Say Goodbye to 2017

Although I am grateful for each and every moment of my life, I am happy to say goodbye and good riddance to 2017. This year has been one of incredible personal growth and positive transformation. This has also been a year of professional pain and disappointment. Naturally, I’m ready for an official moment where I can definitively wipe the slate clean and start anew. The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to set new goals and/or reacquainte yourself with lost ones. Whether you make resolutions or create a vision board, making the new year better than the last is the objective.  

In order to move forward, I’ve learned to first look for the lessons of my trials. Every frustrating and anxiety-filled moment that I’ve ever had has always taught me something. Sometimes the lesson is clear. Other times, it requires me to be still to allow the message to come through. I don’t always want to receive the message especially when it demands a great deal of work on my part. In those moments, I admittedly place the lesson on an imaginary shelf only for it to fall and hit me on the head soon after. Arriving at a place of personal peace, love and strength takes tremendous effort. Standing in who you are, the gifts of your ancestors, and who you are destined to become is an amazing responsibility that must be embraced with open arms…. easier said than done!

My Plan
Surrender. Submit to all of the marvelousness the Universe has waiting for me. I know that my blessings may not look the way I want them to look and they may even take me down a path I wouldn’t usually go. But, in the end, I always arrive in a better place and exactly where I need to be.

Look for the Lessons. When I’m in the valley and experiencing one of life’s storms, I usually don’t ask, “What’s the lesson here?” It’s not until after I’ve cried out of frustration, repeatedly asked God to remove the problem from my life, and cursed the person/people who wronged me to total damnation that I focus on what I have sole control of, and that’s me! I can choose to wallow in anger and despair or I can see the opportunities I’ve been given to blossom. Some questions that help lead me to a place of thoughtful reflection and, in turn, to the lessons that help me grow are:
     -  Who am I and who do I want to be?
     -  What has 2017 taught me and how have I changed?
     -  What successes can I celebrate?
     -  Who in my life supports me, and who can I genuinely trust?

Move. Whatever experiences life has offered, good or unpleasant, there is always the opportunity to grow. It could be a newly acquired skill or an increase in confidence, but the person I was in January is certainly not the person I am now. The key is to be clear about where and how I’ve changed.

Welcome Change. I love it when my life is in predictable mode. Knowing what’s coming gives me a sense of calm and safety that wraps around my nerves like a warm blanket. When life throws me a curveball or two it’s as if that blanket is ripped off and I’m thrown into a blizzard. What I’ve realized over the years is that it’s not change that’s the problem. It’s my fear - my fear that I won’t be enough or have enough. But, when I trust and remember that God always provides, I realize that change is not the enemy, but a true friend.

My Gift
Now, grab a notebook or journal and your favorite beverage. Find a comfortable space where you can engage in honest reflection. Here’s to letting go of the past and ushering in an amazing, awakened and abundant new year.