Best Gift Ever!

Now that the presents are opened and you are preparing for the New Year - there is one more present that awaits you. ? A New Year’s Resolution that is guaranteed to last a decade. ?Read on.

Last year I started this blog sharing a different approach to New Year’s resolutions. Most resolutions focus on a particular thing you want to change that so far has been VERY HARD to attain. ? And most New Year’s resolutions wither away by March because they are TOO HARD and not fun at all. ?I suggested that you try EPIC! Rule #1: Practice Thoughtful Wishing instead of Wishful thinking. ?

Most New Year’s resolutions are born from past regrets, "I shoulda, woulda, coulda", or they live in the future "I really wish..." without committed ?and sustained action. That is wishful thinking. Thoughtful wishing lives in the present. It turns out you have everything you need right now to have a life filled with meaning, purpose, and gratitude.

A key ingredient for thoughtful wishing is the ability to wish upon a star. ?To embody in your mind and heart an iconic dream of what life can be if you felt fully expressed, fully seen and not afraid. And then you bring a little bit of the star stuff of that dream into a tiny choice, decision or action that you are able to make today.

Let me show you how that works,

Have you ever fantasized that you were a descendant of an iconic figure from history? ?I have. ?For some reason, the life of Cleopatra (69BC - 30BC) has always resonated for me. Well-educated, multilingual, shrewd, political and strategic, Cleopatra, of Greek origin, ruled Egypt for 3 decades in the waning years of a great dynasty, holding onto power in the midst of Roman supremacy and patriarchy. ?

When I did the genetic testing with 23andMe, I found that my maternal line (with a rare genetic haplogroup HV5) reaches back 2000+ years to a woman in the Fertile Crescent/Mesapotamia. Could be true!

I don’t really think Cleopatra is my ancestor from 66 generations ago. ?However it is fun to play make-believe. ? Sometimes when I am in a difficult situation I ask, “What would Cleopatra do?” It has also helped me solve a difficult conundrum for my husband when time for presents rolled around. ?Rob loves to buy me jewelry, but is always nervous that I won’t like it. ? Five years ago I told him , “If you think Cleopatra would wear it, then buy it”. ?Smooth sailing ever since.

Time for another EPIC! Rule of the Game which is a great gift you can give yourself for the New Year.

EPIC Rule #20: ?Wonder who you really are? Stop forgetting that you know.

Deep down, there is a part of us that knows how powerful, beautiful, and special we really are.?However, for all sorts of cultural and familial reasons, we have inherited, accumulated, and embodied stories that no longer serve us.? These stories have us playing to our fears, not our dreams.? We live in the realm of “not enough” and declare victory when we can finally reach “good enough”. Nice but not sufficient for who we really are.

Many participants enter the Decade Game with stories of “not enough” or “too much”, and often both. ?They recognize that they have been busy playing “not to lose” in other people’s games, both personally and professionally. ? They are looking for the answer to “the right next move” for them to feel that they are finally on top of their game. They forget how transformational a decade can be if they are willing to dream big.

It turns out that the Decade Game doesn’t have “off the shelf answers”.? Instead, it is a journey for people to remember who they really are and become equipped to be an EPIC! storyteller about themselves, at home, at work and in the world. ? The original meaning of the Greek word “epic” is “a long form story of ‘derring-do’”. ?Daring to do and daring to be. ?The object of the game is to uncover your purpose, recover your power and discover your destiny.?

EPIC! Rule #20 was inspired by my friend, the great, late, Neal Rogin in his book “Delightenment: Escaping the Solitary Confinement of your Prisonality” :

Pretending to forget…

Relax.

Take comfort in the unshakalbe bedrock reality that all is well and all shall be well.

Thou are That.

The only control “you” have is illusory, to pretend that you are not That.

Know it is simply impossible to not, already and always, be who you are.

It is only possible to temporarily pretend to forget. - by Neal Rogin

So what do you do if you temporarily forget? If you are feeling anxious, in doubt, fearful, resigned, etc. ?Here is what I do. ?I take a breath, close my eyes, and remember my EPIC acronym - ?four adjectives, each one starting with and “E”, “P”, “I” and “C”, signifying how I feel when I am in flow, in my power, imagining how Cleopatra would feel. My EPIC! acronym is Empathetic, Passionate, Innovative and Courageous. ?What’s yours?

Sending love and light this holiday season,

Carolyn

P.S. ?If you are interested in creating your own Decade Game, my six week virtual Spring Decade Game Master Class starts on March 2. Enrollment is open now and we are offering a 10% discount for registrations before January 31. ?You can use discount code SAVE!0 on check out.

Learn more

PPS. Since the New Year, I have been sharing my EPIC! Rules to play the game of life, your way. I have them ?posted on the website if you have missed a newsletter or would like to review them. Click below and scroll down to the Rules. (And you can always buy the book )

EPIC! Rules of the Game

If you have any questions or would like to talk to me directly, please email me at [email protected] and we will set up a time.

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