I spent the last days of 2016 in quiet contemplation. The period of time between the Christmas and New Years is one of my favorite, for it gives me the ability to quietly step into the shadows. I enjoy this low media time, in which I only check my email and Facebook messages occasionally; knowing that people will understand if it takes me a bit longer to respond. The step back from my regular routine makes me feel like I belong more to the Spirit of creation (Awen) then to the present moment of doing.
My New Years involved dinner with some of my oldest friends, buddies since elementary and high school years. It was low key and perfect, as we had very little time for each other in 2016. At the table we discussed what we believed our word to be for 2017. I like the idea of one word or a phrase being a Mantra (a word or sound repeated to aid in concentration & meditation), and find it helps me to stay focused on my desired goal.
Last year I worked with surrender or the release of control. This was a big one for me, as I have a type-A personality and really like to be in control. By saying I chose to surrender, I am not saying that I chose to give up or give in. My release of control was more of an act of faith, and the control I released was handed over to the power of the universe, god/goddess. Which brought opportunity and flow into my life like never before. By not micro managing my every action, I made room for unexpected blessings, and found that my intuition did not let me down. I knew when I needed to act and when I needed to stay still.
As a Psychic one of the pitfalls we must avoid is looking so far into the future that you miss the small opportunities, that wait in the shadow of the big stuff. It is easy to become so focused on the things you know must happen, that you can overlook what lies along the trail.
This year I have chosen the word dedication. Dedication to my self, dedication to my path, dedication to my goals. In many ways it can seem like the opposite end of the pendulum swing from surrender. At my vantage point of spending a year working with surrender, I do not see it so. In my experience surrender did not ask me to act against myself, instead it asked me to follow the trail that was being laid out in front of me. It required that I have faith that a higher power did in fact have a plan for me, and that if I allowed myself the freedom of trust, I would be shown an easier way.
This aspect of surrender pairs itself nicely with dedication. Dedication as I see from the perspective of what is to become, is the act of committing myself to my path. I know that can seem redundant, as I believe I have always been somewhat dedicated to my path. But the dedication I am looking for involves focus, and setting of goals that are important. In it lies the decision to do what needs doing, even if it is uncomfortable, untimely or boring. Like dragging yourself to yoga class even when the weather is questionable or you would rather stay in bed another hour. Or sitting down to write, when you would rather be playing.
I believe I needed to work with surrender before I could work with dedication. For if I would have first worked with dedication, I would have had the tendency to be stiff, and over planned. Now after a year of working with surrender, I understand that it is better to allow the river to carry me, then to fight the river. I am after all here on this planet, at this time, for the adventure of life. And as I am always saying the difference between adventure and vacation is that adventure often requires hardship. We are sometimes hungry, tired and uncomfortable, but what a story it makes. Vacation is relaxing, and comfortable, but the highlights seem to be missing. I definitely choose adventure.
While some of us have manifested to have a vacation life, most of us are here to accomplish something. The things we have come to do are not all grand on the global scale. In fact most of us are unlikely to be known outside of our communities, let alone the world. But that does not mean we have come in to laze around and drink mimosas. We have work to do.
The work of self development and personal growth is potent and necessary when it comes to the well being of the soul. When we put the time and effort into knowing ourselves, facing our demons, and pushing ourselves to be our best, we not only effect our lives but the very nature of our soul. As a medium, I strongly believe in re-incarnation, and feel that the soul is continuously learning and growing, with each life time adding knowledge and experience to the whole. This life time, no matter how limited it may seem, is valuable and important to the development of our soul. We must decide who and what we want to be. What is important to us and how much we are willing to invest in it.
Every year when New Years comes around people start thinking about the changes they want to make in their life. Some of these changes are more difficult then others, and some of them are a bit far fetched and unreasonable. That’s why I recommend that people really sit down and think about the change they are hoping for, and find a word or two that sums up that which we are seeking to alter. The power of a mantra is that we can repeat it over and over and over again in our mind. If we are choosing to loose weight in 2017, we could work with the words healthy and strong. Whenever we are feeling weak, and want to devour an entire box of cookies, we can pull the mantra out and repeat our words 6 or 7 times until we no longer feel the overwhelming desire to turn into Cookie Monster. The feeling of desire will come back, and when it does we pull out our words. It helps if you take time to really think about your words, and what they mean to you.
My choice of dedication for this year, means I am putting my energy into remaining focused on my personal path. That I will bring myself back to task when I get distracted, and that I will remember why I am doing so. It does not mean, I will never have fun this year, or that everything needs to be planned out 6 months in advance. It means that I am making a vow to myself to become the person I want to be. From my vantage point, in the aftermath of surrender, I see it as a willingness to put that which is important to me in a place of honor.
New Years resolutions are meant to be a vehicle for transformation, but all too often people forget that vehicles need fuel. We must be clear in how we are going to fuel our transformation, what are the tools/fuel we will need along the path. If you have always wanted to learn a foreign language, and this is the year, look into what you need to logically make it happen. If you are not a good self learner then a teacher is necessary, if you like to do it yourself, audio recordings are the way to go. Know what tools you need and know what words can be used to aid your development. Remember the simpler we keep it the better. When working with power words, I like to keep mine short and sweet. There is much hidden meaning in the words, but in the time I need the power of the word, I know all that is hidden. I know what that word means to me.
The need for dedication is strong with me this year. I need to be focused and continue to keep the flow that surrender gave to me in 2016. I am looking forward to seeing how dedication transforms me in 2017.
Take this opportunity while the year is new, and everyone is focused on transformation, to really put in motion that which you desire to change in your life. Be realistic, look into the support you need to achieve your goals, be forgiving as none of us are perfect, and choose a word or two to help you stay focused. Put the words on your frig, your desk, in your mind and in your heart. Know that you are more powerful than you imagine yourself to be, and you can make the changes you seek.
I hope you enjoyed the read folks. 2017 is just started and I am excited to see where its path leads.
spreading love-salicrow