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Bang! Pause. Bang Bang!! Pause. Pause. BBBBBang! We love our fireworks. New Year's Eve in Missoula doesn't out-do the Fourth of July, but it tries hard.
I love the New Year, and the chance to start fresh. I take energy from putting away the past year's experience, along with the Christmas decorations. Highlights have been shared with our holiday mailing list; low points have been harvested for lessons learned, then set aside.
Then, Bang! The starter's gun fires, and I am off and running. Resolutions and to-do lists in hand, I surge forward with high energy and good intentions. Or not. What about the pause?
My personal growth plan this year includes a renewed commitment to meditation. As a high school student, I loved visiting the monastery, kneeling in silence while votive candles flickered on a side altar and monks chanted the Hours. In that setting I found a depth of centered calm unattainable in day-to-day life.
I have dabbled in reflective practice ever since those early years, and since retiring have faithfully observed an early morning pause. Still, the practice calls for renewed commitment. It is so easy to fall out of the habit. I am always tempted to start the day with a bang instead. Strong coffee and an action plan feel so good in the moment. Why not just do it that way?
Over the years, I have found that action disembodied from purpose falls short. I am energized when I begin, but before long I collapse in fatigue and frustration. On the other hand, I am fulfilled when efforts are grounded in meaning; I gain strength when pieces fit into place to create a greater whole. Starting the day with quiet, reflection, journaling, and meditative listening leads toward peaceful productivity: centered and balanced and directed.
Athletes have learned that it is critical to warm up before a race. The muscles and tendons, heart and lungs must be awake and tuned in before the starter fires the gun. I have learned that my mind and soul also need to warm up before starting the day. Only then are they ready for coffee and the action plan. (Bang!)
How do the best mornings begin for you?
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