“ Sometimes holding on is what holds you back.”

 ~ Brittany Burgunder

How is your year going so far? Is it off to a good start?

January always feels like the flywheel of life is getting up to speed after a long pause. Think about all the little rituals that happen this time of the year to remind us that we are on the merry-go-round for another trip around the sun.

You may have recently hung up a new calendar in your kitchen or office. Perhaps you are scanning and uploading tax documents for your accountant. If you are the type who decorates for the holidays, it’s getting to be about time to put all that stuff away again.

Are you making plans for summer yet? Believe it or not, it’s right around the corner! If you are planning on buying tickets, booking lodging, or dialing in your itinerary, now is a good time to get started before the last minute rush begins.

It may be perhaps a wee bit early to start talking about Spring Cleaning, but here in California the sun is out after nearly a month of rain so we can’t help but stretch our legs, open the windows, and let the fresh air come in.

One little ritual I hadn’t given much thought to occurred to me the other day, when I pulled a wad of keys out of my pocket. They say that you can measure how complicated your life is by how many keys you have in your pocket. (I have no idea who “they” are, but they always seem to have an opinion on things!)

So along with fresh calendars and summer plans and spring cleaning, I will add auditing your keychain to the list. Upon closer examination, I found one key that I’ve been carrying for at least two years from a business that is long closed, and two other keys that I honestly have no idea what they could be for.

So, in the spirit of “erleichda” (a key phrase in Tom Robbins’s book Jitterbug Perfume that means “lighten up”) I have removed these useless chunks of metal from my keychain, and I’m stepping into the rest of ‘23 slightly less encumbered.

Ask yourself what you might be able to cast off so as to be a little lighter throughout the coming year. Maybe it’s as close as your keychain!

Much love till next Monday!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine