Here we are, halfway through the Year of the Fire Horse. For me, and for many of my clients, it has been a year of significant decisions, unexpected changes and challenges. Plans have fallen apart. And sometimes, just as unexpectedly, a new horizon has appeared instead – an invitation to travel, a new job, a new love.
With all the change, I’ve had to learn to pivot. To let go of a plan I was attached to. To practise being open and curious instead of gripping tighter.
And through all of this, I am so grateful for my meditation practice. With its emphasis on love and compassion, I am much kinder to myself and others. When things are unravelling, I am less reactive and can find the “yes” more readily.
A personal theme that’s emerged for me this year is saying yes to new things. I’ve started a crafting project, tried contact improv dance (love it), attended a clowning performance and participated in a workshop I knew nothing about but went to because a friend invited me. Each one has been a mirror, showing me where I’m open, where I’m judgmental, where I’m rigid, where I’m scared.
Summer is here now, with its unpredictable weather and unreliable ferry schedules, and its wide-open invitation to try things. My wish for you is simple: have fun, stay safe, and try something new!
Try something new, big or small. Wear something you wouldn’t normally wear. Go to something you’re secretly judgmental about–karaoke, bingo, a silent disco–and see what happens. Sign up for that art class you have zero skill in. Go to the Meetup event you’d normally scroll past. Talk to a stranger in line.
If you can stay curious instead of certain, these small experiments will do more than pass the time. You will learn something about yourself and life.
I’d love to hear how your year has gone so far, what’s shifted, what you’ve discovered, what’s been challenging and what’s surprised you. Send me a note anytime at counsellingwithocean@gmail.
Happy Summer. Wishing you delightful moments of novelty.
