"What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action."
~Meister Eckhart
Sometimes we don't realize how much power we truly have at our disposal, or how much energy comes into focus by a single decision. Sometimes we avoid, altogether, the power of a decision because it seems like a declaration, so full of volition of its own accord - we don't want to be responsible for so much power. Instead, we let life "happen" to us and watch by the sidelines as we complain about our lives.
But why do this when we can do otherwise? Why settle for "victim" when we can be "victor"?
I'll tell you why.
Because being "victor" is powerful and scary and full of responsibility. This is why Marianne Williamson's quote struck a chord with so many people. It is not our darkness we are afraid of, but our light, our brilliance, our raw talent, our potential. To live in the unknown trajectory of our potential is unpredictable . Who might we become if we unleashed all of ourselves?
And yet, to me, this can be one of the most exciting discoveries.
I live by Martha Grimes saying, "You don't know who you are until you see what you can do." For me, it's something I can't help. I want to know: What could I accomplish if I weren't standing in my own way? Where can I use improvement? What can I do better? What behavior do I need to let go of? What outmoded "identity" do I need to shed?
I think this is an important line of questioning because an examined life is an empowered one.
Like Reverend Michael Beckwith says in his sermons: It doesn't matter who is in the White House. It matters who is in YOUR house.
On a day to day basis, this is what we have control over.
So, I invite you to take inventory with me. Take stock:
What did you do well this year? Where can you really praise yourself for your efforts? If you look back at your life in January 2010, or December 09, what is different? What changed? Do you like the change? Write your list of accomplishments in 2010. I think it is important to chart our progress. Sometimes we identify with who we were 10 years ago, when in fact, we are different people. We need to catch up to who we are.
Where did you fall short? What could you have done better? We all have our shortcomings, but our mistakes can sometimes be are our biggest wake-up calls. It's worth evaluating. If we focus our improvements in a particular area, we tend to direct our energies there as well.
What new habit can you adopt that would improve your life? What old habit that continues to diminish your life can you let go of? Jack Canfield in his book "Success Principles" talks about initiating a new good habit every year. Consider the implications of this! Is there a new behavior, routine, or trajectory that you are willing to take on this coming year that might create new possibilities for you if you could allow yourself the success?
What outmoded identity or behavior are you willing to let go of? One of the behaviors that became apparent to me this year is that when I am scared, stressed out or in the midst of change, I become a whiny, pessimistic and complaining person. For everything I "preach", I find myself at times, practicing almost the exact opposite. Even I can't stand to listen to myself. So, instead of this unattractive behavior, I ask myself, what is another way I can deal with stress? What can I do to mitigate fear in a way that is productive? What new behavior can I adopt that will make me feel more attractive to myself?
Really, these can seem like silly questions.
But the opportunity will come where we have a chance to do something differently; where we find ourselves in a similar rut, but choose to take different action; where we notice our tendency to react, but instead we respond. Instead of being who we've been in the past, we seize the moment to create a different reality for ourselves if only because we have observed and taken note of the one that no longer works.
In this moment, we choose to be different people. We make this decision willingly because we are aware of the person we have been and even more aware of the person would like to become.
And we do so, because we are the only ones who can.
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