This Expat’s All-Encompassing New Year’s Resolution
“If you don’t have a dream…how you gonna have a dream come true?” — Happy Talk
In a way, I’ve been avoiding 2012. It’s been tapping on my shoulder waiting patiently to put me through the inevitable whoosh of freshness and newness, but I’ve been ignoring it. I’m not ready.
I don’t have any resolutions, and thinking of all that I would love to achieve and change overwhelms me.
Thankfully, I discovered Happy Talk’s quote on Christina Reed’s Blue Kitty Cool site and it reminded me how I could keep things simple. My commitment this year is to keep on being a dreamer.
No, it’s not out of this world to think that I could live in the central Andes for an extended period of time. If I can do this, then I can also make enough money to get through this year despite having two family trips planned, including a Caribbean cruise and a month-long stay in the Philippines, yet still read more regularly now that I have a Kindle that I received for Christmas! I can dream, right? =)
For 2012, I wish the same for all of you — that you continue to dream and dream big!
Happy New Year!
What is your single all-encompassing, fundamental resolution?
Tags: dream, expat life peru, new year's resolution, world travel
Ryan Biddulph
Hi Samantha,
Love it!
Dream, and do. Keep dreaming, and your doings will reflect your dreamings. Inspired acts and dream-creating ideas will be the norm, these things flow to you if you can dream vividly and act persistently to help make these dreams, realities.
All the best with your cruise and stay in the Philippines…who knows? I might meet up with you there as my girlfriend and I are travelling Southeast Asia right now for bit….
Thanks for sharing!
RB
Samantha Bangayan
You are so eloquent in this comment, Ryan! Thanks for putting to words what I couldn’t! I truly believe that dreams are the beginning to making them reality. =)
That would be so cool to meet up! Hope it happens! =)
Fred Tracy
Don’t worry Samantha, I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions either.
I just have some dreams, which happened to occur around New Year’s. 😛
Living in the Andes.. wow. You go girl!
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! =) Thanks for relating, Fred! You’re the best! =)
Thom Brown
It’s actually a line from “Happy Talk” – “a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It is sung by Bloody Mary to the American lieutenant Joe Cable, about having a happy life, after he begins romancing her daughter Liat.”
Happy talk, keep talkin’ happy talk,
Talk about things you’d like to do.
You got to have a dream,
If you don’t have a dream,
How you gonna have a dream come true?
The source doesn’t really matter though – good post.
Samantha Bangayan
I had no idea, Thom! Thanks for clarifying that and I fixed it in my post as well! =) I’ve got to see that musical one day! =)
Janettte Fuller
Dream on, Samantha! I am so glad you have a Kindle. You will love it.
Happy New Year!
Samantha Bangayan
Thanks so much for the encouragement, Janette! I’m SOO ecstatic about my new Kindle too and it’s definitely being used daily already! =)
Wishing you a fabulous new year as well! =)
Adrienne
I don’t have new year’s resolutions either Samantha. I stopped doing that years ago because when you decide that you want to do something I don’t need to wait until the beginning of a new year to get started.
I say keep on dreaming because if you take the action to move toward those dreams they will come true.
You have some great plans made for this year so relax and enjoy every single moment of it girl. You are so deserving.
Enjoy this new year Samantha and just keep on dreaming. 🙂
Samantha Bangayan
Great attitude, Adrienne! I admire that! =) We can feel fresh and new, and create resolutions all year round. =)
Definitely can’t wait for what this year will bring! =)
Don
I try not to make resolutions but I do have things on my mind. Besides personal shortcomings what I most want or you could say dream of is to start my own podcast. To that end I got a portable digital recorder to do it with as a Christmas “gift” (I actually ordered it myself). Sure it won’t be broadcast studio quality but who cares? It will be free and done the best way I can. I already have an idea about getting it hosted for free and now I just have to figure out how to use it. Then convince my best friend to do it with me. After that we’ll see.
Samantha Bangayan
Wow! That’s an excellent goal, Don! Can’t wait to get to know you through your podcast. =)
Roberta Budvietas
In South Pacific, the song Happy Talk tells us that we gotta have a dream…That movie always makes my heart sing. Interesting that you are planning trips to islands where dreaming is done regularly – the Caribbeans of honeymoons. love and enjoyment and the Phillipines of a better world.
