It’s the beginning of another new year. And even though we have entered a whole new cycle, nothing has changed.
You and me, we are just the same as we were last week, in December of 2021. Without the calendar that humans invented to mark time, there would be no beginning or ending points – only the steady flow of the earth circling around the sun.
The earth moves and everything in nature follows its rhythms – circadian rhythm, tidal and lunar, seasonal, and celestial – and humans, in our curiosity and ability to wonder, give everything its name. We love to explore, explain, and attach meaning to everything – like “a new year means a new beginning.”
Yes, ‘a new year means a new beginning’ is a motivating, inspiring story we can use to tell ourselves that it’s the perfect time to make the changes that we desire. We can use it to give ourselves permission to hit that ‘reset’ button, release what didn’t work last year, and start over…
It’s wonderful. And it works because our brains are wired for stories.
Unless it doesn’t work…
Sometimes this same story of ‘new year, new beginning’ can trigger memories of previous years when things didn’t go the way we envisioned. Then, instead of feeling bliss and desiring change, we feel stressed out and anxious under the pressure and the fear of failing. We might experience a sense of overwhelm and notice a different story surfacing: I am just not good (insert your word: strong, young, skilled, disciplined, etc) enough to make anything happen.
It’s the beginning of another new year. And even though we have entered a whole new cycle, nothing has changed.
You and me, we are just the same as we were last week, in December of 2021. Without the calendar that humans invented to mark time, there would be no beginning or ending points – only the steady flow of the earth circling around the sun.
The earth moves and everything in nature follows its rhythms – circadian rhythm, tidal and lunar, seasonal, and celestial – and humans, in our curiosity and ability to wonder, give everything its name. We love to explore, explain, and attach meaning to everything – like “a new year means a new beginning.”
Yes, ‘a new year means a new beginning’ is a motivating, inspiring story we can use to tell ourselves that it’s the perfect time to make the changes that we desire. We can use it to give ourselves permission to hit that ‘reset’ button, release what didn’t work last year, and start over…
It’s wonderful. And it works because our brains are wired for stories.
Unless it doesn’t work…
Sometimes this same story of ‘new year, new beginning’ can trigger memories of previous years when things didn’t go the way we envisioned. Then, instead of feeling bliss and desiring change, we feel stressed out and anxious under the pressure and the fear of failing. We might experience a sense of overwhelm and notice a different story surfacing: I am just not good (insert your word: strong, young, skilled, disciplined, etc) enough to make anything happen.
This is how powerful the stories we tell ourselves and the meaning we attach to events, people, and places can be. But in the end, it’s just that – a story we can either embrace and believe in, or release.
(Many of my entrepreneur and artist friends are choosing to skip the ‘new year, new beginning’ thing after the uncertainties of the past two years.)
So what other stories are you telling yourself that no longer serve you?
Meaning-making is a fascinating area of exploring our mindsets and limiting beliefs.
I’ve been learning about how to coach around meaning-making and it’s so cool to experience these shifts in my clients. I watch them identify the meaning they made around a particular challenge, and then create new stories that shift their mindset and handle the challenge in a new way. After all, repeating the same pattern over and over again and expecting a different outcome is unproductive, right?
Personally, I worked for years to change some of my thought processes and mindsets that were causing me emotional pain. And I honestly wish I had these tools earlier.
So, what stories are you telling yourself that might cause you stress, overwhelm, emotional pain, struggle, even suffering?
If you don’t do anything else this year, I invite you to dig into meaning-making and limiting beliefs. Because nothing can change in our lives if we don’t change the story we are telling ourselves.
It starts with awareness, so the first thing you can do is observe what you tell yourself when you feel stuck in something unpleasant.
This is how powerful the stories we tell ourselves and the meaning we attach to events, people, and places can be. But in the end, it’s just that – a story we can either embrace and believe in, or release.
(Many of my entrepreneur and artist friends are choosing to skip the ‘new year, new beginning’ thing after the uncertainties of the past two years.)
So what other stories are you telling yourself that no longer serve you?
Meaning-making is a fascinating area of exploring our mindsets and limiting beliefs.
I’ve been learning about how to coach around meaning-making and it’s so cool to experience these shifts in my clients. I watch them identify the meaning they made around a particular challenge, and then create new stories that shift their mindset and handle the challenge in a new way. After all, repeating the same pattern over and over again and expecting a different outcome is unproductive, right?
Personally, I worked for years to change some of my thought processes and mindsets that were causing me emotional pain. And I honestly wish I had these tools earlier.
So, what stories are you telling yourself that might cause you stress, overwhelm, emotional pain, struggle, even suffering?
If you don’t do anything else this year, I invite you to dig into meaning-making and limiting beliefs. Because nothing can change in our lives if we don’t change the story we are telling ourselves.
It starts with awareness, so the first thing you can do is observe what you tell yourself when you feel stuck in something unpleasant.
