Today’s Mandala Message: Be Clear on Your Why
This week I’m working through Principle #35 from Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles” entitled “99% is a Bitch; 100% is a Breeze”. I set my intention today to ponder the why of my goals.
From step #1 of Dr. Sally Hilton’s post ‘8 Steps to Commit to Your Goals’: “When we know why we’re doing something, the benefits we will reap, the satisfaction we will get, and we keep this high in our minds, our commitment remains strong. It has more of the quality of a dedication, and at times of low motivation we can use this knowledge to keep us going. When we know what our goal is, we can take some time to ask ourselves what achieving that goal would mean to us.”
She suggests doing an exercise where we state our goal and then answer the question “And what will that mean for me?” Then ask that question again of your response. Keep asking and replying until we get to the core of our “why”.
Just today I told someone about my obsession with learning to speak French and that I’m not really sure why. I have no trips to France planned and there’s no pressing need to learn. And yet, I’m taking classes through our community college, I’m buying multiple books, I’m following to 2 or 3 french teaching youtube channels, and I’ve been doing Duolingo (language learning app) for over three years. So why? I used Dr. Hilton’s exercise and here’s what came up:
My goal is to learn to speak French
—-And what will that mean for me? actually my answer is twofold: 1) when I eventually have the opportunity to spend a good length of time in France to immerse myself in the art museums and galleries, I’ll be able to converse with the locals; 2) I will have accomplished a challenging task.
—-And what will that mean for me? 1) I can better connect with people and get a deeper understanding of the art, the people, and that country; 2) prove that I’m still capable of learning new things.
—And what will that mean for me? 1) I will feel more like I’m a part of the community instead of just a tourist; 2) it boosts my confidence
—And what will that mean for me? 1) it will feel more like being home than just a place I visited on the map; 2) it will inspire me to try more new things
—And what will that mean for me? 1) everything; 2) I’m still capable of learning and growing…which is something I’ve said many times: I want to keep learning until my last breath.
BTW…my dad’s side of the family are all from the French-speaking province of Quebec. I grew up listening to my grandparents and my dad speaking Canadian French. I took two years of it in high school. Also, my cousin was able to trace our family tree all the way back to the 1600s…our family was from France. So my “why” may also be in my DNA. 😁
A good mindfulness practice would be to ponder what it would mean to you to accomplish your goal(s).
“Your purpose in life
— Buddha
is to find your purpose
and give your whole heart
and soul to it”
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas
An Invitation
I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.
Mandala of the Day 