New Year's Eve 2008

Well, here it is, another New Year's Eve. Why does it feel that there have not been 365 days that have elapsed since our last celebration? Feels more like maybe 200.... I guess the older I get, the smaller the years get, fractionally anyways. I mean, when I was 4, one year was 1/4 of my life. Now that I'm 49, one year is really small, 1/49th of my life. Scary, huh?

One thing I gave up doing a few years ago was making resolutions. What seems to be a good goal at one moment in time morphs into something completely different over the ensuing months. Some people may want to mark the passage of time using the Gregorian Calendar, began at the time of Jesus' birth. Not I, necessarily. For birthdays, yes. But for more sacred soul-growing I find other timeframes to be more effective.

I like using the moon phases. Start something at the new moon, feed and nurture it and let it grow, then either keep it going through the next moonth, or let it finish during the dark moon. Seasonal changes are also useful helpers when it comes to growing a more authentic life. Plant things in the spring, nuture them through the summer, harvest in the autumn, and rest in the winter. Not everything is so cut and dried, especially when it comes to "growing the soul", but it sure helps to have a framework into which I can chart my progress.

So, let the champagne corks pop, revel with family and friends, and make a promise to yourself that you will keep that will ensure your growth into a more magnificent human being this year. Happy Happy!