Consider that you are at that moment in your life, probably one of many such moments, when you are conscious of a focus on what lies ahead of you. I am aware of your smile as you think about how you do that almost every day. The moment that I am speaking of is the one where you set an intention about what’s next – not necessarily with worry or apprehension or dread or even excitement, and, yes, it might actually include all those feelings. However, what’s important about this looking ahead moment is the attitude with which you are facing forward.
Isn’t this, in fact, what you do, intentionally or otherwise, at this time of witnessing the transition to a new year? So, how’s that going for you? Is it all about what could have been different during the past twelve months, or is it about how you resolve that this year will be different? There’s such a wide open space in between that sometimes it seems better to focus on what’s happening now!
So, standing at the edge of your yoga mat or sitting on your meditation cushion, take in a deeper breath – in through your nose and let it fall out of your mouth – feel your shoulders let go a bit – and settle into who you are right now. What is ahead of you might seem like it encompasses the whole of your journey, moving toward some inner (or outer) goal. It is possible though, to experience it as simply the next step on your journey and then whatever happens after that. This is not to say that you don’t need a plan, but your plan may have little to do with the attitude that surfaces for you when facing forward.
Suppose that you bring to this moment, imagining what’s ahead, the strength of standing in your truth – it doesn’t have to be an astounding truth; it can be a simple truth (as most really are). What’s significant is bringing your awareness to an opening in how you greet what’s ahead. The image that comes to mind is standing or sitting in stillness with hands open to receive. Isn’t that how you want to be greeting this next step on your journey? If you are open to receive, then whatever happens next can be used, can serve you in moving forward. You will have welcomed it without judgment or preconceived ideas about how it is supposed to be. Then it can be a gift…
Of course, the other side of facing forward is looking back. That can be a stuck place, full of story, where bags are weighed down with what has gone before. So, without exploring all those past moments, perhaps it would be enough to find a place to put them, at least temporarily. Certainly, it’s possible to find space in a closet or rent a storage locker. You will be wanting your next step to be less encumbered; you can always retrieve later what has been set aside.
Then, see how this feels in your body – how letting go translates into lightening up and, perhaps, more energy. It doesn’t matter that it’s not forever; what is crucial is that, at this moment, you are free to face forward with an open attitude and receive what’s next. Happy New Year!