One of the things I like about starting a new year is that it reminds me that we were all once absolute beginners. It helps me remember that it is okay to ask questions, to not know, to start over, to open my mind to learning something new. And sometimes learning something new means I get the opportunity to let go of something I thought I knew to be true and to deal with my ego's desire to always be right, an interesting experience in itself.
Rather than follow the more traditional path of making new year resolutions, I prefer to take some time at the start of the year to think about my intentions. And if my intentions involve change of any kind, letting go of something is often essential to make room for that new change. Sometimes I can just go slow and add more to my repertoire, but eventually the closet gets too full and I need to eliminate something. Whether it is a pattern of thinking or a specific behavior or an attachment to a person, place or thing, letting go is not easy. We tend to hold onto what is familiar, sometimes without attention to the price.
If we want to have more gratitude in life, we need to begin to release patterns of perfectionism. And if we want increased self esteem, criticism needs to go. If your intention is to have more joy, start inhibiting the habit of taking things personally and the acquisition of resentments. For more love, it really helps to have less fear. And sometimes we need to let go of the wanting of something so that we can be open to the receiving of it.
In the Chinese Calendar, we begin the year of the Water Snake in a few weeks. An auspicious sign, the Water Snake is sometimes known as the Wise Snake who brings conscious awareness, spiritual connection and the opportunity to restore balance. Snake year wisdom cautions against over extension, and recommends spending time in contemplation. So perhaps this might be a good year take some time to think about where in your life you can do less instead of more, of what you can let go of to make room for the fulfillment of your intentions.
Rather than follow the more traditional path of making new year resolutions, I prefer to take some time at the start of the year to think about my intentions. And if my intentions involve change of any kind, letting go of something is often essential to make room for that new change. Sometimes I can just go slow and add more to my repertoire, but eventually the closet gets too full and I need to eliminate something. Whether it is a pattern of thinking or a specific behavior or an attachment to a person, place or thing, letting go is not easy. We tend to hold onto what is familiar, sometimes without attention to the price.
If we want to have more gratitude in life, we need to begin to release patterns of perfectionism. And if we want increased self esteem, criticism needs to go. If your intention is to have more joy, start inhibiting the habit of taking things personally and the acquisition of resentments. For more love, it really helps to have less fear. And sometimes we need to let go of the wanting of something so that we can be open to the receiving of it.
In the Chinese Calendar, we begin the year of the Water Snake in a few weeks. An auspicious sign, the Water Snake is sometimes known as the Wise Snake who brings conscious awareness, spiritual connection and the opportunity to restore balance. Snake year wisdom cautions against over extension, and recommends spending time in contemplation. So perhaps this might be a good year take some time to think about where in your life you can do less instead of more, of what you can let go of to make room for the fulfillment of your intentions.
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