A new year again….
These suckers come around, and all of a sudden, we are faced with the prospect of introspection. Was last year good? Bad? A success? A dismal failure? Are we continuing on a path we like or scrapping the whole thing and starting over?
Reflecting on the Past Year
We make lists and promises to ourselves about who we will be and what we will do in the new year. And we close the chapter on the year before us – sometimes feeling tremendous relief to have this symbolic moment to begin anew and sometimes feeling like we are riding an incredible wave of momentum. Either way, most often, our focus is on our futures.
The Power of Present-Moment Awareness
Yet today, I am going to suggest something absolutely mind-blowing. Just be present with THIS moment. There is no future without this moment right now. We can’t live in the future; we can only experience the present. If we can find a way to truly be mindful and present in each moment as it comes, the future will create itself beautifully without our artificial engineering.
Intentions, affirmations, and resolutions are wonderful tools for reminding us of who we would like to be and how we would like to manifest in the world. But they can not take the place of being here, right now and being grateful for the life we have at this moment.
Nothing is more lovely than consciously opening our eyes and truly seeing the abundance in our lives. Regardless of what is happening on our journey, there is something to be grateful for: the sunshine, a friend, our health, and our talents. Sometimes, I remind myself that I am lucky that I was born with a modicum of intelligence. I may have cultivated it, but I did not create it. We are often lucky in ways that we have never explored. Most often, it is the simplest of things.
Cultivating Gratitude for the Present
We are all blessed somehow; if we can bring our attention to these blessings, our lives will always be rich and fulfilling. By focusing on what we have and who we are in the present moment, we are living in the present moment, the only place in time in which we can live.
So today (and every day), as you plan for your future, take a moment (every moment) to be grateful for the abundance that you already have. Not only will this practice help cultivate a more lovely new year, but better yet, it will create a lovely today.
Blessings to you and all those you love. Happy New Year. Happy today.
