The end of the year is generally busy with holiday preparations on the personal side and planning for next year on the business side. Being organized and efficient is a plus during these weeks. It’s not a time to succumb to emotions or whims: rather, we assure ourselves, if we stick to the agenda, nothing will go wrong and we will come out a winner.
This state of affairs breeds tension, of course, but if we are lucky the tension leads to all that much more hilarity on the feast day, all that much more success in the New Year.
Precisely because of the high-frequency vibes of the season, I think it’s also a great time to explore extremes of low-frequency.
We sleep more deeply after exhausting ourselves, right? We appreciate the light when it shines in darkness. Colors, like red and green, are especially satisfying when they are shown with their complements, or opposites.
In the same way, stopping to peer into the unknown can be especially rich in the midst of the whirlwind of traditions. Considering the question, “What don’t you know that you don’t know?” can be the koan that brings inner illumination despite the tumult around you.
After your next shopping foray or work brainstorming session, settle in with your journal to ask a few questions.
- What is important? What is really important? What is life-and-death important?
- What is beautiful? What/who do I love?
- What do I fear?
Observe yourself breathing for a few moments. Ask your journal
- What can be said about breathing?
- What is dreaming?
- What is the greatest force in the universe?
Let your journal riff a while in response to each question. No need to be analytical or factual: whatever you write, no matter how crazy, is perfect. This is about discovery; it’s not a test.
Now close your eyes and listen. Then open them and write in your journal about the sounds you noticed.
Close your eyes and focus on your mid-section. Then open them and write about how your insides are doing.
Close your eyes and focus on your heart. Then open them and write what your heart is saying.
After this, take a nice long time to be quiet and contemplative before returning to the mad rush. When you do go back there, it will be with much greater peace and joy.
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If you could use a deeper exploration of your response to the holidays, you’ll find my eWorkbook useful: Help for the Holidays. And you can get it for a terrific bargain right now!
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Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalyan/163744627/
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