Now that the celebrations are over and the decorations are stored, it is time to stop for a minute and think about the year we want!
One of my best blogs was last years’ start-up, grow-up, and let go. You can check it here: http://www.aliciacastilloholley.com/2011/09/start-up-grow-up-let-go/
This year I want to take EXACTLY the opposite view, driven in part by my friend Marilena Beuses who sent us a wonderful note on the joys of emptiness.
I can’t stress the importance of letting go, things and emotions come as we use them, it is so overwhelming to keep adding to it, that letting go comes as a relief and a gift to that emptiness that invariably will be filled out with newies.
So… without further do, here are my wishes for 2012….
1. Start fresh, and let go…. Release what is no longer useful to you, out with the things and emotions that you no longer need. Put aside the relationships where there is no connection, it will be re-established as you and them need it. Get empty lots in your calendar, the precious time that requires NO outcome: “il dolce far niente” as Italians say. Feel the freedom that comes from not HAVING to do anything. As my friend, Salim Abi-Saab once told me, the only thing we need to do is DIE, all the rest, we do because we want to. Cut the anchor that ties you to where you no longer need to be. This is a year to be enjoyed… get the dramas out. I’m sure new will come in, so make some space for them too.
2. Grow up… what is just fighting inside of you for growth? Now that you have some freedom, what would you use it for? What makes your heart jump with excitement? After all, live is but a set of staircases, with horizontal and vertical challenges, and every now and then a loop to get back on track. A bit of struggle is fine, as long as the universal question sews a thread onto what is meaningful to you: what is the lesson? Where is the next step, what is the road to it? Pick a couple of things to grow this year… then use focused intention… and forget about ‘the secret’ Life doesn’t happen to us, we happen to life.
3. Start up… Every year, I take a course on something I’ve never done before… even if it is something I’ll never do again. Take Arabic lessons, tango classes, learn to draw, sing new songs, play new games, start a new venture (one of my favorites), write a book or a poem. We took on building puzzles over the holidays! New things are exciting, keep your brain agile and your curiosity alive. There is nothing like uncertainty to spice up your life. At the end, failure is not as bad as inaction or boredom. Pull up a rack of magazines or search the internet for something unusual, unknown or unpredictable. Don’t buy things, DO.
Let’s create the 2012 we want…
PD: for myself I already started… I’m lending for free 10,000 copies of the book Falling in love with your life on Kindle, and slashed the price on kindle to $.99. grab your copy here and share the joy. http://dld.bz/aCEka
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