Happiest of brand New Years to all. I believe we can all elevate our lives with simple practices we can do every day! There is so much to be grateful for, and for me, I give thanks every morning just for being alive. For feeling the exchange of breath in my lungs as I go about my day.
What are some goals you have for yourself this year? Are you a goal-orientated person or do you prefer to let life happen and grab on for dear life and hope it turns out okay? I am going to do a series of questions at the end of this composition so you can ask yourself for smaller, short-term goals and then also for ten long-term, deeper questions this year and for the bigger picture of your life. I believe it is important to think about what you want before you can get it! (Even if it is a feeling you’re longing for!)
With this being a new year, we have the idea of newness. Isn’t it funny how we all feel that “new” feeling? Kind of like experiencing a new car smell when we step into a new car, we also get that new years feeling of being at the beginning of the New Year! So where did this concept of “new” years come from anyway? I’m going to step back into Roman mythology.
January as we know it is named after a Roman god, that god being named after the first King of Latium (near Rome, Italy) known for bringing his people from barbarian ways to civilization. Janus is the god of Beginnings and Endings, of Gateways and Doors. He has two heads, one looking into the past and one looking into the future. When Julius Caesar was working with the mathematicians and astrophysicists of his time, the Julian calendar added two months to the current calendar year, naming the first month after the famous god Janus. It was only in the 1500s that Western civilizations adopted the Gregorian calendar, but still stood the Beginning of our years with a throwback to the great Janus, who brought peace to people, with the wisdom of the past behind him and the aspirations of the future in front of him.
As we transition into the New Year, keep in mind lessons the last year has taught. Maybe you have not reflected on this yet, and find it now a good time. Or perhaps you have, and find yourself in a good place. Either way, the power of reflection can free up your mind to the future.
“Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
–Louisa May Alcott (Author, 1832-1888)
What does the New Year look like for you? What does a resolution look like for you? I have found, through years of searching for a healthy spiritual practice, that asking myself the right questions is a great way to reflect on my own resolutions. I invite you to ask yourself the following questions heading into this great New Year of 2020 (doesn’t 2020 just sound so cool?).
Be kind to yourself, and contemplate healthy, gentle goals that feel attainable to where you are at in life. Whether it is eating a healthier breakfast, spending more quality time with your children or family, cutting out that third cup of coffee for tea, or planning that trip you have wanted to do for years, your future is in your hands.
10 Questions for every day:
-Am I happy today?
-Am I grateful today?
-What am I most grateful for today?
-Will I listen to my body today?
-What is one decision I can make to better my day?
-How much do I love myself today?
-Can I uplift someone’s day today?
-Will I allow myself to feel content today, for doing all I can?
-Am I accepting that what I do today is okay, and give myself thanks?
-What is my favorite part about my day I am about to have?
10 Questions for the year:
-What is my best-case scenario for this upcoming year?
-What do I constantly dream of doing?
-Have I made well-balanced plans for my health this year? (Physical, emotional and spiritual health)
-Looking into this next year, how much stress do I feel?
-Can I reduce my stress for this year?
-Is there something I can do outside my comfort zone that might enhance my experience this year?
-Have I planned something that excites me this year?
-What do I want to feel like six months into this year?
-How do I want to feel this Spring? Summer? Fall? Winter?
-Will I look back on this upcoming year and feel joy? (I hope your answer is YES!)
Thank you for reading, and I truly sincerely wish each and every one of you a wonderfully happy new year. I hope all the lessons you have learned through experience help shape a healthy time ahead: for you, for your family, and for all the people in your life. Enjoy!!
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