Welcome 2018!

And, so, it's another "new" year. Today feels a lot like yesterday and this past Monday wasn't that much different from Sunday. Of course, every day has its own unique flavor. When we are mindful and tune into the nuances, we can recognize that the law of change is always present. But, "sameness" feels more comfortable, more familiar, and less challenging. I get that. 2017 was full of shifts and unexpected events for me. Many times I found myself wishing there wasn't so much happening. The element of "surprise", something I usually welcomed, took on a dark twist.

I love to meet new people and experience different places and cultures. I enjoy going on adventures. This is why I love to travel. I don't like haunted houses or scary movies. I can anticipate pleasant or even exciting revelations when I'm on a river cruise (for example) in a part of the world where I've never been. I don't enjoy worrying that something hideous or awful is going to jump out at me from around the next corner.

There were times this past year when I found myself becoming anxious and concerned about what might startle or shake me up next. Who might die or become ill or how my "familiar" would change. It often felt like the ground was literally shifting beneath me and I had to struggle to find and keep my balance.

There's always a lot of talk about "resolutions" around January 1. We are encouraged to make a firm decision to do or not to do a particular activity. Suddenly, we resolve to take on a whole new way of being. Even though we might have been struggling with this very "thing" for some time, we are led to believe that the first day of a new year will somehow give up the magic that has eluded us until now and we will finally be successful. What a set up for failure! Of course there is a lot of support for our ultimate defeat as we watch others around us abandon their resolutions, too. I sometimes think that our resolutions are made with tongue in cheek.

I prefer the concept of a "revolution". Not as in a bloody riot, but more along the lines of a velvet or silk version -- similar to the peaceful, non-violent end of communism in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1989. I even like the definition of taking a "turn". The image of gracefully moving in a circle to see things from another perspective feels doable and comforting.

Whatever it is that you'd like to tweak or improve upon, each day offers up a fresh, new opportunity. Taking some quiet time to reflect on what you want and what feels good and right as you start your next 24 hours is a gift that's available to you. Transfer your focus and attention from what isn't working to what you desire. Have your own, personal rebellion and do it with resolve and also care and self-compassion. Create what's best for you and watch the positive effect it has not only on you, but everyone around you. This is what I wish for you this year and always.