By Shawn McAndrew
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
― Audre Lorde
What are you dreaming of for next year? Already have a vision in mind? Or are you willing to let the days unfold as they are wont to do?
Imagine What You Want
During the Process, we went through a few iterations of visioning for our future. We wrote out what our life would look like in the future in terms of relationships, work/career, finances, home, family, our Quadrinities, and other important aspects of life. We were told to imagine what we wanted as if it was happening right now. Instead of saying, “I want to live in a kinder, gentler world,” we wrote out, “I live in a kinder, gentler world.”
By putting a present day, in-the-moment perspective on what we are dreaming of, it feels more real. It gives weight to what we are asking for, what we are envisioning. It’s not pie in the sky; it’s creating reality right now.
Include All Aspects of Your Life
As we create this vision, this dream, of our future, we are bringing in all the aspects of our lives. Our intellect, emotional self, body, and spiritual self have a say in what we want life to be like. As we heal past patterns and pains, space opens up for love and community. We get to create a new reality, a new way of being.
During a recent conversation with a friend, I was reminded of how patterns from childhood can shape us as we become adults. Yet, if we bring different people into our lives who model healthy behaviors and actions, we can shift our perspectives and change how we show up in the world.
Change Your Life for the Better
My friend used to be very reactive to small inconveniences because that’s how his mother was. When he went to live with his grandmother, she taught him a new way to deal with challenging situations. His grandmother’s way of doing things helped to change my friend’s life for the better.
As we get ready to step into a new year, many people will look back on the last 12 months. We will try to determine how we could have done things better. How could we have been more compassionate, inclusive, loving, caring – both to ourselves and others? Reviewing our actions is good, and we have a chance to step into all of these things each day to make our and others’ lives better.
What Are You Dreaming
If you make a list of resolutions as part of your new year ritual, try putting them in present tense – “I am…” instead of “I will…”. At the end of 2022, take a look back and see if this makes a difference. Try not to dwell too much on what you didn’t accomplish; appreciate and be grateful for the things you did accomplish. And maybe you did things you hadn’t even thought of going for at the end of last year. That’s cause for a hooray!
Being in community and creating these visions is always powerful. If you would like to create with others, join a grad group or a practice group – most are still being led virtually. It’s a great opportunity to meet new grads from around the country and other parts of the world. Hoffman also has an annual visioning webclass. You can join live or listen to the recording of it. There’s also an amazing 2-day virtual program, Spirit-Guided Visioning, that is a deep dive into creating your vision for your life.
Find Appreciation & Gratitude
No matter what you choose to do – or not do – stay in the present and find appreciation and gratitude for the things you’ve accomplished. And keep dreaming!