Hindsight and Foresight
By Christopher Harrison, Ph.D.
The end of the year provides an opportunity to reflect on what has been and to plan for what will be. Mindful awareness offers the opportunity to skillfully strengthen the hindsight and foresight that permeate our consciousness during times of transition, like the movement from one year to the next. Mindfulness is a key component to balancing intellectual knowledge with emotional wisdom in order to maximize our potential and manifest a future that translates dreams into reality.
In order for dreams to become reality, one has to invest time and energy in the right places, at the right times. While challenging in the short-term, creating and evaluating progress on well-defined plans leads to long-term success and well-being. Cultivating wisdom through the intentional development of emotional intelligence can make the difference between stagnation and growth. Learning to trust the implicit, non-verbal intelligence that makes itself known through our ‘gut reactions’ and ‘felt sense’ can be the beginning of a whole new relationship to self-improvement. Emotional intelligence can be difficult to grasp because of the inherent privilege given to verbal expression in our general culture. Logic and reason, as expressed through well-constructed prose, only provide half of the ingredients needed for a stress-free, productive and joy filled life. In fact, an over reliance on logic, reason and verbal expression can lead to a deprived emotional life, causing catastrophic imbalance in the vital systems that support our very existence. As you look forward to the New Year, consider ways in which mindful silence can become part of your daily life. The silence offered through mindfulness practices allows for the emergence of the age-old wisdom that resides throughout our bodies and within the space we share with other living beings. Manifesting our dreams certainly requires a healthy dose of logical planning, but logic without emotion is hollow. I have yet to meet a single person who has made a dream come true without sitting in the splendid silence of imagination.
So ask yourself, with mindful awareness of your feelings, “How has this year been for you?,” “Have you survived or thrived?,” Taking an honest look at how expectations were met or missed in the various domains of life can lead to the construction of an excellent plan for 2012. As you review the past year, are you able to discern areas in which you met or exceeded your expectations? If so, how and what contributed to your success? Honest self-assessments are the most productive when completed with compassion and care. An open heart allows the brain to relax and realize that it alone is not responsible for everything. Close your eyes and recall your most satisfying moment of this calendar year. Now stop and take a breath. How do you feel? Where do you feel it? Memories are encoded in the brain and the neural networks that surround the heart and belly. What does your heart say about the plans you have for the upcoming year? Consult it the next time you have to make a big decision, you may be surprised by the wisdom it has to offer.
When reviewing last year’s plans, and preparing next year’s goals, see if you can look at the expectations you missed through the lens of opportunity. See if you can celebrate the expectations you met with humble gratitude. The mind is at its best when thoughts and feelings mutually support one another toward positive growth and development. By inviting the non-verbal wisdom of the heart into your planning and decision making, you will develop a sense of peace and ease that promotes balance and stability. May this time of looking backward and forward be done with intellectual rigor and compassionate care for yourself, others and the benefit of all with whom you come in contact.
November 2011