Hey there! It's an auspicious time of year in so many ways including the fact that the winter solstice is taking place just before midnight tonight, many holidays are celebrated, and the New Year is around the corner. It also marks a year since I came back to DC after taking a three month break away on a solo cross country road trip and I've been turning within over the last couple of weeks to check-in with where my life is, and what course I want to chart as we move into 2016.
Soltice's have been important to me over the last year. They have become an opportunity for me to check in, create some space to reflect, create some new intentions, and chart a course forward. While intentions may seem intimidating for many people, I'd invite you to look at them differently. Rather than this heavy thing that you have hold over your head like loosing so much weight, or working out more, I've used these auspicious times to reflect on two columns in my life that I create some meditation time and lists around. One column is the "what I want to release" list and the other is "what I want to invite in" list.
When we release something, we create space for ourselves to invite something new in. And for the longest time, this other half of the equation was missing for me. I was always clear about what I was ready to let go of. Most of us know unhelpful thought and behavior habits we are ready to let go of. Or relationships and connections that we are ready to move on from. But how many of us are clear about what we want to consciously invite into our newly created inner space?
Curious, but unsure exactly what I mean yet? Here are some examples adapted from some of my own lists written on the auspicious solstice time of year:
I want to let go of fear of giving my power away. I want to invite in knowing that I am powerful.
I want to let go of the fear of getting hurt. I want to invite in openness to loving big.
I want to let go of judgement towards myself. I want to invite in embracing my whole being.
I purposefully link them up (the letting go and inviting in) to bring conscious awareness to what I'm looking to cultivate over the next season. This allows my focus to connect with what I want actively invite in versus lingering on what I want to let go of.
Consider this tip and practice your first part of this week's Joy Tip Wednesday. Where on Wednesday I'll start exploring how you might be able to turn this powerful list into action.
In the meantime, tonight, tomorrow, over the next couple of days, I invite you to create some space for yourself. Some time to check-in and perhaps consciously decide what you are ready to let go of and what you are ready to invite in. Don't exhaust yourself. I suggest you focus on the top three things that are most burning in your heart. And stick with those. Most of us create endless lists and it can overwhelm us. Perhaps 1-3 stakes in the ground give us some focus and reference point to connect with what we care about most.
Ready to create some new habits in 2016? I'm leading a free 15 day choose joy challenge starting the 1st of January 2016. If you aren't already subscribed to my newsletter yet, sign up here and I'll send you a complimentary guided joy meditation, make sure you are in on this fun challenge, and get weekly joy tips delivered to your inbox.
Sending you lots of love, healing, and blessings during this auspicious time.