“What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me.” 

Heller Keller

Fresh beginnings are exciting, so often filled with hope and the prospect of beautiful dreams coming true. As we move forward into the new dawning of Aquarius (aka 2023) there’s sure to be some shaky ground coming up with different life lessons to be learned. Or old lessons repeated, yet to be learned.

Heartache – pain – hope – wonder, all wrapped up in a shiny bow ready to be opened for the new year. Perhaps some of us have already opened that pandora’s box and are walking on some shaky ground right about now. Whether firmly footed or not, the new year has certainly begun.

How’s this year going to pan out differently from last year? Will the wisdom gained in 2022 firmly and finally take hold? Was any wisdom gained in 2022?  What do you think?  I sure wonder.

I’m hoping our minister has some effective new year insights on this type of reflective strangeness. He’s usually spot on with inspirations…

 “We’re each evolving as a spiral,” he begins.

Going up or down? I wonder.

“Going Up!” he bellows.

He’s read my mind! This guy’s insightful. But come on, there’s so many problems in the world. It seems like a never ending swirl of difficulties. When one problem calms down another one revs up.

“Once you’ve seen the light, you can’t go backwards even if you try.
Because you now know.
You’re spiral continues upward.
Not that you won’t fight it and attempt to resist the upward movement.
Finding balance will make the inevitable upward movement easier,” he says.

Keep going, Minister. I’m feeling the lift. Maybe you’re on to something.

“Before fixing the world, fix yourself.”

Ok, I knew this couldn’t be easy.

“Find quiet time,” he explains,
Time to be still.
Time to really listen.
Just listen.”

He pauses then ever so softly,

“Shhh … listen.”

Silence.

More silence.

Pin drops.

And when the dropping pin disrupts my quiet mind, I turn to my breath and slightly raise a finger or thumb to keep my busy thoughts at bay so I can truly listen.

First a thumb – inhale/exhale.
Next a finger – inhale/exhale.
And so on with each finger or thumb, inhaling and exhaling.

Heck, sometimes even my toes get involved to help declutter that busy mind.

Until ready to sit quietly and gratefully again in silence. My eyes/ears/mind focused on truly listening.

Shhhhh.

Listen.

“Only one whose joy is inward,
inward his peace,
inward his vision,
goes to that paradise sun.”