Happy New Year!

It's the beginning! Full of promise and new aspirations. We let go of the last year and embrace new things to come. Some of us set forth new intentions, and some of us balk at creating new goals and becoming overwhelmed by the idea of constantly working to become better!

I am totally enjoying the British author, Oliver Burke, and his best-seller Meditations for Mortals these days. Burke offers four weeks of daily meditations to guide the reader to re-consider what really is of value in life and how to embrace one's limitations. Burke calls it a guiding philosophy of "imperfectionism". I am picking up this little beauty of a book again to delve into each day as the New Year begins.

Recently, a good friend and I sat together and did a short exercise leading up to the New Year. She turned all of her attention to me, asking many times the question, "What do you want?" We looked into each other's eyes, giving me time to ponder and answer. Nothing was rushed or pre-rehearsed. But as the question was repeated with pause and room for thought, my responses became deeper and deeper. "Now we're getting somewhere," I heard my friend say when I responded, "I want peace in my life." My ending point in the questioning process was, "I want to be content and let go."

Most of my life has been spent always trying to get somewhere, trying to improve, working to be disciplined and focused. All of these character qualities are noble, but when I am able to let go and receive myself and others around me in all of our glory and limitations, life becomes so much sweeter. This is embracing the philosophy of "imperfectionism": letting go of judgement for ourselves and others. This allows us to find the sweet spot of perhaps doing less and fully enjoying the NOW - whatever that may be.