Since 2011, December has been a month of reflection and self-focus for me. A time to reward myself, think genuinely and put the pieces together to make sense of all the things I experienced or felt during the year. The process allows me to accept whatever truth this practice brings out in me.
This year, 2021, was a year of silence – silence on the outside only. I sat in the shadows like a sparrow after a stormy evening, wet with broken, fractured wings; however, my soul was busy searching for a cause on the inside.
The first six months were full of fast-paced, fluid decisions and attempts to fulfil my desire for salvation. In the second half of the year, as it sometimes is in life, I suddenly found myself in the middle of nowhere, a place that did not resemble my place, people or life. However, I would say that my decision to slow down was timely and wise. It allowed me to settle in a place where I could focus on the inside and breathe deeply every morning with nothing else but my soul.
A friend once told me that you have two options when you are at the edge: take the risk and fly or walk forward and let God create a bridge for you. Both options represent new, stimulating existences that I haven ever thought of. Oprah Winfrey once said, “There is a big dream waiting for you – just waiting for you – to step into it”. So I decided to close my eyes and walk forward, believing and trusting.
Now I can say I was blessed and fortunate enough to restore pieces of me by walking that narrow pathway with patience and trust. I trust that all of this is happening for a reason, and I will only come out of it stronger and wiser. In addition, knowing that nothing stays the same forever allows me to do what I can using what I have and explore how I can make a fresh start.
With that, I would like to share with you three major points I have always known that 2021 made clear:
- You only have to take care of yourself. When you give your power to someone else, you give them the right to break you. So never ever, give your power to anyone; not in the name of friendship, trust, love or anything else.
- What you put out is what you get back, so be careful. Let me be more precise: your thoughts and intentions are the most powerful weapons you have, and we all own these at no cost. So use them carefully.
- Enjoy the journey because whatever happens will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Accept the falls and move through the uncertain and unknown in a light, calm and observant way. Be content and be ready.