Written by Phil Okrend – 

As we enter the New Year, it is commonplace to think about change, and to set new intentions. Normally this may consist of setting goals you want to achieve, your “To Do List.”  Typically as you move through the year, much of these well intended goals may get lost to the distractions and busyness of life. What if you looked at the New Year in a different way? What if you set aside time at the beginning of the year, to go deeper. What if you understood that you have an opportunity to align with a path that is leading you toward a destiny that has been waiting for you. When you truly know that this path and destiny are part of you, that it is your birthright, then you become undeterred in pursuing it.

I believe that this life path is what the American writer Joseph Campbell called the hero’s journey. This journey moves you from the known into the unknown, as it moves you into your greatest purpose, joy and fulfillment. Along the way, there may be temptations, circumstances, distractions that try to throw you off your path, but there may be a book, a mentor, a sign, an event that keeps you moving along the path. The path is defined by courage, passion, truth, and a knowing that you will always be led to the right place, as long as you trust the authentic side of you, your true self. You won’t need New Year’s resolutions to precipitate change. You will simply surrender to the wisdom of your true self that always knows which steps and direction to take.

I believe that there are three principles that will help you hear the voice of your true self. As you recognize these principles and start practicing them, your life path will become illuminated. The principles appear in a passage from our book, Messages to the Heart, Reflections of Beauty and Truth. The passage reads as follows:

Destiny

These three things will help you on your journey: Heal the Past, Live the Present, Dream the Future. Heal the past – See what the old stories and patterns are costing you in your life. You will know who and what you need to forgive. You will see that dealing with pain and discomfort now is better than having the past own you, for “what you resist persists.” Live the present – your life only exists in this moment. The more you place your attention on what is in front of you, the more you will feel alive, energized and resourceful.  Dream the future – Imagine an inspiring future where you are at your best, happy, fulfilled, contributing, engaged in life. From that vision, you will know what steps either lead you there or will take you away from it. Practice these three things and you will find the path that has been waiting for you.

I wish you a year of joy, happiness, and connecting with what truly fills your heart.

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Phil Okrend, Certified Life and Business Coach, transitioned from being an attorney, to the life of a creative entrepreneur, writer, speaker and musician. Phil is the author of the new coffee table book Messages to the Heart, Reflections of Beauty and Truth which pairs his mindful poetic writings with the art of his wife, Asheville based pastel artist Elise Okrend. Phil and Elise Okrend will be presenting a workshop, Journey to Healing and Empowerment Through Art and Words at the Om Sanctuary in Asheville on Valentines’s Day, Saturday, February 14th. Read more and register at the Om Sanctuary Web Site.

www.messagestotheheart.com and www.steppingstonescoaching.com