HOPE - A Prerequisite to Resolution

At the beginning of any new year and especially at the beginning of a new decade, individuals make heartfelt resolutions to themselves for any number of things.  So often the resolve wears off and the motivation to keep going falls by the wayside.   What is missing?  Why is it so easy to let these resolutions slide?
Well, why are you making these grand resolutions in the first place?  Is it for you?  Is it because others suggested you should?  Is it something you feel you should make a resolution on because of expectations laid out by society or culture? 
For lasting change, we need to look first at the seed for change.  That seed is HOPE.  The Oxford Dictionary defines hope; “to want something to happen and think that it is possible.” Dictionary.com defines hope: “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best”.   Hope is not only the desire but also the belief that something will take place.  The Resolution is the action and the commitment, but what are you actually committing to and what is the purpose behind it?
Once we have this seed and the vision of what we want it to grow into we are ready to begin.  Just like plant seeds there is more that is needed to have the growth and change that we want.  The metaphoric soil, water and sunshine come from really digging in to find out WHY we are hoping for what we want?  What is the motivation behind this desire?  What makes it important to us personally?  Who else will benefit or be affected by its coming about?  The answers to these questions provide us with all the nutrients we need to allow our HOPE to germinate, grow and thrive.  
There is a lot of preparation necessary before growth can happen.  There may be weeds that prevent us from even getting to the soil that our hope needs in order to grow.  These weeds could be our own beliefs of what we are and are not capable of doing.  They can be the negative things we say to ourselves that stop us in our tracks before we ever start.   How do we deal with these weeds?  First, we need to identify them.  Is this something that is beneficial to us?  How long has it been rooted within us?  When we decide that a thought pattern or belief needs to go, we also need to be cognizant that it won’t be gone just because we have tried to remove it once.  Weeds have a nasty habit of coming back.  We will need to nip it in the bud as soon as it emerges and dig down to get all the root so it can’t re-emerge so easily. Even after we have planted our hope and are nourishing it, we need to be aware that our former beliefs, negative narratives and doubt can and will resurface.   What helps to remove them is our motivation, our reasons for desiring what we hope for and the firm confidence that it will happen.  We can also replace those beliefs and narratives with new ones that act as a barrier or mulch so there is no place for the old patterns of thinking to come back up.
So, look now at 2020 as your potential garden.   What seeds of HOPE do you want to grow there?   Why are they important?  Who will benefit when they grow to maturity?  What weeds need to be removed and mulched over to make space for your new growth? 
I would love to hear your vision.  Please share in the comments either at the top of the article or under the social media links.  Also, if there is someone you feel could benefit from reading this, please feel free to share or link on your social media.  
Sometimes the prospect of new hopes and dreams is daunting.  If you would like help with your vision and clearing beliefs and negative self talk, please contact me for a Free Light Your Path Strategy Session so you can find your first steps and a plan to make your hopes a reality. 

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