Welcome to 2018 and all of the cliche that comes with a New Year greeting. If you are anything like me, then you hate all of the pomp and what have you that goes along with the supposed "fresh start" of a new year. Yes, we are starting with a roll up of the calendar, sure. Counting another year under our belts? Ok, great. Is it really the ONLY time we are open to a "fresh start" or a "new beginning"? I think not!
In many traditions that started with the celebrations of the winter solstice, yes it is the beginning of longer days, the birth of the sun...or rebirth if you will. It is our guarantee that daylight will last longer and the sun will warm our skin once again in the coming months. Some traditions celebrate the rebirth of the mother spirit back from her death that happened on all hallows eve, or somewhere there around the autumnal equinox. The spinning of the earth, it's tilt toward and away from the sun, and the human necessity to package it up and make sense of it is as old as time and humans themselves.
I like to think that we have all risen above the thought that the new year is the only time we can reflect and become what we truly wish to be. I am often very wrong though and well, I must accept that. In my experiences of life thus far, I have only ever been truly happy when I followed my heart and my true self. I have strayed from that so many times only to find comfort right here where I have always been. It is so funny how we resist it, when it is really the most simplistic of things to do. So, for me at least, I will continue to strive to be myself more truly throughout the year. I will do so regardless of the status quo.
The past year has brought about much change, but I feel like that has been happening for a couple of years now. It has been physical as well as intellectual. There was a time in life when I really believed the words "I cannot" when I prefaced a sentence with them would wholly ring true because I said them. As it turns out, there is very little that I cannot do. There are many things that I choose not to do for many different reasons, including time, lack of resources or interest, etc, but lack of ability is no longer an obstacle for me. I may try something and find that it's just not something that I am so great at because it's just not something that holds my interest, but that is always ok. Things however, like making soap, well heck I can do that. I used to think that it could only be done with machines in a factory, and there was no way my little hands could ever accomplish such a feat. I was so wrong. Maybe that is where it all started, with that first bar I crafted. Now that I've made hundreds of them, I have become even more brave, no brazen, to color outside of the lines that have been drawn for me.
So, here's to a new year, new opportunities, and I hope you too can learn to color outside of the lines!! Peace!!
