December 28, 2009
New Year's Resolution

(a mail sent by my Friend maria)
Dear Friend ,


"Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right."
~ Oprah Winfrey

I'm trying to put a fresh new twist for you on this old, old idea of making New Year's resolutions and I hope you'll find it inspiring. Here are the ten most commonly made resolutions people make, courtesy of Ten Million Resolutions.


  • Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape
  • Stick to a Budget
  • Debt Reduction
  • Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends
  • Quit Smoking
  • Find a Better Job
  • Learn Something New
  • Volunteer and Help Others
  • Get Organized
I like to think that I'm a fairly competent judge of people - this coming from my own experience and self-assessment - and I have watch myself permit my own New Year's Resolutions fade away into never-never land fairly quickly, so this year, I thought I'd lift up the shutters on a new product I'm about to launch that will help you and me to make changes in our lives AND stay on track all year. Would you like that?

First, an introduction to my new product. I call it "My Life Is My Message." You all know that I hold Gandhi in high esteem as an example and as a mentor. "My Life is My Message" is his quotation and one that I try my best to live by. MLIMM is an inspirational newsletter that I am going to be sending out Monday through Friday in 2010 with ideas for how to implement change in your life.

So, with all that in mind, can you decide what would be the Ten Most Important Changes you might like to hold in your mind for 2010? Changes that would revolutionize you, your career, your relationships, your ultimate success, and the accomplishment of Your Big Dream? I'll share a list of 25 inner resolutions or areas in which you might like to improve along with three fill-in-the-blank spaces for your own ideas. Maybe some of the ideas on the standard Top Ten list are for you. Please circle first the ones that resonate with you, and then choose the Top Ten that sing the loudest.


  • Know my Inner Self more intimately
  • Understand what motivates me
  • Turn my mere beliefs into solid understanding
  • Getting my emotions to work for me, not against me
  • Generate deep meaning for my one life
  • Using my memories to support vs. sabotage me
  • Focusing my attention to always have lots of energy
  • Seeing who I am clearly
  • Becoming assertive for myself
  • Accepting praise lovingly and graciously
  • Working to understand others vs. judging them
  • Being aware of discomfort and returning to comfortableness
  • Deciding to be a conformist or a non-conformist
  • Working to change society's rules
  • Genuinely helping others without resentment
  • Sharing my opinions without fear
  • Being more persuasive with my own good ideas
  • Saying "I'd rather not do that" with comfort
  • Unfolding more trust in my self and others
  • Deciding to lead and then moving into that role
  • Being absolutely honest and in integrity with myself
  • Assuming more responsibilities at home and work
  • One of your own choosing
  • One of your own choosing
  • One of your own choosing
"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things." ~John Burroughs

Let's all work together to make 2010 the best year yet in our lives. Let's decide that we will remain fully conscious all year about our dreams and resolutions. Let's stay on track with them. I promise that once a month, I'll remind you to review your resolutions and see where you've gotten to with them to help you stay on track. And here's an idea you can do right now to see just how far you get toward your own Be the Change goals: imagine that it is December, 2010. Take a few moments and write a short paragraph about your accomplishments this year. It would be fun to compare what you actually accomplish with this paragraph.

Good luck! Bon voyage! Happy New Year!

"New Year's Eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights."
~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

Warmly,

Maria