Things To Think About, Monday, December 31st, 2018

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Things To Think About, Monday, December 31st, 2018

Same old you, new mindset.

Happy Monday, or whatever Monday you choose.

Many of you are making New Year resolutions. Those of you who love mythology may be familiar with Janus the two-headed god of doorways, beginnings, and endings. Since tomorrow starts 2019, it is an excellent time to reflect on 2018 and set goals for 2019. In a previous post, I discussed that we are connected. https://www.thingstothinkabout.co/blog/things-to-think-about-monday-december-17th-2018. Yesterday I had a chance to visit The Night Garden and one of the exhibits was the web of life. It was a beautiful visual display about how we are connected. Human beings are social creatures.  What relationships will you forge in 2019? What can you create together? It can be love, friendship, business, family, or your spiritual connection. Will you allow wonder into your life? We have to have some measure of vulnerability to experience life. If you go and see a movie, you have to suspend disbelief to gain the full experience. Knowing the technical aspect is like knowing all the tricks at a magic show.  What's the point of going? Just like Janus is a two-headed god depicted as looking forward and backward, relationships have a sense of duality. I liken relationships to a sea; are you swimming up to the light or down to explore darker places?

But, and there is always a but - your waters are muddied because great upheaval is causing debris to tumble into the sea. The choppy waters will pass. What are the surprises in store for us this coming year? Nobody knows. Use the shake-up to kick-start change in your life. When life takes from you, you may learn that you did not need them or that you are more creative and more of a survivor than you give yourself credit.  Embrace the suck; embrace the change. With your co-creators by your side, you can quickly effect transformational results. Surfing in calm waters is impossible. Ride the waves of change.

After everything falls apart, remove the rubble and build upon a new foundation. There will always be change and some modicum of chaos in our lives. If you remain grounded, your foundation will stand. You can always rebuild. Do not fall in love with your creation, but with the creative process. As I walked through the Night Garden, I noticed many people taking pictures. People can become obsessed with the image of their life and forget to live. The garden had sounds, scent, and tactile experiences but many people only focused on the visual and not the entirety of the offering. Are you forgetting to experience all that life has to offer? Are you building a "safe" foundation out of fear. Trust yourself and allow yourself to be vulnerable to what life offers. Build your foundation using all available materials.

What's next? Opening a door is a metaphor for transformation. You can go through and go forward or stay where you are. You can achieve many new things if you decide to open the door. There will be no fairies like the Night Garden, but with hard work and perseverance, the results may seem like magic. Suspend the disbelief about what is possible in your life. Set big audacious goals. To paraphrase my friend, Lisa Brooks from Lisa Brooks Management, if you want to make a million, set your goal for a billion. Children do not limit themselves to what is possible. I wish you to remember what it was like to be a child and find your sense of wonder for 2019. You do not have to wait for a particular date. Start now.