At the beginning of this new year, I've been thinking about a line from the second chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel that goes: "And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road."
As the story goes, the Magi had paid a visit to Herod to get some assistance in finding the exact location of the child who was born king of the Jews (it's not easy to follow a star, you know). His Royal Pompousness, of course, was not exactly elated with the news that there might be someone who could in anyway be a threat to his ego and power (which are often the same thing). After consultation with some chief priests and scribes, he told them that they should go to Bethlehem and there they would find him, this newborn king. But he also said that when they had found him, they should come back and tell him where so that he, too, could go and pay him due respect.
As you well know, they did find him, but they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, so as the Scriptures say, "...they left for their own country by another road."
A new year is kind of like a new road in a way--or it's like an old road in another way. In other words, we can journey on using old ways and means or we can actually make some changes that will enhance our lives. I'm sure you've heard that saying that says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
I suppose that what I'm getting at has something to do with resolutions, but that more or less trivializes the idea that I have in mind. I was thinking more in terms of contemplation (an ancient spiritual practice) in which we think about the kind of person we would most like to be that we've always wanted to be but haven't been able to manifest.
It's not that there is necessarily something terribly wrong with the way we are, but that there may be some aspects of ourselves that we would like to change or something more that we would like to be. For instance, maybe you or I would like to have a more peaceful way about us; or perhaps we would like to have more self-assurance; or maybe we'd like to be more daring or creative or happier or compassionate.
I have been told that the self that each of us would most like to be already exists, but that we don't allow that self to come into existence. Interesting thought. In other words, we have accepted our present self as the only self we can ever be. So each year, as we begin our annual journey into the unfolding months, we half-heartedly make token resolutions to take a different road with high hopes. But down deep inside we don't really believe that it's possible.
I guess my point is that if the previous year wasn't all that satisfying or if we have felt unfulfilled in personal spiritual growth or otherwise, maybe there's a little bit of a warning in that that simply says nothing will be different unless we choose a different way.
I'd like to suggest that perhaps if we are willing to take a few moments at the beginning of each day throughout the year and contemplate the self that we would most like to be during that day, it can be our new reality and perhaps a wonderful new and different road will unfold before us.
i.e.-Assume the self you most want to be because it already exists.
