New Year Tip

As we begin 2019, I would like to share something with you that has really helped me lately. We’ve all seen a beautiful sunrise and a magnificent sunset. It is breathtaking, beautiful and brings about emotions of our own simplicity and the magnificence of the world around us. But there are sunsets and sunrises happening all the time, ever day in fact. Why don’t we see them? Usually because it takes a lot of effort to get up early and take the time to watch a sunrise. It might imply a little less sleep or a hike up a mountain. We are busy people. We don’t have a lot of time to stop and just watch the sun rise or set. Yet, it is so refreshing when we do.

On New Year’s, when we step from 2018 and into 2019, we are experiencing a type of sunset and sunrise moment. Many of us, as we ought to, have a great time, celebrate, and maybe make a resolution for the new year. It’s a bit more challenging to take some time, stop, think, look back on 2018, and look ahead to 2019. I would like to present a simple method for doing this that has helped me. Again, the sun will rise and set, the year will go on pretty much the same if we don’t do anything, but if we do take a little time, reflect and rejoice, we will walk into 2019 refreshed.

Here’s the simple tip. Take a piece of paper and make a little graph. The graph consists of four sections:

1.  The month of the year (2018).

2. Important events or people.

3. Feelings, emotions, thoughts, that these events brought about.

4. Lessons I learned from those events, people, feelings, emotions.         

Take a little time these days, sit down on a sofa, grab a drink, and look back on 2018 as you fill out your graph. As you go through each month, reflect on the important events or people that come to mind. Maybe you’ll have two really important events or people per month, or maybe you’ll have more. Maybe for January you met with your cousin and she really inspired you. So, under the third section, you specify what feelings, emotions, thoughts, came about as you talked to her. Maybe you were inspired by her work with refugees. She transmitted positive vibes and lately you’ve been down and hanging out with people who don’t do a lot to help other people and you felt like doing something to help refugees also. So, in section four you can write down a little lesson, like making a point of spending time with people who are doing good for those in need, that transmit positive energy. Maybe a lesson could be to go and help the refugees yourself.

This simple activity, can be so helpful. It is an aid to see the sunset and remain in awe at the experiences of 2018. It is also an aid to see the sunrise and take those lessons into 2019. Personally, it has been helping me so much. You may prefer it to be very personal and maybe done alone or in prayer. It can also be fun and there is lots of space for creativity. It could even be done in groups or shared in family, or among friends. It’s not too late, these next days are a perfect time before heading back to work and school. Have a fantastic 2019!