As I reflect back on 2012, I think the biggest lesson that kept appearing in many different forms is the need to face problems head on. If I can turn at look at problems as they begin to appear, they are often small, and are always more manageable than they will be later on. Whether the problem is interpersonal conflicts, conflicting strategies, unpleasant news, or dashed dreams, it will only fester over time. Tonight I am slowing down, reflecting on 2012 with gratitude and awe, and considering my goals and wishes for 2013. Hopefully I can continue to develop a more reflective life, and also act more quickly to confront small problems in 2013. I am also working to let go of the limitations I subconsciously place on myself and my dreams, among other things. What are you trying to create in your life in the new year? Is there anything you are letting go of from the year that's just passed?
"You got to nip this in the bud."
ReplyDelete--Barney Fife
This was a great routine Don Knotts did on the Andy Griffith Show - the most accurate depiction of life in the South in the 50's and 60's. PFFT!
But Don Knotts was a genius, even on Three's Company.
The point is, taking a few moments to reflect on how to handle something is OK, avoiding it completely, no...
I wanted to show you an example of this routine and found this awesomeness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de_P2aUZJyA
New Years Eve 2022 involved sneaking a piece of cake while my children slept, and then going to sleep at 10pm. It also involved snippets of connection with my nesting partner, my brother and his partner and kids, my parents. So a lot has changed in those ways in the past 10 years. And I am still learning about slowing down...
ReplyDeleteAnd, 2022 brought a depth of experience I couldn't have imagined in 2012. This year I developed significant connection with several ancestors, with the goddess Yemayá, and with my other magical tools and practices.
And, I still sometimes avoid small problems until they become huge. Like the way my heat slowly died out over the late fall / early winter and I didn't get it fixed until it was urgent. A shift is that I can usually see the problem when it's smaller, and also am aware that I am avoiding it. The next step, and a goal for this year, is to ask for help once I get to that place. To be ok with needing help to do something that "should" be simple, like calling the heater repair people. To accept that it's too hard / scary, and that I need help, to share that with a loved one, and to receive their care with gratitude rather than shame.