THE SONIC SPECTRUM
For Devotees of God’s Inner Light and Sound
© January 2012
THE NEW YEAR:
A TIME FOR REFLECTION
By Michael Turner
For many people, January is a time for New Year’s resolutions. But it can also be a time for reflection and introspection – reflecting on where we are and how we got here. And then, having gotten some perspective, we can turn our attention to the future. While this may seem obvious to some, it’s amazing how often we don’t take the time for reflection. We stay busy, running on automatic. Days, weeks, months and years pass on – at times barely noticed – as we stay in constant motion.
And then, as a poet once said, “one day you find ten years have got behind you.” We blink and wonder how we got here. Believe me, I know how it can be. Even though I am aware of so many things that happened in the past decade, it still feels like yesterday that we celebrated the new millennium, and when I held my infant son in my arms. Now it’s 2012, the 90’s (and even the 00’s) are receding in the rearview mirror, and my son is all too rapidly approaching adulthood. And resounding in my head is “Woah-oh, what I want to know. Where does the time go?”
So, as busy as my daily schedule is – parenthood (as many of you know) can keep you in constant motion – I consciously choose to make time for reflection and self-introspection. I do this not to judge or berate myself, but to simply gain some perspective on my life. In doing so, I take my attention up and become the observer of my life – as well as my thoughts, memories, emotions, words and actions – noting things that have happened, things I have thought, said and done, choices I have made (good and bad), results of those choices (positive and negative), and any patterns contained therein. And what I do, anyone can do.
In doing this we can - from a balanced soul perspective - gain a better understanding of ourselves, our lives and how we interact with and affect those around us. We can reflect upon our choices in thoughts, emotions, habits, words and actions, calmly assess their results their results, and note how they bring us closer to or increase our distance from harmony with the Divine Shabda Spirit. This in turn allows us to consciously tune all of our facets – body, emotions, memories, habits and thoughts – and bring them into closer harmony with the Eternal Divine Love that is God.
Going one step further, doing this can be a very valuable tool in determining the direction we want our lives to take, which can in turn lead to more successful new year’s resolutions. This is a positive, tangible benefit to self-introspection and reflection, and is a very good way to start off a new year.
In the LightSong of Eternal Love,
Happy 2012!
Michael Turner
http://spiritualfreedomsatsang.org