Dear Reader,
Can you believe that the year is half over already? Remember New Year’s Day, with the promise of a whole new year ahead? Little did we know what a strange, remarkable journey 2020 would be. And here we are at the six month mark, trying to get our bearings.
I believe the halfway point is one of the most exciting times of the year, and this year is no exception. The next six months are filled with potential. Between the upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic disruption, and the heightened focus on racial discrimination, health care and climate – for starters – we know that this is destined to be a year of profound transformation.
No matter what has happened for you over the past six months, the big question is: where do you go from here?
You get to choose how you will live the rest of your year.
No, that doesn’t mean that you get to choose everything that will happen for you. You may need to be a master of improvisation to navigate these uncertain times. If you missed it, I wrote back in March about how to handle uncertainty.
Nevertheless, I believe that now is the perfect time to look ahead and focus on what you want to create for the rest of the year. The trick is to look through the eyes of your soul to get the biggest, most insightful view possible.
That view will make it easier for you to work with intention, and have more control over how you are being as you move forward.
I have a little process that may help.
Present View
Start from where you are right now. How are you feeling these days? What is your body telling you? How are your emotions – which ones come up for you on a regular basis? What kinds of thoughts are most common in your mind? And do you feel connected to your deepest self?
Focus on the big picture, and pay attention to feelings of contentment or discontent, satisfaction or dissatisfaction, frustration or ease. Just be present with all that you notice, without judging and without trying to fix anything.
Past View
Now, turn your focus to how the year has unfolded for you so far. Sit quietly and notice what comes up. You may find your attention drawn to specific events. Things that came to me were my hard drive failure in January, moving into a new place the same month, experiencing coronavirus symptoms in March, and celebrating my sixtieth birthday in May.
See if you can go deeper with your focus. What emotions, feelings and states come to mind over the six months? What bigger themes jump out at you? For me, I get a state of uncertainty, and healing, calling for me to be patient. Along with a focus on self-care, I feel a slow rebirth, unfolding over months, that is not yet complete. I feel a growing sense of recommitment to what is most important to me, and the desire to make a contribution to our world.
What comes to you? Allow whatever you notice to fall into a two or three sentence narrative, as I did above. Once you are clear, write it down. And don’t worry; it doesn’t need to be perfect! This is just for now, to express what’s in your soul.
Future View
Next, it’s time to look ahead. Clearly, nobody knows for certain what will happen between now and New Year’s Eve! But you can still look. With the same relaxed attention, ask yourself a few questions. What do you want to experience over the course of the rest of this year? Where would you like to be in your life by the time the year ends? What broad themes do you want to see unfolding for yourself, and for the world?
You may not get much right away. Even a few words is fine to get you started. I suggest that you jot them down, and then sit with the questions for the next week. See what else comes to you, and keep writing, as little or as much as you would like.
Again, you are going for the big picture here.
I am still sitting with this part of the process myself. So far, I feel the rebirth and new beginnings I mentioned before expanding, and manifesting in tangible ways. Even though I don’t see all of those ways yet, the specifics aren’t my main focus for now. If you do get specifics, great!
At the end of the year, I see myself with a wider reach for my work. Words that come to me are clarity, vulnerability and ease.
I’ll see what else I get over the course of the next week, and I invite you to do the same.
Final Thoughts
With this approach, you are setting aside your rational thinking, the part of you that tries to figure it all out. You are also leaving out the limiting thoughts that might get in your way. Instead, you are simply opening to your intuition, and your soul’s voice.
This approach is intended to be fun! Who knows what you will discover? Allow yourself to be open, and curious. Really do give yourself a week, trusting that the process you have started here will be working in the background.
Write down your insights as you go.
At the end of the week, see what has come to you, and ask yourself the questions one last time.
Finally, trust that whatever you have discovered is yours to experience this year, as much as you are willing. Then commit to asking for a first step – and take it! Rinse and repeat, until you are looking back in amazement six months from now at what you experienced.
Questions? Please ask in the comments; your question may help someone else. I would also love to hear how this process goes for you, so feel free to share your experience and insights in the comments as well.
I honor your loving heart,
John
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