Sweet December: busy time of holiday gatherings, friends and family, secrets, plans, and traditions.
Bittersweet December: remembering celebrations of years gone by, loved ones who are no longer with us, wistful wishes, at times, for what cannot be.
Holy, hopeful December: symbolic time of renewal for so many faith traditions.
These things come together, in a messy potpourri of thoughts, feelings, and yearnings. Just like life, come to think of it. Messy, unpredictable, complicated. And precious!
Into this mix came this quote from Anias Nin:
“Throw your dream into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country.”
A very “holy, hopeful” December thought, somehow. Throwing our dreams into space is a supreme act of faith. It means that we trust enough to speak our deepest truth, share our deepest yearnings, believing that good can and will come from expressing our truest essence, from being the unique, singular, precious individuals we were created to be.
I try to practice this kind of honesty. Truthfully, it requires daily renewed commitment. It is so easy to wander off that “truest path” onto any number of side roads, lured by convenience, fear, the voices of false signals, any number of distractions.
Then, too, another complicating factor: It’s not a direct process. Not as if we choose to open our hearts, speak our truth, and bingo: lights flash, curtains open, things happen. Well, not always, or even often. . . . Part of the “faith” requirement is putting it out there, and then waiting. Patiently. Yeah, right . . . But as my daughter is fond of reminding me, truly, often “the slow way is the fast way.” The instant answers often are not really answers at all, or at least not lasting ones. Dreams take time to gel, materialize, find their realizations. Keep your antenna up and tuned! Be on the lookout for movement, for possibilities.
Alan Cohen offers a hint for us while we’re waiting:
“Do not try to predict of manipulate the avenue through which your good will come. Be true to your vision, and the universe will support you in amazing ways.”
This is important! To see opportunities requires that second step of being flexibly open to what the Universe offers. We can be so sure we know what a “solution” looks like that we miss, totally miss, what is being sent our way. I’ve come close to missing some good things recently just because my view was too solidified, too narrow. How to avoid that? Sometimes it helps to look for the “dream behind the dream.” As a person who is still getting used to being on my own, I have visions shaped by l-o-n-g experience as to what “belonging” looks like. But what is the dream that “belonging” really represents to me? Involvement. Something beyond my self. Engagement. By focusing on the underpinnings of my yearnings, my focal point changes, and I am able to see differently, more creatively.
And so, twice in the last week, new, different opportunities have presented themselves, opportunities I had not imagined. I plan to make the most of them, and see where they lead!
Sweet, bittersweet, holy, hopeful December: I wish you joy, faith, love, and quiet moments to remember the good things that have happened to you. May blessings abound in your lives, as you speak and live your one, individual, precious truth.
Act2Life coaching 