It’s a New Year! Now What?

Happy New Year! 

2022 is upon us. There were times I wondered if we would make it to this day. 2021 had moments where bursts of speed took my breath away and moments where the slog of it all just about sunk my battleship. And yet, we made it. We’re here. 

And so, what now?

What do we do now that we’ve lived through the past two utterly amazing years? The duality of this sense of “amazing” cannot be quite captured in words. Beautiful. Devastating. Shocking. Transformational. I could keep going. I suspect you know just what I mean. 

Understanding that “the beginning of magic is the acceptance of what is” (thank you Philip for this brilliant wisdom), what do we need to accept right now if we want to move forward and have a magical year? 

Maybe we need to accept that we’re tired. Or excited. Or suspicious. Or inspired. We can be all of these things and more, and all at one time. I know I am. Knowing where we are and being okay with it is certainly a good starting place. 

But what next, after that?

Here is what I know:

Sanctuary — my inner and outer spaces, my daily practice and my philosophy — have gotten me through the craziest times in my life. I can’t imagine how I would have weathered 2020 and 2021 without them. These things will sustain me through this year, no matter what it brings. So I’m starting from solid ground. This I can accept and trust and that feels good. 

Here’s what I don’t know:

What’s next. Is it delight or horror? Is it bliss or turmoil? I have no idea. And I won’t know until it gets here. I will probably experience all of those things, at one point or another. And even though I might not like it, I get to decide how to react and what to do with it. 

By creating peace in the environments around me, I know that I will inspire peace inside me. I know that my surrounding myself with tools that nurture me, cradle me, nourish me, I will be able to weather any storm, pandemic or trial that life sends my way. It’s how I got to be sitting here, in this space, writing to you on a beautiful Sunday morning. 

I feel flickerings of something I suspect is hope and wonder if you might feel it too? As I start taking down my holiday decorations today, I will fan those hopeful flickers to ignite the embers of love, connection and gratitude. We made it! 

Now what? I’d love to hear what comes up for you when you ask yourself that question and look forward to this year. I suspect it’s going to be amazing. Tell me about it in the comments below.

With love and gratitude,

Lisa