looking back on this past year and feeling an abundance of gratitude for each and every experience, especially the challenging ones. we grow most from situations in life which move us away from our comfort zone, test our spirit and dig deep underneath our surface layers. life is not meant to be perfect. life is messy, flawed , human. when we dare to go beyond the surface and dig deep into the core of who we are, we find the greatest treasures of one self.

my intention for the new year to come is to be the truest expression of myself, to serve others with kindness and compassion, to be the best human i can be. to do all i can do and be ok with whatever that might be. in the end…as my teacher aadil has spoken so graciously “all you can do is all you can do.”

every year i write a list of personal intentions. perhaps this list will resonate with you…

• honor your heart – think, do, act and live in a way which honors your heart and spirit. when we are connected to our heart, we make choices in life that only bring us back to love. ask yourself, “does this thought, relationship, situation bring me back to a place of love?” if not, let it go.

• love yourself – when we truly love ourselves that love radiates out and we have the capacity to give love more abundantly while still feeling full ourselves. when we love ourselves we are more likely to care for and nourish our bodies. our bodies are the vessels in which our souls reside. healthy bodies free of suffering allow for healthy spirits.

• be compassionate towards others – we don’t always have to agree with others but we can recognize that we all have a story and in many situations we are only separated by circumstance. we are all on this path of learning and growing together. we all feel sadness, love, pain, fear…the only thing that separates us from other beings is judgement, miscommunication and misunderstanding. let go of judgement, communicate more, try to understand.

• be the  truest version of yourself you can be – we fear rejection so much in this world that we hide who we truly are, we conform to others expectations of us, we try to look, walk, talk and be like everyone else. we become puppets, performing our “acts”, waiting for approval, praise, acceptance. we become exhausted by this and in the end, all we want underneath is to be loved and accepted. live your life from your heart center, your intuition and others will see this light in you…those who see this light in you are the ones who matter…let go of all the rest.

• believe in yourself – the only thing separating you from your greatest desires in life is truly believing in yourself. when you believe, you achieve. you are capable of everything you desire in life. think of the seed in which a tree grows from. everything the tree needs to become a tree is contained within this tiny seed. when you water the seed, the tree grows and blossoms into a beautiful tree.  you are this seed. everything you need is within yourself (strength, courage, passion, love…), they are all within you, they simply need nourishment in order to grow. there is no need to seek these qualities out from others…they are there within you all along. nourish them, BELIEVE.

life is an incredible gift, each new year brings an opportunity to refresh, reset and move into the new year with clearer intentions. each new year is an opportunity to let go of whatever no longer serves us. an opportunity to clean the closet of our minds. to make room for new. when we let go of that which takes up space, that which no longer serves us, we make room for that which we desire to bring into our lives.

remember…”all you can do is all you can do” … do all you CAN do.

wishing you an abundance of love, compassion and connection in the new year!

much love, Shawnee