Change is in the Air
I love this time of year. There is this feeling of rebirth, new beginnings and fresh starts. The start of a new calendar year has a certain mystique and reverence to it. We celebrate in many different ways - some subdued, others full out wild. No matter how you sound in the new year it is a new year for all.
What is interesting about this time of year is how we each attribute meaning to the experience. If you were isolated from civilisation, temporarily out of touch with time you would just see one day change to the next. You might eventually notice the seasons shift but you would not be looking at a calendar, would you?
I felt a little bit like this as we passed from 2013 to 2014. I was flying high in the sky somewhere over the South Pacific. I left Los Angeles on 30th December and arrived in Sydney on 1st January. There was no reference to exactly when our traveling entourage hit the big time. So it was in this context that I sat reflecting as I left what I did not want to take with me. Then I sat and reflected on what I wanted to bring with me. I literally had a physical experience of movement from one place to another matching my shift from one year to another. (From the size of my luggage though I think I brought more with me into this new year than I left.)
A few things came up that I feel are worth sharing. I do so simply to offer you an opportunity for further reflection.
New Year’s is not just a moment in time. New Year’s is a mindset, state of being that we invite into our life. We create the experience and meaning around this event. As such whether or not we do anything to mark the occasion is a personal matter. There is no judgement either way. Some people go all out with rituals etc. Others do not. Neither is right or wrong, simply perfect for you in your choice.
The spirit of New Year’s is about new beginnings and new starts. We can invite this spirit to be with us always. We can wipe the slate clean anytime we feel like it and start again. What matters again is that we do so with acceptance, self respect, self love and non judgement.
New Year’s is not about doing what others say or do! I feel strongly about this point. It is a time to shed expectations of others, remove pressure, limit the influence of others' opinions. Most of all it is a time to reconnect to YOUR dreams, YOUR aspirations, YOUR desires without qualification or evaluation.
New Year’s is an ongoing commitment to being the best we can be each day. In this self promise we follow our own path, lead by example and live with acceptance. We invite an attitude of trying, not giving up yet allowing ourselves to make mistakes, learn and move on. It is our life to live and learn, not another’s.
It is in this context that I also feel we can distill our expression of intent into guiding statements and words. For some the simplicity of one word is enough. I like the idea of one word yet I also feel limited by it. Instead of one word I let my intuition speak to me. I gave myself permission over the past week to notice what came up. I asked myself what would make this year wonderful and fantastic for me and those connected to me. At different times thoughts came to me. Again I share the essence of these with you simply as another point of reflection:
Shine with magnificence.
Step forward fearlessly.
Celebrate being ME!!!
Share and collaborate.
Now what I just shared with you may sound a bit out there. Yet each statement has resonance for me, engenders a sense of commitment and enlivens me in my approach to life and work. I also imagine that more themes will come up and these may change.
So instead of saying just for 2014 I say starting now and going forward.
Here’s to celebrating new beginnings, fresh starts and having fun along the way.
Happy 2014 and beyond!!!!!