Steadfast; onward!

I have been mulling over my New Year's Resolution for a few days now. I also learned a while back to refer to them as #Intentions. Resolution feels so firm & fixed and leads you down that rabbit hole of failure & guilt when falling short. The concept of an intention greets me better to make the attempt with some permission and flexibility. An intention implies there is a goal or a target at the end. I write this post as more of a journal entry to hold myself accountable than to broadcast it to the masses. But here it is in ink or at least print.

I had been toying with concepts like #Simplify #Breathe #GoGetIt. Generic enough to mold, but not so esoteric that they are not clear in my mind. And then a saw a Facebook post from a friend in Chicago, Whitney Rhodes whom I admire. And she is using the short phrase Steady. I didn't want to grab that, but was drawn to the idea and sat on it for a while to see where it led me. And I am taking it a step further in #STEADFAST.

I remember it from Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. The term itself seems almost Victorian. As I am digging into it tonight, I see that it has many religious overtones with bible quotes which almost pressured me against it. Some of the definitions are a bit too stoic for me with words like unwavering, unflinching, inflexible. All of these tap into a rigidness I do not want to practice. But there are other words like constant, loyal, determined, resolute and reliable which speak strongly to me. I have the confidence down for the most part. But sometimes, lose focus or am swayed away from my true instincts. And I think this word is a strong reminder to stay the course. So please ask me how I am doing with this concept 8 months down the road!

Here is a noteworthy quote by Victor Hugo that gives me clarity on this idea: “Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.”