So there it was, the word Shine. Yep, I had picked my word for 2015. Lists had been made, reflection had been done. I had read a lot of the work of my beloved Susannah Conway and Danielle Laporte (and still recommend both of them highly!). This was goal setting turned upside down and inside out, while facing a year where I’m leaving all of my ‘securities’ behind and diving deep into the big unknown. Comfort zones to be stretched – majorly. Shine is it, shine is what I will do, damnit!
Ok, so now go and do it. Go Shine!
And then there was nothing. Nope, nothing, nada, niente….. (pls feel free to add in other language as appropriate). Total freeze. An awkward silence of nothingness.
Clearly, what had happened, and what I think happens to so many of us, we get a little crushed under the pressure of the new year. The fact is that this has always been a time of year where I feel a little overwhelmed by the sudden urge to reinvent my life and achieve A-ma-zing things and a little underwhelmed by the lack of energy to in fact go and do it.
So after a bit of deliberation I have decided that I’m postponing goal setting, for a little while at least. Or perhaps rather, I’m extending goal setting to the rest of the year. I really do believe that it’s so important for us all to take stock of where we are, and which direction that we want to go. And with direction we’re not talking ambitions of new houses, cars, promotions (but by all means go for it if you want to!) but really evaluating how we want to feel: confident, loving, generous, wealthy, nurtured? Are the things we are aiming for, are they really delivering on how we want to feel and live our lives? It should be a process that energises us, that guides us, that lights us up…. Oh yes, here it is: that makes you shine!
So we have come full circle again and I’m sticking with my 2015 word: Shine! I chose Shine because for me it embodies a sense of not needing to be anything other than myself. 2014 was a big year for me, a year where I lost faith and confidence in myself, but through the experience also finally figured out that there is no need to try and be all things to everyone, and most importantly, that the simplest and sometimes the hardest thing is to be true to myself. So my word for 2015 is SHINE: having faith & confidence in myself, knowing that it is enough, living wholeheartedly and with courage, and allowing my brightest light to shine!
And that is exactly what I wish for all of you out there as well – Happy New Year! (and yes I get to say that in early February still!)
PS: Great goal-setting inspiration that can be done at any time of year can be found here:
Susannah Conway 2015 Unravelling: http://www.susannahconway.com/2014/12/lets-make-some-magic-in-2015/
Danielle Laporte’s Desiremap: http://www.daniellelaporte.com/thedesiremap/
PPS: great video that I found online as well from Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project on how to successfully adopt new habits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBNEVXg2CNU
