It is often at the beginning of every new (calendar) year, or any new significant ‘life event’, that we pause to consider and evaluate the changes that we may want to make in our life. It is the ‘crossroads’ that often provide us the openness to make (different) choices than the ones that we have been making on our journey(s) that have brought us this far. If we feel empowered enough and free enough to allow ourselves to make different choices, we can then take the next step.
This next step often involves ‘taking new action(s)’ to bring our new choices to life in our daily lives. If we do not act differently, our choices remain ‘frozen’ in our heart and mind in the shape of intentions. It is our new daily actions that breathe heat into our heart, and thaw out the intentions so that their results may flow within the world – ours and those that we are connected with. But where are we, who are often ‘stuck’ in our habits, dogmas, myths, and sometimes even our beliefs, to find the energy, the reasons and the support to take new actions?
Let us start at the ‘end result’ in my mind. Let me suggest that we go to the end of the alphabet, and consider the ‘XYZ’ of thawing our intentions through actions.
First, the X. We may think of this as the “X-factor”, or the ‘great unknown’. On my recent trip to Mexico, I was ‘accidentally’ introduced to a Mayan healer who talked about the concept of “Xi”. Yes, it is similar to the eastern concept of “Chi”. Xi is the dynamic life-force that flows within all of us. The Mayans believe that Xi comes to us ‘at birth’, through the one who births us. When we are in a ‘lower state’ of vibration – weighed down by anger, hate, revenge, and so on – our Xi suffers. We are drained of Xi. The good news is that we can re-energize ourselves by putting ourselves into a ‘higher state’ of vibration through the practice of awareness (of breath) an mindfulness (of the moment). What is the state of our Xi, the X-factor in our life?
Second, the Y. I think of this as the “why”. You may have heard the quote – “when the why is big enough, the facts don’t count”. I am sure that there has been at least one instance in your life where your reason, your why, was so strong, that you ignored all of the “so called’ facts. You took action anyway. I am not talking about ‘impulsive’, ‘spur of the moment’ actions that we often take. The bigger “why” is something that has been nudging us, speaking to us in our heart for so long that we can no longer ignore it. When we find ours, it becomes fuel for action that raises our Xi, and empowers those around us to raise their Xi too. Yes. That Y. Do you know your ‘Y’?
Third, the Z. We are often advised to ‘begin with the end in mind’. So, that becomes our Z. It is not exactly an ‘end’, but a milepost that we may create for ourselves. The milepost can inform us about how far we have come as a result of making new choices, taking new actions. The ‘Z’ can beckon to us to keep moving, to take that next step, while also being mindful and present about how and where we arrive with every step. Sometimes, we may ‘lose’ some loved ones along the path, and their loss may deplete our Xi, make us question our Why, cause us to reset and revise our milepost, our Z. We are reminded of the circle of life. Life has a way of reminding us of the XYZ – the consequences of our choices, our actions.
Life also has a way of renewing us. We begin anew. We arise, awaken to our reservoir of love. We relearn how to put joy in every step, in every action and celebrate every arrival along the way. Step by step, we raise our Xi, we rediscover our why, and we create new mileposts through our new choices and actions.
Like Richard Bach said, and I paraphrase – we are rarely given the gift of a choice without also being given the XYZ of making it happen…
Happy New Year, and Namaste!
Kumud @AjmaniK
P.S. We ring in the New Year of 2018 with ‘The XYZ of Spiritual Actions’ – Sunday, January 7th 2018 at 9amET/2pmUTC on twitter. Please join us! If you have ideas or suggestions for the #SpiritChat community in 2018, please share in the comments. Namaste, and thank you! -Kumud.
Crossroads in nature…
