“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
I love this scripture. So often, life weighs us down and we forget that we are no longer enslaved to the world. The old is gone the new is here!
We have an opportunity to write the new pages of your journey for 2023. Take a moment to reflect on what 2022 brought to your life. Also, it is a great time to ask ourselves the most important questions I learn from my mentor, the late Myles Munroe:
1. WHO AM I? IDENTITY
2. WHERE AM I FROM? HERITAGE
3. WHY AM I HERE? PURPOSE
4. WHAT CAN I DO? POTENTIAL
5. WHERE AM I GOING? DESTINY
We may think we have these covered until we go beneath the surface and I am basing this on my experience. It is a good time to celebrate everything you did to improve your life and others and gently let go of what no longer serves you even if it is a long friendship. This will create the right space to set the vision for what you want to create this New Year!
Our daily agenda is vital to our success!
I need to go off a few people and projects but also to have more TIME (Thankfulness, Inspiration, Meditation, and Exercise) in my life. Also, I will intentionally be mindful of my 3S, Sight, Sound and Scents. The first thing we set out to do in the morning will tremendously impact our day. What is the first thing you see in the morning when you wake up? Is it your phone or computer with everyone else issues and challenges? I am guilty of sometimes turning on my phone to listen to an early morning prayer and getting distracted by a WhatsApp message. If we are mindful, messages from others or a news article can consume, causing us to start the day reactively. If it is not something inspiring, it can negatively affect us. What song are you waking up to? Is it your alarm clock, neighbours quarrelling, nature sounds, natural chirping of the birds, or inspiring music? I realised when I go to bed with the instrumental “I exalt thee” which plays through the night until in the morning, it lays a foundation for a great start to my day. I begin with a calm mindset to meditate and pray, setting an amazing foundation for a productive and effective day. It feels different in the morning waking up in the countryside than in the city. Even the air we breathe feels different but that also depends on where in the countryside.
Although my hometown Bartica is now a town, it is still considered in the country area. We hosted the Living with Intention Retreat there earlier this year and had a fantastic time. We stayed at the regional Guest House close to the beach and it was great to wake up to the sound of the waves and meditate on the beach but that did not always happen. A guy came early on two occasions and started playing loud inappropriate music from his car while he cleaned his car. On those mornings, we had to work overtime to lay the foundation of a relaxing and positive mindset.
Have you ever experienced the sound of the neighbour’s grass cutter or construction on a weekend when you intend to lay in bed a little late? Horns constantly blowing in a traffic jam can be so annoying it can trigger people to get into confrontations that can throw you a day off. Scents in our surroundings can also affect our mindsets. Have you ever walked into a spa and the aroma hit your nostril and a feeling of relaxation consumes your entire body and you begin to feel relaxed? I had a jasmine tree by my gate and sometimes, I just stood there to do my breathing exercises.
Walking through a beautiful garden and seeing and smelling the flowers can shift your mood in a positive direction. The last things we see, hear or smell at night help to craft the foundation for our mornings. We have to be mindful every day of what we expose our minds to as we plan for this exciting New Year with great possibilities that will be converted to opportunities to elevate our personal and professional lives.
What would you love to create in the next year if you had unlimited resources, where time, money, and skills were not an issue? Imagine that there was no possible way for you to fail! What will your ideal life look like?
Incorporate all aspects of your life: your health & well-being, your meaningful relationships, your growth & development, your career & professional life, and your finances. What if everything you imagined your life to be was possible?
Write down everything you could dream of doing or having that would make you happy.
Joy is an inner feeling. Happiness is an outward expression. Joy endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose.
Money & finances, career & work, health & fitness., fun & recreation, environment (home/work), community, family, friends and partner & love are the areas we need to examine and score out of 10. In some areas, you will score very high and very low in others. You are not alone so don’t beat yourself up. It is ok for us to be vulnerable while assessing ourselves. Many people try with frustration every day to find this balance but it is better to aspire to find the correct blend that works for you. I believe 6 to 8 and that being consistent is better than scoring many nines and twos. We have to deposit to withdraw so we need to put in the work for 2023 to be a greater year.
Let’s celebrate the first day of this blessed New Year and declare it to be your best year as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
