Love, Death, Power, Time

January is a special month. It’s the time of year when we are in a transition from the past into the future, so to speak. We just finished the end of the year in which we reflect on any celebrations and victories we may have had, as well as any challenges and setbacks we endured. In doing this, we can learn from the past and look forward toward a future we desire to create.

I started reading a book this month called “Living in Gratitude” by Angeles Arrien. The book is comprised of twelve chapters in which each chapter is dedicated to each of the twelve months of a year. The whole idea is to focus on a different aspect of gratitude each month making gratitude a foundation of your everyday living.

In her book, Angeles presents four areas in which we can take a look at in our own lives and determine what we want for the coming year in each area.

The first is LOVE. Love is your desire for union and meaningful connection. Second is DEATH. Death, in this case, is your ability to release, let go, and surrender. The third is POWER. Power is your ability to sustain right use of power and stay connected to your heart and your integrity. The final area is TIME. Time is the surprising or unexpected happenings of each day that reveal your attachments and teach you about your ability or inability to remain flexible.

In this time of my life, I particularly related to death and power. In the journey of life, death is inevitable. Death can come in many shapes and forms, not just physical death. In my case, death came in the form of releasing and letting go of my ego – to be open to the teachings of others, to listen more, and to make understanding each person I encounter a true intention. I learned that when I deflated my ego, the other person became my focus and I was able to listen and understand in a much more authentic, empathetic, and caring way.

The second area for me was power. Sometimes life got pretty crazy for me this past year. I welcomed new opportunities in my life and along with it came challenges. There were times I was not connected to my heart or my integrity and let some things in my life take control of me as opposed to me taking control of my own life. It’s easy to do this when we don’t take time to be present everyday, to breathe and get centered. I’ve learned that it’s vital for me to do this. With all the balls I have in the air, I must take the time and practice being present and grounded on a daily basis.

Those were the two areas that spoke to me the most, but what about you? As you reflect on the past year and look toward the year ahead, where do you feel you need to focus on – love, death, power, or time? Maybe it’s just one, maybe it’s more, but take a moment and commit to focusing on one or two of these different areas of your life. What’s particularly speaking to you TODAY? Whether you write about it in your journal, or talk about it with a friend, commit to using January as a month of letting go, as well of receiving where you need most. I wish you all the best as you create 2013 you desire!