Hi,

Welcome to 2023!

I don’t know about you, but I still feel like I’m landing softly and intentionally into this new year. 

At first when I woke up on the 1st I felt like I should jolt out of bed and get going on everything, and be perfect with everything to start the year off strong.

Then I realized I’m really grateful for the patience and time I’m giving everything to settle in right now. I went to a yoga workshop and the hot springs instead of the gym, I’ve spent a lot of time meditating and said no to each social opportunity that arose. Really checking in with myself and being intentional along the way.

I think that’s really what people mean when they talk about resolutions. It’s resolving to be even more intentional and have a clean slate to possibly re-prioritize as well. 

Personally, I’m letting go of a lot, moving through new ways of being and lovingly holding space for myself in ways that would’ve felt counter-intuitive in the past. 

I like to remind myself I’m always on my journey and I’m not just sprinting to some finish line where I’m somehow perfect at the end. Healing, growth and clarity can take time. We are all imperfect and yet divinely perfect. 

My guess is you give others in your life a lot more grace and time than you may give yourself to grow. 

I realized I sometimes try to push a moment to happen. A moment of clarity or of growth or to be able to let go of something with ease. But that moment finally clicks because of who I gave myself permission to be leading up to that point.

You get to create a space that allows for a new level of self-awareness, accountability and that reveals something greater for you. 

I like when I hear Dr. John Demartini say anything we aren’t willing to self-govern we have to accept being governed by externally. 

Today, I’d like to offer a few journal prompts and questions I’m exploring.

I invite you to just free-write. 

*You can set a timer or just give yourself maybe 5 minutes with each question. I encourage you to take enough time and just keep your pen moving the best you can and see what comes out. 

*You also may want to take a break in between each question for a few minutes of breath before moving on. 

1. What am I complete with? 

What’s no longer serving me about my old patterns or ways of protecting myself. Diving deep into what those are and have been through my chakra meditations and intentional time. 

2. Am I ready to let these go? 

If so, then how? What am I replacing them with? 

3. If not, how am I ready to shift them in a way that’s more current to who I am today? 

It’s ok for some of them to be a process of growth.

4. Who am I? 

5. Where do I tend to default to when things aren’t going my way? 

Do I struggle? Isolate? Get angry? Feel like a victim and lose choice? Set harsh boundaries? Feel lost? Feel stuck? Focus on what I have to do more than love to do? What happens when you get scared, and are you aware of it on a deeper level? 

This was counter-intuitive for me for many years. As a “positive” and optimistic person it was hard for me to see a lot of my deeper patterns. 

Once I started to do more somatic work and I gave myself permission to be with my emotions, fears, doubts and thoughts in a new way, I found progress and manifestation easier than ever. 

The difference was it came as I was ready. When I was congruent, aware and truly in affinity with what I was creating. 

6. What do you want to add even more of to yourself this year?

For example, for me initially I thought it was consistency with my work. But really, while I would love this, it’s being willing to be patient and consistent with my practice so that I move at a sustainable pace that allows time for something larger to still come together. 

It’s nurturing that little bit of extra quiet time with myself and then taking it a step further this year which is to not be busy and booked right after I take the time. I started this in a new way around thanksgiving and I can already see a big shift so I’m continuing and checking in how to deepen this each day. 

7. Any new rituals, anything about your schedule, prioritizing, clearing out that you want to make note of or would like to accomplish? If so, by when? 

This can be anything. 

For me, my closet came up so I have someone coming over tomorrow. I also am going back to planning my workouts every Sunday for the week and meal prepping. It also leaves room for flexibility, if needed, when you have a clear intention. 

I wanted to start my day with hot yoga at 6:30 this morning but my dog was sick and up most of the night and he needed a walk at 6:15. Yesterday I put a plan B class at 5:30 in my schedule just in case that didn’t work out or I needed the extra sleep. 

We don’t have to let go of something completely, we can just reorganize. 

I hope these prompts are as useful for you as they have been for me. 

Wishing you a wonderful start to 2023. 

And, most importantly I hope you tune-into yourself. What works for you? And release any external pressure and invalidating internal pressure so you can see and hear even more deeply. 

I look forward to building our community even more this year and being even more present with opportunities for us to connect and grow together. 

Best,

Laurin