Ten days ago, my husband and I welcomed in the New Year with a Sparkling Cider toast. “May we LISTEN to our hearts and FOLLOW where we are led.”
My single goal: LISTEN and FOLLOW.
Over the next several days, I was bombarded with messages about goal setting, positive thinking, making your dreams a reality, balancing the five areas of your life, you can be ANYTHING you want to be! Etc. Etc. Etc.
I started questioning my single goal. “Maybe I DO need more than one goal, I thought. A grander vision.” I pulled out my old goal binder where I had saved several years of carefully crafted goals – all dissected into bite-sized ten, five, and one year goals in seven areas: Intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, family, financial, and personal. Hundreds of little tiny steps.
SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. I was the goal setting maniac. “I will have $1,000,000 in net worth by …” “My husband and I go to Alaska to celebrate our wedding anniversary.” “I complete my MBA program by June 30, 2007.” Yep, one down, 99 to go.
I pulled out my affirmation cards, “I give thanks that I am relaxed and feel peace as I go throughout my day.” “I love and approve of myself.” I had read my personal mission statement (or rather my personal mission page) every day in the mirror while I tried to internalize how I hoped to be remembered when I died. I read it again, and I was surprised to find that although I hadn’t looked at my mission statement for three years, I had indeed internalized many of the traits I identified as important long ago.
Three years ago, I set aside my goal binder and focused on healing – from the inside out. I focused on my heart.
Over the last ten days, though, I had an internal struggle and wondered if my heart was enough. Was it really OK just to listen to the messages God planted there and then to follow? Follow where I was led? His will not mine?
Thursday evening, as I closed my eyes and visualized what was important to me and what I hoped to accomplish, I was reminded again that heart is enough. Family. Christ. Angels. Love. All gifts of the heart.
“Yes,” I thought, “I will LISTEN. And I will FOLLOW.”
And peace returned.
