Today is the day of epiphany- the day the light went on- when human’s inseparable connection to God was revealed in the Christian story of Jesus’ birth. Today for me meant my first day ‘back to work’  and included a slight, unrelenting headache in my left temple.

Since returning from my trip to Ireland (photos courtesy of my time there) I have noticed I am moving slower and there is an even keel in my step that I credit to the beauty of a barren landscape. What I experienced while there was that I didn’t need anything extra or out of the ordinary to be in absolute awe, that at the end of the day I felt connected with all of life and completely satisfied within myself without having accomplished anything. Here’s an example of what this realization has allowed me since my return: this morning I didn’t feel agitated, even for a second, when coming out of the depths of the Lexington/53rd street station with throngs of morning commuters and two escalators out of service. We hardly moved an inch for 15 minutes trying to get ourselves onto the one working staircase. 15 minutes in New York time equals 2 hours Irish time (given my calculations during this episode) and I was as cool as a cucumber, enthralled at how we could wend ourselves together without saying a word.

I had this theme ready when I woke up this morning- the light of recognition, the celebration that each of us is inherently divine. I had it in my awareness all day and yet, to my surprise, there were no fireworks or knowing glances from a stranger. But abundant ‘Happy New Years!’ rang out and there was an apparent freshness in people’s hopes for themselves in the future that 2014 promises. In other words light abounded today, as it does every day, in the trajectory that our individual and collective intention leads us- toward experiencing betterment, greater understanding, the realization that we have it in us to be who we want to be. It’s all there already,  even if it’s harder to see our inextinguishable luminosity as clearly in this vibrant, moving, waiting makes us nervous, City of Lights.

Happy New Year!