Mindful Celebration

2020 is almost over! Many of us looked at this year with such promise; we all had high hopes for “2020 vision” coming from this unique year. Boy, were we surprised and even frightened by what actually showed up! And perhaps, just perhaps, if we look through a special lens, we can see that we gained 2020 vision from an unexpected source.

Did you get new awareness about what is really important to you?
Did you find new ways and new opportunities to connect with people?
Did you take on a new challenge or two (like Zoom!) or stretch your comfort zone?
What new thing did you learn about yourself, your loved ones, or the world around you?

Despite all the challenges, sadness, conflict, and strife caused by COVID and the conflict in the country, I would like to propose that we mindfully and consciously celebrate the ways we have not only survived but thrived in 2020. We’ve gained new appreciation for things we used to take for granted.

If you put on a “positive thoughts only” lens, what comes to mind when you read these questions?
What energized you this year?
What would you consider a big win, a medium win, and even a few little wins?
Where are you gaining momentum? What direction are you heading?

I use these questions to take note of what I want to celebrate. It’s like looking at a range of mountains and noticing only the well-lit peaks. Acknowledging and celebrating what is working well inspires me to repeat or build on those things. Allow me to share a little…

My big business win, besides relaunching my newsletter, was taking a few really great training programs; Coach Mentor Certification and Positive Intelligence. I chose them so that I could serve my clients in all new ways but I think I have benefited from them in both personal and professional ways that I didn’t expect. The Positive Intelligence course allows me to offer my clients a fantastic new process to build their mental fitness – finding positive ways to reframe and overcome challenges. Little did I know I would go through such huge losses this fall, and I used the tools of mental fitness to help me stay inspired, motivated, and passionate about my life and my work. I’ll be offering my own course to the public in January.

A personal big win was the beautiful patio that my husband and I built. We spent many hours planning, measuring, digging, and laying stone and pavers. We’ve never done a physical-labor project together from start to finish and it proved to be a successful partnership. (like our 40-year marriage!)

Smaller wins included saving money on gas, focusing on my writing again, getting a little more organized, and becoming a bit of a Zoom expert.

When I think of what energized me, I have to mention that I worked on Election Day as a Poll worker for the very first time and was “thanked for my service” by many people. I thoroughly enjoyed the 15-hour day and met wonderful people (and only one challenger) in the process. After months of seeing so few people in person, it was an extroverted person’s dream day!

I’ve shared with you some of my list of wins and energizers – now it’s your turn.

Take out a journal, a notebook, or a fresh document in your computer and start celebrating your wins, your energizers, the new things you learned, and the ways your life is building momentum. What do you have new appreciation for? What do you want to do more of? This is the first step in creating a plan for 2021.

Watch for the second half of this article in a few weeks. You’ll get to consciously release what didn’t serve you and calmly and mindfully invite into your life what is meaningful and treasured. I might just include a video of me demonstrating this exercise!! (Can we say S-T-R-E-T-C-H?)