The art of relevant reflection is a skill we need to acquire. The easiest fall back pattern is to look at what didn’t work and then find someone to blame for this and then ‘hope’ that next year will be easier on you.
As the end of year nears, it seems a natural response to want to take time to reflect on the highs and lows of the past 365 days of living. The question is, have you been doing that… living? Or will you be procrastinating with preparations for Christmas, New Years and micro managing family events so that you cleverly avoid any kind of accountability for the past twelve months.
When we learn to reflect with introspection, we take a step outside of ourselves and have a more balanced version of what happened. The good aspects of the year, the challenging and sometimes even the devastating. Owning your part of each of these will open the door to, “how could I have done it better?”. “Where do I need to grow as a person to have a more fulfilling experience in the year to come?” and “What support can I access to allow change into my life?”
Every day we learn new things about the world and the spaces we occupy, and about ourselves and our reactions to these. Sometimes, we are so entrenched in the daily routines that we cannot see how easy a simple change could be.
Most significantly, recognising that a minor alteration within ourselves, could be the beginning of a transformation in those you share your life with. One spark of change is enough to ignite a ripple effect of profound proportions.
So, if you decide to gift yourself with time and honesty this festive season; do it with…
Love by recognizing you are human
…… and human beings make mistakes and sometimes get it wrong. Be gentle with yourself, especially the messy parts of the year.
Balance by recognizing your strengths
…and achievements as well as area’s that can be improved on. What worked and what didn’t? How can you incorporate more of what did work well?
Truth by owning the parts of your life
… that need support and guidance to move you through the rut or unhappiness. Sometimes, identifying the issues are not enough. You need to follow through with action. What could you do to better sustain yourself?
Self-acknowledgement; identifying what needs to change
…and then reach out and find out how to begin this transformation. Very often change starts with us and as terrifying as it may seem initially, it is liberating! Keep yourself moving through the discomfort..
Forgiveness by letting go of what was
…forgive yourself for any errors in judgement – you were doing the best you could. Forgive others for their behavior, not for them but for you. Lastly, forgive life for the experiences it has born upon you and how it has changed you.
Be open to peaceful endings and exhilarating new beginnings…
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