And just like that, we are nearing the end of 2020.  Didn’t that year feel like it flew by!  To me, it felt fast and slow at the same time.

I want to start off by acknowledging the difficult year it’s been.

Of course, a lot happens in our individual lives on a daily basis.

But the unique thing about this year is that we’ve all been in it together.

We’ve all been affected by many of the same things. Felt the same pain and heartache from the Australian bushfires. Felt the same passion (wherever you sit with this) from the Black Lives Matter movement. Felt the same stress and anxiety from covid-19.

We’ve all faced a new world due to changes in rules, travel restrictions, work restrictions, even leaving home restrictions.

Mental health has been also brought into the spotlight in a big way this year, which is not surprising.

After all, there’s been isolation, inability to see friends or family (even unwell family), loss of work for many, and new lifestyles to adjust to.

And we’ve also been forced to slow down.

When we are busy, we don’t have to think. We can keep ourselves distracted with work and daily life tasks like home duties or school pickups. We can focus on the doing which is often easier than sitting with our thoughts/feelings.

Yes, this has been a difficult year.

And it’s also been an incredible year.

We’ve seen the compassion of humans as they have banded together.
The generosity of people opening their hearts and wallets to those who have needed it.
The innovative ways that people have started working.
The flexibility of workplaces to their employees.
The shifts in individuals as they learn more about themselves.

The end of a year is always a good time to reflect. What have you learned? About yourself? Life? Your thoughts, patterns, and self-talk?

I’ve historically been a bit (okay, a lot) of a control freak. I hated surprises, I always wanted to plan ahead, I didn’t trust anyone or anything, and I wanted things to be a certain way.

This year I’ve learned so much about letting go. Faith. Trust. Surrender. Love.

Is it hard to trust and have faith? Of course!!

But it’s harder to hold on and fight.
To be defensive and on guard all the time.
To not feel love.
To stress and worry about the future instead of letting it unfold with trust.

With 2021 around the corner, we now have an opportunity to do things more mindfully (or consciously).

The way we eat, work, and relate to others.
The way we speak to ourselves and those around us.
The thoughts we have about ourselves, life, and other people.
Our relationships.
Our values.
The way we respond (or react).
What’s important to us.
Who we really are and what we really want out of life.
Where we spend our money.
How we treat the planet.
How we care for animals.

Going forward, we could be the observer of our thoughts rather than being consumed by them.

We could take a more heart-based approach to life (instead of head-based).

When we live mindfully/consciously, we can see beyond ourselves and our own problems. We can have compassion for others because our own cup is full. We can be generous because we have gratitude for the blessings of our own lives.

After all, we are in this together. We live on the same rock in an ever-expanding Universe.

I recently came across this video by Carl Sagan which really helped me put things into perspective…

This leads to my invitation.

To get clear on what really matters to you and where you want to focus your energy. To continue with your personal self-discovery and healing. To come home to yourself and let your light flow out into the world.

I’ll finish by saying thank you so much for your support this year and I wish you a happy, healthy, heart-led end of 2020 and entry into 2021!