In general, we’re all about newness in this fast-paced, global information age. New information steals our attention away from the old. New things are more shiny than the ones we already have.
New year’s skepticism just doesn’t quite filter out the seductive glow of portent and opportunity. So many people are basking in that glow. Illuminating their pathways with rays of optimism.
The promise of a new beginning cannot be disproven, so why be a pessimist? Why not join in on the hope? ……Anyone old enough to read these words already has enough experience to answer why we don’t always fall for the Glamour of The New.
We know in theory that newer isn’t always superior to old, yet we might find ourselves unintentionally acting as if it is. And we might also find ourselves treating the notion of re-newal as second best – a compromise- to be settled for when The New option is unattainable.
Ideas of fresh starts, drastic changes, and the remaking of our Self is not only sometimes truly required, it’s always involuntary. (Life re-makes the Self constantly, whether we like it or not.) However, perhaps it’s not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. The desire to be and have the new can result in squandered time and energy which only postpones our goals. When the things that work well for us are kept alive- and updated if necessary, we have a better platform from which to assess what new changes are called for.
In our efforts to feel refreshed, let’s do just that. Re-Fresh. Nurture our longest lasting relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Find new meanings in old, tried-and-true teachings through re-flection. Re-charge the parts of ourselves that have proven over time to be valuable.
In the garden of life, the plants with the oldest roots grow tallest – if the roots are well-tended and healthy. Even when uprooting ourselves for new territories, we make sure some part of our roots are still with us as we depart. Our roots are encoded with the truth about who we are- who has helped us, why we have made the choices we have made, exactly how we have gotten where we now are. Losing this valuable information about ourselves means rendering our past to a status just as unknowable and undependable as the status of our future.
Our most established platform is the best equipped welcome center for new arrivals. Namaste.
