It goes without saying that the usual "resolution making", goal setting and reflection that accompanies the beginning of a new year, might create a restlessness and with it a wanting and a call to move forward. And with that...for me anyway an impatience (my signature response :)) to get it all going...NOW!

But I’ve been experimenting. In fact I would have to say that 2008 became an entire year of experimenting with different ways of being in this world, both personally and professionally. And with all the practice living in "new territories" so to speak ~ some of what I’ve learned is beginning to take hold...and this is very exciting for me.

One of the things I’ve learned is to trust the times where it seems like nothing is happening or moving forward ~ because truthfully that is the exact time when the seeds are being planted for the great "things" that are about to happen.

And it’s trusting that process that allows you to see the the seedlings when they start to break ground. I know it’s a little early for spring analogies but I can’t help it because it’s simply the best visual to try and explain what I’m talking about.

And I’m still not entirely sure if I’m making any sense with this post, but while blog surfing and catching up on emails that have come my way lately, I sense a restlessness out there, especially in the creative world ~ along with a very strong push to move forward, accompanied by a "now what" sort of fear and hesitation. And to be honest I can completely relate. The call to expand and evolve never stops, and with the expansion there is always  uncertainty about how and when things are going to happen.

The trick is to know how and when to calmly listen.
And when the answer is clear, then you move forward. Or another way of saying it is when the inspiration has a direction, that’s when you take the next step.

To make my long blog post short, over the last several weeks, I’ve felt completely compelled to have long visits with friends, to linger over good meals, coffee, tea and glasses of wine. And the lucky person that I am I have some of the best friends to visit with ~ they inspire me so much.  Even so, I’ve been questioning my choices, feeling like I should be working more, creating more ~ and yet that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. My work and creating has just taken on a different form over the last few weeks. And today after yet another fantastic visit with a friend (minus any earthquakes like our last visit), some things got very clear about what might be next for me. I could finally see that "what’s next" has been in the works for quite a while (as is often the case in life).  And I share this with you, because I’m super excited ~ mostly because I think that my "big plans" will be a chance to help you, a chance to help each other, in the way I was hoping for, especially after reading all of your wishes in my calendar giveaway last month.

And I also share this with you to say that if you are feeling a restlessness with a bit of a lost sense of direction ~ don’t fret. You’re definitely not alone, and it’s probably nothing more than the time of year combined with the heightened level of change that is happening in the world right now. And let’s face there is a lot happening at the moment. If you can, try to use this time as a gift, a time to relax and listen, because the restlessness might soon reveal itself as the plan that you were looking and hoping for.

I know I’m not necessarily sharing any groundbreaking, new concepts here. I know I’ve heard it said before that there is always a time to be still and "go inward", to replenish, to refill the wells, plant the seeds ~ right I mean how many analogies are there? But it is still nice to be reminded, much like my post last week ~ because many times we hear things over and over, and then there are the moments when we come to know them for ourselves ~and sometimes that happens when we are reminded of them. And it’s possible that my words or interpretation might present a new take on these concepts? I hadn’t planned on writing such a lengthy post tonight...but I felt inspired and compelled to share. Just some food for thought :) and an announcement that some exciting things are in the works over here and until then I hope to be back with a "bright" new creation, maybe even as soon as tomorrow.