Guide to New Years Resolutions....to be Whole!

Well, it's that time of year again, time to throw out some resolutions that we may or may no keep. For many of us, we make the same resolutions year after year, more exercise, lose weight, be happier, save more money, blah, blah, blah. And each year about this time, we realize that we have failed miserably, fallen off track, and vow to once again declare that this year will be different.

Are we aiming too high? Do we just not under have the willpower to keep going? Did we set the bar too low? Maybe we are just focusing on the wrong things?

This year I am proposing something a bit different. A new way to set those resolutions for the coming year, with hopes that they will actually stick. I call it the "Whole" framework. WHOLE stands for "Watch How Our Lives Evolve" The concept is that you look at 10 different areas of your life and find one thing that you can work on in the coming year, small things that will begin to  evolve your life into that which you dream of.

Because we all know how you eat an elephant....one bite at a time, if you are so inclined to eat elephants. We all have dreams that the new year will bring wonderful new changes in our lives, but big changes, like a journey of 1,000 miles begin with just one single step. Commit to Whole-ness in ten different areas of your life this year, it doesn't have to be a huge change, only something you are willing to commit to for an entire year. Maybe you focus on one each month, or all at once, but pick ten things.

And the categories are.....

1.-3. SELF

1. Mind: Take a class, learn something new, read (or listen to) a book, watch a documentary, but commit to something to broaden your mind. Maybe it is just taking the time to research the opposite side of an issue you are passionate about to try to better understand.

2. Body: This is the one that seems to already get the most attention, lose weight and exercise, makes most peoples list. My challenge isn't to put a number on the weight you want to lose, or the miles you want to run, just just commit to one thing that is healthy. Some small changes that can add up are: taking a multi vitamin each day, drinking 8 glasses of water each day, visit the doctor for a checkup, find out my cholesterol levels, find one healthy recipe I can eat each month, maybe just to be able to do one pull-up. Find one thing and focus on that.

3. Spirit: You might choose this to be religious or not. In my mind, this is about what lights you up inside, makes you smile, laugh, skip or sing. This is about choosing to be happy, loved and whole. Maybe it is meditation, blowing bubbles, listening to a comedian, holding a baby, having coffee with a friend, or just spending time in nature.

4. RELATIONSHIP

This can be your spouse, significant other, child, parent, friend that you want to have a better relationship with in the coming year. Find a way to connect with them; a vacation, date night, notes around the house, coffee, regular phone call, or just doing something for them to show your appreciation.

5. FAMILY

Choose either your immediate or extended family, if there a relationship you want to help mend or enrich, a tradition you would like to help start, memories you want to help preserve? Find a way to focus on family. This can be as simple as sitting down for weekly supper together, game night, maybe one night without TV, a picnic, emailing an old photo sharing your memories with family.

6. VOCATION

We are all called to do something, as a career, as a volunteer, as a homemaker. Find one thing that you can do to become better at what it is that you are called to do; do an online tutorial for a new software program, organize your files, join a networking group, commit to being on time for meetings, keeping your office clean, or making an effort to get to know your co-workers better.

7. COMMUNITY

We all live in a community of some sort, and all communities have needs. What can you do to become more aware of the needs of your community and how you might best serve them. You don't have to commit each and every spare moment to cleaning up the roadsides, or feeding the homeless, but there are plenty of ways to help your community like; volunteer if you have time, donate canned goods to the food pantry, visit a community member in the hospital or nursing home, offer to take someone to a doctors appointment or babysit for a child, donate clothing, bake cookies, sandbag, or just hold open a door for another at the mall.

8. STATE

But what can I do for the state? There are so many things you can do and they begin with being a good representative of our state. How much do you know about your state? How do you speak about living where you do? Do you point out the wonderful things or are you perpetually complaining about the weather, the people the landscape. Find something beautiful about your state and share it with others. Invite them to visit, shop at locally and businesses who choose to operate in the state you live in. Maybe just commit to visit a city that you haven't explored yet.

9. NATION

A lot of the same principles apply to nation as they do to the state, but we have one more opportunity to make a commitment to our nation, that is to vote. Regardless of who you choose to vote for, take some time to educate yourself on the candidates and cast your vote, it is your responsibility. We also vote in a number of ways each time we make purchases, choose to support our nation by making purchases that support our national economy.

10. WORLD

We live in a global society, and the choices we make today can have long-term impacts on the world for years to come. There are a lot of simple things we can do, which have a cumulative impact on our environment; turn off a light when you aren't using it, bring your own shopping bags to the store, buy a reusable water bottle, plant a tree, recycle something, find new uses for something you already have, and simply don't buy something that you don't need, don't love, or doesn't make you truly happy.

There you have it, 10 things, the outline for your New Years Resolutions. They can be as simple as a few minutes a week or month, can you commit to Whole-ness in 2012?

Back to School!

Today as I hurried my daughters off to school, I couldn't help to reflect on change and new beginnings. I am often asked to speak on change, how to cope and thrive in the midst of challenges or crisis, and this morning I gained a bit more of a perspective of another way to approach change.

There are times in our lives when change is beyond our control, unavoidable. How we respond to that change is what is critical, how we learn from that lesson set before us. If we take a look at each new school year, there may have been angst or excitement looking back at that first day, but in the end, we grew, we learned, we graduated on to the next level.

Faced with change, think back at how you prepared for a change in grade levels. You might have gone shopping for the right supplies, the right clothing, maybe did a bit of reading over the summer to prepare. Perhaps you took some extra classes, worked part-time, or even just soaked in the sun, relaxation and fun of summer in preparation for the busi-ness of the coming fall. Is change all that different? If you can anticipate it coming, how are you preparing? Preparation gives us some control when faced with something we can't.

