Dear Congregation and Friends,
As we move into this new year, what support do you need in order to live out your deepest desires and intentions?
Support is an aspect of growth that is often overlooked. We evaluate our lives, we identify what we want to do differently, then we begin to change our choices to match the vision week have of the new year.
Shifting long-held patterns, behaviors, and beliefs is not easy. We’re not meant to do all that sneaky deep work of transformation overnight and we’re not meant to do it alone.
It is essential that we identify what support we need from ourselves and each other.
For instance, in my social life, I want to plan ahead better. Currently, I haven’t been making plans with friends in advance. I haven’t been looking at community calendars to see what fun events are coming up. When I get time off, I want to be able to decide in the moment what would feel restorative - I don’t want to be obligated to anything or anyone. Over time, this has meant that I have friends I haven’t seen in months because I’m always making last minute invitations or no plans at all.
In order to shift this pattern, I not only have to identify alternative choices from the ones I’ve been making, I also have to give myself the support and reassurance to actually make those different choices.
If I want to live into an intention of seeing friends more regularly, I must support myself by dealing with the anxiety and comforting the fears that have kept me from making plans in advance. From there, I can identify the actions that will support the new intention.
And so, I ask you again - In order to live out your desires and intentions for the coming year, what support can you offer to yourself or ask for from other people?