I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. A day in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.” ~ Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
I hope today is this kind of day away for all of you. It is for me. Happy Labor Day, sans labor.
To all the mothers everywhere, whether your kids have 2 legs or 4:
the light that is in me honors the light that is in each one of you.
Namaste.
In the movie Ratatouille, Linguini sets his mind to pull it together and go after his dream with the help of his wee partner in crime. His simple declaration “let’s do this thing” has been my mantra this year.
And what a year it’s been. It was a leap year for me in every sense. I put some old demons to rest. I went after the craziest of dreams. I took big risks. I pushed myself far beyond any limits I thought I had. I won and lost in equal amounts, and I wouldn’t trade a single one of those experiences. I take John Lennon’s advice to heart every single day – I don’t want to die with the music still in me. In every area of my life, I took the chance of looking like a fool because I don’t want to have any regrets. All of these leaps have been totally worth the effort, regardless of the outcome.
Now 2013 is upon us. Rather than making any specific resolutions, I’m taking my cue from Linguini. 2013, I’m coming for you and I mean to make this year a break out year on all fronts. Happy New Year everyone – let’s do this thing!
In the aftermath of Christmas and the realization that the Mayans somehow miscalculated our demise, we’re about to get crazy with resolutions. I’ve been making my list for weeks.
I took a good look at that list over the weekend and here’s what I found: I’m basically going to carry on as I have this year. As in 2012, I will invest in my writing, yoga teaching, and creative projects in the name of good causes. And that’s enough.
You don’t need to get sucked into the frenzy either. Think about the things that gave you the most joy in 2012. Do those more often in 2013. Think about the people who inspired you the most. Spend more time with them in 2013. Think about those things that you put aside because they seemed too scary, too risky, or just plain impossible. Resolve to take just one step toward breathing life into those ideas. That’s all the resolution you really need.
Carrying on in this tough world (especially in the face of difficulty), staying calm, and continuing to smile and breathe is an achievement in and of itself. And these simple things work wonders. They change lives.
Today there is so much emphasis on presents. My focus is on presence – mine and that of all the beautiful people around me. Wishing you a day filled with everyone and everything that makes you happy.
“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season – like all the other seasons – is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them.” ~ Lemony Snicket
The holidays are always an intense time of reflection for me. I think about what’s happened over the course of the year – what went right and where I fell off the tracks. I also consider what I’d like to manifest in my life in the coming year and what I might do to bring those circumstances to life. It often involves a combination of letting some things go, making time, exerting effort in a positive direction, and raising my awareness.
After traveling to India in May, I became hyper-aware of everything in my life that is wonderful and good. I found that if I put more investment into those areas of my life, those gifts multiplied while the unfortunate circumstances of my life that weren’t so joyful began to fall away. I also found that if I focused on the blessings right in front of me rather than always looking so far down the path at what I thought I needed, I enjoyed each day more and that happiness extended over the days ahead, soaking deep into every moment.
There were far more miracles in my life than I realized and to finally realize them felt like a much-welcome and long-overdue relief. I do have true friends. I have my fill of good food to eat. I spend my days and nights engaged in things I like to do. What more could I possibly need? The real miracle is to wake up knowing that I do not lack anything, to understand that I live a life of great abundance.
This miracle is at work every day and my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night is always “thank you, thank you, thank you.” May the same revelations find you this holiday season.
“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
Many people are heading off to the stores today to grab Black Friday deals. Holstee has a different idea. “Founded in 2009, Holstee exists to encourage a more mindful lifestyle through the goods they design and the messages they share with the world.” They’re asking people to re-frame the Friday after Thanksgiving into “Block Friday”, as in block Friday off for something special, something mindful, that doesn’t involve shopping.
On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up and made a pact to be grateful all day – my hot shower, breakfast, the sunshine that kept a smile on my face as Phin and I took a 2 hour walk in Riverside Park, friends whom I spent Thanksgiving with and all of the others that I connected with throughout the day to share my gratitude for having them in my life, the amazing meal prepared by my friends Crystal and Tim, and for all of the fun activities I have planned with friends in the weeks ahead as we all get into the full swing of the holidays.
I love this season because it asks us to spend time to say thank you, to be grateful, and to accept the gratitude of others. It really is such a beautiful thing to have a holiday built for the sake of togetherness and goodness and nothing else. We are so lucky, so blessed. It’s lovely to have a national holiday that asks us to remember that.
I like this morning pact I’ve made so much that starting “Block Friday” I’ve vowed throughout this holiday season to take a moment before I open my eyes to give thanks, to walk through my days saying thank you – silently and out loud – as often as possible. Giving thanks doesn’t cost a dime but what it brings back to you in priceless.
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘ thank you,’ that would suffice.” ~ Meister Eckhart
Are there any two words more beautiful, powerful, and necessary than “thank you”? When simply strung together they convey gratitude, love, compassion, understanding, relief, comfort, and faith. There is always a reason for them, even if that reason is not abundantly obvious on the surface of our living. There is always someone, somewhere who is thinking of us, wishing us well, proud of our past, joyful for our present, and hopeful about our future. That one person, wherever they are, is reason enough to celebrate this day and every day. And in turn we always have the opportunity to be that person for someone else.
No matter how you are spending this day, whether it involves many moments of reflection or just one, I hope a feeling of thanks floods you completely – mind, body, and spirit. Today my Thanksgiving is filled with thanks because it is filled with all of you.
“Look at everything that has come before as preparation for the spectacular future you have in store!” ~ TheSingleWoman
“There will come a time when you think everything is finished. That will be the beginning.” ~Louis L’Amour via TheSingleWoman
One of my greatest beginnings this year in my self-proclaimed year of beginnings was the decision to write daily about the idea of beginnings. Last Fall I was inspired by my friend, Amanda’s, request for a blog post about how I stay sane in NYC. I hold it together by constantly reminding myself that it’s always okay to be at the beginning. We always have to start somewhere. It’s an especially powerful sentiment in New York City, a city of experts on just about every subject there is. The post inspired an entire year of living and writing about beginning. In 365 days, I wanted to become an expert beginner. And it worked!
As 2011 draws to a close and 2012 fully blossoms, my beginner’s outlook is stronger, healthier, and more vibrant than ever. I’ve learned to lessen my grip on the desire for perfection and to be kinder to myself as I’m learning something new. I faced down the biggest fears of my life. Sometimes I failed and sometimes I succeeded in the new beginnings I tried. No matter the circumstances, I learned to enjoy the view because every step in a journey provides us with a brand new vista. And we will never pass exactly this way again under the exact same circumstances.
Each moment is a new beginning in and of itself. Beginning is living, and so if we can master beginning then our possibilities for living, really living, are limitless.
My new writing adventure begins tomorrow. Tune in to get the scoop on my 2012 living and writing plans. As always, I’m just getting started!
Phineas and I are sending you buckets of happiness, health, and laughter for the start of a joyful 2012. Enjoy every minute of it!
(And for good measure, I’m also including a link to my favorite Christmas song of all time – Rowlf the Dog and John Denver singing a duet of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.)
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Christa Avampato 