Each year, new class schedules, lessons to learn. That initial anxiety of..."Am I in the right place?" and "Am I sure where I am going next?" soon fades as you settle into a new routine. You find your way, you always do.

What you find is, through it all, though change is inevitable, there are many things that remain constant. Your school, your friends, home, family, and who you are, all growing and learning together.

When faced with your next big change, think of it as graduating to the next grade level, make your preparations, sharpen your pencil and prepare to learn. After all, there is something refreshing about new beginnings, a fresh notebook, a perfectly sharp pencil and new sneakers!

The meaning behind the shirt...

As the floodwaters rise in the Bismarck Mandan area as well as those areas to the north in Devils Lake, and in Minot, ND. As the Fargo Moorhead area still deals with cleanup, damage and remaining floodwaters, I am called to take pause and reflect on the United We Sand campaign and what that means to me.

Inspired my those people and the experiences in a sandbag line in the flood of 2009, I searched for inspiration to visually represent the sense of spirit, the sense of comradery, the commitment to community that I experienced in that time. Unable to fully describe that sense of awe that I was experiencing and so proud to be a part of, I turned to what I saw around me for inspiration.

You see, if you have ever worked in a sandbag line, after a bit of time, you will notice that each individual will develop what I refer to is the "Sandbag Smudge." This smudge is a large area of sand residue which accumulates on the chest of each individual in the sandbag line.

During the flood of 2009, I frequently would run into people out and about, at the gas station and at the grocery store, at schools, and in restaurants who would be sporting the "Smudge." I noticed an interesting phenomena; when you saw one of those people you instantly knew something about them. That smudge alone told you something about their integrity, it was an indication that they were someone deserving of your respect, and your gratitude.

I noticed that people became friendlier, strangers striking up conversations about where they were working, who needed help, and where battles were being won and lost. I noticed community where indifference may had been before, I noticed engagement and I noticed humanity and compassion in epic proportions.

That's a lot to try to capture in one little graphic. By trade I am a designer, and artist, and creating a visual to represent an intangible feeling or service is one of he most difficult tasks. But then I remembered the smudge. That smudge was more than just dirt, it was in fact a badge of honor. 

So it was that visual that I chose to represent what I was feeling and experiencing, hoping that it would mean something to others as well. Once the visual was determined and created from a bit of fajita spice and cinnamon I found in my cupboard (every sandbag had better things to do) I set out to create the slogan which would work in concert further expressing the intent, should someone not understand the smudge reference.

I thought a bit about the words, I am a visual person, words aren't always my forte. The spirit I felt in those days was very patriotic, very American. So I ran through phrases and clichés that might work. I decide to place the words "United We Stand" across the smudge. I felt that it best captured the spirit, for on a sandbag line, it is not one person who makes a difference, but a number of people working together for a common cause.

If a homeowner chooses only to protect the length of his own property bordering a river, the dike is sure to fail unless each neighbor chooses to do the same. It is an all or nothing endeavor. Sure, each homeowner could build a dike around just their home, but that isn't what a community does. A community comes together for the greater good. A community stands united.

So I go about typing the slogan across the replicated sand smudge. When I got to the end of the line I sat back to take a look. What I noticed was a typo. What I had typed was "United We Sand" and as my hand goes to hit the delete key to fix this error, I discover that what was there summed it up much better. Yes, it was a typo, divine intervention perhaps, that led to what you see today.

And then I shared it on Facebook, and people embraced it, people came forth and offered to help me share that, individual after individual stepped up to support it, to spread that message. I am still in awe over how it grew. All because of "one person." One person created some art + one person agreed to print it+one person agreed to carry it in their store+one person agreed to purchase a shirt + one person chose to share the information + one person chose to match the money raised. One person....

You see, that is the theme that has consistently run through this whole experience. One person, united with another one person can, literally, move mountains (or beaches in this case). So when you feel small and helpless, don't, think of this quote by Edward Everett Hale:

I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

I believe that is so fitting to represent what I saw; children helping to fill sandbags, people baking cookies, delivering sandbaggers to where they needed to be, teenagers actively taking charge and giving direction, getting the word out of where help was needed.

For me, in retrospect, the smudge and the shirt mean so much more. In a world that spins so quickly that it can be hard to keep your wits about you, your feet grounded, and focused on doing good in the world. It is more than just a shirt. That smudge, and those words represent a badge of honor for someone who;

• is the kind of human being who gives of themselves to help another without asking for anything in return only because it is the right thing to do.
• isn't willing to sit back and wait to be rescued, but one who takes action, and gets things accomplished.
• sees the bigger picture that together we can accomplish more than we can individually.
• that acknowledges that we truly have something worth fighting for, and saving
• know that what is legal isn't always what is right.
• that believes in the goodness of people.
• stays when they are told to give up and leave.
• that puts people and principles before profits.
• when the muscles in their arms fail them, are willing to commit their heart, chest and entire body to the endeavor of getting things done.
• understand that while fences might make for good neighbors, good neighbors make sandbag dikes.
• witness the moral erosion of our society in the media every day, and instead of throwing up their hands in defeat, expect better of people, choose to be better people, standing up for what is right and good in our world.
• wins.

So, I thank you for being who you are, for so generously embracing my artwork, and my typo, for treating me with respect and for wearing this badge of honor with pride. United We Sand.