Lamisha Serf-Walls

End of Year Tradition: Letter to Future-Self

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Last year I was reading through various inspirational blogs and found several that discussed different new year traditions.  One tradition was mentioned on not one, but two blogs and I was intrigued enough to try it out.  The concept was presented first on Jess Lively’s blog and then again on the When I Grow Up Coach blog and after reading both, I couldn’t contain my excitement and decided to try it out.

The basic concept is to write a letter to your future self describing and reflecting on the coming year as if it has already happened.  When I completed my letter for the first time at the beginning of this year, I was so excited to start.  I had many visions of what I wanted to accomplish and I included everything from the writing opportunities I wanted to obtain, to the way I wanted to decorate my house.  After I had written the letter, I tucked it away only to be read twice in the coming year.  Once about 6 months out and then again at the end of the year.  I (not so) patiently waited for all of my dreams to come true.  Unfortunately they didn’t come true in the way I thought they would.

Some of the items did materialize for 2012, but looking back on it, I realize my focus was very rigid.  I wanted very specific things to happen and when they didn’t, I found myself very frustrated and I wondered if the whole “future letter” was a waste of time.  Now that we have reached the end of 2012 and I am contemplating writing the letter again, I have decided that I will indeed write it again, but I suspect that it will have a bit of a different feel to it.

Instead of setting mostly rigid expectations for the year ahead, I am going to be a bit more balanced in my approach.  And considering my theme for the year ahead is to “be open” to whatever may come, I believe I will not only be able to handle whatever comes my way, but I also hope that many more dreams in my letter will come to fruition.

So, during the first week of 2013, I will once again sit down to write a letter to myself describing 2013 as if it was coming to an end.  I look forward to getting my thoughts on paper and dreaming big for the year ahead, but if all of my dreams don’t come to pass, then I know I will be open to whatever comes in it’s place.

If you were going to write a letter to yourself what would you include in your reflection of 2013?

Gratitude: Stillness and Peace

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This week was a pretty relaxing week to say the least. After a wonderful holiday with family and only a 2 day work week I am beginning to get used to this overall peaceful state of being and have set the intention to continue with peaceful living into the new year.

With that said this week I am grateful for moments of stillness and peace. I am currently reading a book called The Power of Peace In You by Marlise Karlin and have been inspired to not only incorporate more meditation in my (hopefully daily) life, but more moments of stillness too. I am realizing that these moments don’t have to be long moments and I don’t necessarily have to meditate for an hour a day, but I can benefit from a few deep breaths and stepping back from the hustle and bustle of life. But beyond that I am much happier and live a more peaceful and intentional life when I step back even just a little bit each day.

While I would love to get onto the habit of meditating before I begin each day, I know that may not always be feasible and as I flow with life, sometimes the current may take me away if only momentarily from my practice, and that is ok. But for right now I am grateful for the peace of mind and stillness I am carrying into the new year with hopes of continuing my practice even through challenging times.

What will you carry with you into the new year?

End of Year Tradition: Letting Go of Stuff

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With the year coming to a close I have begun thinking about end of year traditions that I want to create and stick to in the coming years.  Things that will not only allow me to reflect on the year that is ending, but also make plans and preparations for the year ahead.  One thing I have decided to do is to purposefully let go of some physical “stuff” that is just taking up space in my home and incidentally in my life.

I actually got the idea from Jess Lively as she practices letting go of up to 100 items that she doesn’t absolutely love or use in her day-to-day life.  While my practice may not equate to exactly 100 items, I do plan on getting rid of clothes, books, and other items that I have moved from place to place with no real “home” for them.  I thought this would be a good idea since I will likely be bringing more “things’ into my space with holiday gifts etc.

But this intentional practice is more than just making room for other “things”.

For me it is about letting go of the clutter in my physical space and in turn my mental space.  I have some pretty lofty goals for the coming year and I will need both the physical space and mental space to be able to effectively achieve them (even if I don’t complete them all).  I have found that letting go of “things” generally helps me breathe easier, both figuratively and literally.  I feel good when I am able to let go of “things” and can see the clear space that is the result and the endless possibilities that space leaves for me.  My hope is that each year I will have less and less to get let go of because my space will be filled with intentional items that not only make me feel good, but add to my life on a daily basis.

Do you have any end of year traditions that you practice?  I would love to hear about some of them.