‘Measure your life in love’… year end reflections for you
Hi there,
As you’re reading this I am officially taking my annual holiday vacation, yet I set this up to go out to you before I signed off because I wanted to share my year end reflections with you.
This year has been nothing short of intense. Our world literally shape-shifted overnight with lockdowns and closures, rearrangements of schedules, and new ways of doing and meeting life in so many ways with a global pandemic.
While I wouldn’t wish the suffering this year has brought to so many people, I do feel 2020 has shone a light on the clearly outdated models, structures, and systems that don’t support our humanity, our true nature or our authentic rhythms.
This year has invited us to pause, to get still, to get real, and
to make new choices.
It’s shown us that it is not business as usual.
In addition to a global Pandemic, this year has asked us not to bury our heads in the sand from the real issue of racism in our world…. that we must acknowledge that white privilege and racism are real, and our work for anti-racism is desperately needed and necessary ongoingly.
This year has also reminded us that our healthcare and educational systems, to name a few, also desperately need a new model for sustainability to serve ALL communities.
And this year has asked us to learn how to sit in the mystery, and turn towards the understanding that life is uncertain, and the question is not about how we’re going to control that uncertainty, and rather how we’re going to meet life’s unknowns moving forward and make aligned choices.
On a personal level, I celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago, and as I’ve been in major reflection mode as I wind down on this year into the next I reflected on what this year has taught me, and what my own personal learnings have been.
While there have been many learnings and deepenings for me, there is one theme that I feel sums up the year for me, and that theme I heard in the tune of ‘Seasons of Love’ from the musical Rent (yes, often I hear wisdom through songs ;)).
I am a HUGE fan of Rent, I mean we’re talking knowing almost every word to every song in the musical.
The song that comes to mind for me as we end this year and transition into another is ‘Seasons of Love’.
Why may you ask, am I thinking about ‘seasons of love’ in a year that has brought with it so much pain and suffering for so many?
Well because in the song, there’s a line that says, 525,600 minutes, how do we measure, measure a year?
The song goes onto to say,
“Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure? Measure a year?
In daylights,
In sunsets,
In midnights,
In cups of coffee,
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in a life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love…
Seasons of love…
Seasons of love…
Its time now to sing out though
The story never ends
Let’s celebrate remember a year in a life
Of friends
Remember the love…
(Oh you gotta remember the love)…”
And so even in a year where so much has been stripped down bare, where there’s been loss and grieving for so many, where we’re seeing structures and systems crumble overnight, I feel it’s also so important to not lose sight of where the LOVE is.
Grieve yes, feel deeply yes, do not deny the feelings of rawness that may be there, AND I also invite you to still remember where there is LOVE, and that even when there seemingly is such darkness, there is also still light. That love still exists even in the darkest of moments, and when we can remember that and look at our year from that perspective we have agency, power, and inspiration.
For while I have seen manipulation, overtly abusive uses of power, and destruction this year, I have ALSO seen more people connecting. Coming together for causes and equality. I’ve seen people taking more time to connect with each other and really check in on each other.
I’ve seen generosity in new and creative ways.
I’ve experienced people getting more honest and forthcoming about what they really need, and what’s really on their heart; opening up to new spaces and expression within themselves.
And so as we wind down on this year, and we transition into the next, still riding the waves of the unknown, I invite you to take a moment to give space to reflect on the love in your life.
To sit by the fireside of your own soul, and reflect on the seasons of love, “In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in a life? How about love?”
Perhaps you can do this through some journaling and reflection time, or just taking a moment to reflect internally works great too. Put to rest what you need to, and also I invite you to remember where the love is.
I’ve been doing my own version of this, and I am very grateful for the love in my life; I get to experience this love in so many ways through the clients I get to serve, my friends, family and partner, in smiling at strangers on my beach walks, and seeing inspiring shares from so many people making a difference in the world, to name a few.
I will end this letter to you by saying, to ALL of you here, even if we’ve never met in person, or even talked, I am grateful you are here, and part of the Essence’tially You community. I feel very blessed and grateful that I get to share this soul work in the world at this time; I do not take for granted the gift of getting to serve in this way. It means the world to me that I get to share a little piece of life with you; as you’re not just another number on my list, I really value you being here.
Happiest of New Years to you, and I’ll be back with more in the new year.
With love,
