A New Year’s Revolution

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

But is it?

Well, it could be. If it were happy. And really, there is no reason it can’t be happy…. If we are mindful, faithful, and grateful for everything that has happened throughout the year. But when I ask the question “is it?’ I don’t question is it happy; rather I wonder if it really is a ‘new’ year.

According to our calendar it is a new year. This is a year of 12 months and a record of years tallied to date. We accept and follow it without question. But in my never-ending quest for insight and understanding, I often question everything. Things like the origins of things, and if things are truly accurate in what they are supposed to represent.

The calendar in question is known as the Gregorian Calendar. And Wikipedia states that:

“The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull Inter gravissimas issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years differently so as to make the average calendar year 365.2425 days long, more closely approximating the 365.2422-day 'tropical' or 'solar' year that is determined by the Earth's revolution around the Sun.”

So basically it is a calendar that started recording our years not at 0, but at 1582. It is based on the solar year, which makes perfect sense. But it doesn’t follow the solar year as it is. If it did, our New Year’s Eve would be the night of the Winter Solstice, before the sun begins its return. For the solar year is the time it takes for the earth to complete one revolution around the sun. 

So the year as we know it by the current calendar is not really based in reality, but merely in idea. I mean, it does track the time it takes the earth to complete one of these revolutions, but it doesn’t start when the earth is at its furthest point from the sun. Instead, the calendar starts tracking the year after the earth has had approximately ten days to journey a little closer to the sun. This calendar is a little bit bogus.

And it is all we have ever known… and we follow it without question.

Not that this is a bad thing. But in a time when everyone seems to be reevaluating their belief systems and questioning the correctness of things we commonly do, I am merely proposing a question of what to believe and follow. It’s all quite subjective. We have different systems and units for measuring things. And when it comes to calendars, the Gregorian Calendar is not the only calendar in use around the world. There are also the Jewish, Islamic, Indian, Chinese and Julian calendars.

I think the point I am trying to convey is that we can all believe different things. That is fine. That is what makes life interesting and flavourful. This whole experience of being human reflects the truest nature of life and the universe, where there are no absolutes, only infinites. And in those infinites, there are many things that overlap and are commonly agreed upon. This is good. This is what brings people together. Our shared beliefs. It creates community, which fosters belonging in the ways of conversation, connection, comfort through companionship, like-minded kinship, fostering friendships and building relationships.

We are able to see eye to eye. And those are all ‘see’ worthy ships.

But only as long as we are able to see clearly, and see beyond our ships.. and beyond the horizons of our limited imaginations. Which can only be possible if we open our minds to new ideas and perspectives. Which usually happens when we question things. And to do that, we must accept that we do not have all the answers. Instead, we must ask those questions that look for the answers in the most unexpected places. And in doing so, we will come to understand a bigger picture of the world, life, the universe, who we are and how it all works. To pursue this course is to achieve a greater place from which to believe. Like climbing a mountain to gain a greater view. We can now see further.

And we can see that our once blind faith and beliefs were true.

Believing is seeing, and seeing is believing. It begins with each new day. The opportunity for a fresh start is always there. Our future is built upon it. We can map out the coming days, weeks and months, with clocks and calendars, but the real meaning exists in the moments we live. Everything comes to pass. And it is never too late to change what we feel may have already passed us by. The time will pass anyway, so take on any task that holds some hope for you. Maybe you want to take up a new hobby, or change a habit, or take a course or pursue a big life change. Whatever it is, you will succeed. If you keep doing, and trying.

The only obstacle is the one we create inside ourselves.

We doubt what we cannot see. We base our expectations on the failures that we had before. We defend our hopelessness with arguments about how we already tried, and how we have failed. But life is bigger than those feelings of defeat and failure. Life is what we are each given, and life goes round and round. Things always change. It comes in cycles that always come back to us. With new opportunities. It’s like riding a big blue ball that is moving in large circles around an even bigger yellow ball… that gives us life.

And everything that is living is alive because of this.

So change things. And welcome the new year; the next big circle around the sun, with a new year’s revolution.

The Infinite Unknown

Darkness.

