The end of the year is a natural time for reflection. Although time is an arbitrary invention we use to organize ourselves, it can serve as a helpful tool for evaluating our life direction.
What would you like to leave behind in 2018, as we move into a fresh new year?
Important note: what you resist, persists. So I’m not asking what you want to avoid or run away from. That never works. Everything is energy. Your fear or strong dislike of something actually binds you to it energetically. You can run away from the person or situation, but you will simply attract the same energy in a different person or situation until you transform that dynamic within yourself.
So the real question is, what inner change are you willing to make in order to let go of that worn out pattern and make space for something new? Fed up with people not honoring you? Become more clear with expressing your boundaries. Had it with a mundane, monotonous daily existence? Begin listening to your heart and discovering your passions. Sick and tired of superficial relationships? Choose to become more open and authentic.
When you embrace the gift of the unwanted pattern or experience, you release your resistance (aka attachment) to it. The gift is whatever it is meant to teach you. For example, if you don’t feel respected by your boss, the gift is learning to respect yourself. If you start respecting yourself, you will either speak up or obtain different work that is in alignment with your newfound self respect. However, if you leave your job just to avoid the situation, without making the inner shift of self respect, you will find yourself in the same scenario at a new workplace.
Whatever you’re ready to let go of, be sure to uncover the gift, the lesson, of the situation first. When you can truly appreciate the experience for what it taught you, you become free of it inwardly and the transformation then happens outwardly.
Just remember, you can’t cheat energy. If you’re telling yourself you appreciate the lesson but you don’t honestly feel that way, the energy won’t shift and you will remain stuck.
Every day is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves, yet it’s easy to tell ourselves, “I’ll get to it tomorrow.” It’s easy to take time for granted, assuming there will be another day. There’s no guarantee.
When I first moved back to Hawaii, it felt like every day was a vacation. I could walk to the beach any day and enjoy wading in the refreshing cool turquoise water. Every day was sunny with temperatures in the 80s. It didn’t take long for me to start telling myself, “I’ll go tomorrow.” Then, “I’ll go next week.” One day I realized a whole year had gone by without even one visit to the beach.
We take time for granted like this. We get caught up in the small details of everyday living and miss out on the bigger picture. 365 days is ample time to see what direction we’re heading and to evaluate if it’s where we want to go.
Do you feel more joy, peace, growth or awareness today versus January 1st this year? Yes? Congratulations - honor the transformation you created this year. No? It’s ok. Perhaps you needed to fully experience what you didn’t want in order to finally be ready to make a change. You can use your frustration or discomfort in any situation as motivation to change.
Take a honest look at this year before letting it go. Your life is a reflection of your energy and of the choices you make in each moment. Becoming aware of how you’ve invested your time and energy in 2018 empowers you to keep going that way or to change direction and explore fresh possibilities in the upcoming year. There’s still time left this year to shift within and create an opening for new, wonderful experiences in 2019.