December is always associated with festivities but we can also look at the flip side of that which is a time to reflect on how we can do better in 2023.
How do we do it?
Author Myrko Thum aptly says “everything that ever happened and will ever happen can only happen in the present moment.
So, what better way to spend the next 30 days in December practising being present?
It’s one way we can live our lives with consciousness and intention as we look back on what we would have done differently and how we can do better in 2023.
Being present is an antidote to worrying about the future and ruminating about the past.
Check out the P-R-E-S-E-N-T practise to help you plan for an awesome 2023 and beyond.
Practise examining your life. Make it a habit to be sensitive to the Spirit’s presence in your life [whatever your faith is] and where it’s leading you. You can check the Ignatian examen which we condensed into a three-step practise here.
1) Gratitude – Give thanks to God for the many ways you were blessed today.
2) Ask for the Spirit to give you an awareness when you did not act so well, to recognize your mistakes with humility, and seek forgiveness and healing.
3) Pray for wisdom to do better next time and handle difficult situations wisely in the future.
You may practise your examen any time of the day like lunchtime or before you retire at night.
Rejoice for this is the only day that is guaranteed. Make the most of this opportunity. Avoid multitasking, mindless checking on your phones or surfing and keeping multiple tabs open on your browser. Focus on one thing so you can enter into a flow state.
Express your emotions and chatter in your head throughout the day by dumping them in a notepad or journal. Interrogate if it’s true, who said it and why. Then reframe it and recreate a reality that informs your beliefs.
Surrender and let go. Do not deny, wrestle, or escape. Learn to accept. Harvest the lessons learnt.
Enough. You are enough and sufficient. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ” You have everything you need. See the challenge from a place of curiosity.
Now is the time! Have you been putting off speaking, sharing your story, and expressing your voice? Get your project off the ground! And let the magic begins!
Take a mindful walk and breathe in peace and light and exhale worries and negative energy.
Repeat every day!
Sources:
Present Practise https://bit.ly/3P2ewFB
Theodore Roosevelt Quote: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are
Daily Examen - https://bit.ly/3gWHpqb
