Which conversation from 2023 impressed you the most?
Reflect on your 2023 with these 5 tips
’Tis the season to seek comfort. Access the power of your comfort in this latest Letter of Encouragement.
Dear reader,
While summer is the season of energy, winter is a season of rest. And in between, we have fall to prepare for this transition. How do you manage to slow down the pace in your life?
Many of us find it difficult. We don’t want to slow down, or we feel that our work does not allow it. Have you already caught a cold? Or do you feel tired? That's your body, that’s nature asking you to rest.
Autumn is also a season associated with anxiety. When the winds that blow outside also rise in your head: worries, fears that keep you from the rest you so urgently need.
Ayurveda tip: cover your ears and head, and keep them warm when you go outside.
A friend of mine expressed her struggles. As the days get shorter (more darkness), she also has more dark thoughts and a sense of isolation. Longing for warmth, longing for light.
And what about digesting the news these days? Many of my friends have said that their mood is being severely affected these days by news about the war in Palestine, climate change, or the recent elections in the Netherlands.
Nature is turning inwards now too. It lets go of all the beautiful leaves and withdraws into its roots. One soothing thought I could share is to go along with it and not against it. It’s ok to feel cold. Or to feel anxious, when you know it’s all part of this season. In other words, it’s okay.
And even if our society might not like it if we choose to slow down, you yourself could choose to do with a little less action for a while. It can be unpleasant if you are not used to it. But it's very nurturing, I promise.
Create a warm place in your home. Turn on the lights, maybe candles. As you slow down your pace, you can take a moment to look back on all the things you have harvested this year. What things have you experienced? And what things have you overcome?
My invitation to you in this letter is to sit down for a moment and ask yourself what conversation from 2023 made the biggest impression on you?
Maybe there were many, maybe there were few. You might already be picturing the faces of all the people who crossed your path in the last 12 months. Please also take into consideration conversations you had with nature. What do you mean, Marleen? Well, let me hold up that mirror for you and ask: what could this mean to you? 🪞).
And what about the conversations you had with yourself this year - those inner dialogues? Promises you made to yourself, goals you might have set for yourself, or things you now know you are leaving in 2023 indefinitely.
To help you figure all this out, here are a few practical tips and tools.
Looking back on the year 2023
Mirrors can be hard. And although I like to do reflection exercises at the end of the year, I realize I’m struggling with the word “reflection” this year. This year, I just want to look back. And appreciate. Without judging, interpreting, or doing too much afterward.
I present to you a list of 5 things you can do to make “looking back” fun. With the bonus of slowing down your pace in the process. I’ll start with an affirmation and introduce you to my reflection question tool that you can use throughout the year. As you know, I like words and writing. But what about photos or music? Let’s take a look at your 2023 collections.
Practice them all or pick your favorite. You can apply them to your work goals or business growth. Maybe you want to focus on the personal growth you have experienced this year. It’s all there. I hope you enjoy them.
1. Affirmation
An affirmation is a sentence you formulate with positive words to set an intention. Many believe they have the power to change the future (change your thinking, change your life), but you need to write in the present.
How do you want this fall and winter season to be? More specifically, how do you want to feel? Do not focus on what is, focus on what could be.
I share mine below, “I am strong in my softness. I am soft in my strength.” This one came about when I started to rebrand my business earlier this year and wanted to focus on my strengths. It has great meaning for me personally, and I think that’s the point. It serves as a reminder and also as a guide when I get distracted.
How can you create an affirmation? If you do not just write down a sentence, you might have to develop some creativity or a certain mood first. I would proceed like this:
have a pen and paper ready and write “I am ..."
sit comfortably
take 3 deep breaths
close your eyes (or soften your gaze)
concentrate solely on your breathing to calm your mind
then pick up your pen and write down the word or words that first come to mind.
Too difficult? Copy one from someone else, for example, the queen of affirmations Louise Hay at Hay House.
2. Reflection Questions
Now that the time has come to let go and lighten your load… how do you choose what stays and what goes?
Find out where you want to focus on this season and from the new year onward with my free tool Reflection Questions.
3. Photography
Looking back on images is a powerful thing. The other day I was looking back at the pictures I took this year and it warmed my heart.
TIP: My friend agreed and told me she selects her favorite to create an annual photo album.
TIP: Check the “IOS memories” (“terugblikken”) video collages on your I-phone (perhaps Google Photos allows a similar experience for Andoid users too?).
4. Music
Music can be a great way to reflect or process what you’ve been through. Radio stations play the best songs this time of year and rank them. It’s a time to celebrate music and how that music makes us feel.
Some say “music was my first love and it will be my last. Music of the future and music of the past”. I just love these words by John Miles. And he goes on by saying that “in this world of trouble, my music pulls me through”.
This month I had my first experience with sound healing. This is a group session where you lie down and relax while listening to music or better still instruments such as singing bowls, gongs, and drums.
The vibrations heal the body, mind, and soul by resonating with our emotions. Blocked or unexpressed emotions can be the cause of stress or illness. I found Sound healing is a very refreshing way to “deal with that”. Nice to know there are more ways to tune in with our emotions, other than talking about them.
Check your music app, what songs have you been listening to in 2023? Maybe you feel like making a playlist for this time of year, with songs that make you feel good? Or just use mine below.
5. Word cloud
Last but not least, since it is a personal favorite of mine. Take a big piece of paper and a pen (or multiple in different colors). Write down in the middle “2023” and around it write all the words that come up when you think of your experiences in the past year.
Does this help you in any way? Be sure to let me know. I couldn’t think of another reason to write this than for you 🙏 Your thoughts would be much appreciated in a comment or reply.
I use these reflection techniques on a daily basis to help my clients reach their goals. Would you like to continue this conversation? Or start this conversation with your audience or team? Book me as a facilitator or freelance strategist. Find out more at marleen-mulder.nl
Much love,
Marleen
