January 2022

 It is the first day of January 2022.  A new year, and another chance to make amends, to mastering a craft, to check off something from that bucket list.  Another year to do it right again.  Another year to give ourselves the opportunity to becoming the better version of ourselves.  Yet isn't that so much pressure when you think of it?  We create lists and then end up becoming overwhelmed when we don't get them done and then we end up in a rat race with ourselves.  I have this ritual of looking over my old journals and I realize I daydream alot -I let out a big chuckle as I read through these fantasies of where I would be during the end of 2021.  Who would have thought that we would be right where we were from 2020?  Not me.  I decided that I was not going to do any resolutions.   This was not for me.  But I was going to write and that the right prompts will come to me at the right time.     So our family did not sit around and do our intentions or our year in review or the journaling prompt of where we think we are going to be at the end of 2022.  We are simply just going to enjoy the last day of the year by being together and that the universe will send me the prompts that I am supposed to write.  So what we did instead was walk it out - we went on a long walk during the day so we could get out whatever we were feeling - each of us - in our own way.  We didn't need words yesterday because we each are dealing with some aspect of how the pandemic has affected us and continues to do so.  But what we did feel was gratitude.  Gratitude for being safe, for being covid free, for being somewhat healthy and for being together.  I like looking for signs - I always ask for the universe to show me signs - sometimes they are right in front of me, sometimes it is very difficult to see...but yesterday while walking, we came across a mural that was put together for a better tomorrow. And it was the perfect perfect way to start the new year...the mural was titled " What I wish for..."  It brought joy to me in that moment.  A mural about a better society, a mural that was filled with color, artwork depicting our dreams and wishes.  A perfect encounter on our walk- totally unexpected and I was so happy.  And a beautiful picture of just how beauty can be found in our universe.  

This morning, I was checking my inbox and was reading through the latest posts by Suleika Jaouad. https://theisolationjournals.substack.com/p/the-five-lists -yet again anohter message from the universe for me.  This was not about setting intentions but they were the five journal prompts that I was looking for.  

Journal Prompts to help get stuff that is stuck out of us so we can have more clarity.  You see there is a lot of fear about having hope - We don't know if our dreams will come through.  The amount of people that we have seen pass away tragically, suddenly this year, all this leaves us feeling a little icky - so when I read this quote by  Pema Chodron that says "ABANDON HOPE, " I loved it -it frees me of all expectation for myself and frees me of disappointment.  So these prompts were the perfect antidote to feeling hopeless - it allowed me to sit with what is real, what is ugly, what is beauty, and simply just sit with it.  No expectation nothing and that made me even more grateful.

So I share with you on this new year the five writing prompts that Suleika Jaouad presented us with and yes this time our family did sit around and we did this together.  A beautiful way to begin the new year....I wish you all peace, good health and moments of pure joy.     Happy Journaling! 

In place of resolutions, journal your way into the New Year with five lists.

1. What in the last year are you proud of?

2. What did this year leave you yearning for?

3. What’s causing you anxiety?

4. What resources, skills, and practices can you rely on in the coming year?

5. What are your wildest, most harebrained ideas and dreams?