.....resolutions

Yogis,

So here we are in the New Year.  The beginning.  A blank slate on which we can create anything that we desire.  Anything…..  

But it’s already January 8^th and I haven’t even picked my resolutions much less implemented them!!  Yikes!!!  I’m a loser. But its ok because by around January 15^th almost everyone will have forgotten and we all figure we can make changes next year……..

This whole New Year’s resolution business can be stressful.  Everywhere you look are suggestions on what to do, how to change, what to give up and how to feel.  When I googled ‘New Year’s resolution’ the first result reads:

• A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western Hemisphere, in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior.

Oh my, which one do I start with?  This sounds unpleasant.

The next:

• 50 News Year’s Resolutions Ideas and How to Achieve Each of Them - Read through these useful tips on seeing your New Year's resolutions through and making a real improvement.

Obviously my life right now must stink.  And I need tips?

I think we have it all wrong.  New Year’s is equivalent to the new moon.  It is a time to go inward and take stock.  Becoming quiet and still to notice where we are on our life journey.  A time for the inner work which isn’t glamorous and we often try to avoid, preferring the quick fix of outer change.  It can be scary in there. Like stepping into the dark knowing there are probably some spider webs and who knows what else. If I don’t look, perhaps they aren’t really there. 

It’s a process that takes some time. The real changes we seek don’t come from the impulsive wishes of the mind based on what’s happening in the world around us. No. Real change only comes from a shift on the inside. The outer world will follow your lead.

And no better season than winter to take this on. Look outside. Nothing. Nature has grown quiet. The trees are mindfully tending to their roots and the sun is low in the sky so as not to be a distraction. Close your eyes and feel the silence. 

Take your time with this. There is no rush. Shine the light inside and be there with it all. There are no ‘undesired traits or behaviors’, only ones that no longer serve you in  fulfilling your unique purpose here on earth. Taking up space needed for your new growth.

And the best part, every day is New Year’s Day!  Every sunrise is like the new moon….a fresh start. A chance to shed the old and create the new. No need to wait until each January 1. 

I can create anything…..anything at all that I want……but only when I begin by stopping and looking inward. Go in and stay a while. Get comfortable. There's no rush. 

Noticing now,
SARAH