Click for audio: Happy New Now!
The New Year celebration is one of my favorites because it’s a time of letting go of the old and bringing on the new. As I’ve said before, every holiday highlights some aspect of our spiritual awareness, and our New Year celebration is no exception.
Setting goals always means taking on something new and letting go of something old. We utilize notions of future and past. Where we really need to look, however, is to the now. If you have set a new course, you want to get into the habit of doing what you can in this moment to keep moving in this direction. Someone once asked Socrates how to get to Mt. Olympus. His reply: Make sure every step you take is in that direction.
Each moment is a step in some direction. When you are thinking of success of any kind, it is only necessary to be successful now. Is your utilization of this moment a step in the right direction? Are you fearing, feeling discouraged or feeling like you are getting nowhere fast? Then bring the full power of your attention to this now moment and be here successfully. Is there something you could be doing now to further your desire? Surely worrying about the future or regretting the past is not a productive step toward your Mt. Olympus. Choosing to be at peace with yourself and your life is a good step. Doing something you’ve been putting off might be a good step. Simply affirming your life is in divine order and you are exactly where you need to be is a very good way to be in this moment. Emerson, after all, pointed out that, “ … he who would be a great soul in the future must be a great soul now.”
This new year, make a commitment to a happy new now. Set your goals and let go of the past, but remember that the only real place that you can live your life successfully is in this now moment.