We All Want Great Results

In a recent Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote message Perspective of Love, I included this thought...

Virtually everything is a matter of perspective and opinion. Whether the subject is politics, religion, sex, the kids' homework, or anything else, there really isn't a "right" way, just the way you prefer.

In response, I received a wonderful email that said, "Maybe. But some ways get great results and others... Get other results."

I loved that email because it so emphasizes my original point.

Do you see the "gotcha" already?

Of course we all want "great results." But can we agree on what a great result would be? Was re-electing President Obama a "great result?" Or would electing a Republican President have been a "great result?"

The definition of a "great result," like virtually everything else, is a matter of perspective and opinion.

Social Obligations

There are legal obligations, such as paying your mortgage. There are moral obligations, such as giving good care to your children and helping those in need. And then there are social obligations.

Often, others would like you to believe that social obligations are moral obligations, but the distinction is clear, and of vital importance to the joy and satisfaction you create in your life.

If you feel obligated to have dinner with your mother-in-law every Sunday, that is a social obligation. If you feel obligated to vote the way your father votes, that is a social obligation. If you feel obligated to remain in the town you grew up in, that is a social obligation (unless you are actively providing care to your parents or someone else).

Social obligations are perpetuated by habit. It takes real courage to confront long-standing social "obligations" - to call them what they are - and to break with tradition and make the tough choices that are best in the long run for yourself and those you love.

Focus on the "New" in New Year, and make today the day you choose to break old habits that no longer serve you. Make today the day to end social "obligations" that exist only out of habit. Face the possible embarrassment of telling your friends and family that you are now making choices that best serve yourself and your children - without regard to old habits and expectations.

New Years Resolutions Require a Dramatic Change in Attitude

New Years Resolutions simply don't work if they originate just from the idea that you ought to make some changes. Real changes in your life require a dramatic change in attitude.

To create real change, you have to have to be committed to making real sacrifices. Consider whether there is anything about your life that you would run through fire to change. If there is, make the plans, set up the daily progress notebooks, track your progress daily, and be willing to do some suffering in order to accomplish the changes.

But if you have a casual attitude toward your New Years Resolutions, just cross them off your to-do list today, and save yourself the effort of watching them go down to their inevitable defeat.

Take a look at the dramatic imagery that my friend Dmitri Bilgere uses in this video to emphasize the degree of commitment needed to create effective change in your life.



Se more of Dmitri at livethelifeyoulongfor.com