Just Breathe. Just Jump In.

These two short sentences make up my New Year's resolution. At first glance neither seems lofty, but that - at least for me - is deceiving. I am not a big believer in New Year's resolutions. Experience tells me that making a hard and fast goal, at least one backed up by a litany of shoulds, is bound to backfire. Don't get me wrong, I think goals are sometimes necessary, but it's when they become task-masterish that they often have the opposite effect of the original intention. If your goals don't help you make changes, what's the point?

When I look back at this past year, I am kind of amazed at the amount of things I've done. I'm taken aback. Many accomplishmments I forget to stop and feel good about, because well, I'm just living my life and putting one foot in from of the other, like anyone else. But in reality, there's been some nice accomplishments. But all to say, I've often thought that most of the progress I've made in areas I feel bedevilled by have come by approaching them sideways. By that I mean telling myself to, "Stop!!" thinking about something just makes me think about it more, likewise trying to not eat something I crave cold-turkey, or do more of something I feel I ought to be doing more of...just makes me want to rebel. But when I work at living my life from the side, sneaky-like by just doing other things that make me feel content, I end up feeling more receptive to change in the other areas. It can still be counter-intuitive, because my instinct is to rely on an inner hard-ass voice, which I might add, has never ever helped, nor I might add, led me any closer to where I wanted to go.

So for me - breathe. If it's the only sane thing I can think to do, just for one second, breathe. And when the time is right - but don't over think it! - just jump in. If I can do that even half the time the thought crosses my mind, I'll have done a whole lot. And that's plenty, my peeps!

Top, Gloucester, MA August 2010; bottom, Jacques-Henrie Lartigue, c. 1905.

Thanks to this blog for providing my with my keeper of a New Year's resolution. http://adore-vintage.blogspot.com/2011/06/daily-inspiration-just-breathe-just.html