Embracing Ease

Letting go into the new year

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I’ve been tip toeing around a very quiet house, it’s still dark outside and the hounds are enjoying a slower pace this morning.

So here we are on the cusp on a fresh new year, how are you feeling about it all?

I feel there’s an undeniable urge to shed the burdens of yesteryears, to bid goodbye to concerns that have lingered too long on my shoulders and release the weight of any worries that I’ve carried on through the past year.

I’m ready to let go.

I want to take a gentle exhale that will allow me to step into the new year unburdened, free of the pressures of achieving, striving and competing. I’m so ready to embrace the simplicity of “just being”, walking into the new year with an ease that allows me to put one foot in front of the other without a care in the world. But maybe I feel this way at the end of every year. What about you? Do you feel like letting go of anything?

As I’ve mentioned before, as a 49’er, I’m so over making grand resolutions and setting big goals.  Today, it’s about finding comfort in slaying in my own lane, revealing in the good work that brings me joy, and pursuing my life’s mission. The recent days of “Twixmas” has certainly helped me consider how I’m going to untangle myself from the web of comparison, choosing instead to focus on the good stuff that surrounds me.

I might come across as boring, but the simple yet profound joys of having a loving family close by, the warmth of a cosy home and the ability to be able to walk and write each day - these for me form the pillars of contentment. Anything else above these simple comforts will be a welcome bonus in 2024, eagerly anticipated but not anxiously awaited.

I quite like the fact that the last day of the year is a Sunday. I love Sundays. In a wonderfully weird way, it’s proper closure to the last week and last month of another year. So as the day moves forward, my wish isn’t for an extravagant party but rather a lazy night in on the sofa with my family and the ridgebacks, I’m hoping I’ll be able to stay awake until midnight, but it’s very unlikely.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful NYE, whatever you have planned. I hope that we can all find solace in letting go, and embrace the ease of simply being.

Until the next time

Take care and stay safe xx

If you’re in the mood, why not grab your journal and take a moment to ‘pause for thought’. I hope you enjoy these ‘Sunday WORD:ship’ therapeutic journaling prompts…

1. Reflective Release - take a moment to list three experiences or moments from the past year that weighed heavy on your mind.  Describe how these experiences impacted you emotionally and then reflect on one action you can take to release their hold on you and usher in a sense of closure.

2. Welcoming Ease - picture yourself stepping into the new year.  Write a letter to your future self, highlighting three things you wish to leave behind from the previous year.  Then outline three ways you plan to embrace ease, simplicity and a sense of “just being” in the year ahead.

3. The Art of Being - reflect on the concept of “just being”.  What does it mean to you? Describe three activities or practices that make you feel grounded, calm and present.  Consider how you can incorporate these into your routine in the new year to cultivate a sense of ease and mindfulness in daily life.