New levels of being, impact and ease

The past two years now my lovely friend, Angelique, and I have taken time at New Years to have a heart to heart with ourselves and with each other about New Years resolutions. Of course we have several specifics, predictably ones about losing 5 or 10 pounds and being ready to escape the cover of winter clothes with a new firmer body when summer comes.

More important though has been this small tradition we are carving out to craft a command for ourselves about the internal landscape we are committed to living by. Last year we named New Patterns and New Possibilities. We toasted to this commitment all dressed up at a gala party hosted by my good friends the Thaos. We envisioned all new ways of approaching work, fun, relationships and every aspect of our lives. For me the most significant manifestation of this vision was selling my home of 20 years and buying a condiminium that I not only love but it costs me a fraction of what my house did. I now have new beautiful surroundings and the elbow room I need to keep my fledgling business, FullThought, alive.

This year we have set a new course: new levels of being, impact and ease.

One thing I am immediately doing with this internal guide and inspiration is to finalize the FullThought women's workhsop I have been imagining for a couple years. A time and place for women to explore the same reflection that Angelique and I now make our annual ritual. How do we frame our internal landscape in an outloud and deliberate way so that it becomes a living, breathing guide for our day to day work and our growth? It is about growing and birthing the women that we want to be. It is a remedy to the ease with which we get lost in the tasks and duties we preform. When we become goal oriented on external goals, the goals of our jobs and our family something of our genius is lost. It is a constant doing, doing, doing. But to what end? We intend to develop a process that gives voice and life to our internal contexts: Where do we come from? Who are we? What do we love? What do we not love? What and who do we want to be? What do I have to do to accomplish these things? What's my trade mark? What am I about that spills over in all I do?

Angelique and I have mutual friend we cross paths with in our juvenile justice corrections work. Her name is Cheryl. Recently we saw Cheryl in Atlanta and she said something to the whole group that hangs with us in a profound way. She said: "Don't ask what the world needs from you. Ask what brings you alive. What the world needs is more alive people."

Here's to new levels of being, impact and ease!