Twenty three things
Twenty three things I have learnt over the past year.
I recently attended a beautiful early Thanksgiving dinner. It was a delicious meal with wonderful company, full of love and thoughtful conversation. It was a bright, hopeful evening which also included each guest saying what they were thankful for. It felt particularly poignant and reflective. Everyone was so open and graceful with their answers. It made me think about my year and how much I have grown in terms of being brave, feeling happier and healthier then I have done before and putting myself out there.
It lead me to write down twenty three things that I’ve learned and observed and felt over the past year. It’s not a tick list or something that I am measuring myself up against but a reminder of how far I have evolved and to also remind me to not be as pressured on myself as I once was.
A lot of changes have happened and these have shaped who I am today. The twenty three things also made me refocus on the current moment. If I feel like I am spiralling or losing perspective it brings me back. A lot them have come from situations where I have learnt something from them which has then carried me forward. They are also things that I have remembered as I have slowly got my power back.
No one knows what the future may hold and perhaps living in the moment (although it can sometimes be hard) is key . As trying to predict the future or ruminate in the past can sometimes lead to unhappiness or a feeling of being stuck. Each phase that we have to go through teaches us something even if it takes time for this to come to fruition. New possibilities and paths open up when we truly align with what we want.
The reason I chose to write only twenty three things was because I really wanted to focus in and put thought into what I was writing. It made me really zone into my inner most thoughts, as to be completely honest I could have written so many more. I think it also reiterated a lot of things and phrases that I have continually returned to through out the year.
The twenty three things also feel like they have brought back a feeling of wholeness and self worth, like I have pieced myself together again and things I knew but ignored before have returned. They all strongly resonate with me and I feel like I am now truly listening to myself and cutting out the noise. I can look at each number and remember what it has taught me.
Perhaps that is the lesson of this year.
23 Things
Notice when you are spiralling or when you feel frustrated or upset
Be brave
Read more
Open up
Be patient
Remember you are unique
Cry, scream, shout - get it out. Don’t hold it in
If you want to play a song and dance, do it
Remember who you are
Preserve your well being
Life is not perfect, you do not have to be
Life will unfold when it’s meant to, you can not rush it or force it to contort to a shape you think you want
Listen to your intuition and your body
Sit in the uncomfortableness
Remember your inner power
It’s ok if you don’t know what you’re doing
Don’t put your happiness solely on other peoples actions or words
Seek joy when you can
Be kind and gentle with yourself
Don’t measure yourself up to other people’s timelines or achievements
Sit and listen
Go outside
Change gracefully
Is there are particular number of the twenty three that speaks to you? Do you feel like you have grown or evolved this year? I would love to know.