I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied,
‘Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!’
~M.L.Harkins
As we say goodbye to 2018, let us give thanks to the priceless lessons we have learnt. Some may have been good, some great, and others perhaps not so much – challenging even, and not so wonderful. Some taught us by our closest family, some by our dear friends, and others by our circumstances; some life changing, and others rich and experiential. Nonetheless many were thrown our way when we least expected them. Inevitably many of these lessons have made us wiser and encouraged us to rise and show up in a better light in this world.
It is true, that every relationship and every event comes into our life to help us grow. We yearn for acceptance and simplicity but struggle to find it. We ache for love – the genuine kind – but are often challenged. Or having found it we cannot seem to sustain it.
Sitting quietly on this weekend before the New Year, surrounded by so much beauty as I watch the sun set over the large expanse of water at Lake Arrowhead, with soft music in the background, I am able to clear my mind as one by one I go through events that have transpired, and the burning questions that still elude me. Reflecting on the year that has gone by, and as I review, evaluate and appreciate everything and every person that has crossed my path, I am able to be at peace and give closure.
I know now, even though I have looked for reasons and clear answers to the most complex events and challenges, that there are no right answers. This exercise was just to give me an idea of what my soul has ‘insperienced’ and what it has yet to ‘experience’. Perhaps it is no longer important to know the reasons for all that has happened, and how and why those you love most behave the way they do. The mud-slinging, the blame, the shame…none of those matter any longer. Nothing I can think of, or do, or agonize over, is going to change them.
I remind myself again and again that we see the world and the people in our lives, not as they are, but as we are.
This helps bring me the focus and the clarity I have craved for. The past is the past. Nothing matters now but to move forward and take care of my needs.
By reconciling my past and changing my present, my future will take care of itself. I will live one day at a time, focus on being the best I can daily and give it my all, and without fail tomorrow will be as I envision it to be. Taking charge of my life I can now ask myself the following questions as I wrap up this year:
*What things of value have I learnt?
*What have my relationships taught me?
*What have been my biggest mistakes, and what have I learnt from them to enable me to move forward without repeating them again?
*What do I need to let go of?
*Is there anyone I need to forgive, including myself?
*What have been my most inspiring moments of 2018 and what have they taught me?
*What fears have I faced head on in 2018 and what have I learnt from those fears?
In looking towards the New Year, these are the questions I ask myself:
*What will make me feel most alive and give me the most joy and happiness?
*What would I love to attract to my life in this coming year and how can I go about achieving that?
*What are my goals and aims for 2019 and what do I need to do to achieve these?
*What do I need to say ‘no’ to, and what would I like to say ‘yes’ to this year?
*How can I transform my fears into hope and excitement in this New Year?
*How can I create a positive mindset to steer me to achieve all of the above?
*What direction and path of work and relationships in the coming year would contribute to my happiness?
Closing my eyes now and visualizing the kind of world I would like to see, one that would allow me to experience utmost joy, I go inside and feel my every dream and every goal as having already been achieved, and I thank the Divine for Guidance and blessings as He leads me moment to moment, with every breath that I take. I affirm to myself now with these phrases:
I Am Enough.
I Am more than enough.
Everything is always working out for me for the highest good of all concerned.
All is well in my world.
I am meant to shine.
I matter.
I can do it!
And so, goodbye 2018. You have been good to me and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As I welcome 2019 I am committed to meeting myself in a new light, and pledge to do the following:
*I will watch the sunset every night with gratitude for a day well lived.
*I will live from a place of ‘curiosity’ rather than trying to ‘control’ each outcome.
*I will value myself, and my needs, as long as they are authentic and bring me peace
*I will look at each task as a spectacular opportunity to create my most amazing life.
*I will come from a place of generosity, and never from a place of scarcity in my dealings with everyone in my life, including myself.
*Even if the people in my life throw rocks at me, I will persevere to do what is right, and trust that the truth always wins.
*I will continue to do good without expecting anything in return.
*I will work on my happiness.
*I will not pay any attention to naysayers and just keep on keeping on. I will stay in the game.
*In all things that I do, and in dealing with all people, I will come from a place of love, and never from a place of fear.
*I will be good to my body, treat it as the temple of the holy God, which it is. I will exercise and nourish it daily.
*I will continue to persevere on the tasks assigned me by the Divine in doing the special things that have made me special, and push even more passionately to be better than the best.
*I will continue to innovate and never to be complacent in the illusion of safety.
*At all times I will give so much love to myself that I can overflow and share it with others.
*I will remind myself at all times and through all challenges that the Universe is a friendly place and has my back.
*I will maintain my gratitude journal as it allows me to relive the beauty of my life every single day.
*I will continue to practice meditation each morning upon waking so that I may be guided to be the best that I can each single day.
*I will detox all clutter from my mind, my surroundings and in my relationships.
*I will develop positive habits so that the quality of my life improves.
*I will allow my mind to focus on strengths and accomplishments, rather than weaknesses and setbacks.
*I will focus on building important friendships, and make every effort to cultivate them into lasting and loving ones.
*I will surround myself with people who only see the good and the potential in me.
*I will be brave enough to recognize and ease out of toxic relationships that are holding me back from my authentic self.
*I will simplify my life and focus only on the things that I love, that matter, and that give me value.
*I will practice self-love and at all times be compassionate and kind to myself.
*I will celebrate my victories and keep them in the forefront as uplifting reminders of a life worth living, that I deserve success as much as anyone else.
*I will be mindful to express gratitude to the people in my life and offer them optimism and generosity of spirit.
Perhaps I sound very ambitious in writing this post and sharing my goals. The intention is there and all I can do is pray that God will be my Guide and help me achieve what my heart yearns for.
“I can’t pretend to be a Lion;
able to conquer the enemy.
To master myself would be enough. ~ Rumi
In closing I would like to say how fortunate I feel to have you in my life. I have immense gratitude for you, for this permission to write, to share, to open my heart about the deeper hunger I feel, the poem, the dance, the abundance that I feel, to belong, to forgive, to be free…
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
© Rani St. Pucchi, 2018
Rani St. Pucchi is an award-winning couture Bridal Fashion Designer, a Style & Image Consultant, and a Relationship Expert. She is a Bestselling Author, a Speaker, an Inspirational Coach and a Trainer. Her recent TEDx talk:Is Your Body Image Holding You Back has received worldwide acclaim. Rani’s #1 International Bestselling Books:Your Body, Your Style: Simple Tips on Dressing to Flatter Your Body Type; The SoulMate Checklist: Keys to Finding Your Perfect Partner; Your Bridal Style: Everything You Need to Know to Design the Wedding of Your Dreams; and her newly released Gold in the Cracks: Move from Shattered to Whole and Reveal Your Light – are available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles.
For more information on Rani please visit ranistpucchi.com