Samantha Bangayan
I hadn’t thought about it that way, Roberta! =) Maybe my upcoming destinations have been inspiring in that way. =)
Bonnie Copeland
If you have to dream Samantha, dream big. Otherwise why bother? 🙂 You can and will do what you set your mind to do once you start to take action on it. Go for it and I can’t wait to read about all you do.
Samantha Bangayan
So true! I definitely want to continue giving my all to everything — even when it comes to dreaming. =) Thanks so much for the encouragement, Bonnie! =)
Gonzalo J. Suárez
Hey Sam, happy 2012!!
I read your fundamental goal, and it is very interesting. But also I found a way to make new habits and comment on it in a recent post, “making YOUR new habits” (in spanish). There is a tool for anyone who wants to make an new habit as a part of the new years’ resolution.
I hope also to go to the Carribbean with the family. Let’s see if we find together there…
Saludos.
Gonzalo.
Samantha Bangayan
A Very Happy New Year, Gonzalo! =) Can’t wait to read your post on habits. There are definitely some habits I’d love to work toward this year. =)
Maybe we shall meet in the Caribbean indeed! =)
Joy
Yesss!!! Dream and dream big!! What a wonderful and truly all-encompassing resolution, Sam! I’m jealous of that one-month planned trip to the Philippines. I can dream too, right? Dream away!!! Happy New Year sweet friend! :-))
Samantha Bangayan
YAY!! Thanks for sharing my enthusiasm, Joy! =) Come along to the Philippines! =) But then again, that trip might not pan out after all. This year has already been filled with unpredictabilities and it’s only been a few weeks! =P
A Very Happy New Year to you too! =) <3 Hugs!
PeggyLee Hanson
Hi Samantha,
Being a Certified Dream Coach(R) I applaud your all encompassing resolution! Indeed! Dream and Dream Big! One of my fellow Dream Coaches says this too, and uses it for her signature at times. (You’ll see my signature at the end of this post ;-))
If you can dream it, it can happen!
Love your energy!
Dream On!
PeggyLee
Samantha Bangayan
Wow! I had no idea that you were a Certified Dream Coach, PeggyLee! =) Well, no wonder you can relate so well to my resolution this year. =) Thanks so much for the support, friend, and for sharing your energy as well!
Craig McBreen
Hey Samantha,
I don’t really make resolutions. When I decide to change a habit, why wait, right? Just get to it. Anyway, one month in the Philippines sounds very cool! Simply enjoy what you’ve done, but yeah, do keep dreaming big, you never know what will come.
I have a Kindle now too and it will be for novels only 🙂 That’s why I love the simplicity of the device.
Samantha Bangayan
I absolutely love that philosophy, Craig! Well, good thing I’ve already been dreaming all year. =)
I really do try to enjoy everything that happens to me, even the events that are completely unplanned for! =)
Wow! I admire you for choosing the earlier version of the Kindle. There’s this automatic response in me to always choose the latest version of technology. =P Gotta work on that urge.
Betsy Cross
I hear hope….to dream is to have hope. I can’t imagine not having a dream to work towards!
Great thought, Samantha!
Samantha Bangayan
I hadn’t thought about it that way, Betsy! =) I’m wishing for a hopeful new year then — I like the sound of that. =)
Harleena Singh@Freelance Writer
Love the idea Samantha!
I wish I were carefree like you and really dream away as well! Although I also never make any resolutions, this year I did make them. However, they were not the hard-core professional ones that require lots of hard work and laborious work-load. Instead, they are small achievable personal resolutions made with an intention to better my own personal self. I guess I know I can accomplish them 🙂
Wishing you a very happy and prosperous new year, and may all your dreams come true 🙂
Samantha Bangayan
I love your resolution style for this year, Harleena! Even though you’re sure you’re going to achieve them, I imagine the process was a useful exercise for you to solidify what’s important to you and what your year will look like! =)
Wishing you the most amazing new year too, friend! =) Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Kelli Cooper
Hi Samantha
Your post resonated with me so much. I am in a period right now where some big changes are happening, both internally and externally and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. It is about finding that mix of keeping up with our dreams and what we want and finding a way to take inspired action to make positive changes now. A lot to contend with, but I do my best to keep a positive perspective and my energy high so I can keep on attracting good experiences. Good luck on your journey. I have also spent some time in Peru and I really loved it there!
