A Fresh Look at a New Year


I went for a New Year’s walk first thing this morning. I got on my coat, boots, hat and mittens and headed out the door with the intention to see things with fresh eyes.

After all, this was the first morning of the first day of a new year.

Tiny snowflakes were gently falling and there was a fresh dusting of snow on the sidewalk. Chick-a-dees were calling and a squirrel peered down at me from the low branch on a tree. There were sweet remnants of the holiday season here and there and a man on the street wished me “Happy New Year”.

At first glance, it might seem that there was nothing too remarkable except with my intention of seeing with fresh eyes, everything I saw was brought into living colour. I felt new too.

What a simple and satisfying practice to welcome in the new year.

I want to share this post I wrote a few years ago, slightly edited, called “Whispering In the New Year”. When I read it this morning, I felt inspired to take a sip of my tea and welcome in the warmth of friendship and love. I peeled an orange and welcomed the unexpected sweetness that arises when you linger in a moment.

Happy New Year!

With Love,
Jovanna

It’s 2016! It’s a whole new year.

I love new beginnings. Each new year, new week, new day and new moment is infused with potential. There is so much that is unknown and yet you have the power to set the tone that follows.

The practice of personal ceremony is a lovely way to consciously create. Personal ceremony can be as simple as making a wish while blowing on the seeds of a dandelion. The beauty of personal ceremony is that it’s all about YOU. It uses symbols and actions that are authentic to YOU to create moments that have great meaning for YOU.

Today on the first day of this new year, you might be tired from the excitement of the holidays. You might need some rest and some nourishment. A day like today is a perfect day for a practice I call ‘whispering’ a ceremony. Whispering a ceremony is very simple and yet it is a powerful way to make it known to yourself and to the universe that you are awake and aware and willing to consciously create your life. Whispering a personal ceremony takes just a few minutes and yet it can bring a remarkable shift to the quality of a moment and the quality of your life.

Are you curious? Are you ready to try it? Begin by standing up right now as you are reading this and say out loud “I stand up in my life in new and wonderful ways. I believe in myself”. Take a deep breath in and out. Feel the shift that enters your body. Then say it again. “I stand up in my life in new and wonderful ways. I believe in myself”. Take another breath in and out.

You’ve just ‘whispered’ a personal ceremony! It’s that easy!

You can create your own ‘whispers’ that have special meaning for you. I will offer you a few suggestions to get you started. Try one or two as you move through your day and use your imagination to create your very own.

Open your front door and take in a deep breath. Then as you breath out say, “I am here, I am present, I am open to all that I have to give and all that life has to offer”.

As you go for a walk today at some point take notice of your steps and say, “ I am walking on my path. I know the way of my own truth”.

Look up at the sky and say, “I know that the possibilities for my life are limitless”.

Light a candle and say “ I light this candle to illuminate the infinite potential for myself in the coming year.”

When I ‘whisper’ a ceremony I don’t usually plan it. I like to see what comes to me in the moment. I light a candle and wait to see what words come to my mind and what feelings enter my heart. Sometimes a pause is necessary before anything arises. In this way, personal ceremony can be an invitation for your intuition to come to life. Your intuition is waiting just below the surface of your awareness. It is waiting for the invitation to come to your consciousness to support you in making choices in your life.

Personal ceremony is so easy when you ‘whisper’ it into life. It can be deeply moving and so much fun!

I’m wishing you a beautiful year of life ahead, one that you create through your intention and support with conscious action.

I’d love to hear of your experiences of ‘whispering’. Email me at …or comment on Creating Space at…

This entry was posted in ceremony, life's simple pleasures, new beginnings, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

    You will also receive a complimentary subscription to my ezine Creating Space with practical tips and inspirational perspectives. I respect your privacy and will never ever share your contact information.