On my last blog post I asked, “As you create your goals and move forward in the new year, are you organizing your thoughts and feelings to approach people and life with compassion or judgment? Courage or fear? Awareness or denial? Proactive or reactive? Dealing with ‘stuff” or ignoring it?”
Here’s more on that topic:
Do you wonder how much of fear is learned and how much is actually instinct? I remember being a very small child and following my sisters down to the creek they dammed up to create a pool for swimming. I got an inner-tube and climbed in and was enjoying myself when a water snake swam right by me. I remember being fascinated with it. Much later when I told someone about my experience they responded with a lot of fear. It hadn’t occurred to me to be afraid.
On a separate but related subject…
Do you wonder how much of courage is rooted in compassion rather than anger? I imagine that courage which springs from an inner foundation of humble confidence and a desire to contribute to life in a meaningful way (rather than simply react and control), would be the optimal way to experience a courageous trusting existence.
No matter what successes you’ve had, when you’re confronted with situations that are unexpected and unpredictable – and for which you have no reference points – if you haven’t developed an adequate inner strength, you may respond with fear and defense rather than trust and a desire to create harmonious experiences and connections.
As you set about organizing your life for the new year, see if one of your goals can be to create windows rather than walls, and bridges rather than one way streets.
This approach to organizing your internal self can result in positive growth – for you and others – in the new year.