Happy New Year! Saying Goodbye to the Past Year and My Wish for You in the Year Ahead
Another day, another coffee shop….. If only! Haha! Today is a good day though. I’m in Saskatoon to chauffeur my bestie to her knee surgery and then bring her back home. She’s in surgery and I’m in Starbucks with a hot coffee and my journal. Rough gig, right?!?!
I’ve been pondering the new year a lot and also looking lovingly at the year behind us. I’ve thought about what I'm grateful for in 2016 and about what I’d like to let go of entering 2017.
2016 was a tumultuous year for me. I finally realized my soul’s true passion and took a leap to start my own business life coaching and empowering women to be their beautiful, strong, authentic, feminine selves. I’ve started to write and blog and be vulnerable enough to share bits of myself with the world. I’ve met some amazing people, built deeper, more meaningful relationships with people I love, and I’ve let go of some relationships that dragged me down. I’ve let go of some volunteer work and committees that I loved but that were overwhelming me. I’ve made space in my life and in ME for more meaning, more quiet moments, and more of what I always crave- time to be quiet, work, and just be.
Above all, beyond all the self-doubt and fear and overwhelm that come with big change, I’ve felt more me and more grounded in me than I have EVER. I made it through six months of depression that made me unrecognizable to myself many days, and I sought counselling and coaching and medical help to climb back out of the trenches.
As the year behind us came to a close and I reflect now on what I’ve let go of and what I’m grateful for in 2016, I realize that for me the two are very much one and the same. I’m grateful for my journey over the past year- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and of where my head and my heart are at today. My days are filled with things I love and that I am passionate about. There are still days that feel like a rat race and there are still things I dread and avoid (meeting with the accountant, cleaning the basement, the dentist). But there are oh so many more days that feel like home- filled with moments of inspiration, quiet, fired up conversations with people I love, and opportunities to be present for those I care about and to appreciate how so very many people are present for me every single day.
2016 was a big year. And 2017 feels like it’s going to be even bigger.
I adore the New Year- the planning, the lists, the reflection, and most of all, the idea of a fresh start. A new beginning. Another chapter.
Today in closing, I do not have “inspired action” for you. The internets are filled with goal setting worksheets and “how to set New Years intentions” guidebooks. What I wish to leave you with today is SO much love and giant dreams for you I the year ahead- that you love and appreciate your you-ness, that you have overwhelming moments filled with wonder and joy and gratitude, that you have hope for fresh beginnings, and, to be cliché, that you believe in the beauty of your dreams.
With love and wishes for all the very best in 2017, Elsa