I’m just coming off of a workshop I led on aligning yourself with your new year.  As we’re just reaching the end of January, statistics say that most people have already abandoned their resolutions by now.  The good news is, I happen to have a healthy alternative, using your past year as a compass.  A friend introduced me to a new process two years ago, and I began applying it to my life.  I noticed how profoundly this simple process impacted me, and in my first few hours of analysis, I thought, “I want to walk others through this!”  I had some epiphanies designing this workshop that I thought you may find helpful in creating a year that is meaningful, fulfilling…and more joyful.

 

You’ve come a long way baby

Instead of sprinting toward the starting line trying to grasp resolutions for the new year, let’s take a moment to look back.  If 2018 went as fast for you as it did for me, you may not be sure where you spent your time and energy that was most beneficial and blissful.  Taking a little time to reflect helps us assess the quality from the year before and teaches us where to paint our bullseye in the year to come.

 Can we take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come?  Thank you. Pause and think about it for a moment or two.  Allow me to give you some praise.  I know how much work you have done, I understand how hard you have worked, I see how disciplined you’ve been, and I realize how much time you invested to accomplish what you did.  We give others credit all the time, commending the job they did, or how close they got to grabbing that brass ring.  How about you?  How can you acknowledge and appreciate how well you have done?

 

Life’s precious moments

My cousin has a quote in his bathroom that reads, “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.”  It’s true!  If you look back over the past year, you may realize the best moments were small.  What’s important is that you identify them.  I was surprised by my best moments.  They were not exterior, some were moments I dug down and applied myself in new ways to express my passion.  Some of my finest moments this past year were pushing myself out of my comfort zone to orchestrate and co-create synergy in things I had not done before.  What made you burst into tears when you finished creating it?  Who were you working with that made you laugh at some of the greatest challenges in life?

 

Eureka, there’s gold in them thar hills

I got real clear about some things that were important to me this past year.  I realized how much Conscious and Carefree inspires the daylights out of me, and when I get off an interview with a top influencer, sometimes I cry afterwards from the sheer power of the experience.  I marvel over how much coaching and facilitating energizes me!  While staying at a friend’s home recently, I came back in the room after leading my mastermind call.  My friend was shocked at my high energy level, after being gone for an hour, she said, “What did you do!?”  I said, “I led my group, this is what happens to me.”   She said, “Whoa!”  Doing what you love will invigorate and rejuvenate.  It’s crucial we look upon the exchanges that were reciprocal this past year and begin to fully receive the treasures we are giving away.

 

Be wickedly honest with yourself

There are places I missed my mark this past year…to be honest, I learned a hard lesson or two.  I also realize I did the best I could with what I knew.  Tears well up as I write this…which means I am on the precipice of something big.  At any given time, all we can do is our best.  And sometimes that just won’t matter.  It’s not that we don’t fall down, it’s how we pick ourselves back up.  I am human and I realize I cannot do it all, as much as I’d like to.  There will be times when I may unknowingly let someone down.  This breaks my heart.  Certain things need more of us, more of our time and attention.

I learned that communication is imperative; a type of communication we may not have had before.  For example:  asking instead of accusing, requesting instead of expecting, checking in versus assuming.  In essence, learning to express our loving truth.  And tenderness–we are hungry for tenderness–and compassion, without these things civilization as we know it will cease to exist.  All one can do is learn from mistakes, make amends if given the opportunity, and set out to go about things in a better way.  This year, 2019, I will respect myself as much as I respect others. I will value my work as much as I contribute to other people’s work.  I will be clear about how much I can give, and in kind, ask for what I need in return.

Lastly, I was asked by a successful friend to reveal more of myself this year.  She told me she didn’t just want to know that I did something, but how I got there.  To be honest, it is not all sunshine and rainbows.  Although, much of it can be.  The last mile can be lonely and challenging, calling us inward.  Sometimes it can be difficult to find your way, especially when attempting new things!  But if you continue to shine a light there, you will see someone else, you will not be the “lone nut” anymore, suddenly there will be a “first follower” behind you.  So, my commitment to you, the fearless reader, is to share more of myself.  Pleasure and pain, the whole shebang, and reveal more of my process.  Thank you for the gift you have given me, the joy in this journey, and allowing me to become more of myself in your presence.  May this be our best year yet.