A New Year

Happy New Year, y'all.

2012 is now over and complete, the Earth having completed yet one more revolution around the Sun. I somehow survived.

2012 was the first full year I spent working on my own, finding my own clients, executing projects by myself, and doing my own invoicing and collections. Total DIY.

Dogen said that everyone has an allotted share of food and life, and though you might seek after more than your share, you will never be able to obtain it. He also said, "To think of accumulating even a little bit of wealth is a great obstacle. Without thinking of how to gain or store up things you will naturally receive as much as you need to stay alive for a while. Each person has his allotted share; heaven and earth bestow it on us. Even though you don’t run around seeking it, you will receive it without fail."

I certainly did not accumulate more than my share of wealth last year, but I did learn to rely on heaven and earth to provide me what I needed. And the provisions came, often in ways and forms I did not expect. Granted, I had to work for everything I received - there were no free rides - but the work itself was a form of blessing.

I learned to do things I never thought I was capable of learning, and met challenges that seemed at times to be overwhelming. And yet I survived, and find myself looking forward to another year of taking life one day at a time.