Dec. 31st. New Years approaches. We can tend to think about how we can “fix” ourselves to make us better than the year before. Dreams that often include over commitments, which don’t really last but sound good to the ego. It is what fills up my gym parking lot from January through to early March.
With being on my own, I have had some ideas on new goals to “remake myself”. But something within me has been saying I don’t need to. There is a driving inner force telling me something else lately. To actually say no to things that are going to take time and energy away without giving much in return while giving myself permission to do what is rewarding. There’s already a lot of waste with in my social media distractions, the whole political climate and our country in flames just sucking up all my time and energy. I work and then my energy and time by and large goes into one of those three categories.
I truly think what I have been missing for years now and many are is the time in the day to stop and to listen. Taking those moments to abide. Whether it is to abide in Christ, God, or the rhythm of the universe, life or one’s higher self, I think this valuable moment of being is missing for a lot of us when I talk to people. There is this pressure either to produce, or to distract and numb pain.
I love the picture in John 15 of God being the vine and humanity being the branches. Maybe the goal this year is less striving, less anxiety and more resting in love and letting that flow out of that connection to others, which then would change the world. We want to think there is a lot to do and a lot to change. It’s not that goals aren’t good. I have a fitness coach I got mid-year and it’s been a tremendous help to my health. However, it was really weighted financially and time wise because it takes a huge portion out of my life.
This is why being and listening is more important than what you propose to do. What you do should stem out of who you really are and your desires, not projections, peer pressure, or societial standards. So perhaps a great goal is to sit with yourself every morning for a few minutes, or the evening, or on your lunch break. Maybe play some meditative music or read a devotional but take some time to quietly listen to yourself, God, the universe during it. You may hear nothing many times. But it takes practice to open those receptors up and eventually these will become great times of peace, connection and wisdom, if not revelation that will steer life better than anything else will.
I know only because it used to be a regular practice for me like breathing and now that I am starting the New Year in a new place on my own, I have already started it again and feeling the benefits so I had to share with you. So, perhaps this New Years it’s more about slowing down and taking time to listening to yourself, God and the Universe instead of the track of anxiety and overloaded system tracks that running out in the world today. I know that resonates for myself. Happy New Years!
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