Elemental Plans

While I eschew the usual New Year's Resolutions, I do make lists of the 25 things I can accomplish in the year ahead.  These tend to be as benign as "read more" and as ambitious as "book a role in a new Broadway show."  But this year something else came to mind as a foundation for the year ahead:

The Four Elements.

Which are: Earth, Air, Fire and Water - the almost universally accepted building blocks of human life and the basis for our existence on this planet.  Big stuff, right?  But also... simple.

It struck me that returning to my elemental foundation might be an interesting idea to pursue this year.

And it wasn't hard to see why:


Water:  I love being on the water, for one thing.  On a boat, splashing around on the shore, swimming or bobbing in the waves... completely relaxing.  But also, drinking water; it's good for you (I think we all know that) but really making an effort to stay totally hydrated reaps incredible benefits.

Air: is breath.  I need to do more yoga - to integrate my breath consciously with a physical activity.  And I want to hike... to breathe fresh air while I am moving around the earth and not just sputtering away on a treadmill.  And to speak and sing properly, it must be done on the air.  Air is how a sailboat moves.  Air is flow.

Earth: Yes, being outside.  Feeling my feet on the ground.  But this echoes also as posture-related for me.  Standing straight and tall and owning my space, with my feet firmly supporting me on the ground underneath.  I like to get dirty in the earth.  I like to see the earth from different perspectives.

Finally, Fire: this screams AMBITION to me now.  Fire, as in the drive to pursue my goals relentlessly.  As Sande Shurin said in her Message for the year ahead, to meet challenge with rigor and vision and excellence.  This is Fire.  It is passion and intensity and strength and emotion.  It is tenacity.  It is an all-consuming belief in oneself.

As I pondered the four elements, I was not surprised to see just how inter-connected they are as well.  So I like the idea of recognizing that every little thing I put my focus on is part of the entirety of my life.  Elemental, my dear Watson.