A moment between a storm and calm. Do you know that feeling?
Notice if you feel...
👉Relief that something is over,
👉Concern that damage will now be its own journey to repair,
👉Curiosity about this moment,
👉Fear of the next big storm,
👉Excitement for the new chapter just beginning or
👉Something entirely different.
What it is the feeling? What is your story to yourself and others about this moment?
You and/or your people have probably had direct experiences with this kind of moment that sets the groundwork for how you experience it.
2023
Let's go on this journey. Ready?
Start the year by giving yourself an honest, simple compliment.
Exhale everything that happened before this moment. You wrote down the lessons in that journal? Now soak in the moment. You are here.
We have the opportunity this year to put in the work for the world we need...starting with our own peace of mind and joy....and then working out.
Happy new year!
#2023 #happynewyear #journey #mindfulness #inthismoment #accept #embrace #moveon #joy #gratitude #hope #hardwork #community #meaningful #experiences #letsgo
My Wish For You
I wish for you that you don't suffer.
I wish for you to know that all living things are connected.
I wish for you to know that you are not alone in anything you are going through even though sometimes it feels that way.
I wish for you to know that you are worthy of happiness.
If you can say you've learned something in the past year or you connected to more empathy and healthier boundaries, then it was a year of worthwhile effort.
And if you can't say that, I hope you know that it's never too late to take responsibility for your own journey - your behaviors and the meaning-making that creates empowered beauty.
I wish for you to remember that none of us do it alone.
I wish for you to know that labeling an emotion or experience doesn’t create it but it can give relief from the weight of it.
I wish for you curiosity.
I wish for you continued attempts at radical acceptance and hopefulness. And to know the difference between those concepts versus giving up or unrealistic optimism.
I wish for you to know that accepting, loving, and grounding are the foundations of powerful change.
I wish for you to connect to your body and the messages your emotions and physical expressions are desperately trying to share with you.
I wish for you kindness - toward yourself and others.
I wish for you calm thoughtfulness and bold courage.
I wish for you protection and guidance.
I trust our journey and I hope you do, too.
The Power of Being ProActive
I never used to be one of those people that believed in our ability to influence by energetic intent. "The Secret" and other "think it and it will be" concepts never really resonated with me.
With all my years of professional and personal experience, I'm beginning to pay attention to the signs that seem to indicate otherwise despite all my best intentions to stay a non-believer.
I see more and more how many of us wish for things, hope for things, hold our breath for things...but take no action toward those things. Even if the action is taking a purposeful pause.
We all know that the one constant is change. We know that everything changes all the time. So we can ride the wave of change and see where it takes us. And it will take us somewhere. Ironically often somewhere pretty close to what we had wished or feared for just with a twist. But the twist can be unpleasant to say the least.
I get it. I live it. It's scary to purposely go toward change even if it's toward what we want. It means taking responsibility. It means really letting yourself know that this matters to you. Sometimes we have been dreaming about "some day" for so long and in such a bittersweet way that it has helped us through some really rough times. If we actually take steps toward the dream and fail then we fear we will lose the hope that keeps us afloat - risking emotional devastation.
You might ask: Why risk letting myself down? (Someone else hurts me or disappoints me, then I'm clear on who the bad guy is and I can rest easy knowing I am a victim of circumstance. I can protect myself from feeling bad about myself.) But if I let myself down, it would be too painful.
Does this inner dialogue sound somewhat familiar?
How about the inner dialogue that tells you that letting others know that you desperately want something... and that you're going to actually try for it and will likely fail a few hundred times...can feel like handing over power. They can judge you, humiliate you, remind you of your failings until the end of time....
Being that vulnerable doesn't come natural to many of us.
Ever notice that the universe (or however you define the energy force that moves all around you) will give you a kick in the pants - sometimes an avalanche over the head - to move you, to shake you, to create change? While you are stuck in your internal debate and your psychology does all it can to keep you from creating change (i.e., keep you safe), the universe has other plans. Nature grows and evolves. You are part of it all. You can put yourself in the best environment FOR YOU to grow and evolve.
Ever wonder how different your life would look if you proactively went for what you wanted?
If you purposely and succinctly wrote down your vision of success. If you created some long term goals and then some short term goals. And then took one short term goal and broke it down to teeny tiny steps. And then chose one of those steps to take today...without delay.
How much stress and extra complications would you avoid if you just went straight for what you wanted? If the universe didn't need to nudge you along?
You know that nudging....the nudging that comes in the form of the minor annoyance all the way to the worst imaginable trauma. You get fired from the job you hated. Your car gets totaled as you were debating to sell it or not. You are craving a change in your relationship that comes and now you need to decide what you really want. You lose your money and realize what you had all along.
How many times did you realize "I ended up braver, wiser, more authentic for this experience"? You wouldn't wish the nightmare on yourself but if it didn't happen you wouldn't have been shoved in this particular direction. Now you have passions you know you must feed urgently and not just neglect in the hope that "someday things will just work out."
The excitement and joy - that can come from going for the things that you have thought and processed and contemplated about - is fuel for the soul. Give yourself the gift of being proactive. Of dreaming and trying.
Just one small step today towards the larger vision can let the universe know you don't need another kick the pants today....you are in motion. You will focus and facilitate the emergence of your next exciting chapter!
[Picture credit: http://longspark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/art-therapy-career2.jpg]