As I sat here with my flat diet coke – not because of a resolution to diet, but because of ‘waste not want not’ – I thought… I could reflect on last year; think about what I want this year; think about what I need to do today, this week, much less this year, and so on. Then I thought, I just want to take a moment to just ‘be’.
This past few weeks/month and a bit, have had a level of busyness and tiredness that I’m still trying to move on from. Christmas (and into the new year) has been full of fun, fellowship, and family, as I have guests from the UK and Mexico/Indonesia. Together we’ve been enjoying a taste of Jakarta and beyond.
Time to pause has been at a minimum, so that was me, taking in the morning view. The skyline no longer a landscape of fireworks. The sound of falling rain and the cock crowing my morning soundtrack. Interspersed with the buzz of my phone.
As when you live 7 hours ahead of the bulk of your family and friends, they are just welcoming in the new year, while I’m having my first -however random- breakfast of 2019. While writing, I actually got a message from my Dad to say they were just on their way home from church.
Interestingly, as I took some time to just ‘be’, and be present in the morning moment, my mind naturally brought some memories to mind, thoughts about the day, and so on.
I also felt like I had a lightbulb moment with the “waste not want not” saying*. I already understood the concept -most often connected to finishing your food – but the literal causal affect of it, just dawned on me. I.e. if I don’t waste my food, then my belly will not be ‘in want’ of anything later. As it will be full.
I wonder if that concept, and maybe even causal affect, can be applied to anything from last year. Are there any experiences, lessons learned, losses and wins etc. that can help me not be ‘in want’ this Year?
One of my ‘lessons learned’, most particularly in the last half of this year, is that writing is a significant part of me ‘being’. The busyness of these last few weeks has meant I haven’t been doing it, and I’ve felt the loss.
Taking time to ‘just be’ doesn’t have to mean inactivity. Although sometimes that is exactly what we need. It can also mean being engaged in something that sustains, stimulates and satisfies (in the fullest sense of the word) your being. Something which sees you being more fully you.
Hmmm… even thought I didn’t set out to write a ‘new year’s message,’ maybe that should be my new year hope for each of us, that we will be more fully us -whatever that means for you- in 2019.
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*So a search (pre-posting) on the origins of the saying has shown my understanding of the concept to not be quite on point. Poss a me thing, or, over the years, the way in which I have most heard it used. Anyhoo, here’s one of the search results if interested: Waste Not, Want Not and Do Without