Samantha Bangayan
Kelli, it’s so great to meet another expat and I’m so glad you were able to identify! This year is a year of grand changes for me too and I really appreciate the eloquence in your comment. I’m the worst at balance and that’s exactly my challenge — finding the delicate balance between dreaming and action.
In the end, the foundation of all this craziness is the positivity you describe! =) No matter what, I want to keep on smiling and laughing! =)
So glad we’re in touch!
Lisa Kanarek
Dreaming is a good goal. Without dreams, you can’t move forward. There’s nothing wrong with having something great to look forward to! 🙂
Samantha Bangayan
Hehe! Thanks so much for understanding, Lisa! =) <3
Hajra
Hey Samantha,
There is just something about 2012! Well, this year I have decided I am done with being unhappy about how things are. Some things just dont change; so this year I might just make peace with it and move on. Being happy is something which might be a state of mind, state of just being content or just being optimistic about the future and give it my best shot. If it works out, yay! if it doesn’t at least I didn’t sit back and fear, I tried!
Hope it all turns out great for all!
Samantha Bangayan
I love that attitude, Hajra! =) There are really so many things that we can’t control that still end up consuming our thoughts. It can be so freeing to just let that all go. =)
I hope I can be as brave as you are this year too! =)
Tambre Leighn/coaching by tambre
I am finally living my dream. It took time for it to evolve…and some patience. In the end, it was worth it. As I begin 2012, it’s all about taking it to the next level. So dream big, Samantha. I find that when we do and we’re on the right path, the universe delivers all we need and more….not magically, per se but through faith, focused work and clear goals. Wishing you the best in 2012!
Samantha Bangayan
You are definitely a lady I look up to when it comes to dream followers, Tambre! =) Thanks for setting such an amazing example for your unending support. =) Can’t wait to see what the universe will bring me this year!
Wishing you energy for this new year as well, friend! =)
Lynn Brown
Dream on Samantha! You are right, there is nothing wrong with having to have this or that to be happy. Live your dream and enjoy life. Your positive outlook will allow you to dream and achieve what you want. Enjoy the trips you have planned and wishing you a very Happy, Healthy and Fun New Year!
Samantha Bangayan
Aww! I really appreciate your encouraging words, Lynn! =) I’ve always felt that my positivity has been an asset.
Wishing you a very merry new year too! =) <3
An Alphabet of Business Questions and Tips – Letter H | Kaarina Dillabough
[…] and determination about their dreams and goals. And people like Samantha are sharing those dreams. I love the quote she shares: “If you don’t have a dream…how you gonna have a dream come […]
John Garrett
Hey Samantha! I’m with everyone here, I don’t have new year’s resolutions because it’s kind of a crutch -also I just stubbornly don’t want to go along with the rest of the crowd. That’s why I have “March Resolutions”.
Actually those never get completed, either. Aw, shucks.
Anyway hope you had a great new year and all the best in 2012!
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! I often feel that way too, John! =P There’s this instinctual reaction to be different, but I’m not creative enough to think of my own version of things like your “March Resolutions.” Love it! =)
Wishing you tons of joy for this new year, friend!
Li @Flash Fiction
Dreaming is a wonderful way to start the New Year, and I wish your dreams to come true! I no longer make resolutions. I’ve chosen to try and live in the moment; life is too short to dwell in the past or worry over what might be, and why suffer future pain now? Life is here and it is now. Happy New Year to you!
Samantha Bangayan
Aww! Thank you SO much, Li! =) I do really vibe with your philosophy on living in the moment. Maybe I’ll do away with resolutions next year. =P I’m a spontaneous kind of gal after all. =)
Thanks for your words of wisdom, friend! And happy new year to you too! =)
Claire Bowen
Happy New Year, Sam!
