The holidays are a time to get together with family and friends and focus on relationships. Contemplating relationships inevitably brings both feelings of joy and pain. Every season, you and the people in your world change. We grow and develop and transition, so it’s never the same, igniting both happiness and heartbreak all in the same season.
Paying attention to your relationship with yourself might not be first on your busy, holiday mind, but what if you included a little YOU time as part of the season’s festivities? How might this spark more happiness and cheer?
Recently, I woke up to a busy day and had to make some decisions about how to begin the morning so that it would go well. That day had potential to blow up. I headed for the beach for a quick walk, decided that my schedule would be wrecked if I took that much time, and settled for a quick 15-minute meditation.
Opening my eyes and staring at the bright, clear ocean, it occurred to me that we only see the surface. What about all the life teeming below the wavy surface? We are so similar to the sea.
Only our surfaces are really seen, even by ourselves. There is so much within us that is kept hidden. I thought of the work that goes into seeing the life within the ocean. There’s training and the investment in Scuba lessons and gear; there is overcoming fear, being uncomfortable, making smart decisions, putting aside more urgent activities.
Finding your essence is similar work and equally difficult, exhilarating and rewarding. For some, it’s a totally new frontier.
You might be thinking that this year is one to get over with so that you can get on to a better year in 2016. Perhaps you are focusing on what went wrong or things you didn’t accomplish or the hardships you endured. Before you go on to planning for next year, stop and take some time to assess some of the positives from the year that can give you strength and confidence going into January.
Here are some questions to answer so you can set yourself up for success. These questions are intended to help you see your greatness, build strength of character and give you an empowered foundation from which to move forward.
- What successes did you experience this year?
- How did you help someone else?
- Who supported you?
- Where did you find the most joy?
- What are you grateful for?
- What obstacles did you overcome?
Discovering what is underneath your surface can be a catalyst for change in your life. Use that information to embark on new adventures into the unknown in the New Year.
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