Courageously Moving Into 2011

I welcomed in 2011 with a quiet dinner and contemplation.

Perhaps it was the 43C (109F) evening that was the deciding factor between heading into the city to join in the celebrations and festivities (read beer and more beer, wine and spirits) with the usual suspects or staying home in the cool Adelaide Hills.

As is my custom and habit I use the first week of January to set the course for the coming 12 months.

This comes in the form of writing down on a sheet of unlined paper five important goals I want to achieve, covering all aspects including career, personal relationships and finances, health and spirituality. I sign and date this document that I like to call my memorandum of understanding. I then put this in my pocket book that I have with me every day.

However, this will be unlike previous years in that I stopped in my tracks when I sat down to put fountain pen (there is something magical about writing the old fashioned way) to paper.

I examined the underlying reason(s) for wanting to achieve each goal and I must say, took the time to squarely look at the why for listing it. These are very important personal goals and there is only so much room at the inn.

So, some honest appraisal and self interrogation ensued and the realizations that dawned on me were that my goals:
1) Are a reflection of my current state of being
2) Can be driven either by FEAR (False Expectation Appearing Real) or courage

The nerdy kid in me has always had a fascination for etymology (the study of the origins and history of words) so a quick on line search found how the word “courage” came into being.

Courage: from Old French corage, from couer or heart

Noun
1. the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc
2. the courage of one’s convictions the confidence to act in accordance with one’s beliefs
3. take one’s courage in both hands to nerve oneself to perform an action

Courage is an acknowledgement of goals that emanate from my heart and are accompanied by a deep sense of conviction that they are in keeping with my highest purpose.
Courage means that these goals require wholehearted commitment to see them come to fruition.
Courage means experiencing a feeling of peace that the decision to set into motion a course of action is aligned with my heart.

May 2011 be the year you found your heart (courage).

Yours in health, wealth and happiness