It is always there. It takes on many shapes. Many faces. Many meanings. We cannot escape it. It always seems to find us. It is just as natural, if not normal, if not just as prevailing, as lightness. It exists inside us. It is a feeling. It is a state of being. And it is something that surrounds us. It is the absence of light. It is night.

It is a season. It is winter. It is cold and it is empty. It feels lonely. It can make us sad, or heavy, or tired and defeated. It can make us do things that bring darkness to others. It can hurt us. We can hurt others. And we often do. We do not mean to. We just lose sight of things when we are in darkness. We act and react according to how we feel and what we see.

Or what we are unable to see.

For it is in the moments of brightness and lightness that we are able to see and feel things clearly. We are connected to a sense of goodness. Our needs are being met. We have meaning and abundance and not a care in the world. We do not have to struggle. We have only to snuggle up with how good we feel inside. But it does not last. The darkness returns. We get depleted. We feel defeated. Our sense of self turns inward in search of a way out. But we are lost. And cold and empty and alone.

For in this darkness, we lose ourselves.

And in that loss, we find ourselves doing things that we might not normally do.

It is something to be mindful of. It does not need to be a dictated destiny for our time with the darkness. We do not need to bring more darkness to others, or to ourselves. We need only take the time with the darkness that has been given to us, to use it for what it is intended. To rest. To reflect. To reset. It is in our best interest if we simply accept it and allow it, for the time that we are with it.

To relax, and to rejuvenate.

The wintertime can be a dark time for many of us. We do not see much of the sun. We feel tired and uninspired. We feel a little more disconnected, from our source and from each other. Some of us might be getting out less. The world might be a little less busy. With less people to see. And it can be isolating and bleak feeling. For days and weeks and even months on end.

But slowly, bit by bit, the light does return.

So take the time while you have this time, to pause that otherwise hectic lifestyle, and plan for some special self-care. Maybe it’s an afternoon nap or snooze. Even twenty minutes can help the heavy spirits feel a little more refreshed. Drink a warm beverage. Watch a heart warming show or read an enlightening story or book. There are literally endless glimpses of light that we can light upon to lighten our days, as well as our nights.

Go for a walk if you can.

See your surroundings. Maybe your neighbourhood. Quite likely your neighbours. We are all community. And with community, we have connection. Make eye contact. Say hello. Smile a little. Sometimes a simple smile can change the course of the world. Talk about the weather, whether or not you want to. It doesn’t have to be anything super meaningful, to have meaning and maybe even a lasting memory. There is magic in our moments, every day. See the simple things. A bird. A squirrel. The shape of a tree. Notice the sky. Be aware that as you walk, your eyes are always fixed on the ground. But the ground is where our limits lay. Even if they are grounding. Turn your eye instead to the sky, where infinite possibilities fly. Don’t ask why. All you have to do is try.

And sigh.

Take a deep breath. Remember to breathe. Just breathe. Take a deep one in, hold it for half a second, and let it out. Close your eyes. Be in a safe space. Now take another deep breath in, and imagine you are reclaiming your spirit, your love and your power… Then release it slowly. Imagine you are letting go of your stress, your worry, and everything that hurts and defeats you. 

Breathe. Rinse. Repeat.

Do this often, throughout your day. Stop whatever it is you are doing, and turn your mind off. Let the world around you filter in. Feel the blankness inside your skull. Let your vibration rise and float higher above you, with increasing awareness of your world in this moment. Find the gratitude for being you, the way that you are, and for being alive. Let your heart fill with warmth and love. You have made it this far. Your life is all that it is and has ever been, only up to now; this moment in time. It is amazing. It is part of everything else that has come here too.

You are never alone.

We can so easily get caught up and lost in ideas and expectations of what life should be. And when it doesn’t meet those ideas and expectations, we get disappointed. And sad. We feel at a loss and we feel stressed. We worry. We feel we need to do more. But all we really need to do is trust. Life will come to us if we sit back and let it. It is very much as we are. It loves to feel trusted. And it will nourish us when we show it that we believe in it.

So do not fear the darkness. There is peace to be found there. It is where we sleep and dream. And where our dreams come true.

For anything is possible, in our faith of the infinite unknown.

The Gifts of Presence

Tis the season to be jolly!

