 |
Fresh Starts
by
Wayne Hatford |
|
|
"A fresh start is the
equivalent of being fully present in the NOW. We
literally make a fresh start each time we take a breath.
As a matter of fact, every breath is both a re-birth and
an opportunity for us to see what’s up. The ‘fresh
start’ point of power is the realization that each
inhalation gives us an opportunity to examine what is
currently going on in our lives. Breath is an awakener.
Just one inhalation/exhalation cycle may be all that’s
needed to catch ourselves in action, causing us to
reflect on what we are doing and why. By continually
checking-in, we’re able to make more informed decisions
and, as a consequence, effect mid-course corrections.
If we can but consciously embrace the breath-centered
awakenings I refer to here as fresh starts, we’ll find
ourselves becoming increasingly more aware. The practice
of yoga and other body-centered disciplines put great
emphasis on working with the breath. This is not by
accident. When we focus on breathing not only do we feel
more alive but we’re also able to go inward. It is in
the breath that our disparate parts are able to dialogue
and come to terms with each other.
Breathing is evidence
of Spirit, the animating principle, and the primary
mechanism by which the soul and personality stay in tune
with each other.
Fresh starts also
offer us opportunities to unhook from karmic patterns
that may have outgrown their usefulness. With each
breath, there are choices to be made. Do we choose to do
something new or do we trod the ‘something old’ pathway,
welcome in its familiarity yet at the same time rather
uninspiring? This is an age-old dilemma. Hopefully,
we’ll find ourselves opting for something new more often
than not. Repeating the tried and true has its blessings
and may even be prudent at times but by exclusively
focusing on what’s old we create a lack of forward
momentum.
At some time or
another, most of us have been known to say ‘been there,
done that, nothing new.’ But, that’s just not true. In
fact, each moment in our mutually agreed-upon construct
known as time and space is, by definition, new.
Therefore, no one can ever claim to have done it all
because that is an impossibility. What we often do,
however, is revert to our default behavior whenever it
seems expedient. If, on the other hand, we decide to
behave differently we’re all the more likely to
fine-tune or enhance ‘what is’ ~ while in the process of
discovering what can be.
My advice is to be
creative in your moment to moment decision-making. By
being conscious about what we are choosing to do and
why, not only are we supporting our natural
inclinations, we are open to change.
Unfortunately, some
of us tend to be recidivists, mindlessly repeating our
past behaviors even when doing so might turn out to be
onerous or downright unproductive. When we habitually
decide to go with what’s old instead of opting for a
fresh start, what usually happens is that we end up
feeling trapped, caught up in flypaper of our own
design.
Again, each breath is
a de facto fresh start. Use it as such. With each
inhalation, open your mind and therefore the door to the
winds of change. Breathe in what you want to see
realized while at the same time exhaling what no longer
serves you. Every breath we take has a dual purpose: to
facilitate change while maintaining the integrity of our
physical bodies."
Excerpted from "Valentino
Speaks: The Wisdom of Rudolph Valentino" by Wayne
Vincent Hatford.
© Copyright 2014
Wayne Hatford. All Rights Reserved.
Wayne Hatford, B.A. in French
and Spanish, M.A. in International Administration, is a
teacher, writer, editor and author dedicated to bridging
the gap between the physical and non-physical worlds. To
that end, he channeled a friend, Janice Horn ~ “Letters
from Janice: Correspondence with the Astral Plane” and,
more recently, the spirit essence of Rudolph Valentino ~
"Valentino Speaks: The Wisdom of Rudolph Valentino" and
“Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood,” all of
which are available via Amazon.com. Each of these works
explores the “Other Side” while offering insight and
practical suggestions on how best to make the most of
this one.
A life-long student of metaphysics and transformation,
Wayne has both taught in public school and been a
personal property appraiser. Wayne Hatford now resides
in Santa Rosa, California where he and the Valentino
essence continue to collaborate. For updates and more
information, please visit
www.valentinospeaks.com.
|
