As the new year's momentum builds, I wanted to share three idea opportunities that I hope will be of assistance to you in this coming year.
Take A Moment
We all want to ride the wave of the new year; however, statistically, many of us drop out of our goals so quickly after the year starts. Could this be because they were good ideas but not suitable for us at this time? Maybe we didn't properly investigate what it would take to execute our new tasks and how that would fit into all that we already have going on in our lives. Or maybe we didn't form our ideas from a grounded place, making aligning with them almost impossible.
Listen, the year was long, and the holiday was fun, but it was a lot and hectic. Be kind to yourself and offer yourself a sit-down. Some rest. It is an opportunity to catch yourself and be in your own mind and your own space without a demand being placed on it. Didn't you say you were tired? Take a few days or even months to ground yourself, and turn inside with prayer and inquiry to determine where you are and what your soul needs moving forward.
A new start is a new start, no matter the start date. Don't be rushed and pushed by the throng of it all. Give yourself permission to start again or over when the timing is most fitting for you and your community and only after you have looked within.
It's a different way of looking at the start of the new year, but what a gift to give to yourself!
Create A Focus
Something that continues to work for me better than resolutions is crafting a personal mantra.
Mantra is a Sanskrit word borrowed into English that means an often repeated word, formula, or phrase, often a truism. I craft this concept with the scriptures that tell me that "as a person thinks in their heart, so are they" Proverbs 23:7 and others like them that affirm my humanity, autonomy, and ability to co-create with the Well of Living Water.
By creating a mantra, I have brief phrases that help me be mindful and consistent in my intentions, connect to Spirit, and procure new downloads to supply my efforts. I have even found that speaking them frequently and meditating on them in prayer provides clarity over time. Best of all, they can be adjusted as I become more intimate with them, expand on them, and move through them.
Crafting mantras provide me with a focus in a busy world that insists on trying to pull me in multiple directions.
If you want to learn more about mantras or participate in our "Personal Mantra Workshop," please find more information and the workshop sign-up here.
Self-Care
As a community, The Faith Studio will be reading this devotional as our Winter Read to help us calibrate for what's ahead. At the end of our read, Dr. Walker-Barnes will join us in the Studio to share with us about Sacred Self-Care, note your observations, and answer any questions you may have regarding the book and practice.
The Winter Read begins Jan. 4th, which is fast approaching. We would love for you to read in community with us. I hope you accept our invitation by signing up here, which includes the community read, links to the book, and finally, with Dr. Walker-Barnes.
Well, that's it. I hope we have added some usefulness to you with our "New Year, New Ideas" quick list. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
We look forward to seeing you in the Studio this year.
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