As the holiday season winds up, I can feel myself speeding up to match my external world. While this is fun for a while, I have learned there is an impact and it’s usually something I have to then clear up or clean up.
To nip this in the bud gently and meaningfully, I make it a point to pause and consider my values (lightness, courage, love, spirit, commitment, courage are some … ) to help me determine why I’m making the decisions I’m making ~ what’s important and fulfilling to me, regardless of what the external world is doing.
This reminder of what I want my life to look and feel like, the values I would like to embody in my work and play, is such a quick and easy way for me to find my inner pause.
When I consider my values and ask myself whether I am being loving to myself and others, or finding the courage to say no to things and people that don’t serve me, or holding my way of being in the world with a lightness versus a neediness, I can feel myself begin to slow down and come back to me. To an inner calm and peace and resonance where I can enjoy the season on my terms and there is nothing to clean up. I can feel myself breathe again.
So I invite you to find a quiet moment with yourself ( yes of course with eggnog … ), slow yourself down and think of the good moments of 2023 ~ the ones that made you smile or laugh out loud ~ and notice what felt so good about them.
These moments offer you a window into your values and what makes you, not just happy, but deeply fulfilled. Hold these values up as your easy guide for decision making when you are feeling a tad scrambled and out of control.
In these last days of 2023, remember your values as an inner space of nourishment for yourself. It’s a good place from which to consider what you want for yourself and those you love in the coming year.
As Danille Laporte says, ‘stillness is actually the power move.’
Sending gratitude for who you are and wishing you a sweet holiday season filled with love and laughter.
May the coming year be filled with all that you wish for.
All that you value.
