Reflections on 2018 + Vision and goals for the NEW YEAR!

I feel like every year has is WORD.

This word summarises the feeling or vibe of the year. Perhaps the word reveals the focus or direction your life took during that period of time.

For 2017, I felt that my word was 'realising'. And I REALISE that I sound VERY Kylie Jenner at the moment but bear with me...during 2017, I had to realise who I was and what I wanted out of life, work and relationships. I had to set standards for myself and others within my life and truly come to an understanding of what I was and wasn't willing to accept.

For 2018, I felt that my word was WORK.

And I don't necessarily mean work as in my paid job, but that I needed to WORK at everything. The year before I created visions, goals and expectations. 2018 was about WORKING to make those come a reality. And when I say work, I mean HARD WORK.

Absolutely nothing in 2018 was easy.

And I know that nothing truly good ever comes without hard work, sacrifice and compromise. But when I say that nothing in 2018 was easy, what I mean is that I felt that everything I had to go through and every realm of my life last year was unnecessarily hard.

Originally, I was set to title this blog "Why my 2018 sucked" and talk about some of the battles I had to face during the year. However, I am reading the book "Light is the new black" by Rebecca Campbell, which I received as a Christmas present and a line I read from that yesterday really changed my mind and shifted the perspective that I wanted to share with the world. It read:

Check in on the intent you are putting out there as you post. Do you want to share your light, encourage the light in someone else, or is it coming from another place? (p. 199)

I realised that my previously intended message was coming from another place.

While I knew that I had learnt, grown and strengthened during the incessant trials of 2018 and I wanted to encourage my readers to persevere during hard times and try and see the experience as a learning opportunity, I knew deep down that the heart of my original message was to vent my frustrations, potentially play the victim and perhaps on the down-low attempt to throw some negative individuals under the bus...just a little!

Getting out in nature calms my soul

I really don't know what 2019 has in store for me...because as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." However, I am putting out to God and the Universe, that my word for this year is PEACE.

During 2019, I want to have a greater sense of peace in my life. I want to have a sense of peace about who I am. I want to have peace about the direction my life is going in and not try to control every single situation I encounter. I want to have more peace when it comes to work and not get flustered and stressed about inconsequential situations.

I want everything I do, say or think to be coming from a place of inner peace.

I know this is a tall order.

I know that when you ask God to give you peace, he will test you with every single situation to build that peace within your life. So...I daresay, from putting this 'peace' thing out there, I will probably encounter a number of stressful situations where my peace will be put to the test. That's usually how these things work...

But enough dwelling...

The past is done. I can't control it. I can't change it. And neither can you. Reflect on 2018, think about what you learnt and put that knowledge into action.

But also, the future is not here yet. We don't know what's in store for us. We can't predict it. We can't manufacture it.

So if there's no point thinking about the past or the future, the only thing we are left with is the present.

I went to a mindfulness workshop last year. The teacher told this ancient story about a King who went up to the hill and lived with a wise man to learn. He wanted to know; What's the most important thing to do? When is the best time to do it? Who are the most important people to see?

As with most 'wise men' the answer did not come to him when he wanted or in the way that he expected. The moral of the story was this...

The most important time is RIGHT NOW.

The most important people are THOSE YOU ARE WITH.

The most important thing to do, is THE THING YOU ARE DOING.

I pray that we all learn from that story in 2019. Be present. Give our all to one task at a time. Spend quality and meaningful time with those around us.

Carly xx

#2018 #newyear #goals #mindfulness #theyearofpeace