The new year brings thoughts about new beginnings. So I was thinking about quotes on beginnings for January. Then I came across a quote that reminded me that sometimes the greatest changes stem not from beginning, but from ending:
"A well-known Zen parable tells of a wanderer on a lonely road who came upon a torrential stream that had washed out the bridge. He couldn't swim and was afraid to wade across, so he had to spend several days cutting down trees and vines with his small knife to build a raft. The raft he built was solid, and the heavy raft carried him safely across the flood. On the other side of the bank he thought, 'This is a good raft--if there's another stream ahead, I can use it.' And so, he carried the raft for the rest of his life." (Julie Morgenstern, When Organizing Isn't Enough: Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life)
Is a new beginning for you about letting go of something old? For me it is. I am letting go of old patterns and old rules in 2013. I started this process in 2012, when I took the plunge into self-publishing. Now, since that has turned out to be one of the best career decisions I've ever made, I am feeling even bolder about letting go of other assumptions, patterns and ideas that I have outgrown.
So for me, beginning 2013 is for chipping away at everything in my life that no longer fits me. It's about no longer hauling around old rafts that once served me, but no longer do.
How about you? What does beginning a new year mean for you? Do you have any plans, ideas, or dreams you want to make room for in your life (or any to let go of because they no longer fit you)?
~Barb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ZptSs5
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On my own blog this month I'll be profiling the "People of Pajaro Bay" on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and highlighting joyful things in life in my "Good Fridays" feature. You can follow the posts through any of the links above.
If you have a book release in 2013 and you'd like to be a Wednesday guest on my blog, email me and we'll set it up.
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