Saying Goodbye to the Past

It is December 31st, 2011. The last day of the year. We tend to focus on the coming year today yet before we can truly move into the New Year it's important to say goodbye to what has been. Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having thought about saying goodbye to the year I am leaving  even though so much of the work I do is about making peace with the past.

What do I need to say goodbye to so that I can start a brand new page in my life story tomorrow? Hmm...the first thing that comes to mind is doubt and worry about the future. This is nothing new for me and I do find myself working with old fearful thought patterns of doubt on a fairly regular basis. I've come a long way with it yet I am aware of how strong these patterns tend to be at times so that is first on my list of what I choose to say goodbye to in 2011.

Another belief pattern it's time to release is that of lack. Again, a very familiar theme in my life that is easy for me to fall into. It's a continuous process of shifting out the habit of seeing what's missing to that of awareness of oneness with Life. I notice that when I am too outwardly focused for extended periods of time it's easy to get caught up in worldly things and lose my sense of connectedness to the All.

I'd say those are the two main habits it is truly time for me to say goodbye to. I had no idea this was what my blog post was going to be about today so as I sit here writing this I am also pondering how this is best accomplished. The first thing that comes to mind is continuing to compassionately say no to the limiting thoughts as they show up and keep filling the space with love. It's getting easier all the time to do this and I can still get caught up in focusing too much attention on these patterns at times. I've said it so often yet cannot express enough how important it is to be aware, to say no to those ideas that aren't serving, to breathe love into those dark places and to shift the focus to the open space of wonder and connection.

I find that when I maintain my commitment to doing the process consistently I don't tend to get caught up in the old patterns so much. So I guess the new year is about consistency along with my theme of realization  for 2012.

Banff Avenue at Christmas

This feels good! I hope I've inspired you to consider what it's time for you to say goodbye to as well as we say goodbye to 2011.
Letting go is such an important part of opening up to writing that new life story of ours.

Couldn't resist adding the picture of Banff Avenue after spending 9 days there. It really is this beautiful.

Namaste and a Very Happy New Year!

Magical Christmas

It's been yet another magical Christmas for us at the Banff Springs Hotel where we serve as Santa's Elves in his workshop before Christmas then I get to preside at the Christmas Eve service here at the hotel. What an amazing place to be. This year Mother Nature blessed us with snow falling all day on Christmas day. The weather is hovering right around 0 or -1 most days and it's absolutely beyond belief beautiful.

Even at that, as we walked around downtown today I could feel a kind of sadness with all the commercialism and the way Christmas has become about something I don't really understand in terms of how we got here from the sacredness of what the season originally meant. Where has the sacredness of life gone to anyway? Hmm, not far really. It's right here when I stop and look at it from a place of love and connection. Even with all the commercialism of the season there's still something to be said about celebrating life no matter how we do it.

Here's a shot of the hotel from when we were on our walk on Christmas Day. You can't really capture it with an iphone photo but what the heck.
Namaste