A New Year’s Challenge: What would you do this year if you weren’t afraid?
By Shelley Hourston
Happy New Year everyone! Despite my years of experience with abandoned New Year’s resolutions, I still enjoy the anticipation that comes with beginning a new year. I must be an eternal optimist because each January I’m hopeful that this will be the year that I achieve one of the really important goals on my list. As the years roll by, I’ve become quite adept at identifying the barriers to achieving these important goals—as have you I’m sure. One of the benefits of aging is knowing yourself. For example, I know that the reason I don’t work on some of my “dream” goals is FEAR. Fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of having to give something else up. I know I’m not unusual in this. I know that many people have achieved the very goals that I have on my list. But then I remind myself that I have a chronic health condition and that I need to take that into account. Once I start down that road the potential reasons for failure begin to appear like clouds on a sunny day. I lose my enthusiasm and decide to wait and do more planning tomorrow.
What would YOU do this year if you weren’t afraid? If wrestling with fear and one or more chronic health issues is preventing you from achieving important goals, I invite you to join me at the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities in making 2012 different. Using strengths-based tools from positive psychology research, combined with creative thinking techniques and peer support, we’ll apply what you’ve learned and what I’ve learned to create a new way of thinking about goals and fear. Maybe we’ll have similar goals… or maybe you’ll have already achieved my goal or vice versa. If you feel ready to feel the fear and achieve your goal anyway, let me know.
One-to-one and group coaching for people living with HIV
This is a pilot program and is free but space is limited
Contact Shelley Hourston
Wellness & Disability Initiative
BC Coalition of People with Disabilities
[email protected]; phone 604-875-0188 or toll-free 1-877-232-7400