2010 outlook and creations via "your heart's ...

... desire: instructions for creating the life you really want" - by sonia choquette (or YHD) what is this book about? as stated on choquette's website -

"There are metaphysical laws at work in the universe that bring to us both what we want and what we don't want, depending on our habits of thought and behavior."

for me, this is a book that a dear friend, deb, recommended to me in 1999 after i'd felt a bit stagnant and challenged about general stuff going on in my life at the time - getting through (in my head & heart) a very intense break-up that happened in late-1997, managing and balancing my work and my social life, and feeling part of the SD community(ies) somehow in a manner that was at least reminiscent of the community feel of northern california/bay area. deb encouraged me to get the book and go through it from front to back, while also doing the exercises of each of the 9 principles. so that's what i did - well, got as far as principle 5 during the first effort in 1999 and as far as principle 6 during 2008. it was pretty amazing!

the principles (in order) include ...

1. focus your desire (bring your dream into focus)
   
2. send clear messages to your subconscious mind. repeat them and make sure they are positive (gain the support of your subconscious mind)
   
3. deeply imagine realizing your goal ~ do it in detail (imagine your heart's desire)
   
4. establish order in your physical environment (eliminate your obstacles)
   
5. open yourself to your intuition ~become aware of synchronicity, etc. (be open to intuitive guidance)
   
6. rein in impulsive behavior (choose to support your dream with love)
   
7. honor the power of your words ~ say what you mean (surrender control)
   
8. persist in your dream (claim your dream)
   
9. surrender to divine power and allow the universe to do the rest (stay true to your dream)
   

as time has progressed, YHD has been part of my new year's resolutions practice ... although more accurately, YHD has been part of my little semi-annual ritual. i start out each year ranking the 10 desires categories and going through each exercise - as if i'm reading the book for the first time. and by mid-year, i revisit my progress and refine my desires; i also check-in on my accomplishments and unexpected events.

2010 outlook in rank order ... well, here's where i'm heading for 2010 (along with my previous 2009, 2008 and 1999) ranks. my rank order of the 10 heart's desires are as follows with up to 5 items for the year ...

1_finances ('09 @_1; '08@_3; '99@_5) ... (this includes the sphere of income, savings, debt payoff, and money for purchases, adventures, and indulgences)
completing taxes on time; suze orman-ing; identifying environmental-related investment options; increasing savings toward retirement; establishing budget for other YHD activities and philanthropic efforts.

2_health & body ('09 @_2; '08@_1; '99@_8) ... (this means the sphere of physical health and well-being, including weight loss or gain, beauty, exercise, sport, and recovery from illness)
engaging in heart-healthy living activities; re-establishing more regular yoga practice; re-establishing cardio-kickboxing practice; continuing chiropractic health; increasing outdoor activities.

3_relationships ('09 @_3; '08@_2; '99@_6) ... (this includes the sphere of love, romance, marriage, divorce, children, parents, relatives, friends, neighbors, partners, and pets)
continuing to invest in friendships (existing and new) that are mutually supportive and unconditional; being constructive in letting go; increasing spending quality time with family; welcoming being involved in a long-term/committed relationship with a man; getting a house pet.

4_work ('09 @_4; '08@_4; '99@_1) ... (this includes where you want to work, what you want to do, how much you want it to pay, whom you want to work with, the environment you want to work in, the rewards you want to receive, the amount of independence you want, and the contribution to the world you want to make)
engaging in work activities and people connections contributing to my mission| vision | values; repositioning r|cat to engage in environmental professional development; creating professional and personal "bridges" among work colleagues; creating a mutual support network among internal and external work colleagues; re-establishing recognition as and "go to person" of valuable and credible resource for air quality, energy and environmental communications issues.

5_spiritual ('09 @_8; '08@8; '99@_7) ... (this includes the sphere of personal discovery, healing old wounds, recovering personal power, expanding intuitive awareness, discovering new dimensions, remembering your true spiritual identity)
re-establishing reiki practice for health; re-establishing intuitive awareness practices as part of decisionmaking for betterment of self and communities; acknowledging and being mindful of signs; moving forward thoughts and writings related to philosophical perspective of ignorance within the context of knowledge, self-awareness, informing/educating and accountability.

6_home ('09 @_5; '08@7; '99@_3) ... (this includes buying, selling, renting, remodeling, building, moving, acquiring roommates, decorating, and designing where you live)
creating and maintaining a home that is inviting for entertaining family & friends; re-visit and complete apartment therapy (over here); uncluttering my home; creating a personal space for meditating and reiki; decorating and organizing with what i have; gardening.

7_creative expression ('09 @_6; '08@6; '99@_4) ... (this includes singing, dancing, painting, writing, healing, intuiting, inventing, buliding, designing, photographing, acting, producing, filiming, cooking, gardening, sculpting)
continuing with blogging; re-establishing writing short stories; developing and honing skills for storytelling and improv; learning how to knit; learning more cooking skills and techniques.

8_possessions ('09 @_9; '08@9; '99@_10) ... (this includes any and all physical objects and property that may make your daily life more joyous, more pleasureable, more comfortable, more practical, and more fun)
learning how to use my mac's multi-media apps; reading/finishing at least one book per month among the many books already in my possession; being more mindful of doing timely car maintenance and repairs; uncluttering of possessions i have by donating, storing, or using; using information from subscription magazines.

9_travel & adventures ('09 @_7; '08@7; '99@_9) ... (this includes travel, sports, recreation, retreat, world exploration, psychic exploration, and new experiences of every kind)
providing reiki for others' healing processes; visiting friends in u.s.; taking a must-use-passport vacation; visiting california's nature locales; tag along with friends' outdoor/extracirricular activities.

10_special intentions ('09 @_10; '08@10; '99@_2) ... (this includes anything not directly covered in the above)
being sought after by individuals and organizations for enviro professional development implementation and support; developing apprentern blog and writings as part of carrying forward and extending the message jengyee has started for self-improvement; staying in touch with jengyee's family and friends; expressing through my actions and mindset - the four agreements, the paradoxical commandments, the paradoxical commandments for government, and the ten rules for being human.

focusing, creating and rotating my 3 of 10... the above are ranked in top 10 order, however, that does not mean i work on these sequentially. rather, i start with 3 activity(ies) under the above desires with which to first concentrate with the intent of focusing my attention - just a few at a time. i start to chip away at each. because some are longer term for realizing within the year, i'll figure out for both near- and long-term desires.