Ringing in….. the moment
Posted by: Laurie Cameron in A Sign of the Times, Ripped From the Headlines, Snippets and Tidbits, What If?Ripped from the headlines in today’s Rocky Mountain News:
“Find a party … to ring out the bad news of 2008″
That headline struck me as odd. It seems to imply that if we can survive until midnight on December 31st, then we can say, “Whew, I’m glad that year’s over!”
Why is it that we think we can only start fresh on the first day of January every year? It seems that we’re missing out on a gazillion more opportunities to begin anew.
We actually get to start over every month, every day, every hour, every minute, every second. This is what it means to me to BE in the present moment. To know, and to really understand, that every thought I think, every word I speak and every action and response I choose is a chance to start fresh.
I think there’s a danger in placing such high expectations on the “new year” to fix everything that happened over the last 365 days. The higher the expectations, the farther the potential fall into disillusionment, anger, and frustration.
What if we “rang in” every day with anticipation and celebration? What if we intentionally and deliberately sought out the lessons from yesterday and applied that new wisdom to our choices today? What if we chose to bless the past rather than try to run away from it?
What if we created the intention to “ring in” every moment as a chance to begin anew?
I think I’ll give it a try, starting…….. NOW!
Tags: 2009, Being Present, Celebrating, New Year
January 5th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Seven Minutes
By Teresa D. Huggins
Happy New Year 2009
As I watched the movie “Seven Pounds” on New Year’s Eve, I pondered the power of a simple interaction, a conscious choice and a dream filled with possibilities. As the world transitions to this New Year, I wonder…what if we used our minutes to the fullest. What if we considered that a conversation with a stranger could be a heart print that opens their vision heals their heart or creates a new path for their life? What if we spoke openly and honestly, freely and passionately about our dreams, our convictions and our feelings? What if we all paused each morning for 7 minutes and wrote a gratitude note to someone who made a positive difference in our life, how would we feel? What vibration would ripple across our planet if for 7 minutes we connected with someone and genuinely thanked them for helping us, listening to us, or guiding us?
What if for 7 minutes today, each person paused and wrote a gratitude list for all the gifts that were shared in 2008-gifts of the heart-gifts that reminded us that someone who crosses our path randomly, who may say one statement can change our life Or someone with a simple gesture changes who we choose to be OR someone who serves us without expectation for anything.
What if for 7 minutes we found the gift within the challenges that we experienced? What if we paused and said “THANK YOU” to all who cross our path, remembering that one moment you were a stranger who smiled or a stranger who served or a stranger who crossed another’s path and offered a kind word of encouragement for the dreams that are unfolding?
What if for 7 minutes everyone thought of a teacher who made a positive difference and sent them a thank you note?
What if for 7 minutes we called someone and said how a simple comment opened our heart?
What if for 7 minutes we wrote down the names of people who empowered us to Dream BIG and said a prayer to bless their lives?
What if for 7 minutes we appreciated ourselves for living a life filled with peace, love and joy?
What if for 7 minutes we wrote some thoughts that created a ripple of possibility for others, noting that joy isn’t about years, or months or weeks or days…it is in the gems of moments, the journey….
What if…???
January 5th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Thank You for your beautiful insights, Teresa! And Thank You for being out in the world sharing your light. It’s easy to see that just 7 minutes can create a beautiful ripple of love and compassion.