Love the concept and the post! Agree! Keep Dreaming!
🙂
Samantha Bangayan
Wishing you the most amazing new year ever, Claire! =) Thanks for the support! <3 Hugs!
Bryce Christiansen
Hi Samantha,
I’m finally back! I’m with you on the resolutions thing. I live my life without too many regrets.
I make progress every day and I guess if I were to have a resolution it would be to continue to have the strength to make the changes needed as they come.
Best of luck and belayed Happy New Year.
Bryce
Samantha Bangayan
Welcome back, Bryce! =) I’ve been on and off with such a hectic schedule these days, so I hope you had a more relaxing holiday season! =)
Love that reflection about living life without regrets. I feel entirely the same way and that’s where all my dreaming comes from, I guess. =) I’m going to ride that wave of your resolution too because I’ll need all the strength I can get for the unpredictability this year! =)
Happy, happy new year to you too, friend! =)
J.D. Meier
“Someday we’ll find it, that rainbow connection, the lovers the dreamers and me.” — Kermit the Frog
Way to be. Keep your inner-dreamer alive. I think our dreams inside us that inspire us to flourish and bring out our best.
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! That is the most adorable Kermit quote ever! =) Thanks for sharing that and for your encouraging words, JD! I definitely hope to *flourish* this year!
Anna
I like very much this article. After all having a dream and trying to make it come true is what give our everyday grey life a sense – don’t you think so?
Samantha Bangayan
Thanks, Anna! I see what you mean and I definitely agree that dreaming is all about creating purpose in our lives. =)
Penelope J.
Yes, why not make a commitment in 2012 to keep on being a dreamer as dreams have a way of coming true? I’ve spent a good part of my life dreaming and now I’m starting to see the magic happening as my dreams turn into reality. Also, dreamers get so much more out of life as we tend to see things in a positive light, and our dreams have a wondrous effect on what we do. So dream on in 2012 and in 2013 and 2014 and so on. Just never give up on your dreams.
Samantha Bangayan
I’m loving that perception of dreams, Pennie. It’s especially motivating to imagine that they *magically* “have a way of coming true.” =) I really believe that and you’r ea living testimony! =)
Thanks for the tidbit of wisdom, friend. =) Hugs!
D. T. Gray
Keep dreaming Sam. Dreams are like bridges that keep us on the road to the future. See you on the other side.
Samantha Bangayan
It’s so great to meet you, DT! Thank you oh so much for your encouraging words! =) They put a huge smile on my face! Happy to know that I’m going in the right direction. =)
The Pepperrific Life
I never make new year’s resolutions :). But resolving to keep on dreaming is good. If anything, that’s all we really have.
A happy new year to you, Samantha 🙂
Samantha Bangayan
Wow! I hadn’t thought about it that way, Pepper! Maybe that’s why I find myself clinging to my dreams. =)
Wishing you a fabulous new year too! =)
Nima
I LOVE Peru, I’ve always wanted to go. I’m so glad I stumbled across this blog in the Facebook Group! I’m looking forward to settling down with a brew over the weekend and reading your posts. My all encompassing new years eve resolution? Make a little extra effort everyday re: friends.
Samantha Bangayan
Aww! I hope you’ll get a chance to visit Peru one day! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, Nima! It’s so great to meet you and I’m super excited to check out your Oh My… site/blog — I’ve already Liked your page and followed you on Twitter!
I’m also really inspired by your own resolution! Relationships are what make life so rich and I hope to make friends a priority this year too! =)
Akos Fintor
Hey Sam,
As long as you dream, dream BIG!
best
Akos
Samantha Bangayan
Wise words, friend! =) Thanks so much!
Sam
Reading this made me realise I’ve been avoiding the new year and any ‘new years resolutions’ I should be making. There is a lot I want to get accomplished this year, maybe I should write it down, maybe I don’t need to. Either way, we should all keep dreaming!
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! That’s what I was like until I forced myself to write about resolutions in this post. =P Hope you found the time to at least think through a few things you want to focus on this year!
