New Year, New Message
The family visits have ended, the guests are gone and today is the first day of quiet. The weather has dropped and tiny flurries blow about on my way to get milk from the store. I’ve been watching nature documentaries and they are exceptionally calming while making breakfast, doing the dishes and putzing around the house with Guin playing in the background. I managed to finish the Firefly comic book by the time I got her to sleep and then I made my coffee and realized – wow, I haven’t worked in a while.
Even more than that, any free hour I’ve had recently has been spent with visitors (which I have no regrets about) or cleaning. And when we don’t have visitors, I usually spend that precious hour and a half of nap-time getting focused work done. But what I haven’t done is something fun or exciting (like a hobby) with my free time in over a month. So when I thought of what would sound exciting, the idea of FINALLY making a first blog post crossed my mind.
I’ve been wanting to start a blog for a few years but it’s always been on the “backburner” task list. What I’ve learned is that I always tell myself there are more important things to do and then the backburner items never get done and I get slowly more and more bitter with myself over time. So I’ve been trying to dedicate one nap-time chunk a week towards some of the backburner dreams and ideas. Last year's lesson has really proved true - instead of setting a goal, I set about putting forth any small movement towards an intention. And if I can manage even an hour a week of effort towards something, my self-worth soars and my excitement for life lifts me up.
Looking to the new year, I feel prepared for whatever is to come. Last year, January started with a cascade of plumbing and house issues followed by the passing of my Grandmother Leona and by the time I felt re-grounded we were already in mid February and I felt behind for the year. I didn’t feel like I even properly caught up until October and then it seemed like the holidays hit out of nowhere. So this year I feel I am back to 0, not behind, not ahead, but ready and prepared.
I originally had the intention of going into the new year with exuberance, ready to hit the ground running (which has usually been my way of moving into the new year) but when I picked guidance cards they all seemed to say:
“Patience. Delay is ok. Timing is vital, allow things to unfold. The seed is planted. Don’t rush, don’t push. Be still for a time and find the flow. Move steadily forward, be committed but dream BIG and be prepared to stretch outside your comfort zone. Embrace all experiences you encounter.”