Powerful questions for catalyzing change in 2023
As the calendar year winds down, do you find yourself reflecting on the past year's events? Or do you tend to look forward to what you want to manifest and actualize in the New Year? Both these activities - looking back and forward - can serve as powerful exercises for pulling in the change you desire. As you do so, feelings of tenderness may arise. You may feel acutely those losses you experienced this year. Perhaps that's the loss of not having done what you'd hoped at the onset of 2022. Similarly, you may feel a delicious sense of ripe potential for the possibilities ahead.Because it's a time of reflection, this time of the year can be steeped in emotion. And the great thing about emotions is that they catalyze change!
"You Can't Really Know Where You Are Going Until You Know Where You Have Been” -Maya Angelou
Aligning with nature:
Nature is full of cycles. Similarly, our own lives beautifully mirror this cyclical nature over the course of a lifetime, and in smaller versions within each year and month. It’s easy to let these natural cycles pass us by as we get on with everyday life. As a feminine embodiment coach, I feel that we lose something of our essential essence when we approach life this way. That’s why I support women to connect, honor and ritualize the cycles of nature and life. This results in a more harmonious rhythm for their life.
Winter Solstice: reflection, release, rebirth
The winter solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. This event occurs in tandem with the 2 weeks leading up to the New Year. This time of year, is an invitation for us to go within and explore ourselves, reflect, and take inventory. It’s also a perfect time for planning and deciding what you’re ready to release, energetically and physically, and what seeds of intention you will want to plant for your future.
Wheel of Life:
Now is a great opportunity to visit each of the domains of your life ( not all may apply to you) to ask the flash back/flash forward questions provided below as they pertain to each area of your life.
Embodied Inquiry:
Our culture tends to view the mind and body as two separate experiences when in reality, they are interrelated and inseparable. Create a sacred space for yourself and others who you want to connect with over these questions. Tune in to your breath for 2 minutes. Let the chest become still, the belly soft. Feel the breath in the abdomen. Feel the belly rise and fall. Feel a sense of peace and calm and then ask the questions with full presence. Invite the body’s wisdom to be the guide. For example, the question, "who depletes you?" is one of my favorites. I can feel the answer viscerally in my body, from a place of embodied wisdom.
Flash Back:
Here is a list of meaningful questions to reflect on as you look back over the year. You can also bring them to a conversation with friends and family as you gather for the holidays and beyond:
How would you describe this year in 3 to 5 keywords?
What advice would you give your last-year self?
What are you the proudest of this year?
How are you different from a year ago?
How did you live by your core values?
What energized you? What drained you?
Who energized you? Who drained you?
What is the most important lesson you learned this year?
What is the best thing that happened?
What challenges did you overcome?
What new skills did you learn?
What did you do for your career growth?
What did you do for your spiritual growth?
What was your favorite moment?
How did you have fun?
What new habits did you start?
What did you learn about yourself?
How did your relationships (family, friends, work) evolve?
What was the best decision you took?
How did you fail?
What got in the way of your success?
What would you do differently if you could?
What did you do for your physical and mental health?
Who or what had the biggest impact on your life this year?
What did you let go of?
What were the most useful resources you had?
What are you thankful for this year?
What did you leave unfinished?
Flash Forward:
The questions below may support you to set intentions for the year ahead.
Who do you want to become next year?
What is your intention for next year?
What are you going to continue doing?
What do you want to change completely?
How do you intend to feel different at the end of next year?
What will you do to step out of your comfort zone?
How will you learn from your future mistakes?
What do you want to accomplish?
What will be your purpose next year?
Which existing relationships do you want to focus on and see grow?
What career opportunities do you want to create for yourself?
How will you help others?
What personal qualities do you want to strengthen?
What skills do you want to learn?
How will you take better care of yourself?
What places do you want to visit?
What will you say “no” to?
What do you want more of next year?
Who will you ask for help and support?
I'd love to hear anything that comes up for you as you think about the questions above. Wishing you all your heart desires and more - letting go of what no longer serves you and doing more of what inspires and nourishes you - as you journey ahead.