With the start of each New Year, I’ll often choose a word or phrase to be a guiding theme for the year ahead. For instance, one year the word was “nourish” with a focus on the things in my life that bring nourishment to my body, mind, and spirit. Another year, it was “fierce & tender” based on Kristin Neff’s insightful book “Fierce Self-Compassion: How women can harness kindness to speak up, claim their power, and thrive”.
So this year’s theme is a quote by the poet Ted Hughes – “Where are you heading? Everything is already here.” I can’t recall where I first came across this quote, but it’s the first entry in my quote notebook. It jumped out at me while reflecting on the idea of ‘savoring the present moment’ in this New Year.
I’ve spent so much of my life focused on the future by chasing the next step in my professional and personal goals. For example, I spent years climbing rung by rung toward a career as a chaplain. I was so focused on this final goal that I didn’t pay attention to the signs that this path was not a good fit for me. When I began pottery, I found myself in this same cycle of scurrying up the ladder. First, it was the push to get my own kiln so I’d be able to make as many pots as I wanted to. Then it was the pull to grow my Esty shop and social media.
However, if I’m always focused on the future, I’m never actually here to enjoy what is in my life right now. So this quote is an invitation back to the present moment. It encourages me to balance my future goals for Delighted Owl Pottery with an appreciation for where I am currently. It also helps to release the pressure of our society’s emphasis on “bigger, better, more”, and helps me let go of this hustle culture.
When I repeat this phrase to myself – “Where are you heading? Everything is already here.” – my body exhales a big breath of relief, my shoulders relax, and a warm feeling of contentment washes over me. How about you? What are your intentions for this year as it unfolds?
