29 Dec The Wisdom of Looking Forward, Looking Back and Being Exactly Where You Are
The Romans named the month of January for Janus, an ancient god associated with doorways, beginnings and transitions. He presided over the beginning and ending of conflict. The doors of his temple were open in periods of war and closed to mark a time of peace. As a two-faced god, he looks both to the future and the past.
Janus’s namesake month is always a time of reflection – of reviewing the past and contemplating the future. And while we hope to glean insight from both the road we’ve traveled and the hopeful journey ahead, what we sometimes forget on New Year’s Day is our gratefulness for now. Our present moment experience of knowing ourselves as we are right now is the most valuable gift we have. Our life is not about dwelling in the shadows of the past or propelling ourselves into a picture perfect future. We have to embrace ourselves – where we stand in this very moment – and live in alignment with who we truly are. When we have the courage and willingness to do that, our life begins to take off. Owning and celebrating our authentic self unleashes that potential and informs everything else that comes into our experience.
How are we choosing to show up in each moment? Are we embodying and loving the truest version of who we are? Do we stand grounded in who we are and where we are in any given moment? Make a fresh start and focus on the way you love yourself. Make 2014 “The Year of You.” This is not a selfish thing to do. Quite the contrary. It is the greatest gift you can offer to everyone in your life. The more you fill yourself with love, the more you can be available to everyone around you in a kind and gracious way.
Old Janus may be destined to always look forward and back but we live in the present – loving our authentic selves and using each moment to let our soul shine and warm those surrounding us. When we stand in the brilliance our true self, our possibilities are endless and our New Year is filled with joy, abundance and love.