“Remember”
Here is a poem is about shifting limiting beliefs. Since I made this as a gift for my son’s high school graduation, my intention was to encourage him to always keep his growth mindset and to keep finding new, expanded perspectives.
Can you identify some of those shifts?
For the ‘serious’ meaning seekers:
This is a good example of ‘creative meaning making’ where I took my sons’ sketch book and created a whole story based on a meaning I attached to his drawings.
I also used some sayings and situations that have meaning to us because they are actual things that happened – like the ‘useless plastic toy that’s proved to not be so useless after all.’ This created another layer of meaning, even though it won’t have the same meaning for the reader.
Finally, more meaning was attached to this piece through the contribution by his two brothers. 🙂
I hope the poem is inspiring to you as you too keep growing and expanding (your mind, your heart, and your spirit).
Here is a poem is about shifting limiting beliefs. Since I made this as a gift for my son’s high school graduation, my intention was to encourage him to always keep his growth mindset and to keep finding new, expanded perspectives.
Can you identify some of those shifts?
For the ‘serious’ meaning seekers:
This is a good example of ‘creative meaning making’ where I took my sons’ sketch book and created a whole story based on a meaning I attached to his drawings.
I also used some sayings and situations that have meaning to us because they are actual things that happened – like the ‘useless plastic toy that’s proved to not be so useless after all.’ This created another layer of meaning, even though it won’t have the same meaning for the reader.
Finally, more meaning was attached to this piece through the contribution by his two brothers. 🙂
I hope the poem is inspiring to you as you too keep growing and expanding (your mind, your heart, and your spirit).
REMEMBER
By Tajci Cameron
Inspired by Evan Amadeus’ sketch book
Remember the day the old man untied
the ties that held his house down? **
What if he had done it
when he was, like you, young?
From up high in the sky,
the lines of busy people running like ants
look a lot like cracks
in the ground.
Cracks that, to those who look with their heart-eyes,
reveal new ways, roads and paths.
Leading to a place where time sits still…
or at least it doesn’t feel as fast as a blink.
“Mama, mama, mama” calls the child
on a day of play that gets a bit tough.
“What?” his mother asks, not looking up,
busy with work and love-things and stuff.
And a child pokes her gently
with a useless plastic toy.
Once, twice, until she responds.
“I guess this toy is not useless after all.”
Go run and play, my sweet little child.
If you sit on a couch sure, you’ll be safe and sound
And if you run and fall and play hard
you might get scratches but you’ll be living life.
Because from way up high
swimming in circles doesn’t look like fun.
And up on the surf the world is open wide.
Just listen to the wise who’ll help you catch the (right) tide.
And if after a while your balloon takes you a bit too far
to a place where no one remembers how to smile,
You’ll know that it’s not their fault…
they’ve probably been through a lot.
Your balloon will gently bring you down
So you can offer a knowing hug…
And breathe…(you know how to do that) …
it will always help you remember who you are.
“That’s easy! I am me!”
Of course! Who else would you be?
And when you get tired
of doing great things
sharing your heart,
soaring up high
you’ll know where there is a place for you
to lay your head down.
**A reference to the animated movie “Up”, which we loved to watch together.
REMEMBER
By Tajci Cameron
Inspired by Evan Amadeus’ sketch book
Remember the day the old man untied
the ties that held his house down? **
What if he had done it
when he was, like you, young?
From up high in the sky,
the lines of busy people running like ants
look a lot like cracks
in the ground.
Cracks that, to those who look with their heart-eyes,
reveal new ways, roads and paths.
Leading to a place where time sits still…
or at least it doesn’t feel as fast as a blink.
“Mama, mama, mama” calls the child
on a day of play that gets a bit tough.
“What?” his mother asks, not looking up,
busy with work and love-things and stuff.
And a child pokes her gently
with a useless plastic toy.
Once, twice, until she responds.
“I guess this toy is not useless after all.”
Go run and play, my sweet little child.
If you sit on a couch sure, you’ll be safe and sound
And if you run and fall and play hard
you might get scratches but you’ll be living life.
Because from way up high
swimming in circles doesn’t look like fun.
And up on the surf the world is open wide.
Just listen to the wise who’ll help you catch the (right) tide.
And if after a while your balloon takes you a bit too far
to a place where no one remembers how to smile,
You’ll know that it’s not their fault…
they’ve probably been through a lot.
Your balloon will gently bring you down
So you can offer a knowing hug…
And breathe…(you know how to do that) …
it will always help you remember who you are.
“That’s easy! I am me!”
Of course! Who else would you be?
And when you get tired
of doing great things
sharing your heart,
soaring up high
you’ll know where there is a place for you
to lay your head down.
**A reference to the animated movie “Up”, which we loved to watch together.
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AND live your dream life.
Get weekly emails, exclusive content. special offers and
event updates directly to your inbox.