A Decade in Review

Every year end, I have a practice of writing a reflection of the year. My birthday happens to come early in January and so the new year feels remarkably potent. I am beginning a new calendar year and year of my life. I break it up into sections to make it more accessible and succinct. I then combine that with what I would like to bring in with the year ahead. I consistently find tremendous insight in the practice.

As I sat recently to begin my writing, I realized that not only is a year coming to a close, but a decade as well. I decided to do both, first the year, and then the decade. It is absolutely amazing to realize how much has happened, how many goals reached, tragedies survived, beautiful moments lived, and all the twists on the path that could have never been predicted when reviewing a decade.  It truly created such extraordinary perspective on how my journey has had a steady unfolding whether I’m able to see it in the moment or not. Every experience has created more of an informed place for the next, each lesson learned, each wound healed, every meaningful connection having a place in the next turn.

For some reason, year after year, this particular writing always returns me to the simplistic imperfect perfection of Nature and the divine interconnectedness we are a part of. There truly is a purpose for everything in the natural world. Things we are drawn to and things we are averse to all have their gift on this planet and we are no different. There are cycles and rhythms that we can resist or lean into, they are there either way. There is something to be said for honoring winter’s call. The beckoning to return to stillness, to be more introspective than expansive, to sip from a deep well of souls and heart to listen for the wisdom that is there. I find when I move too quickly for just a little too long, my life compass can lose true north. Slowing down, awakening patience, gratitude, acceptance and even fulfillment with where my life is right now seems to be all that is needed to recalibrate. For me, this is what winter, and a rainy day invites. It brings me home to myself.

I invite you to explore what this year and this decade have been for you. I applied the same categories to both, and I wrote first about the year, then the decade.

For the review:
·      What were the challenges
·      What were the blessings
·      What were the lessons/growth / jewels
·      What were the peak moments
·      What do I see that is different in myself at the ending than the beginning?

Looking to the year ahead, I will write about goals in different areas of my life:
·      Priorities (in what balance would I like to balance my energy).
·      Personal (within my relationships with self, family, friends and community)
·      Professional (specific goals I would like to achieve with at least 2 action steps for each)
·      Spiritual (actions to deepen my practices and connections, commitments for the year)

Every moment counts in our lives and each one is precious. I keep hearing again and again a quote by recently passed and beloved Ram Dass, “We’re all just walking each other home”. Thank you for all you do on your walk, and I hope to share some walking with you in the year to come.

Happy New Year