Hi, wonderful person!

The year 2019 has been nothing short of a roller coaster for most of us - personally, socially, politically, and otherwise.

We have come out on the other end, do you notice that? I do. I notice you, I see you, I acknowledge the resilience that we have lived by, the hope that we are holding on to. ✊🏾

This is hard work. Getting through what life throws at us is hard work. And it’s been a privilege that you’ve shared parts of your journey with me in our sessions - I’m grateful and always excited to be a co-traveller with you in that journey. 🌸

Reflecting on the year that’s gone by, I was penning down a few questions that I’d like to ask myself. I thought about sharing these questions and “random year-end wonderings” with my community of curious people I meet/have met in therapy. People that are figuring out and understanding life and themselves, just like I am.

So here goes:

1. How would you describe the year 2019?

2. When did you feel most exhausted, overwhelmed or drained this year? How did you cope with it?

3. When did you feel most “in your zone” this year? How did you celebrate or appreciate yourself?

4. What’s a feeling/experience you had in this year that you want to invite more of in the next year?

5. What’s something that you’d like to do less of or tolerate less of in the coming year?

6. Is there something about yourself that you’ve been pleasantly surprised by or proud of this year? Something you may have done, said, committed to, let go of.

7. Did you lose something this year? Have you allowed yourself to grieve yet?

8. Did you do or say something this year that you’re not proud of? Have you thought about inviting forgiveness?

9. Is there a conversation or interaction with another person/animal this year that you’d like to keep close and hold on to? How did that interaction feel – what was it about?

10. Is there a reminder for yourself that you’d like to note down for the coming year? Reminders are kinder than resolutions. 🙂

A small closing note:

I had been trying to get back to reading this past year. After many attempts of leaving books half-read (I blame Netflix btw 👀) I decided to re-read a favourite book of mine from my teen years: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

I thought I’d share some words from this book that I’m keeping close with me as 2019 ends and 2020 begins. Hoping that the meaning of these words, whatever they may be, finds you too. 🙂

"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

Wishing you a gentle and kind 2020! 💛

P.S. Please don’t feel any pressure to answer these questions - either to me or with yourself. This is purely for reflection, if and when you’d like to engage with it, at any point of time - maybe later, maybe now, maybe never. Maybe few questions, maybe all, maybe none. What works for you is what goes. Always. 🌻