Growing Pains
An exploration of the journey that begins, once we have set our intentions, to move us toward the direction of achieving our goals. As we move through the year and work towards achieving our goals or embodying certain values; we will find ourselves facing one challenge after the next, along the way.
These are little nudges that will progressively open up the path before us.
Will you continue to play or give up along the way?
What comes next after you set that new intention for the year ahead?
The first blog of the year, ‘Play of Life’ , explored the setting of intentions for how you will move through the ebbs and flows this year will bring. This video popped out of my archives from around this time, two years ago. Isn’t it interesting how similar lessons circle back or recycle until we learn and integrate them in our lives?
In this video, the intention I had set was to grow in wisdom. One of the challenges that emerged to push me in that direction, was the opportunity to make one hard decision after another. This was one such incident. It was very similar to a previous challenge that I had refused to participate in, for fear of causing hurt. The decision was consequently made for me. The outcome was just as it would have been had I chosen to follow my gut. Letting it play out naturally, instead, left me in an uncomfortable and unprepared place. I had to come to terms with the consequences of my indecision. This time around, I understood my assignment and acted accordingly. I activated the expansion or growth within me that was necessary on the path to wisdom; by making the tough decision with the tools at hand. There was a price to pay. Feelings of guilt over the possibility that I may have been wrong.
Looking back now, I was asking for an ability, something that required the building of my own capacity. The Cambridge Dictionary describes wisdom as : the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments. In order to have this ability, I had to experience things that pushed me to make decisions and trust my judgement!
Of course it did not occur to me while asking for wisdom, to look up its meaning and really meditate on it. That notwithstanding, it became manifest in the events that followed.
What a beautiful discovery this turned out to be! Life does indeed play with us. Perhaps we could make it more fun by preparing ourselves for the game beforehand; like watching the trailer to a movie before you commit to watching it. But then again, some of us like to be surprised and figure things out along the way. Whatever your style, you can be certain that you will often get exactly what you ask for. So gear up for the ride and keep an open mind. It can be fun to put the puzzle together: forwards or backwards. Your choice.
Play of Life
As the new year begins, let us take a moment to think of how we wish to look back on year’s end.
How will we move through life’s ebbs and flows, the wins and losses, lessons and growth?
To be alive, after all, is to continually grow! I wish you a wonderful 2026.
Day one. The very first day of a brand new year. 2026 is finally here!
There is something so fresh and exciting about new beginnings: a chance to start; a blank canvas and the opportunity to create a brand new world filled with the stuff of our imagination; a slight sense of control.
What will you choose to be the story you write this year? Is it a continuation of what already began, or a completely new tale?
When I contemplate this new start, a phrase comes to mind, ‘Joie de Vivre’. Away from the tradition that puts pressure on us to set the stage for the rest of the year; perhaps a good addition would be to set an intention for how you will move through it, no matter what life throws at you?
A few years ago, I came across the concept of having a word of the year. A theme that runs through the year’s experiences and accomplishments. In many ways it seems to be more like a prayer or a wish. I remember doing it for a few years, having a theme of the year, the last of which was wisdom. I asked for wisdom, and let me tell you, wisdom did not knock on my door. No, it stormed in. Wisdom did not gently tap and wait for me to let it in, it swept right through with such force that I was left spinning. No warning letters, no memo. It was as if I had found that fabled magic lamp with a genie in it, blew off the dust and inhaled it, to unwittingly cast a spell on myself before the genie had a chance to appear and offer me three wishes. Amidst sputters of allergic sneezes, the spell compelled me ask for wisdom. Yes, I am blaming a fictional object for the turn of events I set into motion, while clearly in lack of said wisdom. And so I was gifted a solid dose of one hard truth after another, gently nudged to look within, and to eventually clean out that dusty old closet of ‘untended to’ things. It came in relentless waves that cleared one dusty shelf after another, and shone a light so bright on the mess before me, that ignoring its existence would be a fool’s task.
Wisdom was quite the teacher, and there were times I cussed out the process, times I taunted it and others I almost quit. I had not read the fine print; quitting was not a choice. So I powered through. In the midst of the storms of revelation, and overwhelm at new truths that emerged from this clever fellow, I learnt to find the beauty in the pain and the fun in the game. It was nothing short of an adventure.
In conversation with one of my favourite people, we dissected the idea of asking for the things we want. Those we think we lack or want more of. It was quickly apparent that we can set ourselves up with this idea that we know exactly what we want. What we are, in fact, asking for is the shiny exterior; the final product. Without considering what it takes to achieve that coveted prize. The peace, wisdom, joy, ease, wealth, love, whatever it is we seek. We rarely consider what it will take to get there, what the cost will be; because nothing comes for free.
More often than not, the things we want to be, will gradually emerge as we pass one challenge after another, each one holding an opportunity to test our ability to embody that which we seek. Oftentimes, we will take a while to recognise the pattern, to see that all the little tests are either getting us ready, or testing our resolve. Are we up to the task? Are you up to the task?
My friend decided to approach her hopes and dreams from a different angle, one that would soften the blow. A gentler approach that did not include asking to be a certain kind of person or to live a certain kind of life. I, on the other hand, was still deliberating on which way works best for me. Do I want to be a soldier and ask directly for something specific, for a result? Then prepare for the battle field that would surely deliver results; or trick the universe into offering these treats, without a rough and unpredictable ride? It now appears, that though I appreciate the effectiveness of being direct, (as it offers something of a crash course in achieving our goals without signing off on the package it is delivered in) maybe this time I can try something different.
This time, I choose to start by showing up the way my ideal self would. Ideal because it is a higher version than the one I am familiar with, yet it is within reach. In evaluating my previous responses to challenges, there is now a greater awareness within me, of how I can still feel empowered in my response to life doing what it does.
As 2026 begins, I endeavour to show up and to be playful. To play with life, and not wrestle with it. Can I promise to always embody this ‘joie de vivre’? Perhaps not, but when it starts to feel a little heavy, that will be my reminder to play again. When 2026 ends, I want it to find me with a playful smile, proud of how I showed up when winning and even when it seemed like I was loosing ,but I was actually learning and levelling up.
How do you want to look back on this bright and shiny new year? Let us set ourselves up for something we will smile about 12 months from now.
Happy 2026!