But is it?

Apparently not. The reason of the season might be more the treason of the season. The general mood and expression on people’s faces looks a little strained and stressed, this time of year. We seem to place a lot of demand on ourselves. There is much expectation and sense of obligation. It stems from gift giving. Consumerism and commercialism, which controls and compromises our consciousness. We can’t help it. We can only become slaves to it, and keep up the momentum of materialism and the mayhem of its madness.

It makes us mad.

And unhappy…

From unhealthy spending!

On things that nobody wants or needs. Spending time, energy, money and thought, simply because we have become conditioned to become consumers. It makes me think of the mindlessness of it all. Like zombies, lurching aimlessly through the malls. There’s a reason this is a thing. It hits close to home. Like being home for the haul a daze. With presents under the tree. Which, when you think of it, is kind of a weird thing. I mean, a tree? Why a tree? Why do we kill and dismember a living tree, not for building a shelter or providing warmth, but so we can pile presents beneath it that sit and build expectations (and eventual disappointments upon opening) over time?

Well, I looked into it.

It turns out we can blame the pagans. They are the ones responsible for starting this ridiculous tradition. It was pretty crazy back then when this whole thing started. They were savage beings, without a sense of civilization or organized religion. They totally lacked any reason to travel to far off lands and kill people who didn’t agree with, or conform to, their beliefs. Absolute savage insanity. These barbarians tried to live in harmony with nature. They recognized and respected changes in the seasons and in the sky. They observed the stars, the moon and the sun. And all of these things things seemed to have some sort of meaning, if not relevance, relevant to their day to day life through all of the seasons.

It was the reasons for the seasons.

They saw that on or around December 21 each year, the days saw the least amount of daylight. The nights saw the longest duration of darkness. And this felt special to them. It was a cause to try to bring light into all that darkness. So they celebrated. They gathered together, with friends and family. To light a fire and burn a log, all night long. They decorated and lit a pine tree. They strung and hung holly and mistletoe. They prepared and shared a meal.

And they called this Yule.

The name has since stuck around. It has been incorporated into the traditions of Christmas. We have heard of Yuletide. The Yule log. It only makes sense. But what doesn’t make sense, is how we went from recognizing the need to bring light to the darkness, at the same time each year, to behaving in ways that do not really recognize the meaning of the season. Gift giving does not bring light. It does not bring joy. It brings distraction. It distracts us from how we are feeling. And there is no light in that at all. It is taking us away from our deepest needs in this darkest time. And more times than not, it is creating more darkness.

We get stressed. We get depressed.

We are reminded how lonely we are. We feel the pressure to meet the expectation and obligation of reciprocating the gestures of giving. But to me, gift giving should not be just because the calendar commands us to rush out and stress over what to get someone. The whole idea and practice of gift giving should be a thoughtful one. We should buy someone a gift because we know what they could use, or want, or would be happy to receive. And when they do receive it, they should be able to receive with full gratitude, and not a feeling of guilt because they didn’t get us something.

But that is what Christmas has become.

We feel guilt. We feel pressure. We spend money. We rush about and scramble our brains like eggs. We get beaten down and thrown into the mix. It becomes a whirlwind. And we always feel better when it is over.

And this makes me really question it and what we are doing with it.

I have since started buying gifts not for special occasions, but for the occasion when I see something in a store that I feel someone I know will benefit from it. Maybe I overheard them say something about needing something. Or maybe they just said something about something needed to either replace, or fix, or meet a need yet unmet.

But When I get them that special something, something magical happens. They do not apologize for not getting me something.

So this year, and for the past several years, I have been rejecting the core traditions and practices of Christmas. I have instead started aligning myself with the Winter Solstice and the traditions of Yule. I have stripped away the obligations and expectations and brought myself back into the warmth and light of the original meaning of the season. It is a period of silent reflection; of calm days and cozy evenings. I have decorated a tree. I sit and sip tea. I get out for walks when the weather is nice. I spend time with my kids when possible. I make meals and keep my home tidy and clean. I read, I watch TV, I doodle and I paint. I get to bed early and I get myself up early.

I lay in a sunbeam and I relax and meditate.

