::Reflecting on the Year and Opening Up to the New::
“As the year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection – a time to release old thoughts and beliefs and forgive old hurts. Whatever has happened in the past year, the New Year brings fresh beginnings. Exciting new experiences and relationships await. Let us be thankful for the blessings of the past and the promise of the future.” ― Peggy Toney Horton
I first wrote this blog at the end of 2018. It was a sacred practice and sit and reflect on that year. Then, I returned to it at the end of 2019, and then again at the end of 2020, 2021, and 2022.
And here we here at the end of 2023... To be honest, these past four years have been a wildly transformative time for all of us.
I glanced back into my journal from early January in 2020.. one of the first things I wrote was ‘Stay small, stay at war with yourself’…
This time was anything but that...it asked us to rise from the depths. There was no way to hide and stay small. We needed to rise in resilience and trust.
I hope as you wind down these final days of 2023 that you honor your own journey… All of it. The strength you expanded on, the shadows you faced, the sorrow, the joy, the shedding, the rebirthing, the laughter, the tears, all of the emotions you felt this year and all the experiences.
Before we dive into reflection mode, I want to share a passage by Danielle LaPorte that I came across in June 2020. I was in heavy-hearted state, and would read this passage while watching the sunrise every morning. This struck me deep into my soul. I shared it in many of my client sessions , rituals, workshops and yoga classes, and I want to share it with you here.
There is nothing passive about this transformation. Each of us has to create this change with intention. Alchemize the situation. Transformation happens through true presence—we have to be so right here, right now. Not waiting to get back to things, or waiting to get through this—that’s a holding pattern of mediocrity. When we can be present to everything that’s here—our distractions and our reasons for distractions, our creativity and brilliance, our limits to love and our vastness of love… When we can embrace our suffering, the divine, and the potential that lives in our cells… we become Graceful. When Grace looks to the future that she wants, a future born of suffering and awakening to joy, she seizes the moment and she makes a vow. And this is how we avoid falling back asleep after a wake-up call. We vow to live differently. And every vow requires devotion. We must make the vow to a beautiful ideal and devote our lives to it. Like we do at births, weddings, and on death beds: we stand in love, we look ahead, and we promise to make good on the vision. This is a vividly sacred time to avow to new life. We have to come into ceremony with this global suffering. Approach it as a sacred passage to higher consciousness, submit our fears and vow to love. And vows made in the eye of a storm and at major thresholds are imbued with Divine Power. This is where we commit to Life and carry it out. The ceremony is underway—we just need to fully show up. And vows are only as strong as our devotion.
A reflection ritual can be a nourishing and empowering exploration. Every experience, choice, challenge and blessing can be used to teach , stretch and expand us in one way or another. It’s a sacred time to sit in gratitude, to forgive, let go, bookend the chapter of the closing year, and take a breath before we begin a new chapter.
As you take time to pause and reflect, here are some prompts for you to explore:
2023 in Reflection:
What are you celebrating this year?
What surprised you about yourself this year?
Where/How did you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Who/what are you most thankful for?
Who were your most valuable relationships with over the year?
Are there any grievances you can soften?
Looking back, where can you laugh at yourself now?
Looking back, where can you find more compassion for yourself now?
What is your COLOR and WORD to define YOUR 2023?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Invoking Intentions into 2024:
What is your COLOR and WORD you are calling into 2024?
What is the theme you are invoking?
How are you committing to loving yourself more deeply?
Where do you want to grow?
What self-care rituals are you committing to?
What is your heart’s desire for this new year?
Where are you going to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone?
Where do you see yourself saying ‘YES’ more often in your life?
Where do you see yourself saying ‘NO’ more often in your life?
How will you offer more gratitude into your life?
Where will you be more of service?
May this reflection process be a beautiful and transformative journey to you. And may this final days of 2023 be filled with awe of the strength, resilience and humor that you’ve developed along the way!
I’m looking towards new horizons for all of us in 2024... A journey that invokes more magic, blessings, vibrant health, laughter, joy, love, wonder, abundance, adventure and a lot of sparkle!
Cheers to you!
xo
Kate