Winter Musings

So...did you make it through the holiday crush?  It's only the second day after The Big Day so maybe you aren't quite sure yet how you are doing.  I know it took me all day yesterday to recuperate from all the hustle and bustle.  And I didn't even buy Christmas presents, send out Christmas cards, or cook!  That's right.  I did none of the major activities I usually do for Christmas.  This year was NOT my typical year of holiday traditions.  How did I get away with that without the big guilt trip that can accompany not doing things we have always done?  I simply gave myself permission.

I took the time to step away.  To slow down.  To listen.  What I discovered was that what I really wanted to do was spend time with my great grandkids and my mom.  And to do that well I had to open up my calendar for free time.  I accepted the fact that one simply can't do everything!  What???, you might say in horror.  After all we are sold the bill of goods that you simply "believe it to achieve it".  Well, I am here to enlighten you that there are limits to everything.  And the best strategy is to face the fact that each of us has limitations.  Horrors, I can hear you say.  No way, I can hear you say.  Balderdash, I can hear you say!  I choose to believe I can do and be anything I put my mind to, I can hear you say!  

So, if that is you, how's that belief working for you most of the time?  Maybe, just maybe, every now and then you are able to accomplish ALL of the tasks on your "to do" list.  But, if so, how did you fair after the fact?  What were the costs?  Was there any fallout?  I bet if you take time to really examine this question, you will find there were some repercussions from trying to do it all.

That may be fine with you.  No problem.  Recovery is just around the corner.  However...you are facing another major moment, New Year's Day.  After all, we are beset by the drive to party hearty and set the perfect resolution to help us improve in the coming New Year.  Having an entirely new year ahead of us is a great motivator.  Problem is, the new gets old really, really fast.  And if we haven't yet paid attention to those habits and beliefs that haven't worked so well in the past, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes in this shiny new year.

My wish for you is that you stop and Go SLO=W this New Year's Eve.  Take time to Stop, Listen, and Observe so that the Wisdom that is waiting for you will be heard.  2018 CAN be your best year ever.  No matter what dramas and traumas come your way, you can build in the muscle to handle them with Grace.  

Taking the time to consciously acknowledge your personal challenges and strengths is also a great way to avoid the trap of "I can do and be anything I set my mind to."  In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a trap.  You have limitations.  I have limitations. What is the saving grace to this dilemma?  We can be everything we are!  Yes, we can.

One way to Go SLO=W is to take time to create a ceremony to usher in the New Year.  Setting aside the time to envision and imagine what is most important to you will go a long way in allowing you to achieve your most important goals.  It's a way to get clear on how to be all you are and to recognize and acknowledge your limitations so that you can achieve what is most important to you going into 2018.

Here are the most important steps in creating a ceremony:

1.  Set aside the day and time and place.

2.  Choose who will be present.

3.  Find a formal way to begin the ceremony, such as ringing a bell or playing a song.

4.  Incorporate all the senses...use incense, light a candle, hold hands.

5.  Use a "talking stick" so that only one person speaks at a time.

6.  Refrain from giving advice.  Simply listen and affirm the speaker.

7.  Have a rough time estimate for the ending of the ceremony.  This is important as some of us "talk long" and need more time to express what's in our hearts.

8.  End the ceremony formally as well...striking a gong or ringing a bell or singing a song are just a couple options you might choose.

Remember that there is work to be done prior to the ceremony.  You must take the time to listen, discern, and then act.  If you find you need extra support, Integrative Wisdom is here for you.

May 2018 Find You Being All You Can Be.