This has been such a deep year. Hasn’t it? In the world – wars, elections, natural disasters! In the cosmos – eclipses, solar flares and more. And in our lives – births, deaths, marriages, divorces.

In these times of social media and instant news it can be hard to remember that these massive shifts are only temporary. They are blips on the screen of your life. Our grandparents had more time to between world events entering their consciousness. They had space to mourn losses and celebrate victories, while you and I are a product of our times – needing to process our deep emotional shifts in what seems like a moment’s notice.

I remember when the internet was first “invented” (Thanks Al Gore :)). The ability to access the world-wide-web was a privilege for only a few of the senior folks at my then-office. In fact, I can recall a time when a colleague was fired for using the internet at work! (can you even imagine?!)

So when our days are merging one into another and all of our celebrations, defeats and worries are posted for the world to see (or at least our 800 friends on Facebook) it’s hard to slow down and focus on the meaning of life.  Which is why there is such a deep-seated need coming from within to answer the question of “what am I here for?”  The speed of life is causing an internal resistance to the rapid pace and forcing us to seek our own meaning, without the influence of followers and likes.

As the year closes, moving into darkness and the envelope of winter we have the capacity to reconnect with our own meaning and the legacy we want to make in the world. What’s the point of living if not an opportunity to love and to make things a bit better than how we found it?

During the season of peace, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect and reframe – to create a montage of what’s come before today and to map out a practical strategy for the year to come. This is not so much about New Year’s Resolutions as it is about coming to terms with your big WHY for the coming year.

Take time today to reflect and focus on these questions:

• What happened to me in 2013 and what did I create?
• What do I truly want to create in the physical world in 2014 and beyond?
• What do I want to leave in my wake in the years to come?
• How will I be remembered in my family and my community when the time comes to leave this plane?
• Is there anything left undone/unsaid that cause me distress? What am I willing to do to change that situation in the year ahead?
• If money were no object, what things would I be doing, and who would I be doing them with?

You get the gist, of course. The point of this exercise is not to place blame, on yourself or others for things left undone. It’s about setting your sights on your bigger mission in the world. The one you’ve been sitting on and shoving into a corner, either because you’re waiting for a better time or because to name it out loud seems ridiculously daunting.

Take some time in the shorter days to shine your light into the corners and cobwebs of dreams shoved aside, of bridges not crossed and emotional baggage shoved, haphazardly into the closets and barricaded behind the detritus of everyday tasks and shoulds.

From what I know, we each get one turn on this Earth ride in this body and there’s a reason we are here, right now. The gift we’ve been given in our human form is the ability to exercise our free will, and in the process to the lighten the load we feel we must carry.

What if it were easier?

That question is so full of suspense and can literally stop my clients in their tracks. Brilliant, accomplished, creative men and women stammer and sputter when confronted with the possibility of ease.

When did the idea of complication take over your life? At what point did you stop believing in ease and grace and buy into the race to complete tasks and win at all costs.  What have you won in the process?

While you don’t know what is going to happen in the coming 12 months, you can choose whether it happens with grace and ease or with struggle and discontent. Some surprises are certain to pop up and how you handle them is a testament to your decisions now, in the moment, about how you want to live your life.

Find the time to turn off the noise for 15 minutes a day between now and the new year. Use that space to hear yourself breathe and lean into your heart. Set your intention for the legacy you’ll leave and welcome the opportunities that come your way.

Peace.

~ Written by: Peggie Arvidson