Holiday Survival Tip: Shine a Light
December 18, 2024
Setting Yourself Up for 2025
January 8, 2025
Are you making resolutions, plans and goals in the new year? If so, be sure to consider who you are, what you have done, and who you spend time with before moving forward. Start with paying attention to who you are because you are not simply the sum of what you do. Your doing – the goals, tasks, and roles you complete are an expression of yourself and your circumstances. They are not you. You are a unique person who has value and worth simply because you exist. Who you connect with is also important as your relationships impact much of your day-to-day life. As you plan to move forward, take some time to look in the mirror, to look at your past, and to consider your connections.
Look in the Mirror
Who are you at this point in your life journey? Your core self is made up of your brain, your body, and your soul. You have a lifetime of memories, knowledge, patterns, and skills that make up the unique person that is you. Take some time to lovingly consider who you are these days. Scan your body with gratitude for all your senses and abilities. Listen to your thoughts for patterns, topics of curiosity and ways that you navigate your day-to-day life. Notice your soul and when or where you feel awe. You are ever changing and yet are still the same person. You are worthy just as you are.
Ponder Your Past
Look back over the past year to consider the journey you have been on. Your calendar, records, and physical space can be scanned to see where you spent your time, energy, and resources. Be sure to give yourself credit for those things that are hard to track. Healing, growing, and recovering are vitally important and don’t leave much of a trace. I can look at my calendar and say, “I didn’t get anything done that week.” or say, “that is the week I was sick, I spent all my energy on getting better.” Looking back over the past gives you a chance to see progress made and lessons learned.
Consider Your Connections
Who did you spend time with and what did those relationships add to your life? There are people you supported and who supported you; they may not be the same people. Change is a constant, as children grow and adults age, the nature of your relationships shift. Pets count too. Perhaps the wild puppy has settled down or the older cat now needs more gentleness. Notice what your relationships add to your life. Being grateful for connections, while understanding that they all change over time, is a gift you can give yourself.
Putting it all Together
Stepping back a bit to look at yourself, your doing, and your connections you get an overview of your life at this point in your journey. The goal is not to judge yourself but to simply see where you stand now. Compassionate curiosity allows you to notice what is going well, learn from challenges and celebrate your resilience. You can create a mind-map or timeline if it helps you to externalize your thoughts. Having this in front of you clarifies possible next steps in the coming year.
You are worthy of love, care, and compassion just as you are. When you consider who you are and value your unique self you are better able to create resolutions, goals or plans that support your journey. May you find ways to channel your resources and energy to move forward with your roles and tasks so that you have the ability to care for yourself and to make a difference. By considering your connections you can plan ways to build a stronger community for yourself and others. There is no absolute deadline for your goals – keep changing them so they suit you, wherever you are in your journey.
Peace,
Laura
