Now and then

This week, once again, it is time to turn the calendar and as we leave a year behind, we turn our attention, our hopes, our uncertainties, our imagination to the year ahead.

Readers of this weekly know how often I emphasize anchoring yourself in Now. And while I don't see myself changing that position, as we look ahead to 2019 with resolution, with determination to improve, with a commitment to change, I ask myself, how do I reconcile Now with Then?

So we know: It's always Now. But in the name of spiritual bypassing, I submit to you that there is great personal value in working on improving yourself. Indeed, I invite you to do so, to look within and decide when you are ready. Maybe it's today, this week, this month, this year. Or maybe it's Now. It's always Now. But, because this is the time of year when you hear or see so many reminders for self-improvement, it's also a good time to understand how hard this work is, and how easy it can be to put it off in the name of Now. It's easy to appreciate that you're in your now and sometime -- sometime in the future when you get around to working it out -- you'll get there. But you have to do the work. You always have to do the work.

Hard work is hard. Simple, and obvious, right? Yes, but not necessarily easy. Listen to me: Go for it. If there is something you wish you could change in your life, say so. And try. Try it at your own pace, but don't let Now be your excuse for not getting to Then. When it will be Now. And you'll be thinking of your next Then.