With my birthday fast approaching, I was reflecting on how we go through each year of life, with our birthdays delineating the completion of the old cycle and the start of the new one. Of course we can also view our experience as simply running in circles, reliving and repeating the same old patterns in the same old ways. In other words, we may stay the same as we spin on the merry-go-round of life or evolve in the never-ending quest for expanded awareness.
The debate about whether human nature can change is on-going. For example, the phrase “boys will be boys” reinforces the idea that some things are unchangeable and thus excusable. I believe that the answer to the question of whether we can evolve is up to us. It is a conscious choice we get to make. If we wish for human nature to change, then it can. If not, then we are free to remain the same. We can go through the motions of living, with our views and opinions remaining largely unchanged. In some spheres of our public life, in fact, static thinking is praised as a sign of strong and stable character. Unfortunately, a refusal to expand one’s thinking and take new perspectives into consideration can also be a sign of stagnation that supports limiting perceptions and behaviors. But when we view life as an opportunity for continual unfolding, then we can choose to grow, transform, evolve, upgrade, learn, and become as we journey through the cycles of life, for life is meant to be an evolutionary journey.
We start the journey when we first arrive on the planet, and each full rotation around our sun represents a leg of our journey, filled with lessons and experiences that propel us forward. Moving through each year of life is more like walking up a spiral staircase that takes us higher with each turn. We may be looking at the same panoramic view, but with each rotation, our perspective broadens.
Of course the passage of time can also become a rut, and we may consider our birthday to be a simple countdown of years. But when we approach life with care and intention, then the completion of each year brings with it the opportunity to reflect on our ever-evolving journey. This way our birthdays become the moments of completion and renewal – not just a reminder of our birth, but a potential for rebirth, when we can celebrate not only who we have become but also the versions of ourselves we are in the process of creating. When we allow life to become what it is meant to be – an unfolding journey of discovery, then letting go of some parts of ourselves at the end of each cycle becomes easier because we are always in the process of becoming more.
Though we may find change challenging, it is important to remember that the parts of ourselves we transform are never lost. They are woven into the fabric of who we are, and they serve as stepping stones for the new things we build. I believe that life is meant to be a journey of expanding consciousness and wisdom. This is the cornerstone of my hypnotherapy work with clients as I help them to get to know themselves and to choose what they wish to become in the next cycle of their life. So whether you think about your next birthday or the upcoming New Year, take the time to reflect on how far you have come and on what you choose to create next. Allow yourself to rise higher and dream bigger. May the next cycle of your life be full of possibilities.
