant
an unexpected offer to interview for a desirable IT position.
“It spoke to my core truth immediately,” he said. “It felt
exactly right, and I ended up winning that job.”
Putting Step 4 into Practice Notice all the
unexpected synchronicities that bring you the resources,
guidance, and lessons you need. If something unpleasant
happens, ask, “How can this help me achieve my vision? What is
the lesson or guidance contained within?”
Remember
that in the end, you’re accomplishing much more than you
realize. The process of working towards your goals and visions
is a type of metaphysical weight training that shows you where
you either honor or inhibit your overall potential. As you
meet challenges or failures, remember the events of your life
are there to strengthen you, not to make you suffer. You are
being asked to see and do things differently so you can
succeed.
As you stretch beyond preconceived limits,
you access insights, wisdom, and new behaviors that benefit
you in every area of your life. Be gentle, patient, and loving
with yourself as you strive to reach your goals. Let your core
truth inspire you, move confidently toward your vision, and
know that the events of your life are
always providing
support, opportunity, and guidance.
1Ingerman, Sandra,
audiobook,
The Soul Retrieval Journey (Sounds True,
1997).
Beverly Sastri, MBA, offers keynotes and
workshops on how to LIVE like YOU MEAN it!Ῑ and experience new
levels of clarity, effectiveness, and resilience. She is
creator of the newly released
LIVE like YOU MEAN it!
audio CD and is also author of a forthcoming experiential
guidebook.
www.beverlysastri.com 
