A Time to Reflect

It's the end of January. Your bills have no doubt arrived from holiday gifts and travel. Your resolutions might have gone by the wayside at this point. The weather is dreary and there may not seem to be much on the horizon to look forward too.

But the fact is, we are still at the beginning of a new year, a new decade in fact. And not only is a new year beginning, but an old year is ending as well, this one the end of a decade that offered many changes, challenges, and triumphs. There are the changes that happened to us as a nation to consider, and then there are the personal challenges we each have faced at some point or another during the past year and/or decade. Some of us may be feeling fairly encouraged and ready to continue taking on the new year, while others of us may feel warn and weary, worried about what the rest of this year could add to the already stressful challenges. And then there are those of us who are in the middle.

No matter where you are on the spectrum, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the past year.
Where were you a year ago?
What have you overcome?
What challenges did you face?
How have you grown?
What have you accomplished that you didn’t think possible?

Some of these questions may be easier to answer than others. I encourage you to take some time over the next few days to just pause and reflect.

Once you have reflected, take time to consider the future.
What do you hope for this year?
What do you fear?
How do you want to grow in the next 11 months?
How will you achieve those goals?

These are great items to talk about with family and friends, to journal or blog about, to express through art or poetry or music. Whichever way you express yourself, I encourage you to embrace this opportunity to reflect and give yourself credit for this past year, as well as to look to what's to come.