I practice self-care and give love and caring to those that are close to my heart. And I open my home to love, and welcome the gifts of presence.

It Will Find You

Intuition.

We’ve all heard of it. But what does it mean? The dictionary defines it as:

in·tu·i·tion

/ˌinto͞oˈiSH(ə)n,ˌintəˈwiSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning."we shall allow our intuition to guide us"
   
   instinct
   intuitiveness
   sixth sense
   divination
   clairvoyance
   second sight
   
   ESP (extrasensory perception)

• a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.plural noun: intuitions
  "your insights and intuitions as a native speaker are positively sought"

For me, it means a feeling in your gut, or your heart. It is a sense of things. It could come as a warning, or an insight, or even as a deeper understanding of something. It speaks from emotional intelligence. And Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you. There are five key elements to EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. I believe (intuitively) that the power behind a stronger intuition comes from a well developed sense of empathy.

But even more so, I believe intuition is energy. It is vibration. We are beings of light and energy. Our nervous systems are wired throughout us to be both receptive and reflective, if not projective. We are in tune with the energy of life and others that surrounds us, whether we are conscious of it or not. Life is more than meets the eye. It is what meets the ‘I’… And I often feel life deeply.

And it feels me too.

I often experience intuition in a variety of forms. It is usually trivial, but always correct. That is to say that when I have a gut feeling about something, I have learned to trust it. It is rarely wrong. Sometimes it is a feeling I should take a different way home than the one I am on. One time, I suddenly felt this and my logical thinking refuted the feeling. It questioned it and tried to dismiss it. So I did not turn off down the road I had a strong feeling to. And sure enough, I came upon a train crossing and it was a very long wait. If I had gone the way I felt I should, I would have not been so inconvenienced.

Trusting intuition can be tricky. We tend to not listen to our hearts. Our tendency is to listen to our rational minds. But our rational minds do not have the insight that our hearts do. They do not feel life the same way. Our rational minds only serve to process the impressions we get; to decipher them into cognitive thought and idea. And relying on that to bring meaning to us, often takes us away from the real message and guidance. We adhere to things like “seeing is believing”. But I think (feel) that “believing is seeing”.

When we believe or trust something to be true, we end up seeing that it is. For it eventually comes true. Its truth is revealed to us. It is brought to us… And we are brought to it. An example of this could be something like feeling the uncertainty of a life change. Maybe it is a change in residence. Or perhaps it is losing a job, and being unsure where the next one may be. Or maybe it is the end of a relationship, when one feels alone and devastated. All of these examples share a common theme. They all leave us feeling and thinking that we have to react like this is a desperate situation. We have to rely on our wits and wisdom to gather our resources to find the next certainty. We become analytical. We make conscious decisions and act accordingly. 

We let logic and reason become our guides.

For it is in the certainties of logic and reason that we find comfort. But trusting and believing in things working out can also bring comfort. And sometimes, life has a funny way of responding to that kind of faith. It steps up to meet us half-way and brings opportunities (that prove to be beneficial) into our lives. I have seen it time and time again. I have endured all of these changes and losses and when I let go of some of my control, and trust a little more, the actions and effort that I do apply tend to go a lot further. They get me what, and to where, I need, and need to go.

And to be clear, just trusting life to take care of you and lead you, is not enough on its own. As with all things, we have to do our part. It is a process of exchange. Your efforts are given to life with trust and faith and life, in exchange, brings you what is requested and required. It is in the navigation of this exchange where intuition is best understood and utilized. It is like a tool that becomes honed, the more we honour it. It gets stronger the more of ourselves we give to it. 

But this is a mindful practice, and it must be practiced unexpectedly. For intuition comes in its own form and in its own time. And I have found that when it does, I do not always recognize it for what it is. It feel frivolous. Whimsical and dismissive. My mind automatically tries to dismiss it in favour of logic and reason.

And so it is you must know it and trust it and be ready to give yourself to it.

Let it guide you. Make your decisions based on that gut feeling; that thing that your heart is trying to tell you. It may even take hold of your body and affect your physical state. Just let it. And I trust that in doing so, you will know yourself and your own power of perception better.

You will find what you need in life, and it will find you.