On New Years Day 2021
It’s been a surreal moment in the history of humanity this year. In geological time it’s nothing but a moment- but for us it’s been pretty astounding. We’ve been running a mile a minute and getting faster all the time since before I was born. Waves upon waves of stress and strain and anxiety leading to burnout and depression and hopelessness. People working themselves to the bone trying to make ends meet and sometimes not even out of necessity but because of a need to perform and accommodate those around us.
Since smartphones and other technologies have come into our lives this has constant engagement has become even more devastating. The small amount of time we have to devote to restoring our bodies and minds is now being usurped by engagement in the digital realms. We are constantly reading, sharing, creating content, scrolling, staring, watching videos, getting sidetracked and distracted by all the potential wormholes that exist online. Our minds have so little time to replenish themselves let alone find the space and time for inspiration and original thought.
This year we have been asked to stop, slow down, rest, and recover in order to slow the spread of the virus. While covid 19 is raging through our population it has become as a metaphorical emergency brake for our lives both individually and collectively. In each of our lives we have had experiences where we are forced to stop, recalibrate, digest, and recuperate. In 2020 we have been called to sit in pause together. In this time of not being able to safely gather we have turned to our technologies to keep us connected and while this has had a great benefit to being able to continue to cultivate community, connection, creative endeavors, and livelihoods. I see however, in my own life as well as the lives of others that in turning so thoroughly to our online resources, we may have missed some opportunity to pause, rest, and reflect by continuing to remain engaged at all times.
I have been rolling around the feelings of setting New Year intentions. I have decided that my intention for 2021 is to continue to deepen the opportunities to rest. I want to allow the time that I have that is not consumed with my business, teaching, and making my home better to be more thoroughly restorative. I want to allow myself the pleasure of doing nothing so that I can allow myself the space of origination. When I was a kid I had the pleasure of boredom which allowed me to become a creative and adventurous person. I wandered creek beds and gathered rocks and watched bugs and drew pictures and wrote poems for no reason except to pass the time. I desire a return, in small part to that sweet and wholesome aimlessness.
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