Setting goals is well know as a habit of successful people. But we've noticed that we aren't always consistent with staying focused and applying ourselves to the goals. Setting the goal is easy. Following through is where it can get difficult.

Could there be a way of relating to our goals differently that can provide greater success with less stress along the way?

Join us to hear more.

We've found that examining the motivation behind our goals can help us stay on track with goals and in a direction that is easier to follow through with.

At least for us, when we've set a goal in the past motivated by how we think achieving that goal will benefit us, kind of like "When I have this I'll be happier, or richer, or more fulfilled", we'd pursue that to get someplace different in the future. It always had us looking into the future for a "better life" that existed there that was here now.

But sometimes we'd find ourselves pursuing a vision or goal that wasn't like that. Doing things that wasn't so much about what we'd get from it, but for the good feeling we had as we pursued it. Doing things for the joy of doing them. Things that lead to sayings like "Follow your bliss." With these, we see we stay in the moment the goal is achieved more easily.

Using the feeling, or the "bliss" or the resonance to do something as a guide, I would say I don't set goals anymore. Rather, I settle or relax into life and let it bring what it brings. And what I resonate with, I give permission. I say "yes" and go on about my life following this feeling of "yes". My activities are no longer agenda driven in an attempt to get something in the future. Instead it's like I'm pulled forward by the vision that I resonate with step by step.

With this approach, the vision or goal that is pulling me is more like a direction to follow than a destination to reach. With this, if something comes up along the way, I'm open to consider a change in what I'm doing because it's the feeling or resonance I'm following and not a destination I feel I have to get to.

In the past, I could be so set on the destination that I wouldn't notice a nudge or a feeling from my inner wisdom to adjust or change my course. All I was looking at was the destination, the goal. And that was, in a way, like putting blinders on me. I could become a bit myopic.

You could say I'm letting life lead me now instead of my telling life how I want it to be. This has taken the old habit of setting goals, creating steps and working at it, into a whole new reality.

It isn't' like I don't see a sequence of steps to follow, for instance getting in the car to drive to Costco. But I relate to the process very differently now. It's more tuning into my inner wisdom and giving permission to what life brings that prompts the steps to take.

In a way, this is like letting the immense organizing power of nature have a lead role in my life. Rather than feeling like it's all on me to figure out what to do and how to make my life work well, it's opening to the access we all have to this intelligence and organizing power within us.

And, interestingly, when we look back on our lives, it looks like the greatest suffering we've experienced came from resisting the promptings from our wisdom within. Things like, "Well, I knew better, but it seemed like a good idea at the time." We weren't willing to say "yes" to what we knew from within, but instead went with what seemed like a good idea from personal thinking.

As we relax more into life, we see that life is always prompting us. And prompting us in the direction of growing and expanding in ways that bring so much joy and fulfillment.

The recipe this week is a Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew. It's a wonderful, warm sweet blend of tastes and textures that are great on a winter's day. Give it a try.

To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill

Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew (Serves 4) Adapted from Mary McDougall

• 1 ¼ cups filtered water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 28 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed if salted
• 2 cups cooked grain – original recipe used bulgar grain, we recommend a whole grain like farro, hard red wheat or spelt to stay closer to the original recipe.
• 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, cubed
• ½ cup raisins
• 1/3 cup cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

Add ¼ cup filtered water to a large pot with the onion and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the spices, stir to mix well and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add remaining filtered water, tomatoes, chickpeas, grain and sweet potatoes or yams. Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook 30-35 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Mix in raisins and cilantro and remove from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy.