Life and reflection
This time of year brings me to a place of great reflection… thinking through the year that we lived through, and the life that has passed. It is very easy to get hyper focused on my own life, but that is not the intent of this post. My intent is to put in order the thoughts of this year so they can be filed away neatly, cleaning the slate for 2025 to come.
My first hard and fast rule is not to allow the word regret to be in my vocabular. Regret only sopps up energy and take us to places we can not go to. Were there things that happened this year that were less than desirable -Certainly!!! But its not what happened, but what was done with it. Learning to turn less desirable things into lessons to grow and learn are invaluable. For example i have learned something i need to remember – independence in completing a task may seem good until something goes wrong. Breaking my wrist was a bummer, but i learned alot about my personality and how determined i was to just get things done. No regrets – just thanking god he has given me a natural barometer to know when severe weather is coming because the wrist pains.
Next, lay down expectations and accept things where they are. I used to watch hallmark movies – everyone is perfect, and sensitive and loving and kind and…… well, life is not so much like that. There are mean people in the world that no matter how you spin it they are mean, or jealous, or hurting. And they will never be those hallmark movie people. Harsh words will come up, attitudes will flare up, life will happen, But again it is not these responses to focus on, but what’s going on under the surface. I painted a pet portrait of a sweet dog, and shipped it to the customer. Her response was off the hook, nothing was right, and she was verbalizing hostility. Turned out that pillow arrived a few days after her husband died, and the dog had taken ill. A big load to bear – and i was a neutral place to just release her emotions. My expectations could have held me back from seeing what was really going on. I let her vent, cry and emote… and she needed to get it out. Sometimes we are meant to be there to bear others burdens in times of weakness.
Take some time for you – and do something that brings you peace and joy. Maybe it is a walk in fresh fallen snow, or maybe its a cup of tea and a good book snuggled under an afghan for the afternoon. Allow yourself little pleasures that refill your batteries.
Whatever comes of the holidays, find some joy, and make it memories you cherish.