Tonight is New Year’s Eve, a time when many of us will think back over the past year and make resolutions or set goals for 2016. Most of us have had a mixed bag this year of good stuff and not so good stuff. Some have experienced tragedy, some blessed events. No matter how 2015 looked for you, you are probably hoping for a better year ahead.
Aside from what might have happened to you in 2015, some of you have had thoughts and/or beliefs that prevented you from fully expressing as a blessed human being. These beliefs may have plagued you all your life and in some cases kept you from the things you wanted to achieve. Beliefs such as, “I’m not pretty enough,” “I’m not smart enough,” or “I’m too old to start that now.” When you regularly say or think these thoughts, your subconscious mind believes them. And then guess what? You don’t go after what you want because you sincerely believe the lies you are telling yourself.
Try writing down negative thoughts or beliefs you have about yourself. Make a separate list of goals or things you want to achieve in the coming year. Look seriously at the belief column. Are any of these really accurate? Could some of them be things that parents or other authority figures in your past have told you about yourself that you decided must be true? You will probably find that most (if not all) of these beliefs are keeping you from being happy and fulfilled. They are not the truth of who you are.
Pick the ones on the list that are not based on fact. The things that serve no purpose in your life except to keep you from getting or going after what you want. Take that list and put it in an ashtray, a metal container or your fireplace. Burn it. As the smoke rises, imagine these old beliefs going off into space, out of your life forever. Gone. You can no longer use them as excuses for not following your dreams. Repeat this exercise as often as necessary.
Then look at your list of goals. Imagine what it would feel like to achieve some or all of them. Sit with that feeling for a while. Does it make you happy? Keep that list in a drawer or tape it to a mirror where you can read it occasionally, without the judgement of, “But I’m too old,” or “I’m not smart enough.” And then plan out the necessary steps to make them happen. At the very least your goals will be closer to you.
Letting go of past beliefs that no longer serve you is one of the most powerful things you can do tonight. It is a wonderful way to begin a new year, with a fresh look at who you are and what you are capable of achieving. You are, after all, a child of God. And as you know, with God all things are possible. Happy New Year! :))