Setting New Year Intentions- A process of creation

I love New Years. It’s a time to re-focus, review and reset intentions for a new time. I look at the past year, acknowledge what went well, and what didn’t, and reset my sails accordingly.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of spinning my wheels in the same rut if I don’t stop and look at intention, and where I want to turn my attention.

Intention- just as the title of my book release this year- Intentions for the Spiritually Aware Parent. Intention has been a strong theme of 2015.

 Life is a pressure pot of power and when we have a simple vision, even waking up and setting the intention to be more present in our moment, with a little focus we can reap a million fold. It’s an incredible experience to hold an intention for a moment, let it slip out to the universe and then watch it unfold before you.

I got a theme for my intention of 2016, and I’m taking it from the Queen’s Christmas message... although the quote is supposedly an Ancient Chinese proverb, but I hadn’t heard it until this Christmas day.

“It is Better to Light a Single Candle, Than Curse the Darkness.”

I come from a family of gossipers. We’re a big family of a lot of women and we get around and talk... a lot. Often the conversations growing up were about other people, or complaining about situations, or at least just observing what was in our situation. Over time I’ve learnt about intention and about how our perspective can illuminate what once could feel dark. It is sometimes only about telling a different, deeper story and shifting focus in a direction that feels better, to change the course of a conversation or a day.

Ok, curse the darkness might be a little strong... but it is actually apt. For when we observe what we don’t like and hold it in our thoughts... things get dark and all we do is make it more intense with our focus.

Therefore, I would like to invite you to create a New Year Intention this year, rather than a resolution. Rather than focusing on what is wrong and planning on changing it, consider focusing on a feeling that feels wonderful and letting it resonate and radiate through you. The more we put focus on something the more it appears. Let’s put focus on light and love.

But how do you find that pure intention? That one you really mean?

I invented a little exercise which has brought a lot of clarity for me and I hope my girls will try their own take on it.

 I call it the New Years Tree.

The tree represents the Year... and starts with a seed.

The seed is your intention. Your focus. A small intended shift that has big impact.

For instance, if you can tell in the photo, my seed is to have more self discipline (which is defined by more scheduled days and focus.)

From that seed, roots will sprout.

The Roots are the spiritual grounding effect the seed will bring when active.

For me, things like clarity, security and freedom will come from my seed of self discipline.

(Therefore, they aren’t a goal, they are a result.)

Next is the trunk... the process or path the year will take.

A path of mindfulness and awareness comes from self discipline.

And from that, the fruit.

From that route, I will grow further co-creation and interaction with my readers and clients, I will have more play with my family, more adventure, more fun. I will have more experience and expansion.

But those things don’t have to be on the list of my Intention as they are results of the intention ,or the seed, planted in the year.

It’s a playful, yet insightful exercise and one that can set a clearer intention for the new year.

 We’ve done other exercises, my daughters’ and I;

 we’ve written intentions down and thrown them in the fireplace to send them to the universe. 

We’ve done inspiration boards, visualizing what we intend. 

We’ve had lit candles, blowing out the old year and giving light to the new.

And, since I was a teen, I’ve written a year in review and the year in preview in a journal.

It’s an exciting time of re-birth and rejuvenation that I hope lights you up from the inside.

In case you are wondering, I have great plans and news coming over the coming months of 2016.

 I am honored to have you on this journey with me. If you want any help setting up your New Years Tree, don’t hesitate to contact me. We are all in this together and together...

We can light a lot of candles.

Happy New Year everyone.

Shine on!