Cassandrahenrich
Before, I am always making a New Year’s resolution but I always fail myself. Lately, I don’t make resolutions anymore. What I do it is up a goal and do my best to
Samantha Bangayan
So great to meet you, Cassandra! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! There’s no such thing as failure. What’s important is that we keep on trying, right? =) “Doing your best” *is* what counts!
Deeone
Wow Sam,
You’ve got a busy beginning of 2012 ahead of you! It must be kind of exciting, I can imagine. Don’t forget to take lots and lots of photos! 🙂
Personally, my only resolution, if calling it that; is for me to finish my book. While I have other goals that I am sure to accomplish this year, that’s my main focus at the moment. I have put it off for far to long and I’m really just ready to be able to say that I’ve done it!
I loved the quote or saying at the beginning of the post, “If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” That’s SO incredibly true! So I guess the only real thing for us to do, is to hold on to our dreams. I believe with all that’s within me that this is the year we’ll certainly take flight. Get ready!! 😉
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! You know, I didn’t even mean for 2012 to be so busy. I thought I was going to relax. Just goes to show how unpredictable life is! =) I’ll definitely be documenting the year with photos and more. =)
I’m so excited to have your book come out, Deeone! I hope you’re able to make the time you need to truly focus on it and release your creative energies! It sounds like it should be a really therapeutic experience for you. =)
MuMuGB
I never keep my new year’s resolutions anyway. I like “keep dreaming”. Yep, that will do for me!
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! =) Your relaxed attitude is exactly what I needed, Muriel! =)
Tana
You know, this is the first year in a long time that I did not make a New Year’s resolution. I typically do keep my resolutions till the year’s end but it rarely has the effect I anticipate. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t come up with one, just could not think of what I wanted to do.
Samantha Bangayan
Great to meet you, Tana! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! =) I totally admire you for always following through with your resolutions. Now maybe this is your year off. =)
Cat Alexandra @ Internet Marketing Success
Hi Samantha,
I really enjoy the approach you’ve chosen for your new year intentions. I feel less inclined, personally, to make resolutions. Resolution implies to me that there’s some kind of thing that needs to be fixed…I live a life of purpose, so for me a better congruence to this sort of positive direction evoking sentiment is to have more focused intentions. – New Year’s Intentions, if you will…
I think that as we “grow up” in life, sometimes we disconnect with the daydreamer and the believer inside. It’s so important to allow the spirit and mind to be free in the wonder of dreaming.
I wish you a year filled with time to cover all your dreams on your wishlist! Time for great reading, traveling, enjoying loved ones, and of course making money all the while! I know you can do it!!
Highest regards,
Cat Alexandra 😉
Samantha Bangayan
Cat, thanks so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts! =) I hadn’t thought about the connotation of the word “resolution,” and I can definitely see how it can be tied with dissatisfaction with how things are. I don’t ever want to feel that way and can therefore relate with your idea of “New Year’s Intentions.” Love that creativity. =)
And thanks not only for your beautiful wish, but also for your encouragement with my inner daydreamer/believer! =)
farouk
i wish you a great year Samantha
i hope life is treating you well
keep in touch 🙂
Samantha Bangayan
Thanks so much, Farouk! The very same to you! =)
Adeline
That’s so true Samantha. My mentor once told me that everything begins with a dream. Come to think of it, there’s so many things that we enjoy today that were just once dreams of other people. We all should never stop dreaming big things, and reaching for the stars.
Samantha Bangayan
I hadn’t thought about it that way, Adele! We’ve all gotta start somewhere! I guess these are my first steps. =) Hope you continue to reach for the stars too, friend. =)
Sherry Zander
Well, Sam, my dream is to continue to dream. I lost sight of some of my dreams a while back, but they are stirring once again. The ebb and flow of life can sometimes draw us under and make us feel like our dreams are dead. I don’t think they really die, though. I think they go to a quiet place until we are ready to dream them again. Let the dreams flow once again!
Samantha Bangayan
That’s such a beautiful image of your dreams stirring again. =) I imagine them bubbling up and overflowing with energy and enthusiasm! =) I’m so glad you’re on this path, Sherry!