No Going Back

 

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 The River Cannot Go Back

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has travelled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.
 
By Kahlil Gibran

The start of a new year is a time for reflection when we look back at what we have left behind and forward to what is yet to come. Both can be scary. Last year may have brought you some turbulent times. Perhaps you have had to endure many difficulties and feel relieved to have survived. 

Now you may be anxious and full of trepidation about what lies ahead. You may feel lost and somewhat overwhelmed by the prospect of moving forward. 

Take a few minutes now to explore these feelings in your writing, using the prompts below.

Writing Prompts:

• Set a timer for six minutes and write about the path you have travelled in 2023. 
• The poets says that nobody can go back, but do you sometimes wish you could return to a particular time or place? If so, write about why and what good it would do, if any. Would you change anything?
• What lies ahead for you in 2024? Do you feel afraid even to contemplate it? Are you ready to take the risk of leaving your comfort zone and 'entering the ocean'? Explore the answers to these questions in your writing.