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100th Offering: Winter Reflections December 31, 2024 10:30
If you prefer to listen to this month's offering, please click HERE for the audio link.
Winter is a season of rest and renewal. It is the time of vanishing from view, and it is the time when transformation occurs…in quiet darkness.
Winter is not the death of the life cycle; it is the catalyst, the crucible, the womb. Winter is an essential period of descent, of going within, and taking much-needed time for reflection.
During this time of year, western culture encourages overworking, overspending, overeating, and overconsuming. However, in the natural world, winter encourages us to embrace the darkness, to hibernate in the womb of the earth, and to embrace this time of introspection. In this way, we are like seeds planted deep in the earth. This time of reflection is the key to the promise of blooming in the spring. It is the key to realizing our potential and to continuing to grow and progress.
This is Middle Moon Malas’ 100th blog post. I am approaching my tenth business anniversary in 2025, and in preparing for this month’s offering, I decided to read all ninety-nine previous blogs in order.
Honestly, I dreaded this at first. Reading my own articles is a bit like listening to my own voice on a recording. I was convinced that I would cringe in embarrassment at every single article—and that I would find them to be meaningless, incoherent, and dumb.
While some offerings were more interesting than others, each one was carefully written and had something honest, intelligent, and authentic to communicate.
After reading these articles, I was pleasantly surprised, and it warms my heart to know that people from all over the world have taken the time to read or listen to these posts over the years.
So, after reading and reflecting on these monthly offerings, I’ve decided to make a list of some of the most important lessons and takeaways that I’ve learned over the course of this year. May they be of benefit to others as well.
- Cultivate a spiritual practice that resonates with you or a creative endeavor that nurtures and nourishes you—those ventures that make you forget about the time. Those labors of love that are meaningful and that foster play and curiosity. These activities are critical to your personal wellbeing and your growth as a human being. Make time for these precious practices and creative pursuits. They help make you who you are and who you will be. They are worth your time and effort. Enjoy them!
- One of the best antidotes to counter feeling discouraged, insignificant, or sad is to do something to uplift others. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or complicated. Simple and sincere actions are best. A smile, a compliment, a listening ear are all opportunities to celebrate others, and in celebrating others, we boost ourselves, too.
- Taking time to honor those who have come before you—an ancestor practice or honoring the natural world—is important. Spending time outdoors and connecting in some meaningful way with the past or with elders can be extremely grounding and stabilizing. Going for a walk, planting flowers, reading a biography, flipping through a family photo album, or even attending a reunion can be catalysts for connection, reconnection, and interdependence.
- Because nothing is permanent, don’t attach to anything…or anyone. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care about anything or anybody; just be careful not to be grippy, clingy, or needy. This can be easier said than done; however, being aware of our triggers and tendencies can prevent us from getting snared in traps of our own making. Unhealthy attachments can be forms of manipulation, and they can also promote stagnation in relationships and resistance to what is.
- True friends will respect your boundaries. When you communicate clearly that something is not OK and does not feel safe for you, your friends will respect that. They won’t shame, blame, ignore, and gossip about you. When you set healthy boundaries, you will discover who your friends are…and who they aren’t. This is important information. When people show you who they are, believe them. Continue to cultivate friendships with those who value and respect you for who you are, and who encourage you to keep growing and improving.
- Exploration and travel expand our perspectives and broaden our understanding of others. They enrich us and cultivate compassion for others. They motivate us to take care of each other and our world. You don’t have to travel far to realize this—a visit to a neighboring state or country can have this effect. Let your fascination and curiosity guide you, and enjoy your journeys. Safe travels!
- Taking anything personally is a symptom of self-centered grasping. It is a way of making something that has nothing to do with us about us. Notice when this tendency arises for you and work toward letting go of this habit. Be gentle with yourself—this is not an easy one.
- Ethics! Ethics! Ethics! Choosing leaders, teachers, and friends who are kind, compassionate, and ethical is extremely important. Surrounding yourself with people who care about others and this planet will benefit you, others, and this planet. Encouraging others to be kind and compassionate by modeling kindness and compassion will have positive ripple effects as well. While writing this today, I heard of the passing of President Carter. He was 100 years old, and he was an ethical, compassionate humanitarian whose lifelong service to others benefitted many. May he rest in peace and power, and may his example motivate others to be of meaningful service as well.
- Pay attention to small, sensory details: The smell of vegetable soup simmering in a slow cooker on a kitchen counter. A plump squirrel nibbling on a bright red Honeycrisp in the yard. Luna, the neighbor’s white Labradoodle, barking in the distance. Shafts of sunlight reveal a thin layer of dust on a computer screen. Details add flavor, color, and texture to just about everything. Paying attention to them is an awareness practice—the art of noticing. What are you noticing? What captures your interest and attention? Specificity matters.
- “Fitting in is for sardines.” This is the last line of a John Roedel poem. It caught my eye, it made me laugh, and it made me wish I had heard it when I was in junior high school. It would have been extremely helpful wisdom for me at that time. Honestly, it’s just as useful now. Fitting in is overrated. Celebrate your individuality, and embrace your beautiful, quirky weirdness.
Taking the time to be present, to be quiet, and to reflect is an important daily practice, but it’s also beneficial to take a longer view and contemplate the wisdom gained over the course of a year…or a decade.
Imagine yourself as a bear hibernating in a warm, loamy den. What observations, insights, and nuggets of wisdom would you be kicking around in your restful state of torpor?
Take some time to rest, restore, and reflect as we wrap up 2024 and ease into whatever adventures wait for us in 2025.
Thank you for taking the time to read or listen to this month’s offering…and a special thanks for those who have read any of the previous ninety-nine. I certainly appreciate you.
I continue to add new mala designs to the online shop, so be sure to check out the current catalogue of the one-of-a-kind Middle Moon Malas while you’re here.
I hope 2025 treats you well, and I hope your personal practices continue to benefit you and others in the New Year.
(Photo of tiny snowman courtesy of Unsplash)