Thanksgiving is arriving quickly, and with that the final days of the decade are upon us. Although I encourage everyone to reside in gratitude all the time, the annual gratitude ritual that is Thanksgiving brings an opportunity to begin bringing this decade to a powerful close.
With a New Year and decade quickly approaching, I know how easy it is to ambitiously dive into setting resolutions, intentions and new goals. Many of you (and me) are already thinking about next year and what you would like to accomplish. Tapping into the power of your imagination and mapping new visions and goals well in advance is critical to turning dreams and intentions into reality. However, many of you will sacrifice being fully present to this decade's completion as you do this.
However, it is imperative that in consciousness and presence you end this decade with the decade's ending in mind before jumping into new action plans for 2011. What I mean by this is that you fully acknowledge its completion. This will support you in clearing the past and any regrets you may be harboring, which will help to empower your new visions.
I am offering three tips to help you remain conscious and present, and powerfully complete 2010.
1) Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to begin to gradually end the year in consciousness by bringing to mind all that you have to be grateful for. One of the ways that I do this is by completing a gratitude list for the past year, although, this year, I will complete one for the past 10 years. (Note: I also keep a daily list of at least five things for which I have to be grateful.) Consider that there are things for which you can be grateful in both adversity and joy. More often than not there are great lessons that only come through our adverse experiences. One example is the recent experience I went through of a friend completing suicide. Through the profound sadness and mourning the loss of this incredible, divine being having a human experience, I received a great lesson in loving. At this friend's memorial, as I looked into the loving eyes of others present, I truly had an experience of knowing that love is the same no matter whose eyes I am looking into. The wisdom I received was that if love is the same regardless of whose eyes I am gazing into, then that love is the same love that resides in the friend who passed and therefore is always with us! I am grateful for this lesson.
2) Accomplishments
Before the New Year arrives I encourage you to take the time to make a list of all your accomplishments in the past decade. When you have made the list, acknowledge yourself. Take a few moments to congratulate yourself and really honor yourself for your accomplishments. I know I could easily end the year bummed out thinking I hadn't accomplished enough. However, whenever I consciously engage in this exercise I always discover that I have not given myself enough credit for all that I did accomplish.
3) Letting Go and Calling Forth
Acknowledge those things that you intend to let go of and therefore leave in this decade. In addition, bring to mind the things that you intend to call forth in your life in the New Year. I suggest writing them down and creating separate lists. When you are complete with the lists and have read them, I encourage you to burn your "letting go" list. For instance, perhaps one of the qualities you want to leave in the past year is procrastination. As you let go of procrastination, perhaps you are choosing to call forth the qualities of joy and inspiration. Some of the things you may want to let go of also include relationships and agreements that are no longer working for you.
These three simple exercises are a powerful way to begin completing the decade in full awareness, and they are precursors to downloading your vision for the next one.. They will support you in experiencing gratitude for the gifts and lessons that come from both adverse and joyful circumstances. In addition, this kind of completion will allow you to enter the next decade with velocity and clarity about what you intend to create for yourself and your loved ones!
***
Learn more about Jason's career and life coaching at www.jmannino.com and sign up for free newsletter and e-books.
Follow Jason Mannino on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jasonmannino.