So I meant to post this blog entry just days after I posted my 2011 reflections post, but here it is one month after the New Year. I can't believe it's almost February already. Needless to say, I at least set goals for myself on New Year's and at least I'm getting them to you now verses later.
If you've read my 2011 blog, you know that last year was a year of great beginnings for me, of triumphs, failures, more triumphs, more failures...A year of trying and I learned a great deal about spirituality and myself in the process. But for 2012, I want it to be the year that I truly begin to change myself, to truly make a concrete effort to be truly spiritual.
Last year, I spoke to myself a lot about wanting to be able to love all living beings genuinely, to get rid of many of my lower qualities especially impatience and anger, to trust in myself, believe in myself, know a little bit about my true self. I wasn't able to accomplish these things. I realize now that everything I just mentioned was a pretty huge chunk to try and attack in just the first year of my spiritual path. I'm fine with that, but I don't want the same thing for 2012. I want 2012 to MY year of TOTAL TRANSFORMATION.
So instead of setting such a significant amount of things to change, I tried to focus my goals around Acharya Shree's New Years lecture (click on the link to view his message, it was truly powerful). He too stated that 2012 was the year for true change. If you have ever talked about wanting to change yourself, he stated that this is the year to do it. He spoke of changing your lower qualities into higher ones and doing things around the number of 5. He didn't specify what things, just keep the number 5 in mind. Taking his advice, that's exactly what I did.
I want give you the exact specifics of everything I'm doing (mostly because I don't want to jinx myself ;-), but I believe a general overview will suffice.
After much reflection and review of spiritual training from Acharya Shree, I decided that I wanted my goals to fall into 2 categories (if they can really divided anyway): physical and spiritual. I chose physical, because I know that in order for me to truly change myself, I have to cleanse myself. I can't cleanse my soul until the vessel that houses it is clean.
Physical:
1. 1 Year of Complete Yoga
2. Complete a Walk to Jog program
3. Incorporate more fruit into my diet
4. Drink at least 64 oz. of water per day
5. Develop a healthy routine for my skin
*These last 2 are vital considering the climate I live in.
My Spiritual goals are a lot more in-depth, exhaustive and more importantly personal than my physical. Instead of a list, I will summarize. As time progresses and if I become more comfortable, they may revealed through various blog posts.
For my spiritual goals, I chose 5 overall themes or visions that I have for myself this year and from these I created a list of lower qualities to transform into higher ones that would help me to achieve my overall 5 goals. With these lower qualities, I have decided that instead of trying to transform all 5 at the same time to focus on one for a certain period of time before moving to the next one.
I also created a list of spiritual practices carried over from last year, given to me this year and some from myself that would also assist me in achieving my overall 5 goals. As a result, the length and intensity of my daily sadhana has increased significantly, but I'm ready for it. I'm ready to truly being working on myself in a more committed and challenging way.
This is one of the first New Year's that I've truly sat down and consciously, whole-heartedly thought about what I wanted this year to look like for me. Even though it may seem like I'm still taking on a lot, which in many ways I'm am, its not anything that I know I can't accomplish.
I hope that you're 2012 shapes out to be whatever you have pictured it to be and even if it doesn't go exactly as planned, that it still transforms and inspires you!
Happy 2012!!!
*I'm not sure if you can read the writing, but if not it goes like this
It's like a new Sunrise...of Hope, of Prosperity, of Happiness.
It's like a new Beginning...of Thoughts, of Words, of Actions.
It's like a new Day...of Energy, of Strength, of Ideas.
It's like a Bunch of whole New things...of Prayers, of Friends, and of Love...
If you've read my 2011 blog, you know that last year was a year of great beginnings for me, of triumphs, failures, more triumphs, more failures...A year of trying and I learned a great deal about spirituality and myself in the process. But for 2012, I want it to be the year that I truly begin to change myself, to truly make a concrete effort to be truly spiritual.
Last year, I spoke to myself a lot about wanting to be able to love all living beings genuinely, to get rid of many of my lower qualities especially impatience and anger, to trust in myself, believe in myself, know a little bit about my true self. I wasn't able to accomplish these things. I realize now that everything I just mentioned was a pretty huge chunk to try and attack in just the first year of my spiritual path. I'm fine with that, but I don't want the same thing for 2012. I want 2012 to MY year of TOTAL TRANSFORMATION.
So instead of setting such a significant amount of things to change, I tried to focus my goals around Acharya Shree's New Years lecture (click on the link to view his message, it was truly powerful). He too stated that 2012 was the year for true change. If you have ever talked about wanting to change yourself, he stated that this is the year to do it. He spoke of changing your lower qualities into higher ones and doing things around the number of 5. He didn't specify what things, just keep the number 5 in mind. Taking his advice, that's exactly what I did.
I want give you the exact specifics of everything I'm doing (mostly because I don't want to jinx myself ;-), but I believe a general overview will suffice.
After much reflection and review of spiritual training from Acharya Shree, I decided that I wanted my goals to fall into 2 categories (if they can really divided anyway): physical and spiritual. I chose physical, because I know that in order for me to truly change myself, I have to cleanse myself. I can't cleanse my soul until the vessel that houses it is clean.
Physical:
1. 1 Year of Complete Yoga
2. Complete a Walk to Jog program
3. Incorporate more fruit into my diet
4. Drink at least 64 oz. of water per day
5. Develop a healthy routine for my skin
*These last 2 are vital considering the climate I live in.
My Spiritual goals are a lot more in-depth, exhaustive and more importantly personal than my physical. Instead of a list, I will summarize. As time progresses and if I become more comfortable, they may revealed through various blog posts.
For my spiritual goals, I chose 5 overall themes or visions that I have for myself this year and from these I created a list of lower qualities to transform into higher ones that would help me to achieve my overall 5 goals. With these lower qualities, I have decided that instead of trying to transform all 5 at the same time to focus on one for a certain period of time before moving to the next one.
I also created a list of spiritual practices carried over from last year, given to me this year and some from myself that would also assist me in achieving my overall 5 goals. As a result, the length and intensity of my daily sadhana has increased significantly, but I'm ready for it. I'm ready to truly being working on myself in a more committed and challenging way.
This is one of the first New Year's that I've truly sat down and consciously, whole-heartedly thought about what I wanted this year to look like for me. Even though it may seem like I'm still taking on a lot, which in many ways I'm am, its not anything that I know I can't accomplish.
I hope that you're 2012 shapes out to be whatever you have pictured it to be and even if it doesn't go exactly as planned, that it still transforms and inspires you!
Happy 2012!!!
*I'm not sure if you can read the writing, but if not it goes like this
It's like a new Sunrise...of Hope, of Prosperity, of Happiness.
It's like a new Beginning...of Thoughts, of Words, of Actions.
It's like a new Day...of Energy, of Strength, of Ideas.
It's like a Bunch of whole New things...of Prayers, of Friends, and of Love...
