Did you make a New Year's Resolution? The reason we make them is we want something to change and we think the change will make us feel better. Really we want to be happy. We feel better when we’re happy. Abraham Hicks said, “A happy life is just a collection of happy moments. But most people don’t allow the happy moment, because they’re so busy trying to get a happy life.” So we make resolutions to improve in the desire to lead to a happier life and we can miss all the yummy, happy moments that occur in spite of our resolutions.
Here it is the second week in January and by now many people have not been able to keep the resolutions they made on New Year’s Eve. Congratulations to you if you’re still on track with your resolve! But if you’re starting to fall off that resolve wagon, it’s really not that big of a deal and it’s not too late to put an addendum on it! You have a choice jump off the wagon or stay on with some help.
If you opt to jump off one wagon and onto another, here’s a great wagon to get on. What if you decided to replace your New Year’s resolution with a resolve to be happier in 2018? With that you’ll plan to do something every day that lifts your spirits? Say you love your pets and spending time playing with them is pleasing to you; get it on your calendar. If you love music make sure you listen to it all the time. Whatever it is that you love, you know from experience, if you don’t get activities on the calendar they won’t happen.
If you want to stay on the wagon you’re on and you need help, here’s that unique way to succeed.
First, think about your resolution(s) and ask yourself this question, “How old have I been acting to create this problem in the first place?” In other words the behavior that created the problem will almost always be immature.
Second, re-unite with your inner child by having a conversation with her. For example you could say:
“Hi there little girl, sorry I’ve been ignoring you so much lately. I’ve had so much stress lately and when I get stressed out and overwhelmed, I’m not myself and you pick up on it. You’re just like my real children; they know when they can get away with stuff.
“So now I’m getting myself back and you are a huge part of that. You are such a wonderful gift to me. Your fun-loving heart beats within mine and if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t desire to enjoy life, swoon at a batch of puppies or kittens, delight in snow, laugh with glee, bask in the warmth of a fire and know love the way a child does.
“I love you little girl and I have a wish to make but I need your help for it to come true. I want to (put in your New Year’s Resolution) and I need you to come up with a reason why you’ll help me with it.”
When you decide to change something, that is an "adult" decision. In order to follow through with that decision over time takes a reason that your inner child will like. When I resolved to get organized (an adult decision) my reason was to have more free time to play. Nelly, my inner child was behind that reason and that's why it worked.
If you didn't think about your inner child when you made your New Year's resolutions, it's not too late to bring her on your wagon. "The GOOD Book: Get Out of Debt" really gets into how to have a relationship with your inner child, because when I was in debt I was introduced to her and subsequently wrote about her and how we got out of $27,000 in credit card debt. Once you know how to relate to that fun-loving, immature part of you the easier it is to handle the day-to-day challenges that pop up when you're changing behavior.
My New Year's Resolution was to cut out having wine every night with dinner. Through the holidays I ignored Nelly and I let her run a muck for a couple of months! She’d been drinking too much wine (I know she’s a minor) and eating too many cookies in the name of Jesus’s birthday. (The celebratory mood started at Thanksgiving and continued through to January 1 when it all came to a halt.)
I knew Nelly wouldn't like my New Year's resolution one bit, so I decided to first have a talk with her so I could get her on my side. I told her we could get out the beads and she was in! When I wrote "The Mouth Trap: the butt stops here!" she liked one of the tools I used to lower my carb intake. I took a pill organizer that holds a guy's pills for a month and I bought some pretty beads she loved at the craft store. We started with an empty pill organizer and every day that we kept our carbs under 25 she got to put a bead in the organizer for that day. When we had a month's worth of beads, she wanted to string them and wear the bracelet. (I let her string them, but opted not to wear them.)
We have gone ten days with no wine and I'm thrilled my bra and pants don't hurt so much and she's thrilled with the ten beads that have collected in the pill organizer. I know this sounds so silly, but kids are kids and we've each got a kid in us and unless that kid is happy with an adult rule we won't see results. What's silier is drinking too much and eating sweets in the name of our savior and Lord.
To learn more about my inner child work I would suggest this special offer. It's the two books I
mentioned above: "The GOOD Book: Get Out Of Debt" and "The Mouth Trap: the butt stops here!" They both were co-written with Nelly as I learned how to get out of debt and lose 35 pounds. Just click on Nelly and me. You get both books at 50% off!
Happy New Year!