Happy New Year, my friend. How are you feeling as you begin your journey into 2021? Are you feeling relieved that 2020 is finally over? Are you filled with hope for what the new year will bring? Or, like me, are you feeling completely exhausted from a year that has tested you in so many ways? Wherever you find yourself on the emotional spectrum, know that you are not alone.
Whenever I am feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, I have always found it helpful to have something to focus on to keep me grounded. Usually it’s a word like strength or believe but lately my attention has been drawn to the lotus flower. Why the lotus flower you ask? Simply put, it’s because of these four words…..no mud, no lotus. Let me explain.
At first glance, the lotus looks like a beautiful flower floating effortlessly on the water but what lies beneath that flower is anything but beautiful.
The lotus flower actually begins its life at the bottom of a muddy, murky pool of water. Each and every night this unique flower folds up and disappears under the surface of the water only to reappear in the morning with the petals completely unstained. This death and rebirth cycle is the reason why the lotus flower is often referred to as the flower of life.
It’s also the reason for the phrase, “no mud, no lotus.” Without the mud, there would be no lotus.
For me, the lotus flower growing out of the mud is symbolic of the many hardships and challenging times that we have faced this past year. Just like the lotus flower, we have also grown as we navigated the muddy, murky waters of life as we know it.
“No mud, no lotus” has become my mantra. It gives me hope that each morning I can rise up and greet the day completely unstained.
As you move into the new year, I want to encourage you to look back at 2020 as a year of growth. Spend some time over the next few days digging deep and excavating all of your feelings. Recognize all of the things that mattered and notice the moments that brought you happiness and filled you with a sense of purpose in your life.
We know that the challenges will continue so don’t lose hope. Sometimes a single ray of hope is all you need to light your way.
Focus on what matters to YOU. Let go of the extra noise. Let go of anything that holds you back from being happy.
Believe in the wisdom that is inside you because just like the lotus flower, you have the ability to rise above the dark, muddy water and emerge stronger and more beautiful each and every day.
Let’s enter into this new year with a commitment to do the best that we can even when it feels like we are buried in the “mud.” 🙂
Wishing you an incredible year filled with an abundance of love, happiness and good health.
