Hands up, who is ready for this shit show to be over?
I think we are all pretty fed up of the external situation and circumstances in the world. Many of us hoped that 2021 would be different to 2020, but really, it’s just been like 2020 2.0. Although we cannot control our external circumstances, we CAN control the way that we respond to them.
Through this blog post, my intention is to help you process this year in a healthy and authentic way for you.
When reflecting on my own journey, for me, on a personal level, the past two years have been truly astounding. Full of emotional turmoil, tears and pain, but astounding nonetheless.
Now, when I say this, I don’t mean that these two years have been easy. By absolutely no means!
In reality, I have been through some of the most difficult things that life has to offer; relocating (twice), having surgery, leaving a toxic work environment and starting my own business full time (not to mention the ongoing global pandemic too)… but I wouldn’t change a single thing about any of it.
That is because all of these things over the past two years have cracked me open. It made me re-evaluate life, re-assess what was really important to me, and left me feeling worse for a long time. Questioning myself, doubting my abilities, lacking clarity or motivation. Wondering, what is the point anyway?
I’ve done all the inner, spiritual work that I was “supposed” to do, so why am I still suffering?
Yet, like a phoenix, I rise from the ashes.
Down in the ashes of everything that had burned down around me, is where I found myself again.
In the depths of anguish, hurt, sorrow, is where I rediscovered that spark inside of me.
Where I had been cracked open like a piñata, by repeated hit after hit after hit (thanks for that btw Universe…), I knew that there had to be a reason for it. This was trying to teach or show me something that I needed to work on and the healing that needed to take place, for me to get where I am today.
Whenever I feel this way, I always commit to diving deep into my own spiritual and personal development practices – because I know that is where the answers lie. Journaling, meditating, self-hypnosis, affirmations, visualisations, gratitude lists – you name it.
One morning, as I was journaling my thoughts away, I had this message dropped into my consciousness. I know when it’s a message or intuitive guidance because it sounds different to my own inner voice, almost as if I know it’s coming from another consciousness… But that’s another post altogether.
“Well if we didn’t make you overcome these lessons first, how would you be able to help others to do the same?”
Wow… so this is going to be a life-long thing then, huh?
I was very suddenly and gracefully reminded of my purpose. How could I have forgotten it in the first place?! It all made so much sense again. Here I am now, confident and grounded in my inner peace, bringing you this message.
So why am I telling you all of this?
Well, it’s because the end of year brings lots of reflection for most of us. We want to set resolutions and make the New Year different from the last. Everyone is full of guilt for “letting go” over the festive period, eager to lose weight, quit smoking or drinking alcohol. Oh yeah, sure, we’ll really make it count this time, we promise… Does this sound familiar to you?
Don’t get me wrong, these are all brilliant goals to have, if that feels right for you!
But how can you change things for the new year, if you haven’t fully reflected on this year first?
How will you know what you want to feel more of, or what you want to release? How will you recognise what tripped you up last time, and what will stop you from repeating the pattern again?
In this blog post, I am sharing my own end of year reflection journal practice with you.
Journaling is one of my favourite things to do all year round, but particularly at this time, for the following three reasons:
1. First, I like to reflect and acknowledge all of the things that occurred throughout year, and any emotions that I feel towards it.
2. Secondly, I allow myself to make peace with it, so that I can feel closure, and avoid bringing any unresolved emotions into the New Year.
3. Thirdly, this gives me clarity on what I do want, so that I can set new goals, moving boldly forward with an action plan for the things I’m going to achieve!
With all that said, and before you go steaming ahead into setting goals and intentions for the new year (have no fear, I will also be sharing another blog post on that too!), let’s take a moment to sit back and reflect.
Grab your blanket, a cosy hot drink, your trusty notebook and pen.
Now, take a big deep breath. Relax your shoulders, let them fall away from your ears. Drop your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Allow your jaw to loosen. Roll your head and shoulder blades around for a few moments.
Do you feel the tension that you’ve been carrying in your physical body? Let’s shift it.
It’s time to say thank you to 2021 for all that it has brought us, the good, the bad and the ugly, before we release it and welcome in 2022.
Here are your journal prompts:
How do I feel about 2021, on the whole?
When you think about the year of 2021 in general, what is the first thought that pops into your head? Observe any feelings that come up as you ask yourself this question, with no judgement involved. Try to sum it up briefly in words. Life really is a rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows, so we’ll take some time reflecting on those next.
What were the low points of this year for me? How did I handle them?
Unfortunately, in life, shit happens. Many of us have been met with constant uncertainty (ironic, I know) throughout the past two years. You may have experienced a relationship ending, faced financial difficulties, lost a loved one, changed your career, moved home, coped with an illness or injury – the list is endless. Or even if you haven’t experienced any of these major life events specifically, you are still allowed to feel low. That is perfectly natural. When you think about these low points, why do you think you felt this way? How do you think you handled them? Do you feel as though you coped well, or is that something that you can improve on?
What lessons have the low points taught me? How can I grow from them?
I believe that with healing, we can learn and grow from every single experience that we go through, no matter how unpleasant or unbearable it might have been. It doesn’t diminish that experience in any way, but it allows us to move on from it, and use it to our strength, rather than as a crutch.
Try to see the lessons that can be extracted from the low points – what has it taught you? How can you grow from it, so that you can do things differently in the future?
What were the high points of this year for me?
Now we have spent time reflecting on the things that we may not have relished so much, we can move on to remembering the good times. What were the high points of 2021 for you? Think about what you have enjoyed most this year, whether it be big or small, it doesn’t matter! Recreate all the details of those joyous moments in your mind. Why did you enjoy them? What does that mean to you?
What am I grateful to 2021 for?
Even if there was absolutely nothing that you enjoyed about 2021 and you really can’t wait for it to be over, try to think of something that you can be grateful to this year for. It may be that you are simply grateful for it coming to an end, and that is okay too! Perhaps you are grateful for making it to the end of the year – coming out on the other side of what felt so impossible to navigate. I’m so proud of you for that.
An example from my own personal reflection is that I am grateful to this year for all of the growth that I have experienced. Without all of these things happening in my life, I wouldn’t have been pushed to my limits and forced to grow into the person that I am now.
BONUS PROMPT: Write a letter to yourself from a year ago, the 2020 version of you.
What would you tell them about 2021? What advice would you give them for the year ahead? What have you learned about yourself in this year?
Writing letters to past/future versions of myself is one of my favourite ways to journal.
It acts as a beautiful little time capsule, which authentically captures my life at the time, and is a wonderful thing to look back on in years to come.
We are constantly evolving, changing and moving with the seasons.
Regardless of how you view your experiences this year, you certainly will have different perspectives and knowledge to offer yourself. Writing to yourself will help you to see that!
I hope that these journal prompts have helped you to reflect on 2021, that this helps you to find peace and closure moving into 2022. Please remember that healing is an ongoing journey, and sometimes we need a little help on our way to finding that peace or closure. You don’t have to do it all alone. If you want to find out how I can help you directly, you can contact me to book in a free 30 minute consultation call and see how we can do just that.
Subscribe to my mailing list to stay tuned for part 2 of my End of Year blog posts, which will be all about setting goals for the New Year and getting clear on what you really want, becoming the best version of you in 2022!
Love and Light,
Amelia x
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