Time can be viewed in many ways. Generally, we think of time as passing and so it forms a line – which is why many of us learned to store knowledge of historical events on timelines. However, we humans love patterns and structure. And so, we assign a cyclic nature to our clocks to count days and we then apply this cyclic nature to the months or seasons to count years. In many cultures, in fact, the yearly calendar follows the moon and the cycles of the moon. School calendars are also cyclic – starting from the beginning to the end and starting all over again. This is very reminiscent of circles or the mandala…the deeper we steep ourselves in each cycle, the deeper our understanding of ourselves grows.                         

As one cycle dissolves, a new cycle is born. And here we are, for those of us who follow the Gregorian calendar, at the end of 2018. So many experiences and details of the past year have shaped our minds and influenced the pathways of our thoughts and behaviors. They have dissolved into our beings and we have an opportunity to begin another cycle as if it’s a blank slate.

This why it is essential to look back and reflect:

1. What events dissolved and left a negative taste in my mind? Have I allowed myself to process these experiences rather than let them sour my mood and behaviors?
2. Was I honest with myself? In other words, did my thoughts and actions align with each other? Or did I allow peer or social media pressures or those in positions more powerful than mine influence me to change in ways that disagree with my values?
3. Was I kind and honest to others? Note that this does not mean you please others and say what they like to hear. It means you offer honest help – whether it is picking up a stranger’s fallen bag items or sticking up for what is right even if it means disagreeing with your whole peer group.

I wish everyone a wonderful New Year 2019 filled with learning, growth, laughter, good times, and great adventures!