The Promises That Thread Through My Heart

Writing a traditional list of resolutions has never worked for me. 

In the past, I've tried to make a lot of big changes at once and that always backfired. By the end of January, most of my resolutions had flown out the window.

However, I do believe in second chances.

I believe in resets.

I believe in giving yourself a fresh start, a chance to change directions on this crazy mixed-up beautiful journey of life.

I've been thinking about the future, what I can see is possible and what I can't know is yet to come. 

With that in mind, I've taken a couple of days off to listen to my heart and discover the promises waiting there. 

I've delved deep and let my thoughts wander, gathering the threads that led to the promises that revealed themselves. Then I pulled them in for closer examination. 

Many of these threads have been selected for their potential as participants in the creation of the next years of my life.

This year, I will take these promise threads, listen carefully to the messages they hold, and place them thoughtfully in alignment. Then I will begin to intertwine them.

I promise to listen to my heart.

I promise to believe in angels and listen to guidance from my muses.

I will stand with my eyes wide open and my hands unclenched, in the fullness of allowance for any possibilities to come.

I promise to be faithful to the spirit and open to the creative ideas that come.

I promise to show up when I am called, and when I'm not called, I promise to show up anyhow.

I promise to bring a light heart to the page and the fullness of my being to every other area of my life.

I promise to find inspiration in the mundane, purpose in the whispers, and magic in the starlight.

I promise to play.

I will play with the innocent delight of a small child dancing in the rain.

I will do things because I want to, not because I have to.

I will make a conscious choice to set aside my serious side.

I promise to let go

• of stories that aren't ready to be told.

• of ideas that are not mine.

• of past stories that no longer serve me.

• of trying to write in ways that don't ring true for me. I promise to write using my voice and when the echoes of the story don't resonate, I promise to set it aside until the music flows with harmony.

and when I can't let go, I promise to examine and reflect on why I feel the need to continue to carry these burdens.

I promise to challenge myself.

•  to step out of my comfort zone, always learning something new from those I've never met before.

• to read and listen to the words of those who are never heard so they feel the peace of being understood.

• to polish the memory stones of history until the painful edges are no longer sharp. I will reveal the truth in ways that bring reconciliation to all.

When I find the words that need to be remembered, I will carve them deeply into the stone using paint and glass and earth. 

I will write stories that decorate, stories that entertain, stories that inform, and stories that disturb our comfortable lives.

I promise to write about the hard things, the uncomfortable truths that need to be spoken.

I will submit, surrender to the ink, create a creature of magical connection, with a charge that snaps and snakes along the lines to bring the healing message to lands far away.

Then I will sift the words between my fingers until I am left with only their essence in my hands, then I will open my hands and let them go with no strings and no remorse.

I promise to be myself.

I will let go of living up to other's expectations and I will imagine my own. 

Then I will let go of my expectations and live in the moment. 

I will let go of the past and stop projecting into the future.

I will be a version of myself that I've never met before. 

I will introduce myself to me, and in that exchange, we will both be changed.

I stand willing to have my deepest secrets revealed and reflected back at me so I accept and understand myself, and in that understanding, I will see you too.

I will search for communication in the solitude of the forest and find it in the dendrites and the roots of the trees.

I will nurture and tease the words until they grow into themselves.

I will use my breath to gently coax the favor of connection and inclusion, the love partners who heal.

I will pour my heart and soul into the work and when it's complete, I will release it to the world, let it go, and find its place. 

I will rest when I'm called to and reflect when I am drawn to reflect. I will treat myself with kindness as I embrace these challenges.

I will stand in my courage.

I will be brave.

Most of all, I promise I will live a life I love.

How will I measure my progress?

These promises aren't like regular resolutions. I'm not setting goals that are easily measured in terms of pounds lost or the number of minutes spent riding my bike. (Although a high number of minutes riding my bike would be a measurable item in my play category.)

It's important to review and reflect. 

I've written these promise threads in a journal I've created for this purpose.

My promise threads.

I promise to listen to my heart.

I promise to play.

I promise to let go.

I promise to challenge myself.

I promise to be myself.

I promise to live a life I love.

At the end of each month, I will ask these questions for each of these promise threads. Writing my answers in a journal will be my way of reminding myself of my promises and holding myself accountable.

What have I done to meet this promise?

When did I say no to my promise?

What can I do right now to meet my promise?

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