How To Find Your Self In One Simple Promise

The Jewish tradition has figured it out. New year's day feels right today, at the center of this moment. I don't know about you but for me the change in temperature and light marks a descent into the unknown and the promise of new things, ideas, creativity.

There is no month in the year that brings more inspiration that September. I can't remember how it was when I lived in Buenos Aires for back then September was sort of March and it was all in Spanish. Wish I kept those journals.

I look back at my English pages and, like clock-work,  it is with the first cold shivers of September that I start searching for the Beloved in the form of a book by Pinkola Estees, or Jung, or a writer's workshop a silent and focused practice, a longer pranayama session that falls nicely into an attempt at meditation.

September also calls me with a deep voice into looking back and looking forward, setting up goals, planning where I want to spend energies in the months to come.  Last year it seems I wrote all about specific things I wanted, numbers, trips, traffic, amount of posts. Quantities mostly.

THE SIMPLE PROMISE

This year I want to turn the under-thinking of last year around. Maybe I want to have a theme rather than a goal, and that would be to always pay attention to the connection with the Self, the Beloved, the Creative Force, the Individuation Process.  Re-kindle it and keep the coals and dry wood coming, nurture her with what inspires, tend to it, and let the results fall where they might, for they will, if I let it and get out of the way.

The promise is to do the work. That's it.  Just do the work.  Get on the mat, write those pages, count those breaths, read that book, notice where I am acting not in form with the yamas and niyamas, listen to the audio that inspires. Every-day. Yogi, do your yoga, to the best of your understanding.

Aiming high but building roots,
doing the work
one day at the time

For a dancer this might be get on the floor and move that body in any way the spirit directs and every day. For the painter put brush to canvas, for the teacher, find that metaphor that better conveys meaning and brings the class alive, for the architect, sit on that slanted table and draw that vision, one day at the time, one line at the time, one move after the other, on stroke of light on top of the last one.

We know what we are aiming for, and we do the work.  We come closer to the Self by stepping on the work every day, feeling it or not, trusting the process, and surrendering the results.

What work do you see yourself doing in the months to come?  Where is your creative energy directing you this month?  What are your aims for the year and what is the work you promise yourself you will do?