You can’t look back – you just have to put the past behind you, and find something better in your future. – Jodi Picoult
Most of us usually end the year with a list of losses, disappointments and unfortunate events. Some of them (such as the death of loved ones) we will never fully overcome but we can learn how to carry on with our lives in a loving spirit, honoring the memory of our relatives and friends who have passed on.
How about that list – its length varies, for each one of us is different – of events we’d rather forget but that we continue to carry inside our minds and inside our hearts, despite our best efforts? All those little or not-so-little unsuccessful interactions with others (betrayals, disappointments, unfulfilled expectations, failed partnerships, etc.) end up transforming the way we live. However, this doesn’t have to mean that we change our hearts for the worse. Every single misfortune is a lesson. Some lessons are bitter and extremely hard to learn; yet once the storm has passed, we can find joy in the fact that we are wiser than before.
You owe it to yourself to make peace with the losses and failures of the year that comes to an end. Have a little intimate ceremony and say goodbye to those feelings of anger, sadness and regret. Do it with gratitude and with love, certain in the knowledge that every dent in your armor means that you’re one step closer to living freely and openly.
How? It is up to you. You could write key words or full accounts of each experience – and then burn the paper with some incense as you give thanks to The Universe for bringing that experience into your life because it made you learn something new. Or, you could cook a special feast of your favorite dishes and enjoy them by yourself as you meditate on the hardest moments you had to face – and overcome – this year. You could put together altars in honor of every loved one that passed away this year and sing a song or read a poem aloud. You could dig a hole in the ground of your garden and into it you could place a letter detailing the things you wish to let go of and then, on top of it, you could plant a tree – to remind you of the personal growth that comes from experience. You could have a little bonfire and dance around it, too: celebrate letting go!
How do you plan to let go this year? I would love to read your ideas! You can always reach me at docbeverly@aol.com.
