I thought ’12 would be good, but it wasn’t. So as for predictions, I’m done making them. Luck is what you make of it. And we are entering a new Bak’tun as the Mayans called the ages in their long count calendar, so we can reinvent everything to our liking. Isn’t this what we do every year anyway with our resolutions?
I do hereby resolve to… (fill in the behaviors and traits to be reinvented here.)
Why do we do this every year? Lose 25 lbs. Exercise. Eat healthy. Our culture seems to condone the practice of futile resolution making. Pope Gregory reintroduced January 1 in 1582 as New Years Day after a Medieval hiatus when other dates of religious significance were observed rather than January 1. But the new year, whenever it may be observed, has more often seen resolutions centered on moral betterment rather than breaking the cycle of bad habits. I like this approach better than the more self-centered one. I leave the habit breaking for lent, which I observe as a time of cleansing and self-sacrifice, even though I have no association with the Catholic Church. In some respects, I just view New Year’s Day as the 8th day of Christmas.
So the only “resolution” I am making for this lucky year is to meditate on clutter and find ways to remove as much of it as I can from my life so that I may act in a more focused manner as well as to be able to tend to people more and things less. For those of you reading this who happen to know someone who has struggled with the symptoms of depression, like I have, you will also know that clutter easily accumulates in our lives and bogs us down.
So some ways I can de-clutter my life, and which you should feel free to join in and add to if your feel so motivated:
- De-clutter my house. Apply Feng Shui to rooms.
- Act from reason not superstition. This is a mental uncluttering.
- De-clutter my body with regular cleanses and fasting.
The real New Year psychologically for me the last several years has shifted to be the Chinese New Year. This year it falls on Sunday, February 10th. The Black Water Snake is the animal element for the year. You can find out more about the complete 64 year cycle of year types here if you are interested.
Simple concepts we can employ to frame our actions in ways that motivate us to act from a grounded, well thought approach could come from anywhere. I am trying to craft frames for myself that are simple and personally meaningful. The snake is an uncluttered animal to my mind so the consistency of symbols reinforces my belief that this will be a workable concept that will help me have a good year in which I can focus, streamline, and act in ways that benefit the most people.
So as you might have guessed, my New Year’s celebration is fairly low-key, and today is no exception. Hubby and I made Hoppin’ John per his Southern heritage, something we do every January 1. We also drink Mimosas. Life is good. This year is and will be good. Welcome lucky and uncluttered 2013!
Leave a Reply