By Aine Belton
Below is a ‘Closing Ceremony’ for 2016.
It includes a series of questions that can help you harvest the gifts of 2016, take some time for reflection, acknowledgement, insight, integration, and gratitude, as well as to let go of anything you wish to release before the New Year.
You may want to copy-and-paste the questions below into a doc so you can type up your answers or just think them out while reading.
Before you begin, is there anything that you want to get off your chest from 2016?
Any anger, pain, sorrow, grief, resentment, hurt, judgement, blame, pity, fear…? If you feel it will serve you at this time, allow yourself to feel those feelings, to release them, have a last rant or vent, or whatever you feel would help that process. You may even want to write stuff down and burn the paper, or express your feelings in whatever way helps you release them – cleanly (i.e. without dumping them on another!).
Now it’s… harvest time!
To extract the juice from the year gone, answer the questions below.
Note: The nature of and answers to some of these questions may overlap. You don’t have to answer them all, you can just focus on those that most appeal.
* How did your love for self, life and others, show up this year in the different areas of your life?
* Can you bring or allow love in to nurture and heal the more difficult experiences or pained aspects within?
* How did universal love and love from others show up for you this year in all that came your way?
* What did you learn/accept/heal/transform about yourself this year?
* What blessings did this year bring?
* What dreams came true?
* What personal strengths did you discover, apply, or develop?
* What new skills, insights, or wisdom did you gain?
* What served as a catalyst for healing or transformation that you can now be grateful for, even if challenging at the time?
* What can you forgive yourself for?
* What and who else can you forgive?
* What can you let go of (limiting belief, attachment, attitude, grievance…)?
* What achievements and accomplishments can you acknowledge and celebrate?
* What opportunities and synchronicities came your way?
* What ‘lessons’ did you learn? (I’m not too fond of the word lessons but I trust you know what I mean by that).
* What do you feel were any ‘weaker’ areas or traits that you would like to nurture/investigate/strengthen/develop in the coming year ahead (communication, love/self-love, intimacy, organization, health, relationships, business, freedom, fun, commitment, forgiveness, humility, confidence, self-expression, spontaneity…)?
* List some of the year’s magic moments!
* What and who are you grateful for that happened this year gone, and why? (You may also want to make a phone call or send a thank you card, email or text to someone to express that thanks).
* What or who can you let go of? (This may include a pattern, grievance, person, belief, attitude, emotion, attribute, behaviour, story, situation, judgment (against self or other), habit, and so on)
* Where did you courageously step outside of your comfort zone?
* What new people did you meet that you are grateful for having met?
* What did you absolutely LOVE that happened?
If you have written answers down, you might like to read the answers back, getting in touch with the feelings (of love, gratitude, appreciation, joy, acknowledgment, enthusiasm, forgiveness, acceptance, peace, etc.)
Reap and integrate the gifts of this year gone.
Congratulate yourself and feel a sense of celebration!
Much love,
Aine Belton
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