The time between Christmas and New Year’s is the ideal time to turn inward and find a deepening, inspiration and renewal. The energy of the last few months has been about going deep with in cleaning, cleansing and releasing and re-inventing ourselves. It is this deep inner clearing of witnessing intense patterns stirring and allowing them to let go of old patterns to create new passion in our lives.
Yesterday the Winter Solstice was celebrated and we greeted in the sun and more light coming in. Now is a perfect time to dream, seek vision and go inward. A time to reflect and ask ourselves how can we create more joy in your lives for the up coming months of January, February and March. This shift with the Solstice holds an incredible power to propel us to go forward in our passion, allow these longer days of the energy of light to resolve old patterns to create clarity in your journey. Through this new light invite yourself to receive, to open and receive the sacred wisdom and knowledge that is coming through for your mastery of empowerment and truth.
Bittersweet
The holidays are a bittersweet time for many of us, in the midst of the celebratory energy we may be deeply aware of loss and grief. Loss and grief over lost ones that are not here to celebrate with us and also over a life not lived in the past year. The past year has not been easy for many of us. It was a chaotic and fast year, a tsunami of emotions drowned our basic structures and we are either swimming against the tide or flowing beyond our set boundaries. Sometimes shifts need to be radical in oder for us to evolve, to be all that we can be. This process is often messy and confusing and it is very important that we take good care of ourselves and hold ourselves in loving compassion through these times.
So now at the end of the year many of us ask ourselves who we are, who we want to be and what the essence of our existence is.
Tradition
Setting intentions for the new year is a tradition that I consider to be sacred, and over the years I have performed many rituals, and meditations to help me vision, make wishes, call in blessings, and create the year that I wish to have, and also to re-align my soul with its purpose, and destiny.
Please give yourself this gift and make time (even if it is just an hour, but make time) to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the year to come. You will get this time back manyfold if you get clear and have focus.
Four steps
There are four steps to this process: reflection, intention setting, goal setting and inspired action.
- First it is important to reflect on what worked and what didn’t work as you need to appreciate all you have done and figure out why some things were successful and some not. Celebrate your successes and learn from your lesser moments. But don’t skip this part as it is very important to look back, acknowledge, be grateful and to learn and not repeat the same ‘mistakes’.
- An intention is a spiritual compass, an ideal you want to embody in life. For example grace, peace of gratitude. This is the core of the SMART goals we set later on. What do you desire and why?What do you most value? Who are you? Who do you want to be? What is your essence?
- The next step is to have clear written goals (or if this is too dry for you, read longing instead of goal) as these will make you accomplish them far easier. The Universe responds to clarity, so be clear about what you really want. Goals need to written down so you can track and measure them, how else would you know you were successful in reaching your goals. If you leave things to chance you can’t track and measure. Goals are more likely to be achieved when you write them down, because they become more real. If you have something specific you want to achieve, then you have to write them out and set goals. Also tell others about them, make them real and set the energy in motion. Also take into account what you want to experience, how do you want to feel and most importantly why? Now goal clear goal setting also helps with time management, as it helps you focus and you don’t leak energy on activities that are not aligned with your core purpose and big dreams. So make your goals realistic, specific (SMART!) and aligned with your core values and purpose (so no “should”/ego driven/comparison goals, but goals coming from your unique Self). Check in on your core values at least once a year. Now do not set too many goals, otherwise you will be spreading yourself too thin. Pick a few and stick to them (unless they really don’t work anymore, than let go or adjust). Narrow down to 5 goals that really make an impact. Focus on what is going to have the biggest impact on your life. And don’t recycle goals, if you haven’t made them in the past two years than perhaps it is to realize they have been unrealistic. Ask yourself if these goals really make your heart sing or are they ‘should’ goals? Ask yourself why you didn’t accomplish this last time as there is likely something deeper going on. If it has been on your to do-list many times over, reflect on why it didn’t get done. Maybe it is too massive and you need to break it down into smaller goals, maybe you were too busy, maybe it was unrealistic how long it would take, maybe the goal was too general or just maybe it actually isn’t something you want to do and you are not really inspired. So ask if this goal need to be tweaked or released. And as stated before, avoid “should” goals which come from your head, from your ego, not from your heart. Often New Year’s resolutions are should goals and that is why they so often don’t work. A saboteur is lurking around and it comes from comparing and forcing ourselves to do something instead of being passionate about it. It is not a goal you are really passionate about, so let it go. And remember not all goals are about making more money or business, but think about health, balance, spirituality, joy, etc. – succes does not equal money.
- The final step is the implementation and this is where you adapt beliefs and behaviors, if you do things the way you have always done them, then every year will be the same. Not changing your behavior and beliefs will keep you getting exactly what you have received already. So change habits, beliefs and behaviors if you want to do something differently this year. Behavior needs to change or be developed. Action steps should be small acts of personal power that allow the expression of your intention.Every time we follow through on an action step, we build personal power. This power allows us to transmute and transcend behaviors and circumstances.
Don’t let life happen, but live it purposefully. Have the courage to claim what you want. Your passions are important, your courage can become your guide. You have the power to reach forward.
Use your intention to navigate through your life. Get in the driver’s seat and stay aligned and on course. Many changes are occurring, use this as your compass.
You need to leave everything behind to pursue our own dreams. When you discover you are worthy of your dreams and take brave action regardless of your fears, get committed to living out your vision, everything will start to shift. Life will start to feel amazing, and opportunities and great adventures become your norm.
So now what are your big dreams?
Feel into why you want this, what does it mean for you to have it, and how will your life be different for you when you have it?
Do you really feel you deserve and are worthy of your dreams? Do you belief you are the creator of your life?
You can’t control your way to succes, so what is motivating and driving you? If you get clear on this there is no need for control as you will be inspired. Your life purpose will evolve over time and the more mature we get, the more clear we get and the more focus we have on serving others and less on material gain.
Stay connected to your purpose and core values as your beliefs are under all your actions.
You can do it and you deserve it!
Take inspired action, make a fresh start. stop doing the same old things, break free, a new year, a clean slate, an opportunity for a rebearth (interesting slip of the pen, I meant rebirth!)! Your chance to make a powerful change to do thing differently and live a life beyond your wildest dreams.
Look how far you have come, you are amazing! What will you do next?
Much love and Sat Nam!
Charissa
May the long time sun shine upon you,
All love surround you,
And may the pure light within you
Guide your way home.
