It’s the first week of the new year and I’ve been hit by a tsunami of pulls on my energy.
Emails about products and practices and programs have FLOODED my inbox, vying for my time, attention, and money.
Just like everything, within that wave of offers are some good ones, some shite, and some meh. The challenge at this time of year in particular is sorting the sheer number of them and choosing what to say YES to and what to say NO to.
As someone who is both prone to FOMO* and often benefits from products and practices and programs, all the choices can quickly fry my circuits. Instead, this year, rather than either manically signing up for (or saying no to) all the things, I’m turning to my One Word for 2023: RESONANCE.
When something is offered, I ask “Do I feel RESONANCE?”
Since it’s my word of the year, I’ve been diving into what resonance means to me personally. And like a good English major, I also want dictionary definitions. The word “resonance” has a slew of definitions but let’s look at three:
1 : a vibration of large amplitude in a mechanical or electrical system caused by a relatively small periodic stimulus of the same or nearly the same period as the natural vibration period of the system
When I ask myself “Do I feel RESONANCE?”, I’m looking for something that creates a big impact for a small input or investment.
I have to be wary of wishful thinking here, but if it supports something that I’m already doing (a “stimulus of the same or nearly the same”), I can get a big bang without a big pay-in. For example, I already move and balance during my day but switching out my office chair for a phisio-ball or doing 1 minute of movement between tasks keeps me dynamic while at my desk.
2 : the intensification and enriching of a musical tone by supplementary vibration
When I ask myself “Do I feel RESONANCE?”, I’m looking for something that intensifies and enriches something that I’m already doing.
Again, resonance feels like amplifying something that already matters to me. For example, when I attend a movement class that is similar to but different from what I regularly practice, I get a deeper, more enriched connection to what I already do.
3 : a quality of richness or variety
When I ask myself “Do I feel RESONANCE?”, I’m looking for something that adds richness or variety...and feels right, right now.
Resonance can feel like inspiration. Sometimes that means something new or different or unexpected. Feeling the buzz of finding a new cooking site or musical artist or tea line can breathe inspiration to what I already love.
This time of year there is no end to the companies and organizations that are lining up to tell you how broken you are and all that you are missing and how they have the solution that will fix everything.
When you get these messages, can you receive them from a centered, curious place? Instead of doing things because you think you “should,” ask “Do I feel RESONANCE?” Instead of not doing something because it feels scary or outside your comfort, ask “Do I feel RESONANCE?” Instead of adding another thing to your days because you don’t want to miss out, ask “Do I feel RESONANCE?”
In the face of the deluge of offerings and possibilities, pause before saying YES or NO to check in with how it resonates with you right now.
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* FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. A condition I have suffered from since childhood!