New Directions?As the year draws to an end, folks are planning new year's parties and getting set to write new year's resolutions. The thing is that the start of the "new year" is a rather man-made and arbitrary way to keep track of something called time. It seems we, as humans, have a need to measure such things. So, we calculate the revolutions of the earth around the sun and make calendars and, for whatever reason, designate a day "one" and call it special.

We use the impetus of such a "special" day to declare it a time of new beginnings. This is when we declare that we will turn over a new leaf, quit a bad habit, start a good habit and, in general, finally get down to living our authentic lives. The thing is, the choice to make these changes is available to us on a daily basis and, if we were clear about our desire to make such a change, we could act now...whenever now is.

Ah, but the flesh is weak and, a year later, we still smoke, don't exercise and haven't lost a pound (probably gained a few...but I digress). We are, in the end, who we always were and who we have chosen to be. Does that mean we are stuck in our present form forever? I think not.

I have seen enormous changes in myself over my life time. Some have occurred over a period of years while others seem to have come about in an instant. Now and then, there have been life-changing experiences that have caused the old-me to die and the new-me to appear. It's sort of like the hard working author who says, "It only took me 40 years to become an over night success."

In any event, I wish you well with your resolutions and caution you about your expectations. Maybe it would be better for all of us if, instead of making resolutions, we took an inventory of the good qualities (our gold) that we some how fail to honor.

Paddle safe...

DS