The Huddle #35: #Blessed
Do you ever find yourself looking up at the traffic lights while driving, and find that you’re looking at the light that’s in the next intersection? And then you blow through your intersection, slamming on the brakes when a pedestrian starts to walk across, and look up and realize that you’ve missed the red light that was right in front of you?
No? Yeah, me neither.* The last time this (theoretically!) happened, I was jolted into a reality check. My sights were set so far ahead that I was neglecting what was right in front of me.
I’ve never been big into New Year’s resolutions. Every year, I vow to floss, read more, and get off my phone. The result? I’m left with another reason to criticize myself when I forget to floss, or my “screen time is up 40% from last week.”
According to Instagram, most of us stepped away from 2019 feeling #accomplished, #blessed, and #readyfor2020. 2020 has been getting a TON of hype. And don’t get me wrong, 2020 is sexy. It’s cool. It’s full of dizzying potential and dazzling promise, and I’m here for it. This is the time of year when yoga classes are mat-to-mat packed. You’re Dry January-ing, Blue Apron-ing, and Book of the Month-ing. You’re all gas, plowing towards your 3X-a-week, plant based, back-on-Bumble selves. Go you!
But here’s my invitation: On your way to your 2020 goals, can you make sure not to run yourself over?
Yearly goals, themes, and reflections are great. They’re useful tools. I’m confident that Future You is going to be toned, well-read and calling your mom on the reg. But Now You is worth prioritizing too. You deserve your attention, which may require a little more kindness and flexibility than you’ve scheduled into your 2020 calendar. Written goals and vision boards can be just as effective when they’re fluid -you don’t have to be rigid to be ambitious.
By slowing your roll toward the future and turning your attention to today, you’re making the choice to show up, pay attention to what you’re feeling and what you need right now, at this moment. For instance, instead of declaring this as the year, you’ll start meditating, maybe you could find more little moments to pause and check-in with yourself. In a moment where you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, perhaps you could take a breath, sit quietly. Later down the road, your meditation practice could change, lengthen, deepen, or pause, and that is OKAY. This means you’ve modified your practice to best serve your personal growth, acting as a bolster rather than a burden. Isn’t that kind of the point of all this goal-setting business anyway?
*Sorry, dude walking with Beats headphones on. I’ll do better next time.