“Well, here we are,” a voice inside me said, “sliding right into a brand new year.” Then it asked me, “How do you feel about that?”
It turned into a long inner conversation. I listed a bunch of emotions that rose up as I contemplated the question. Excited. Nostalgic. Wary. Hopeful. Open.
“How do you want to feel about it?” myself asked me.
“Open” appealed to me a lot. It seemed a little threatening somehow. It asked me to surrender the sense vulnerability to which I was clinging as if it was a trusted teddy bear that reassured me in the dark. But still, I really wanted to chose it above the all the other possible responses. I suppose it will take some practice, I told myself. But I had a sense it would be worth it.
So I announce to myself that I definitely choose openness. And myself says back to me, “Prove it. Say ‘Bring It On! ‘” I have to gulp first, and my voice barely comes out at first. But finally I say it, in a clear and determined voice. “Bring It On, New Year. Bring whatever you hold. And I will be open to it, and accept it with all the welcome I can muster.”
To my surprise, all of a sudden I flashed back to an image of my old friend Lori. When I drove her somewhere in my car, she would help gauge the traffic at intersections. She’d lean forward, looking to the left and right with hawk’s eyes, and when a break in the traffic appeared, she’ d shout, “Go NOW! It’s your only chance!” I laugh picturing her flashing eyes and wind-blown hair.
But hers is a phrase worth remembering. Whatever you want to do or be, now is your only chance to do or be it. Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow isn’t here yet. We can’t even be sure it’s going to come. Or that the next ten minutes will happen. So now is your only chance. Even if you don’t do well what it is that you’re hoping to do, now is your only chance to begin it, to be it. To practice it.
I like the fact that “practice” means both a habitual exercise or rehearsal and a performance. We do something over and over, by intention, with the hope of mastering it.
So I will practice openness. It’s one of those things that it’s better to do clumsily than to do not at all. And the more I practice, the better I’ll get at it.
I thought I’d mention this idea of practicing and beginning it now because even if you don’t make New Year’s Resolutions or set goals (and few of us actually do), we all end up thinking about the things we’d like to be or do differently, with more focus, more art, more efficiency, more dedication. If we decide to keep these ideals top of mind, we’ll find opportunities to practice them everywhere. Go ahead. Try it and see. Pick something you want to achieve and make a full, conscious choice to keep it in mind. Then watch what the world does in response.
I hereby give you this virtual clone of my friend Lori shouting, “Go NOW! It’s your only chance!” Close your eyes and I bet you can hear her right now. See? Cool, hey? You’re welcome.
She’ll activate whenever the world presents you with opportunities to practice your practice of being who you want to be.
Wow. Just imagine what could happen! Ready for anything? If you are, prove it. Say right out loud: “Bring It On!”
Wishing you a grand journey in the days ahead. May they be rich in all that you hold to be good, beautiful and true. Happy New Year, my friends. May you welcome each new moment and everything that it holds.
Warmly,
Susan
Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay