“The human heart, at whatever age, opens to the heart that opens in return.”

– Maria Edgeworth

I’ve never been one to sit down on January first and make a long list of things I resolve to change for the coming year.  Anyone who has seen my desk can tell you that I would probably misplace the list before a week had passed — or, more likely, I would arrive at the grocery store with my list of resolutions and have no idea what I had come to purchase.  Long lists overwhelm me.  When I look at them, I find myself feeling defeated before I begin to attempt attaining all their goals or completing all their tasks.  Not surprisingly, I have no list to offer here; but I do have an idea for an approach to living with resolution for 2011.

‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘do you suppose that means I will be resolute in my approach to living this year?’  Maybe I should look up the meaning of resolute before I make that sort of decision.  Wow again!  I find that resolute means, “Admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.” Assuming that the directions I choose to embrace for 2011 are worthwhile, I would love to earn the adjective, resolute, as a description of my efforts.  What I would like to resolve is this:  As the days unfold and something inspires me to live abundantly during the coming year, I will add these inspirations to my ongoing list of resolutions.  (My first resolution, of course, is to keep this list in a file on my computer desktop — with a hard copy in my purse, just in case — so that it will not be lost.)  Under each inspiration, I will keep track of the ways that I have been resolute about following its path.  By the time 2011 has ended, I hope to have a great list of resolutions that has grown out of my intention to live abundantly.

I give credit for this to Maria Edgeworth, a New Year’s baby born in 1767 in Ireland.  When I read the quote at the start of this blog, I found myself inspired to seek ways to live the sort of loving life that encourages others to open their hearts.  What this means, according to Edgeworth, is that my own heart must be open to the heart-to-heart connections that truly bind us in Love to our fellow human beings.

And so my list begins.  For 2011, I will resolutely pursue opening my heart when greeting or responding to the fellow travelers who share my path each day.  Thank you, Maria, for reminding me to be Love.