Mid-December and Christmas is in the air – the wonderful welcoming decorations, the excitement, the sharing, the get-togethers coming up. Granted, there is also the stress of finishing work, organizing the parties, finding the gifts etc.
And, around the corner is the New Year! Yeah! 2016. A New Year, New Possibilities, New Dreams, New Hopes, New, New…
We are all too eager to look ahead. To look at what is next; to what we still want to achieve; to drafting our new (even longer) to-do lists. When we look back at 2015 our thoughts will go to the things we have done and very easily drift to the ‘yes, but’ scenario’s – I started to look for a new job, but I am still stuck in the same job; I wanted to join a choir, but did not sign up.
Do these “I could have done more” type thoughts sound familiar? They do to me.
Recently, I was in this thinking mode when I stopped and pondered that although my to-do list is still long and I have big dreams for 2016, I ALSO have a long ‘Done-List’ for 2015. How about looking at this?
I would like to invite you to think about 2015 and really reflect on what you have done, achieved, learned, and received.
Take the time to give serious thought to what you have realized this past year and draw up your Done-list. You will see you have done a lot. Remember that often, before a big step is taken in life, a number of significant smaller steps are required. Because they are sometimes so small, they are often overlooked and underestimated. There is always much more than you think.
There is more, however. Besides the Done-list, there is the ‘Be-ing’ list. Society praises those who do, who achieve, who are ‘Do-ing’. We tend to focus on that when we look at ourselves but there is much more to life. The Do-ing, should be linked to the Be-ing.
Do-ing should be an expression of who you are, your strengths, your values, what you are longing for and how you want to create your life. That is who you are Be-ing. So together with your achievements, also think about and ask – who are you being to make all this happen; what are you feeling; how are you feeling; what has your inner journey been this year; what have you grown aware off; what have you learned about yourself; what are your failures and your successes; what drives you.
Year by year, month by month, day by day, we learn about ourselves, we grow a little, like a tree growing stronger every day, growing roots while reaching out to the sky. Branches are visible to others – they are like the achievements, the done things. The strong roots are our being and feeling. Cut a branch, another one will grow. Touch the roots and that is another story. Nourishing those roots, our needs for being and feeling, is essential.
Before even thinking of starting to celebrate the New Year, think of whom you have been be-ing in 2015! And celebrate that!
After all, we are Human Be-ings!
Happy celebrations!
