A new year is upon us again and it’s sometimes hard to fathom how quickly it all seems to fly by. It can be a tad unsettling with the passing of each year when making the way down that “hill” of life rather than moving up. It sure makes me more thoughtful and appreciative though. And I’ve discovered that the one thing which most consistently keeps me in the moment is the practice of creativity. I’m not just talking about art and design, although that’s definitely where creativity seems to be most outwardly obvious in my life. The practice of creativity can also be found in teaching, traveling, practicing yoga, even scheduling my days’ events. There are just so many things to explore.
Simply living and responding to life have always provided opportunities for creativity, but I haven’t always embraced those opportunities. Change meant, well, changing. Sometimes I don’t want to change anything—except when it’s my idea. When I embrace change, the possibilities seem endless and exciting. But when change is thrust upon me, the “unknown endless possibility” can be a little scary. It doesn’t need to be though and creativity has time and again proven to help alleviate any fear and/or discomfort.
I’ve been fortunate to have had many adventures in the world for which I’m eternally grateful. I’m even more grateful though to have had really wonderful teachers who shared their wisdom of remaining open to change even with all its complications. Learning various methods to help choose a response to any change has been an adventurous exploration all on its own, with both highs and lows. Some of the best lessons have been to not only remain open in the face of change but also to foster thoughtfulness and patience throughout that process. Each moment is pregnant with some new circumstance to explore by simply (or not so simply at times) allowing myself just see and/or experience what comes.
So this year, I’m setting a goal to notice and embrace these creative opportunities, whether big or small, with more optimism and warm-heartedness both to myself and others. I’m a little nervous to make this a goal because the universe always responds to intentions, and the unknown is…well…obviously unknown. But it feels intuitively like the thing to do. It’s simply another way to be creative while traveling through life and time, right? I’d rather have the time of my life than be afraid or avoidant of change. It’s simply another way to live adventurously. I’ll likely report how this all goes in the future.
The current report: my life and career are rich and full of so many good opportunities. We all have the desire to love our lives and I’m certainly grateful to be able to do that in so many ways. I’m hopeful our paths cross in the coming days so that you can share what you’re going to be embracing in 2024. I’d love to hear about it! Until then, happy new year to you and yours!
