Setting Intention for 2015

Wisdom tells me I am nothing.
Love tells me I am everything.
And between the two my life flows.
— Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

ICLightsatnight

At the start of our calendar year it’s tempting to work at getting rid of ‘bad’ habits or introducing ‘good’ behaviours designed to make our situation or ourselves better. We often experience a flood of will power that motivates us to act — take a class, volunteer, start an exercise routine, go on a cleanse, get a new job. Sometimes we clear out basements, clean closets and take a vow of new year neatness.

This year, Sasha and I spent the last day of 2014 and the first day of 2015 in ceremony here at home. Our focus was to anchor our intentions going forward — for ourselves and for Inspired Centre. We started with a Pipe Ceremony designed for manifestation, and intuition guided us to include other, more personal elements: certain stones for our medicine wheel; pine resin for burning; a small bowl of water; our drums. This ritual fulfilled many purposes for me, one of which is my desire to include more Ceremony in my daily life.

But I knew that before I could have more of what I wanted, I needed to release what wasn’t serving me. Though Source energy is infinite, my capacity to channel it is bound by my human form. If I spend my energy hanging on to things that demand my attention but don’t feed me — like incomplete projects that linger, beliefs that keep me small, or the chatter of the itty bitty shitty committee in my head — I’m giving my power away. By focusing on completion and stillness, I am literally making space for that larger version of me to come into being.

My personal theme for this year is flourish. For me, this means honouring what fills my heart by connecting to my passions. It includes engaging in a regular practice that reduces my stress, balances my body and supports my spirit. These sensations and actions help me feel complete and make my heart smile. I invite you to set a clear and positive intention for the coming year by choosing your word and focusing on its manifestation for the next twelve months.

Gregory