New Year ~ Reflection and Intention

Civilizations across the world have been celebrating the New Year for at least four millennia. In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar and, as part of his reform, declared January 1 the first day of the year. The name January comes from Janus – the Roman god of beginnings - whose two faces allowed him to look back on the past and forward to the future. The celebration of the New Year is an opportunity to take what we’ve learned in the past year and turns it into intention for the coming year. New Year’s offers a reset. The chance to do better and live more fully. I like to make a list of intentions rather than resolutions. Intentions, to me, are important life principals I strive to practice daily. The goal of living life fully and finding true peace is a journey with no precise end point. Rather, it is a practice that we can become proficient in, if that is our intention.

Be Present – Or, find the quiet, as I describe it. My apple watch has an app on it called Breathe. Every few hours, the watch vibrates to remind me to take one full minute and breathe deeply. Most of the time, I hit the skip button. I am busy doing who-knows- what and don’t have the minute to spare. There are 1440 minutes in a day, 10,080 minutes in a week and I find it hard to stop for one and breathe. This year, I intend to take the moments to quiet my mind; listen to my soul and cultivate gratefulness. I intend to put down my phone and care less about things I cannot change. Life is a gift, and I want the full experience.

Don’t Invite Worry into your Life – If I spent as many moments with a quiet, grateful heart as I do with an anxious, worried mind, my life would be completely different. As human beings, worry and fear are cornerstones. They drive our decisions, our perspectives and hold the power to debilitate us. I intend to make a conscious effort to worry less. Worry has never solved a problem or changed results. It simply takes away our joy. And, I choose joy.
Trust, Hope and have Faith in God’s Plan - It truly is better than our plan. Jeremiah 29:11 is a
fierce reminder to me that God has an intention for each of us. Life is challenging. The older I become, the more challenge I see. God promises to protect us, to give us hope and a future. We have to remember and trust in this declaration.

Be Kind – To ourselves and others. I believe that self-compassion is a much over-looked
wellness practice. Self-criticism, reluctance to exercise full potential, shame and fear of
vulnerability limit the human spirit. We have capacity for greatness, but often are our own
worst critic. We must unlearn the behaviors that burden and replace them with a lighter way of living. When we value ourselves, we value others better. We make conscious, healthy choices.
We live more fully.
Peace, Love and Blessings for the New Year!

xo,

Shauna