Life Lessons Based on a Year in Focus (The Value of Looking Back)

If you asked me while I was at the end of it, 2017 seemed a tough year to me.  I think it's because when you are in a yucky space, that's the focus.  But, I think these last few months of difficulty were necessary for me to realize the importance of that space, so I can get back to the living that is best for me, the living that made the scales weigh in heavy favor for 2017. Let me make sense of this for myself and for my reader by listing a couple of realizations and the solutions for each.

Realization #1.  Meditation, while clearly instrumental in my becoming my best self, has made me realize that I have a constant "worse self." Two examples of my "worse self" are the the self that looks negatively at my own self image, and the self that recognizes I have judgmental thoughts about others.  Solution #1:  While I recognize that negative thoughts are part of the human existence, I can choose to get back to focusing on positive attributes of myself and others.  Having focused on my and others weaknesses made weaknesses stronger.  On the other hand, focusing on strengths, will make strengths stronger.  When I'm doing this, and I am doing this again, I feel at my best in every way including in my relationships, creatively, spiritually and physically. It's good to be back!

Realization #2.  When someone close to you is either taking care of themselves or isn't taking care of themselves, it might mean that you may feel you've been put on a back burner.  Either way, it's their journey, not yours.  Solution #2:  It's an important time to join the celebration if others are taking care of themselves, and if not, to really work on your own self.  (This fits with my belief that if we put God* first and ourselves second, everything else, including fulfilling our life's purpose in relation to others, falls into place.) 

Realization #3.  My life's purpose is beautifully small.  I have this amazing space of impacting those around me in small and meaningful ways.  Solution#3.  Stay in this space, because it makes for moments of joy, knowing that my little bits of beautifully small make a difference. 
------------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.
-----------------------------------------
Reflective questions:
1.  When you consider the whole of last year, what feelings come up?

2.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, "God, what do you want me to know?")

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling which is simply journaling what's on your heart and mind and then asking God* what else you should know (read more at CardinalTouch.net).