Dreamscape Jewelry Design

January 3, 2021-A New Year, a New Beginning, and The Planting Of Seeds

“Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream.”

Debby Boone

January is traditionally a time for new beginnings, reflections, and setting our intentions for a happier and healthier coming year. We make resolutions to be better, stronger and cull out the clutter in our lives. We evaluate where we have been and where we want to go in our personal journeys. We begin to plan the garden of our lives.

2020 was a year full of challenges on many levels from the economic, personal and social impacts on the world stage of a tragic pandemic, to racial and political strife at home here in the United States. Our lives were dramatically changed, and during this time we learned ways to adapt, change our behaviors and as a result, invaluable lessons about ourselves in regards to what we value. Whereas before, we didn’t have to think about our choices and any risks involved in joining family and friends for social gatherings, grabbing a bite at our favorite restaurant, and shopping in local stores. Like the lyrics from the song, Big Yellow Taxi,

“Don’t it always seem to go, That you don’t know what you’ve got Till it’s gone….

Joni Mitchell

Our days now, by necessity, have significant restrictions on how and where we spend our time. Looking ahead to the coming year, we can glean clues for our future direction from lessons we’ve learned the last 12 months. What is it that we want?, as a renowned writer, poignantly asked in her poem The Summer Day:

“Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Mary Olliver

In looking back over the past year, I learned how the closing of one door, in our case the cancellation of 16 shows, led to the opening of others. Determining how we spent our days with social restrictions gave us more time at home. We learned how to use technology to maintain treasured connections with family and friends, exploring new ways to mark celebrations. We adjusted economically, determining what was actually needed rather than spontaneous “wants”. An unexpected outcome was that we found time to explore other avenues of creativity in the areas of nature photography, painting and silversmithing. We also spent more time exploring the natural world in both Maine and New Hampshire, and were inspired and reassured by the simple lesson that change is part of life and we will survive.

With the inspiration of New Years Resolutions, I am planting seeds to help grow my own garden with an intention to both increase a healthy balance and explore creative self-expression. A balanced life has a big umbrella, encompassing the choices I will need to make on a daily basis that impact me emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Balance also means striking a medium between work and “play”. Setting an intention to develop creative expression, means I need to make sure I designate the time and space to “play”.

These are ambitious seeds to plant and will, like our gardens, need intentional care and nurturing. But unless we dream it and envision our destination, we won’t discover the myriad and vital ways to get there.

What lessons did you learn from the past year and what seeds do you intend to plant for your coming year?

As always, thank you for taking the time to read our blog. We welcome your thoughts or quotes you find inspiring and invite you to share this with someone with someone who might find it meaningful.

Here are some of my favorite quotes to inspire in this next chapter of our lives.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

C.S. Lewis

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.”

Germany Kent

“The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.”

Josiyah Martin

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Socrates

“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”

Helen Keller

“New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.”

Alex Merritt

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘it will be happier.’”

Alfred Lord Tennyson