Explore, Dream, Discover
by Patricia Crane, Ph.D

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain

The new year is always a terrific time to take a fresh look at your life. One tradition I’ve had for years is taking at least a half day of silence just before the new year to review the past year, re-read my journal, meditate on my vision for the new year, and then create my affirmations. This time of silence has brought some amazing revelations, new insights, and directions. 

There are some song lyrics that echo Mark Twain’s words above—“ships are safe within the harbor—but that’s not what ships are for.” Ships are built to sail the seas and experience the adventure of the ocean. We are meant to have wonderful journeys, not to be wallflowers, watching the other ships sail away. If you have some dream or vision for your life you have been hesitating about, now is the time to leave the safety of the harbor. You have something unique to offer the world. As Marianne Williamson says in her famous quote, “your playing small doesn’t benefit the world.” 

You may need some assistance along the way, perhaps a workshop to help you clear some blocks, or a personal coach to help you gain clarity and focus. A wonderful affirmation to use is: “Every resource I need to assist me in clearing any blocks to achieving my dreams comes to me quickly and easily!” 

Set aside an hour or more of quiet time. if you feel nourished out in nature, find a place you can go and be alone. Review 2004 as an observer of your life. Without judging events and people as “good” or “bad,” just review the year. Do you notice any recurring patterns? What would you like to shift in 2005? What do you want to claim? How do you want to symbolically “sail out of the harbor?” Write down your vision for 2005 in the present tense, knowing that when you claim it, the Universe moves to create it. So set your sails and start out of the harbor!

“May 2005 be your most wonderful adventure yet!”

Patricia Crane, Ph.D., is author of Ordering from the Cosmic Kitchen: The Essential Guide to Powerful, Nourishing Affirmations. Contact her at 800-969-4584 or visit www.hylteachers.com