A New Year’s Ritual
This is a tremendously powerful time of year — a time when the universe is moving all of us in an exciting and positive direction, a time when everyone, whether they know it or not, is looking to complete the past and move into a new future. 2018 offers all of us a new beginning!
I’m excited to share with you Debbie Ford’s 2008 New Year’s Ritual (with a few updates) to support you in opening up to a new future. This ritual is a great opportunity to powerfully end this year, igniting new possibilities in your inner and outer worlds, so I invite you to set aside some time to read her message and do the exercise she outlines.
I am wishing you a healthy, happy, inspired new year. I hope you’ll join me for The 21-Day Integrity Challenge to kick off the new year. (You can read more about that below the ritual.) I look forward to continuing to support you in 2018.
A New Year’s Ritual
by Debbie Ford
This morning in my meditation, I thought about all the people I love, of course all of you — and this was the message that came to me to deliver to you. I hope it nourishes you as much as it did me.
Every New Year’s Eve, we make resolutions that this year will finally be different. We vow that this is the year we will land that new job, get in great shape, find the man of our dreams, or quit smoking. We spend our days thinking, talking, and dreaming about what our lives could be like ‘if only …’. We follow a new diet, we start exercise routines – we begin working on our lifelong goals and then we give up, get too busy, and forget about what’s truly important to us. Another year passes by and our dreams remain out of reach.
From leading thousands of people through the transformational process, I can assure you of this. Although people think they’re chasing a goal that may or may not happen, the truth is they are chasing the feelingthey think they’ll have when their dreams come true. Really breathe that in. What you are craving is not the outside goodie — the new career, the fit body, the loving family — but the feeling that you think you’ll experience when you get it.
The great news is that you don’t have to wait to feel that feeling. You can feel that way right now. Every feeling that exists – all these levels of consciousness, frequencies, and vibrations – exist inside of us right now. Our job is just to activate them. When you feel the feelings you most desire, you’re more likely to achieve the goals and dreams you have for your life.
Here is a ritual to support you in discovering that the life you’ve always wanted is right in front of you, well within your grasp. Take some time to journal and answer these questions.
- What is one feeling you most want to explore or align with this coming year? What feeling would be worth giving up old patterns, behaviors, opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and judgments? To help pick your feeling, I recommend you find a “feelings list” online to prompt yourself. Or you can think of a goal you’ve wanted to achieve and then ask yourself “How would I feel if I achieved that goal?” Even if it seems challenging, for the purposes of this ritual, make sure to pick just ONE feeling you MOST want to feel in 2018. Write it down.
- Reflect on how this feeling would push you to take risks and step into your next highest expression. How would you act differently if you were living a life grounded in that feeling? What would be different in your world? Write it out in great detail.
- Let yourself see how your alignment with this feeling could serve the greater whole. How would it help those around you? What would you be able to do if you felt this feeling? Make some notes.
- Call forth three images that evoke this feeling, images you can revisit to ensure that you’re living on that frequency this year. For example, if you want peace, you might see an image of a still lake, a person in meditation, or people holding hands. Allow yourself to see three images that will anchor you in the feeling you most desire.
- Identify what this feeling would smell like. What smell would you most associate with what you’ve chosen? (Hint: You might want to pick your favorite smell since I’m going to ask you to get it and smell it every day!)
- Select a color that most reminds you of this feeling. What color would best evoke the feeling you’ve chosen?
- Find a phrase — an expression, a line in a prayer, a part of a poem, or something you write yourself. For peace, for example, it could be “Be still and know that I am G-d.”
- Pick two synonyms for the feeling. For peace, for example, you might pick “serenity” and “contentment.”
- Choose a song that matches the feeling you want. Go through your music library or put your word into the iTunes store. Find yourself a theme song for the year.
- See two behaviors that you can do every week this year that would bring forth the feeling inside of you. For peace, it might be going for a walk in a park near your home, going to pray in a spot that you like, or reading part of a book.
- Find a beautiful piece of paper or notebook. In your best handwriting (or most beautiful font on your computer), write out all these details — the images, the smell, the color, the phrase, the synonyms, the song, and the behaviors. Make copies of your list and put them around the house so you will be reminded.
- Finally, at least for the next 21 days straight and ideally each and every day of the new year, spend a minimum of two minutes at the beginning of the day and before you go to bed holding that piece of paper, reviewing your list, listening to the song, smelling the smell, repeating the phrase. Bring yourself into the presence of the frequency. Feel the vibration. Bask in that feeling. Close your eyes and ask the powers that be to support you in bringing forth the highest expression of the state of being you have chosen.
I promise that when you live your life this way, you won’t have to worry about your resolutions or your goals. You’ll get everything that your heart desires.
As you start a new year, know that I am wishing you a fantastic year. May all your dreams come true.
Have You Joined The 21-Day Integrity Challenge Yet?
One simple action can change everything. In The 21-Day Integrity Challenge starting on Wednesday January 10th, you will enter into a conversation where each day you will be invited to a look at an aspect of your life to determine if there is anything that needs to be re-examined, released, replaced, resolved, or reignited.
Each day you’ll receive an email in your inbox with your challenge for the day. You will be invited to engage in different inquiries, actions, and practices to cultivate integrity. You’ll also have access to a private Facebook group where you can share your progress and support your fellow members with ideas and inspiration.
Don’t miss this day-by-day, step-by-step guide that will aid you in shedding and cleaning up the ways you have been out of integrity so you will feel empowered, worthy, and ready to own that you are whole and complete and to live in alignment with your deepest truths and grandest desires.
Join The 21-Day Integrity Challenge
