As the old year flows into the new, I focus my thoughts on what has been and what will be for me. It's a great time for reflection and thinking about my purpose on this planet, which is shifting underneath me these days like the rumbling of the aftershocks that follow an earthquake.
My life changed irrevocably this year, and it's my fault: I asked for it, and boy, did I get it. I called it in, saying that I wanted to "live my truth with a capital T" -- I just didn't know at the time what that would entail.
But I'm not really the point; this type of ground-shaking can (and does) happen to all of us. Some time, at some point in your life, something big will change. A vitally important thing will shift; whether it's the loss of your dearest loved one or winning the lotto, you cannot prepare yourself for that fathomless unknown. Instead, take comfort in knowing that we are all on a spirit journey and that this is your very own personal path to growth.
Once that shift occurs, whatever the change, the question is: NOW WHAT? On a journey, especially one of the spirit, it's a continuum. So the first thing to do is to step carefully -- maybe what has happened is temporary, big but transient. Is the ground still firm under your feet? Can you come back from what's taken place? If you determine that you can go back, do you still want to? Presuming that you don't wish to return to where you were before, will it affect just one area of your life or all of it? Sometimes it's overwhelming -- you can't think straight or see more than five seconds into the future; you're terrified, drowning.
During this process (which for me took a matter of moments to occur and months to work through) look for lucid moments on your spirit journey and trust that they will come. Change your habits. Maybe you need to meditate, or journal... or scream.
Eventually, it will all settle down. You won't ever be the same, but that awareness will subside as you experience, and maybe even embrace, the new version of you. Give yourself room and whenever you can, be grateful. This is your spirit journey, not anyone else's. This is what you came here for. Growing can be painful, but it beats staying stagnant.
The new year is a great time to look back, acknowledge and release who you were, and welcome in the person you are becoming. I am blessed to have these changes in my own life, and as I release my fear, I can fully inhabit this new version of me. Don't miss out, don't go back to sleep. This is your opportunity.