Hi, everyone.

It’s been a while since I have written and one of my thoughts for the closing of this year is to find the time to write more, to write of different things, to share and hopefully pass on to all of you some new ways of being and some skills that have been useful to me and may be useful to you.
Because 2009 is closing I wondered if this might be useful to you, it’s a useful process for me so I guess my future is already beginning, I’m writing and suggesting and sharing…. ask yourself the questions above, to get some awareness and insights for yourself… go ahead and give yourself some reflection time before the new year begins…

I’m in India right now, in New Delhi sat in my son’s sitting room. It’s a quiet room and by that I mean its clear of clutter, his furniture is minimal and the colours are pale and calm.  He moved here with his girlfriend last August and they are creating their home together, so for Christmas they gave each other pictures and a mirror.  It reminded me of creating my first home and how empowering it is each time I have a change in my own home, move things around, give things away, buy new possessions. In a similar way the clutter clearing we do in our own heads and hearts has the same affect, by clearing our old thoughts and sifting through what worked and what doesn’t it makes way for the new and what we want…
Maybe you could spend 5 or 10 minutes doing each of the following steps

•    What have you accomplished this year, think about all the memorable things that have happened and everything you are grateful for.  Spend a few moments writing down all the things you have achieved. Writing things down and actually reading them back is far more powerful than just thinking them, it makes them real, bring them into reality.
In my sessions with people they often say, ‘Oh I haven’t achieved or done anything’, and when I challenge them a smile appears and they say  ‘yes you are right, I have done this and this and this’, no matter how small it is, record it, feel good about it… it could be even noticing the responses from others, getting up earlier, cleaning your teeth before bed, painting your toe nails, putting in the effort to have made that call when you were tired knowing it would mean so much to the other person, putting someone else first when you know it will make a difference to their life, putting yourself first which might be a new experience.  There will be many milestones that you have achieved in 2009, get going with that pen and paper and be surprised

•    Now think of the things that happened or you experienced or you actually did and decide if there were ones that you don’t want again, what would be best left behind?  This is a great time to de clutter and that can include: unhelpful habits, behaviours that hurt you and others, limiting beliefs and people you no longer wish to spend time with.   You could even close your eyes in this piece and  ‘on the inside’ have a wander around your house, inside and outside, and see the areas that you would like to change and the things you want to discard or clean up. Again write all this down, make a list of the things that you want to leave behind.  It doesn’t mean they all have to be done now, but it’s useful to know and refer back to

•   Now, what do you want in your future?  It’s yours to choose, what do you want in your life that’s not already there?  What would you really like to experience and enjoy?  What would really enhance your life?  What do you want more of?  If your life is exactly as you want it to be what would you see, are you on your own or are there others with you?  Are there new skills that you would like to learn?
Dream and allow your imagination to run wild, really feel what it would be like to achieve these things, be there…then… cut pictures out of magazines and make a collage, draw pictures, get some felt tips, mind map, make notes… get it down somehow, capture those dreams and be amazed as they manifest in your life…  If you just don’t know, and that is possible, then ask yourself this question “If a miracle happened while you were sleeping, and when you woke up tomorrow, the things in your life that you want the most had happened, how would you know there had been a miracle?  A great question isn’t it? …. So what would you see when you woke up, and how would that feel and would you hear anything that would let you know a miracle had taken place? Then capture all of that…. for some of you this may be very emotional to actually allow yourself to have what you really want, maybe for the very first time…
If we don’t have a map of where we are going how do we get there, well the truth is we don’t… so give your conscious and unconscious mind some stuff to really get its teeth into and draw those things to you that you really want.

•    Now when you have done all of this there is one more, well a couple of things to do.  Firstly, forgive yourself for all the things you wish you hadn’t done, or did do that you felt were inappropriate, be kind to you, let these things go and learn from the experience, find the silver lining and pearl in the oyster
And now the fun bit, read through your accomplishments and really feel how great this is for you, I don’t know how you will imagine this, it could be a silver thread running through those words on the page, it could be a shaft of light illuminating those brilliant words and sentences, or you may hear a piece of music and have feelings in parts of your body that make you smile
Now think of a time when you were really determined and strong… think of a specific time in the past, be there now and look at the things, behaviours and people you want to let go of, and notice what happens, you may even be able to put a date on some of those things.. exactly when you want that to happen, just feel those feelings that you associate with making things happen for yourself…notice how good it is to let go of the things that no longer nurture you, hold your attention or allow you to feel good… wow that’s great isn’t it??
Now look at your future that you are entering now.. those dreams that are already beginning, those pictures, words, images that you have put into your future and imagine that they are already here now, you are living them… feel the energy, the excitement,  the pull of Your Life, the one you are creating now, one step at a time… when you imagine and dream you attract what you want, you create what you want, after all you are the creator of your own life, are you not?  I’m not talking here about wishing for this future, I’m asking you to step into it and experience it…

I remember reading a story about a man who at the age of 19 sat and dreamed of how his life would be in his future, he saw where he would live, the detail, what he would do on the way, the experiences he would have, the kind of people he wanted to meet and his work etc etc.  he wrote it all down put it in an envelope and mailed it back to his old address and asked his mum to keep the envelope and not to open it… years later when his Mum had died he was clearing through her belongings and found the envelope.  He was 50 years old when he opened that envelope and to his amazement he had accomplished almost all of his dreams that he had written down all those years before… it was possible for him and its possible for you too… so instead of  living in the past, which is what it is your past that and move into your present and open it and realize that every step of your present is creating your future, live with an awareness that each and every moment gives you either a smile or a frown and as a close friend said to me this morning smile until your happy… go create the life that makes you happy.  2010, is going to be a special year for all of us.

A very Happy New Year to all of you from me in India, Namaste….

Sorry this is a little late,  for some reason I couldnt publish on New Years Eve and so here we are the 4th January and I am now in Bhutan and getting ready for another adventure… my thoughts from last year are already turning into reality and I hope that your will be too.  Happy reflecting, thinking and creating…