Beginnings (part 1)
Happy New Year!
I don’t know about you, but since Christmas Day, I’ve felt this tremendous pressure to be ready and able to leave all of 2020 behind as the calendar ushers us into 2021. Willing, yes! But ready? And able?
I’ve wrestled with thoughts such as, I haven’t done this yet or I haven’t solved for that yet or I haven’t come close to fixing that yet. I’ve especially wrangled with, but I don’t want to take this <<hurt, pain, ache, fear, dread>> with me into the next year—I need more time!.
Side note: don’t get me wrong. I’ve also had countless moments since early May all the way to as recently as yesterday when I've told 2020 to go f' itself, begging it to be 2021 already.
And then the clock struck 12. 2020 was over; 2021 had begun.
I let out an audible sigh of relief.
No longer was there this unrealistic pressure of out with the old, in with the new but rather an acknowledgement that there’re still things to be done, solved, “fixed”; that there’s still anguish and anxiety that came along with me into the new year; and that that’s all okay.
Another side note: don’t get me wrong here, either. I still opened my back doors at midnight to let out the old year and opened my front door to welcome in the new year. You can never be too sure…
It’s all about perspective.
Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.
~Fred Rogers
Mr. Rogers always did have great perspective.
Yes, we’re at the end of 2020. And we’re also at the beginning of 2021.
If we allowed ourselves to just think of this as being the end to 2020, we might be too restrictive, staying focused for too long on the disappointment, or discomfort, or uncertainty that was a lot of the year, let’s be honest.
Rather, if we allow ourselves to think about this as being the beginning of 2021, why, we might find that we’re open to the excitement, and enthusiasm, and possibility that define our present moment and the year ahead.
Potentially arbitrary distinctions, but as I said, it’s all about perspective, as so much of life is.
I’m choosing to think that we’re at the beginning of something else.
Sure, <<hurt, pain, ache, fear, dread>> followed us through our front doors, despite our asking them to exit through the back. And that’s okay, as they've actually played big roles in shaping who we are, what we believe and how we’ll thrive. Their life lessons are gifts, if viewed with the right perspective.
What matters today and moving forward is what we make of today, tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, etc.…and this is where we can getting fully on board with shouting, out with the old, in with the new!.
We are at the beginning of something else.
So what are we going to do about it?
I invite each of us to spend parts of today and the weekend reflecting on our “2020 years in review”—the challenges, the disappointments, sure, and also the highlights, the accomplishments. And I also invite us to spend today and throughout the weekend dreaming about our “2021 years in review” one year from now and what we want them to look like, read like, sound like.
And then? It’s about putting a plan in place to get us there!
Where is the important? And how do we prioritize it?
Where is the urgent? And how do we manage it?
Where are we being held back? And how do we quit it?
Where are we facing dead ends? And how do we let it go?
It’s all about “systems and processes” for those who have ever worked with me (read: rituals and habits).
We might, in time, if we’re not there yet, come to appreciate the growth and transformation that 2020 welcomed upon us all. Most of it was uninvited, yet, doors have been opened to something else. It’s hard to close them now. We owe it to ourselves to keep down the path to see how this beginning, this 2021, can be one of realigning and reorganizing to better match our hopes and dreams and to recommitting to and reinvesting in our self-care and well-being.
Some of the “gifts” I’ve received are that:
Asking for help is okay and necessary; in fact, it’s human
Resiliency and adaptability are everything, and they can be nurtured
We’re all more courageous than we might have thought, myself included
We’re truly interconnected; the actions of one impact those of all, and we have a responsibility to each other and to ourselves to own our responsibilities and to show up for them (this is a big part of the self-care and well-being piece)
Relief starts at home, inside each of us, and while we can’t control the final destination, we do have the power to influence our approach and outlook towards the transitions in-between, which is truly where growth and transformation live
How might we nurture, foster, influence the above?
We can move—we can walk, hike, roll out our mats, roll on the floor, run, dance, play, etc.
We can breathe—we can write, sing, laugh, cry, sob, chat, whisper, scream, sigh, etc.
We can be—we can pause, slow down, observe, sit, imagine, ideate, dream, etc.
Ultimately, we can simply be.
For the next few days, take some time to do just that. Roll out your mat and tune into the wealth of insight from your body, breath and mind. Or go for a walk, run or hike through the woods, connecting with Mother Nature and taking in her truths. Or light a candle and turn inwards, spending time with your thoughts with good old fashioned pen and paper. Better yet, do some combination of it all.
And then imagine this time next year and what you want to invite through your front door for the beginning of that something else. And start to plan.
Thank you for being a large part of 2020 for me—a silver lining unlike any I could have imagined this time last year. This movement about movement is building a community committed to the style of life we all want to live. Thanks for being with me along my path and for inviting me to join you along your’s.
We are emerging from the fog and stepping into the light, into this beginning of something new. And there is utter awe awaiting us.
We are ready and able.
XO
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