One Bright Star for the New Year!
Sitting at my kitchen table, listening to Jeff rehearse his song “One Bright Star” for Unity’s Christmas Eve service, and realizing that in four more days our daughter, her finance, and his parents will be arriving to spend the Christmas holidays with us. Our home will be robust and full of activities! I can hear the joy and laughter now. I have a tendency to feed my company well, and I decided to make homemade Boeuf Bourguignonne for their arrival and tamales for Christmas Day. The preparation begins now. As the excitement wells up inside of me, I could choose to become overwhelmed about the planning and food preparation and shopping for gifts, but instead I settle in and focus on all the “bright stars” that will soon be sharing lives together. This season is a reminder for every day, that we as “a bright star so full of grace,” see in ourselves and everyone this truth. Our whirling monkey minds get caught up in the problems and reactions of everyday living. This is called suffering or samsara in Sanskrit. This is when we need to pause, take a deep breath, and re-focus.
I have been reading The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. She states that if we decide to do something and we wait longer than 5 seconds, our minds will talk us out of it. We need to take action and this is done by counting backwards from 5. I found that it also works in changing how I feel about the reactions I develop about the people and situations in my life: 5-4-3-2-1, I see you as a bright star. “It’s so simple, oh it’s so true, it shines in me and it shines in you,” all year long.
As a new year begins and with it the excitement of change, we have the opportunity to wake up each day and know that we have the choice to make this day a new beginning, and remember the “one bright star” that we are and always have been. It just takes a gentle breath in and out and a pause to let our minds settle into the truth of who we are, 5-4-3-2-1 I am a bright star today and everyday and so are you.
Wishing for you an abundant New Year full of laughter and joy, and seeing the best bright star in everyone.
Germaine Haberman, for your Unity Board of Trustees