December 28, 2022

‘Tis the time of year where, in many cultures, we gather with friends and family, joining in community to celebrate that transition from darkness to light.

It is also the season of deep quiet transformation and the perfect time to lay in intention for we want to nurture in the new year.

I’m not a fan of the “resolution” model – and the statistics show us , in any case, how the willpower required to fulfill a New Year’s resolution to change will inevitably wane and falter. Determination and grit can get you so far, sure, and this is often how we manage to meet those end of year deadlines, blasting through the things that need to be done.

But like the snow that has blanketed and disrupted much of North America’s plans this past week, the saboteur throws up (sometimes seemingly insurmountable) obstacles to our reaching our goals. Making change feel like a battle, creating resistance, increasing tension.

As if we were working against our own nature.

To find the ease and flow that supports a lasting transformation requires something else than force. Something more than resolve. The desire to be more productive, to have a greater impact, to be more innovative, to change the culture . . . whatever your wish for the year ahead, know that the obstacles in the way are part of the gift.

The gift of a big white space in which to recognize all the ways we have nursed another need.

Let’s acknowledge the gifts of this past year. But if you find a need no longer serving what you need to create now, think of lighting a spark. A small flame of intention to care for with breath and space and new perspective. Call in your community, a trusted friend, a coach to help you tend the fire to the melting point.

And let nature show you its beauty and wisdom, transforming snow into bells to ring in the new year.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful wintery and festive start to 2023!