I love, love, love a New Year. In Australia it’s the middle of summer. It’s warm and the festive season still lingers with kids on school holidays, trips to and from the beach, BBQ’s in the back yard and afternoon naps to be had.
Life has slowed right down, and regular routines really don’t start again until the kids return to school in February. It’s the still space between the old and the new. The time that has been and the time yet to come. It’s filled with hope and possibility. It’s the place where dreams and desires surface. Where they can be mulled over, considered, and imagined as we sink into these in-between places.
It's magic.
And, it’s this magic we tap into when we make our resolutions for what will be different in the new year. Perhaps a new career or job change. Health, fitness, or weight related. Maybe even driven by a desire to travel, settle down or try something new.
Whatever it may be, it is - until it isn’t.
Until we change our mind.
Until we decide that the efforts no longer worth the result.
That there are other things more important to focus on.
That maybe we got it wrong.
But what if those other things aren’t more important? What if we didn’t get it wrong? That the desire for change was real? That it represented the next evolution of us. That it represented a future within our grasp.
That all we had to do was reach out and grab it?
That to grab it though, we had to reach our arm through a thorny rose bush. One with fear inducing thorns, leaves poisoned with limiting beliefs, stalks made from thickly covered negative thoughts with the prize being the most beautiful rose we can have ever imagined.
It’s tempting to close our eyes, thrust our hand in and hope we land in the right place and the rose is ours. We do this with gusto. Driven by determination and a single mindedness believing that if is meant to be it will be.
But as our arms get cut, we start to worry our hand has landed nowhere near the rose. The fears of spiders and other unknown insects arises, so we withdraw. We do away with the discomfort. We surrender to the resistance and lean into our fears.
And so, for another year we leave the rose on the bush.
But, what if there is a different way to the rose? That instead of thrusting our hands into the bush we spent some time reflecting and planning first.
Rather than being cut by the thorns we notice them, acknowledge them, and worked in unison with them. Using them as a guide.
Rather than retract as the leaves touch our skin, we pause and contemplate the message they have for us. Listening intently as they rustle in the breeze giving us hints and clues.
As we navigate around the thick stalks, we acknowledge the guidance being given as we seek to understand the real location of the rose.
The rose of course representing our dreams and desires. Even though she may not be picked off the rose bush this time, she returns the following year, hopeful that we will have found our way back to her, ready to pick her once again.
Perhaps this time with a different approach, a new awareness, and a better understanding of how to reach her.
Are you ready to pick your new year’s rose?
PS If you get frustrated with not being able to stick to your new year resolutions, don't worry you are not alone! Over 80% of us will have given up on our dreams and desires by the end of January! Download my FREE guide on the 5 Mistakes To Aviod when setting your new year resolutions to enusure you aren't one of these statistics!
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