We woke to a beautiful snowfall this morning in Ann Arbor – millions of clean, white, sparkling crystals blanketing the trees and ground – a perfect metaphor for the fresh start of a new year. January 1st is one of several times during the year when the world seems especially full of promise and possibilities. It’s a time to reflect on the past – those things that worked well as well as the lessons we may have learned from those that didn’t work so well. It’s also a time to be intentional about what we want to create in the future.
I haven’t made a list of New Year’s resolutions in a long time. Instead, I choose a one-word intention for the year, a practice that keeps me focused on the big picture of what’s important to me and reminds me of where and how I want to focus my energy and attention. All of my relationships, projects, activities and action plans are then filtered through the lens of that intention.
For 2008, my one-word intention is contribution. I was inspired by a chapter in one of my favorite books, The Art of Possibility, by authors Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. They invite us to ask the joyful question, “How will I be a contribution today?” The contribution practice includes two steps:
- Declare yourself to be a contribution.
- Throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference, accepting that you may not understand how or why.
Today, on this day of new beginnings and fresh starts, I invite you to join me in answering the Zanders’ call to cast ourselves as contributions into the week (and year) ahead. Like pebbles tossed into a pond, the contributions we make can send ripples out far beyond the horizon we can see from where we stand now.
I look forward to the potential and possibilities of the New Year. But first, it’s time to be fully in the present. The snowfall outside my window is calling me. It’s time to put on my coat, hat, gloves and boots and take those first steps…
Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful 2008.
[tags] New Year, The Art of Possibility, Benjamin Zander, Rosamund Stone Zander, Contribution [/tags]
