As we embark on the new year together . . .
I remember a letter my Grandma wrote me years ago where she described the seasons as climbing a hill with the peak as December 31st, New Years Eve—that’s how she had always seen it in her mind’s eye. It was then I realized I had always visualized the passing year as a circular path. I don’t picture it as a climb up, but more like a traversing around. Until my Grandma’s letter, I hadn’t processed it on a conscious level—but in that moment, the picture came to mind and I recognized it as familiar to me as anything I know. (A seemingly insignificant realization, but I found it quite intriguing!)
Musing on this led me to contemplate how vastly different our experiences can be based on our own filtering system. We see the world filtered through this system and live according to the reality it creates for us, mostly unaware that this is the case.
“You don’t know, what you don’t know,” comes to mind. Due to our chosen or unconsciously adopted perspective, we view from within the confines of that limited perspective until there is some impetus, some “nudge” to look at things differently. In those moments—those openings—we have the insight and opportunity to change our mode of operation. We can switch off the “default” mode we’ve been operating under and set our intention: an intention to be open—to share and receive with an open heart and open mind.
I’m very grateful for the world we live in where we have the ability to reach out to others around the globe and explore such a vast array of people—their life experiences, inspirations and creations.
Sometimes we find someone who is similar to us and we can celebrate and expand on shared values. Other times, we find someone with different ideas and ways of looking at things and we are gifted the opportunity for growth and expansion—a new jumping-off point for creating beyond what we could conceive of alone.
As we embark on the new year together, I raise my glass in gratitude to each one of you and send you my very best wishes: May our hearts and minds be open to each other and to infinite possibilities!
in l i g h t & l o v e,
LeAnn, l&l life : linenlavenderlife.com
