It’s time for another year end check in!
Last week we began the process of winding the year down, taking stock with intention and slowly opening the portal to 2022.
I wanted to start last week with setting boundaries and trimming our actions to key meaningful experiences. I have to be honest, this past week has been the opposite of that for me. A number of work projects ended up piling into the past two weeks, all of which I’m excited about but everything happening simultaneously became overwhelming. There was a lovely two days of reconnecting with old friends, which definitely lands in my “meaningful moment” category, but every so often crushing stresses of work would creep into my mind, attempting to pull me out of the present.
I’ve come to terms with the fact that I need to create some mental space.
I also ended up taking the lead organizing a family get together on Christmas. It spun out from a simple gathering at a cafe on Christmas Eve to a reservation lunch in a specific part of town coordinating specific requests that made finding a place for 7 people very time consuming.
Boundaries, ever heard of her?
Tomorrow (Saturday) I’m leading a meditation in Santa Cruz as part of a Yule celebration…I’m so excited about this! It’ll be the last big thing of this year for work and then I’m going to do my VERY BEST to start winding down in earnest.
So now that I’ve been fully open about My December Journey ™ let’s get into the next stage.
Appreciate and Evaluate
It can be sooo tempting to wallow in the angst of all the things we didn’t get to do this year. There can be a haunting feeling that someone is doing something better or getting what you want, so you never will.
Comparison will steal every inch of your joy.
Today is about putting yourself in a headspace where you’re the sole focus, without the reflections of others blurring your vision.
Start by finding elements of this year that you’re grateful for.
See if you can pin point at least three things.
Something that you enjoyed about your home, or an expansion of your work. Maybe there were physical goals you achieved or supportive relationships.
As you write, notice what things feel important to you, without the influence of others involved.
Challenges provide the biggest lessons. Viewing them with some distance can reveal the meaning you intrinsically gave them with your reactions.
Through the lens of gratitude, see if you can trace where you started 2021 to where you are now. You are the main character in your narrative. Give yourself some time to discover plot points that may have slipped from top of mind.
Living is dynamic and you’ve done so much. Even the places that feel like upsets can be the best source of further development.
Maybe there were loose ends tied up, arcs that were formed and places that feel unfinished. Time is a made up concept, nothing has to be wrapped in a bow by 11:59pm on the 31st. Give yourself room to see your growth, even if it feels very in progress.
Enjoy this moment! You deserve it.
There is no true ending, energy carries on.
All we can do is go with the flow until we are passed into another channel.
I hope you all are enjoying December so far. Give yourself a chance to rest and sit in stillness. Everything will follow your peace of mind.
xx
James