DEAR READERS: Happy New Year! Can you believe that we have crossed from the year 2020 into 2021? For many of us, 2020 was rough. From health challenges due to COVID-19 to political, economic and social unrest, we have been through it. Even for people who have found success during these intense times, it has often seemed overwhelming.
And now we have turned the page. We have the opportunity to reset and to claim what we want for this new year. We can choose the way forward for ourselves if we pay attention and take the right action.
The very notion that we can have some control over our destiny is empowering to me. I have been thinking about a concept that people talk about a lot -- embracing your superpower. Thanks to the rise in superhero comics and movies, we can envision ourselves as beings with the ability to move mountains, change thoughts and even save the world.
What is your superpower? What ability do you have to transform your life and make 2021 a better world for yourself and others? Great questions, huh? Rather than fretting over a New Year’s resolution that you may or may not keep, think about a personal superpower that you can cultivate and grow.
I want to recommend the superpower of embracing stillness. Not what you expected, huh? Think about it. If you take the time every day to sit quietly and listen to the voice inside, chances are, you will be able to tap into your own wisdom. Stillness makes space for your inner intelligence to emerge and show you the way for your life. It doesn’t cost anything other than your time and commitment.
I used to watch my grandmother, Carrie Freeland, who lived to be 101 years old, sit quietly in meditation every day. She would go into her room and sit in her beautiful old wooden rocking chair. She wrapped herself in a soft blanket and closed her eyes. There she sat, sometimes for more than an hour, gently rocking, seemingly transported somewhere else. I would walk in occasionally during this quiet time and try to get her attention, but she did not open her eyes until she was ready. When I asked what she was doing, she answered that she was listening to God. It took many years for me to grasp what that meant. I now know that during that time of stillness, and only then, can we commune with God, with that energy that is greater than ourselves but that dwells within each one of us. How powerful!
Here’s how you can do it: Get up a few minutes early each day. Sit quietly in an area where you will not be disturbed. Choose a special room or even go into your bathroom for a few minutes and close the door. Sit up straight, shoulders back and relaxed. Eyes closed. Take three deep cleansing breaths. Imagine with each inhalation that you are breathing in greatness. With each exhalation, you are releasing tension and discomfort. After three deep breaths, return to your natural breathing. With closed eyes, watch the natural flow of your breath. Notice the thoughts that come and go. Allow them to pass, trusting that whatever message is there for you will show its face. Mediate quietly for a few minutes. Then write down whatever came up for you. Look at your journal each day, and track the messages from within. If you commit to this simple daily meditation, you will begin to notice messages that can guide your life. I receive messages about physical fitness, family and work. Pay attention to learn what your messages are. Follow them, nurture them and watch your resolutions manifest. Here’s to an amazing year!
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)