Every year at this time, I start asking myself where I want to head next. What areas in my life would I like to explore? In what way do I want to improve my thoughts, my diet, my relationships, my finances, my physical and spiritual well-being.
Last year at this time, I felt like a mess. Anger and jealousy issues that I thought were resolved had been surfacing once again. My thoughts started turning bitter and my depression swung out of control. I was frustrated with myself and felt like a small, helpless child, lost in the forest. I was desperately seeking a light to help me find my way out.
Don’t feel sorry for me- I have been here before. I had found my way out of this dark hole in the past. But, that inner critic never goes away and the strong voice of self judgement kept nagging at me saying, “You should know better.”
A huge lesson that came to light for me was that the inside work is never finished. Years of meditation, yoga and positive thinking are amazing tools to have but, you have to practice them daily to reap the rewards.
The daily rituals of self care, connecting to your inner wisdom, eating healthy, discharging negative emotions through yoga, calming the mind through meditation, all help in providing an ongoing source of empowered energy that feeds your whole system.
So last year, heading into 2020, I said, “Hey, I’m getting my shit together”. I felt this was going to be a huge year in some way. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think life would practically be turned upside down with a worldwide pandemic.
For me, it has been a blessing in disguise. Our normally heavy social calendar had come to a crashing halt. No more networking events with the JJ. No trips to Chicago or dreaming of our next vacation because who knows when we will be able to travel again.
I had to use this time productively. Not whining about how I couldn’t go to my favorite restaurant or stay in fab hotels. ( Although I did whine in the beginning because, all of our great Summer festivals had been canceled!)
In 2020, I started asking myself, “ What helped me weather tough storms in the past?” I knew the answer right away: prayer, yoga, meditation, diet, shifting my mindset and filling my life with inspirational material. I needed to get back to these things.
I had resistance, I wanted something new, something different. But, my gut told me I needed these basics first. Anything new could be interwoven in at a later time.
So friends, here I sit, a year later, feeling better and hopeful. I’m waking up with a deep sense of gratitude for my life and living in anticipation of miracles. I can feel the high energy vibes flowing through me once again!
I invite you to take some time to reflect and do some free writing on the following questions.
What blessings did 2020 give you?
Life experiences and the people crossing our paths are here to teach us lessons. Even if you see an experience as difficult, it had a lesson for you. Draw the good out of the experience. How did it help you grow? See an area you needed to work on? Or, it may have been meant to show you what you don’t want so you could focus on what you do want.
What areas of your life do you want to bring focus to in 2021?
Relationships, spiritual connections, finances, mental and/or physical well-being.
Be specific. If you chose relationships, state what you want to put focus on. I had this down one year and my intention was to build stronger connections with my family-more time with my son, my sister and my mom.
What course of study will you invest time and money into taking to evolve and grow in 2021?
This may be related to the point above. Humans have a desire to grow and evolve, its engrained into our DNA. Look for fun, creative ways to learn about yourself and the world around you. There are so many options out there for you.
You can do this exercise over the course of one sitting or several.
As an added process, take all that you have written and take time to create your vision board for 2021.
Wishing you the light to find joy on your path—today and in the next year to come! ❤️?❤️