Theresa M. Szczurek //April 1, 2015//
We have all been there — the place where we feel exhausted, depleted and lost in pursuit of a meaningful life. Before you take on the next year of Pursuing your Passionate Purpose, consider doing a “Ceremony for Beginning Anew.” Why? It helps you regenerate.
My theme in 2015 is “Be a SUNFLOWER.” Each letter of the word aligns with one of the traits of successful Passionate Pursuers. R stands for Regeneration. From page 53 of Pursuit of Passionate Purpose, “A regenerative nature allows Passionate Pursuers to revive, renew, and produce again despite adversity, setbacks, and obstacles. With the ability to bounce back, recover readily, and rise from the ashes, they possess the Phoenix Factor (described in Chapter 6).
As a process of human development explored by Erik Erikson in his seminal work Childhood and Society and reinforced through life, generativity is indispensable in all pursuits of passionate purpose. Such resilience appears to be inter-dependent with the traits of confidence, optimistic attitude, and integrity of effort.”
Begin Anew
Therefore, I kicked off the New Year (and at times throughout the year) with a group ceremony led by Buddhist teacher and therapist David Chernikoff. It’s based on the work of the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and called the “Ceremony for Beginning Anew.” Here are a few highlights that you can design into your own ceremony:
Practical Pointers for Beginning Anew (from David Chernikoff)
What about you? What will it take for you to stop and give some attention to regeneration? Take time to assess your progress on a regular basis. Then stop. Express gratitude. Get in touch with your vision, intentions and goals for life and this year. Revisit what is and what is not working. Make some changes. Begin anew. Regenerate. Live this life to the fullest!