The new year is a time for reflection, resolutions, and turning over a new leaf. I hope you are enjoying this special time of year with friends, family, and the ones you love. As we approach the turn of the year, it is a perfect time to look back on all that has happened this year, cultivate appreciation for everything that happened, and then refine and design your dream for 2015!
I reflect back on 2014 with all the highs and lows and am filled with immense gratitude. This year brought about a lot of big challenges for me including an international move, losing my grandmother, a few broken bones and a big career shift. As I look back it would be easy to feel a tinge of “poor me” and “thank goodness this year is almost over!” But yoga teaches that hidden within every obstacle is a big opportunity for growth. I am interested in evolution which usually requires some change. And you know that old saying about change – no one said it would be easy! So after a process of reflection on the year, I consciously cultivate appreciation and gratitude for every single thing that happened – the good and the so-called “bad”. I resolve to shift my perspective and seek the blessings within each of the challenges. I know that with every challenge I have the power to rethink my current attitude and strategy. I can choose to either be a victim of circumstance or a pioneer for change and growth. I choose to be a pioneer for growth! For me the most direct path to the capacity to shift perspective and evoke change is gratitude and appreciation.
Gratitude is perhaps the most important spiritual practice of all. It takes us out of victim mode and into an empowered place of accepting our circumstances and seeking the blessing inside of everything. This year I am grateful that I had the opportunity to move to one of the cities I had always dreamed of living in, I am grateful that my grandmother lived an amazing, vibrant, and healthy 94 years, I am grateful that as a result of breaking my wrist I was able to slow down and make self-care my top priority for the first time in years, and I am grateful that because of these experiences I was able to envision new possibilities for my career and take action steps towards my professional expansion.
So when you have a few minutes to yourself over these next few days, take time to get quiet and reflect on what you are grateful for in 2014. After the blessings that are easy to remember and be happy about, reflect on the challenges you faced and how you might be able to see them through new eyes, “bless the mess”, and offer gratitude not only for the joys, but for the sorrows and the opportunity that lives in it all.
After you have appreciated all the year brought to you, spend some time refining what you would like to do differently in 2015. Don’t beat yourself up over anything! Simply notice how you might like to slowly shift or evolve in the upcoming year.
And lastly, my favorite part of this exercise is to design a new dream! Write it out on paper. A dream is your intention or vision statement for the year. When designing dreams, the sky is the limit! Dream big and then write it out in an affirmative voice – as if it was already happening! Think not only about what you want to create or accomplish, but on how you want to feel. Read this statement to yourself every day upon awaking and every night before sleeping. It is a powerful practice and serves as your road map to evolutionary change. For example, if your dream is to practice yoga every single day then write, “I am blessed to practice yoga every day.” If your dream is to attract romantic love into your life, then write, “My perfect partner is coming to me now.” You get the idea? Positive, present-tense statements about the life you are dreaming into reality!
I would love to hear some of your dreams for the new year! Please post comments below and let me know your vision for 2015!
Lastly, to show my gratitude to you for all your support, I have 2 free holiday treats for you! A recording of a talk I gave on reducing overwhelm and moving into THRIVE and a downloadable ebook of my favorite smoothie recipes.
Download the free talk here.
Download your smoothie guide here.
Take some time to really appreciate yourself, all that you are, and all that you are becoming. Reflect on 2014 in gratitude and dream big for all that is to come! I hope to see each of you somewhere soon along the path. Happy New Year!
love greta
– See more at: http://www.gretahill.com/blog/2014/12/reflect-refine-design-and-some-free-gifts#sthash.cNqKz0wU.dpuf