Dear Readers,
Happy January 2025! Can you believe it’s the start of another whole new year?
Although each new year takes a slightly different form, the theme is always pretty much the same: “New Year, New You.” It’s a good time to take a deep breath, reset, and recharge. Plan to reach further, do better; and above all, give yourself grace.
It’s great to have a long checklist of things that you want to accomplish, but don’t forget to focus on what truly matters to you—what aligns with your values, brings you peace, and nurtures your well-being.
Mindfulness has become a trendy concept in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries. Mindfulness is simply being aware of the moment – concentrating on what you are doing here and now, not preoccupied with thinking about something else.
It’s like the old adage, “stop and smell the roses,” which conveys the idea of taking time to appreciate and enjoy the present moment, finding joy and beauty in the small details around you. Japan has a similar concept: moss-viewing, in which they get down on hands and knees with a magnifying glass to contemplate the micro-landscape.
Incidentally, mosses are pretty amazing in their simplicity and resilience! Have you ever examined these tiny green plants up close? It’s like a miniature forest!
Anyway, when we slow down and approach life with calm and purpose, we begin to see our lives not as a race to the finish line, but as a series of mindful moments to cherish. This is mindfulness in action: the ability to tune into the present.
Think about it for a second: this moment in this place at this time in this season of your life will never happen again.
More and more researchers have discovered that present-moment awareness not only boosts stress resilience and well-being, but lowers levels of anxiety and depression.
Leah Weiss, who teaches Compassionate Leadership at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, is one of a growing number of experts who advocate “mindfulness in action.” Weiss describes it as “becoming mindfully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings even while you’re engaged in some other activity.”
I’m hopefully optimistic about 2025, but we have a long way to go. We’re only two weeks into the new year and already there’s been a lot of drama, disaster, and devastation. Who knows what the rest of the year will bring. Thus the need to step away from the pressures of modern life from time to time, spending quiet moments in nature as a restorative practice. Add that to your list of resolutions!
Happy Homeschooling!
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