Sigrid Style

New Year's Day

Posted by Sigrid Olsen on January 01, 2012 0 Comments

 My New Year's Day was ushered in by a pod of dolphins this morning. They swam below my balcony, gracefully breaking the surface of the water creating a gentle a silvery wake. I had already awakened with a profound feeling of peaceful happiness, grateful that this feeling would be the start of 2012 for me. I expected to share the dawn hours with the usual gulls and pelicans, but the dolphins were a pleasant surprise. As I sit to reflect on what to write about the turn of the calendar year, I recognize that this notion of 'pleasant surprise" is a perfect theme for 2012. I love it because it infers allowing good things to happen. My hopes and dreams will unfold organically, manifest naturally, and I can simply let go of my usual impatient struggle. 

 Last night a group of us sat around a fire pit and the inevitable subject of New years Resolutions came up. I responded by saying I just want to be open to any and all that comes my way. That sensation of openness and receptivity is now my mantra for the coming year. Life isn't about getting everything you want. Half the time we only think we know what we want anway. Our inner selves know better. Over time I have come to appreciate what is important...the elements that I know I need to have a happy life. Most of this is universal for all humans, but each of us has our own unique set of priorities for fulfillment. During a recent talk I gave I referred to this as my personal "pie chart" where I divide life up into the slices that mean the most to me. Here it is:

FAMILY: I love people in general, but there is something viscerally important to me about my closest relatives...aging parents, sisters (half and step), children (and step-children), grand children, husband. Its not just the blood relation, because in my blended family the relation is more about closeness than actual DNA. I pray for their happiness and am delighted when I know they are at peace, pursing their dreams and discovering new things. That's what love is.

COMMUNITY: By this I mean everything from my closest friends to the world at large. I think we all live to be in connection with one another. I know I can't be happy without a sense of social context...being part of a group larger than myself and my immediate family. My retreats, even my gallery provide me with opportunity to connect with those outside my circle, enriching my life immensely. Beyond that if I can offer anything to make the world a better place, I believe thats a good use of my time and energy.

LIVELIHOOD: I have a very strong work ethic, both as an artist and an entrepreneur. I like to work and it makes me happy. That being said I have only recently come to find an acceptable balance for myself in this regard. My  life would not feel full without a daily effort to create and offer something to the world, but I don't like to create in a vacuum. I enjoy the challenge of commerce, bringing a deeper, more authentic approach to it now that more aspects of my business are directly under my control. I work hard, but its fun for me.

NATURE: The dolphins this morning are an example of how important nature is to me. My thirst for beauty is largely satisfied by the splendor of the natural world...even the simplest, most basic things. The other day I was so busy, rushing around in my "beat the clock" mode and out of the corner of my eye I caught the glow of a shaft of sunlight caught on the corner of the sofa, illuminating it with a golden light. It literally stopped me in my tracks. Wistfully I gazed at it for a few beats and then continued on my mission to finish whatever it was I was working on. But it spoke to me...a silent reminder that profound beauty is all around us if we open our eyes.

MIND/BODY: This catch-all phrase describes the things I do to make my body healthy and my mind clear and peaceful. Yoga and meditation are at the center of everything for me today. All I do emanates from this daily practice. Its hard to describe the far-reaching effects for body and soul...I feel like the flow of asanas and the quieting of the mind affects me at a cellular level. What I love most about it is that with yoga there is always a new place to get to, a fresh challenge every time I get onto my mat. It helps me cultivate patience and is responsible for the openness that greeted me this first morning of the New Year.

CREATIVITY: I love to make stuff. I always have. As an only child I entertained myself with colored pencils and magic markers for hours on end. And my eyes enjoy seeing beauty, whether natural or man-made...a walk on the beach, a visit to a museum...both are equally stimulating. But for me inspiration almost always develops into creation. I can only take in so much before I have to capture it somehow (writing, drawing, painting, photography). Creativity permeates every aspect of my daily life, whether it is cooking a meal, decorating my house or planting a garden, even arranging flowers. This is like breathing...I can't live without it.

What does your pie chart look like?