taking small steps
toward a new year
breathing in
breathing out
another series of moons
have come and gone
now
on the doorstep of a new year
we can breathe a new breath
And so, we are on the cusp, on the doorstep, of a new year. It is incredible that we made it this far, with so many new memories, so many new prospects, so many new friends, and so many new potential for connections.
At the end of the old year, and at the beginning of the new year, I always tend to think about the future, about what lies ahead. I am sure I am not the only one who reflects on these matters. It is a good time to think about what comes, what lies ahead, and what has happened, what you did in the previous year.
This coming year, there are so many things that will happen, that might happen, that might not happen, and that might grow into something beautiful.
When staring into the void of a new year, infinity becomes almost tangible. It almost feels like anything can happen, that there is so much potential that if you stick your hand out into the void you can grab anything. This positive-uncertainty is what makes me happy at the start of the year, it helps me stay grounded, yet not fixed in that place. It allows me to think from where I am now, seeing the potential of becoming different, something else, something better.
"Growth is always uncertain, but rather than seeing this as a limitation, we need to realise that it is the most beautiful gift."
Or, so I tell myself. Uncertainty is never a good thing to deal with. You cannot really plan forward, but this uncertainty is needed to lay a solid foundation for what might come, and what might bloom into something beautiful.
The seed in the palm of my hand is layered with potential but fraught with uncertainties; where will it germinate? Will there be enough water? Will there be enough space for its roots to dig deep into the soil? Will the soil be rich with nutrients or poor? Will there be a chance that it can get trampled on? and so on...
The seed is full of potential, but the same seed is full of uncertainties. Potential and uncertainty are two sides of the same coin. One cannot go without the other. It always reminds me of a principle that the philosopher Jacques Derrida wrote about, the notion of an authentic hospitality. To be hospitable, one needs to expect and absolute surprise; an event that might disrupt one's very home and send it into a frantic. To be open to others necessarily requires an openness to chaos as well.
To be open to potential, to go with the sways of where potential - like a seed - necessarily entails uncertainty; if I know with certainty where life will take me it is no longer untapped potential.
This year will hold so much potential - finding a stable job and not relying on contract work; finishing and hopefully publishing my PhD; completing various articles I really want to submit; starting the process of writing a new book - but it will also contain so much uncertainty - where will I end up growing my roots? Will there be rich soil? Will I be able to germinate? And so on.
But it looks like a good year.
I hope that you had some good reflections on the new year.
For now, happy thinking and keep well!
All of the musings and writings are my own. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.