Support is everywhere
A new year can be daunting.
It stretches out before you, pristine steppingstones made up of days extending into the distance, waiting for you to dirty them with your footprint, your particular mark.
Questions arise.
What should I do first?
Will I reach my goals?
Will I muck it up?
Who will support me?
I don’t know the answer to the first three questions, but I do know the answer to the last one.
Who Will Support You?
Whether you realise it or not, you are supported every moment of your life. As Natalie Goldberg wrote in Writing Down the Bones:
First we should notice that we are already supported every moment. There is the earth below our feet and there is the air, filling our lungs and emptying them . . . there is sunlight coming through the window and the silence of the morning.
And there are the wheels on the vehicle supporting you wherever you want to go. Those legs that propel you forward. The heart that beats without you reminding it to. Every bit of greenery on this planet is offering up oxygen to support all that need it, which includes you. The chair you sit on. Each step on the stairs you climb. The bra you may wear, inserts in your shoes, your spine holding you upright, your compassionate pet.
You are never without support.
Some may quibble about the fact that each thing I have named isn’t a who (meaning a person) but a what (meaning a thing). But when we are looking for support, it can be people who let us down. It’s important to realise that the things mentioned above are always there offering endless support. This can alleviate feelings like loneliness, depression, or bitterness. And when we consider all things as having as much inherent meaning and purpose as people – even objects like bras, shoe inserts, chairs, and beds – the whole world becomes a much kinder place, and we become more appreciative people.
In the video ’To Be At Home in the World', Charles Eisenstein said there is intelligence in all things, and that we all have one debt to fulfill – the debt of gratitude for all things. So if you want a bit of inspiration to get you going for 2023, watch the video link!
I don’t know what you should do first this year, I'm not sure if you’ll reach your goals, and I don’t know whether you’ll muck it up, but remember that nothing stays mucked up forever.
And remember that you are supported every moment of your life . . . in countless ways.
With love, Marlane