“Time and reflection change the sight little by little ‘till we come to understand.”
~Paul Cezanne
Last evening walking on the beach at sunset, I was moved by the profound beauty and the amazing way the light reflected on the clouds, ocean and sand. The remarkable sunset continued to unfold and became more and more beautiful as it progressed. I was awed by the reflection on the sand and it reminded me of how important reflection is in witnessing our own unique brilliance and beauty.
As we head toward the New Year, we have a beautiful opportunity to pause and reflect on the past year and how we expressed our light in the world. Creating nurturing practices of reflection helps us cultivate self-awareness, which is critical for living with intention. When we see the process as self-nurturing and come from a place of self-compassion, our reflection supports our continued growth and mindful choices.
Here is one nurturing practice for reflecting on the past year. Like with all nurturing practices, take a few minutes to create a beautiful space to give yourself your full attention. Pull out your favorite journal and pen, light a candle, and pour yourself your favorite drink.
Now take a moment to breathe and connect with yourself. Place your hand over your heart for a moment to remind you of your choice to be loving and kind to yourself as you answer the following questions:
- What are you most proud of about yourself from the past year?
- What was the greatest lesson you learned from 2017?
- What nurturing practice most supported you?
- What habit did not serve you that you want to transform in 2018?
- What will you need to let go of in order to cultivate more peace and joy in 2018?
- What support do you need to nurture yourself deeply in the New Year?
- What are you most grateful for about yourself?
When we take the time to reflect on how we are learning and growing, we feel more empowered, which builds more confidence and belief in our abilities. When we feel more gratitude about our lives and appreciation for ourselves, we are able to take more inspired action from a filled-up place and shine our light more brightly in the world.
The world needs each of us more than ever to live our authentic purpose, to cultivate more peace and joy, and to reflect more love and kindness in the world. Remember our attention in a powerful form of love, so be sure to give yourself the gift of your own attention through this nurturing practice of reflection. I wish you a very happy New Year!
May your coming year be filled with peace and joy and may you continue to nurture peace in the world from the inside out!
Sending you so much peace, love and gratitude,
Kelley Grimes, M.S.W.
Counselor, Author & Speaker
Sign up to receive daily reminders with our mobile app!
I think that would be a perfect way to close out the old year on New Years Eve!
Thank you so much Barb! I have enjoyed many conversations with family and friends this holiday asking these questions. I am deeply grateful for your comment and wish you a very happy New Year!
Very nice post!
Thank you so much Carol!
“The world needs each of us more than ever to live our authentic purpose, to cultivate more peace and joy, and to reflect more love and kindness in the world. Remember our attention in a powerful form of love, so be sure to give yourself the gift of your own attention through this nurturing practice of reflection.”
Kelly, I always love how you end your blogs. It’s always very positive and powerful. I do pray that more people become authentic so they know and show who they truly are. This world definitely needs more peace, joy, and kindness. We all as humans have had a hard time. Love is the answer, but I can see how tough it can be sometimes. Thanks you so much for bringing more light into this world and inspiring others to do the same. Wishing you a very happy new year as well!
Thank you so much Heather! I am very touched by your kind and loving comment and am deeply grateful that you are working to bring more love and light in the world! Sending you much peace, love and gratitude!
Pondering the line: our attention is a powerful form of love. Never thought about it quite that way. Thanks for expanding my thinking, as well as offering such great questions for self-awareness and reflection.
I love that you appreciate the insight that attention is a powerful form of love Kailean! Thank you so much for sharing your comment. I am very grateful!
Thank you for these great prompts! Happy New Year to you!
I am so happy you found the prompts helpful Tarah! Thank you so much for your comment!
Powerful questions Kelley! Thank you for the opportunity to reflect on these.
Thank you so much Ginny! I have been having such a wonderful time hearing the responses to these questions from my clients, friends and family. I am so glad you found them supportive. May you have a very happy New Year and thank you so much!