{"id":10027,"date":"2012-01-24T15:33:24","date_gmt":"2012-01-24T21:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=10027"},"modified":"2012-01-25T23:29:01","modified_gmt":"2012-01-26T05:29:01","slug":"wishful-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/01\/wishful-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Wishful Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"

I saw a recent article in Forbes online magazine with the provocative headline, \u201cWhy Your New Year’s Resolution Will Fail by February 1.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

The article goes on to say that if Gym Membership is an indicator, a third of resolutions are dropped by February 1. And while the Forbes headline seems cynical and maybe even insulting, we sense from personal experience that this statistic is accurate.<\/p>\n

When we\u2019re motivated enough to commit ourselves to any type of resolution, I suspect we all have the tendency to be overly optimistic just from energy and adrenalin of making the commitment.\u00a0 But change is hard and meaningful change is even harder.<\/p>\n

Those positive feelings can be deceiving when we haven\u2019t taken the sobering step of considering all the obstacles we\u2019re bound to encounter and have a plan to combat them.<\/p>\n

Serious contemplation and mental preparation are actual work, and since real work is not so enjoyable, we skip the work and count on our good intentions to sustain us.<\/p>\n

And sure enough we\u00a0 begin to grow tired or bored with the new workout routine\u2026 or the new diet\u2026or the new commitment to daily prayer, weekly Mass, or whatever we had committed to.\u00a0 Now the enthusiasm begins to wane. The will begins to crumble.<\/p>\n

At this point we should ask ourselves if we really determined to do and give all that we had or had we lapsed into something that the saints call velleity?<\/p>\n

velleity [vuh-lee-i-tee]<\/strong>
\n1: the lowest degree of volition
\n2: a slight wish or tendency
\nnoun, plural -ties.<\/p>\n

[from New Latin velleit\u0101s, from Latin velle to wish]<\/p>\n

A velleity is a \u2018wish\u2019, but a deceivingly weak one. It lacks a fervent enough desire to change and it fails to adequately motivate. A velleity lacks resolve.<\/p>\n

We can contrast the word \u2018wish\u2019 (veilleitas) with the word \u2018will\u2019 (voluntas). I will quit smoking, I will start exercising, I will lose weight, etc.<\/p>\n

To \u2018will\u2019 something is much stronger than to \u2018wish\u2019 something. To \u2018will\u2019 something implies that the goal or achievement is so much desired that *all* necessary means – including and in addition to – God\u2019s grace – will be employed to effect the outcome.<\/p>\n

Contrary to common opinion, the saints were very practical people. Many of them realized that a goal not adequately reflected on was often just a velleity.<\/p>\n

St. Francis de Sales says in his classic An Introduction to the Devout Life<\/a>,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

St. Francis de Sales<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cConsider beforehand what occupations, duties and occasions are likely this day to enable you to serve God; what temptations to offend Him, either by vanity, anger, etc., may arise; and make a fervent resolution to use all means of serving Him and confirming your own piety; as also to avoid and resist whatever might hinder your salvation and God\u2019s Glory. Nor is it enough to make such a resolution,\u2014you must also prepare to carry it into effect.\u201d<\/h3>\n

\u00a0And Saint Josemaria Escriva says, in his writings,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

St. Josemaria Escriva<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBe definite. Don’t let your resolutions be like fireworks that sparkle for a moment, to leave behind as hard reality a blackened, useless stub that one throws disgustedly away. Make few resolutions. Make them definite. \u2014 And fulfil them with the help of God.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 From The Way<\/a>\u00a0 by Saint Josemaria Escriva.<\/h3>\n

In His mercy, Christ bestowed upon us a faith that is built on continuous conversion. He has offered His help.\u00a0\u00a0 Every Advent \u2026 every New Year \u2026 every Lent \u2026every Mass \u2026 every Sacrament of Reconciliation, \u2026 every prayer \u2026 every new day, is just another opportunity for renewal.<\/p>\n

So, what if we are one of those people who has failed their resolutions by February 1?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s surprisingly simple but urgent. In the words of Saint Josemaria Escriva,<\/p>\n

\u201cNow! Return to your noble life now. Don’t be a fool: ‘now’ is not too soon…\u2026nor too late<\/em>.\u201d<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I saw a recent article in Forbes online magazine with the provocative headline, \u201cWhy Your New Year’s Resolution Will Fail by February 1.\u201d The article goes on to say that if Gym Membership is an indicator, a third of resolutions are dropped by February 1. And while the Forbes headline seems cynical and maybe even… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,90],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10027","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"category-faith-blog","8":"entry","9":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":76004,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/01\/say-no-to-greatness\/","url_meta":{"origin":10027,"position":0},"title":"Time To Say No To Greatness","author":"Josue","date":"January 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever asked Jesus what his new year resolution was? 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