What I Learned About Myself

Winter is the season when animals hibernate, plants and trees go dormant, and days get shorter and colder. It is also a natural time for us to take ourselves in, so to speak, to review our past year and prepare for the year to come.
Both reflection and preparation have many components, but key areas regarding our lives - both internal and external - include:
• to what did I/do I want to commit my time and energy
• what did I/do I want to learn about myself and the world
• what challenges did I/do I plan to face, manage or overcome
Looking at ourselves through a dual past/future lens is a gift we can give ourselves...depending on our focus.
As we reflect on our past year, it is not uncommon for us to discount our growth and accomplishments in favor of focusing on who we didn't become, what we didn't accomplish, and/or where we just plain missed the mark. Unfortunately there are immediate and future consequences to this lopsided way of thinking -- if we stay there.
I am not suggesting that we wear rose colored glasses in order to gloss over or omit seeing and addressing mistakes we made or goals we failed to accomplish. Nor am I saying that we should focus solely on what did work or what goals we did reach, pretending that there were no bumps along the way.
Acknowledging both 'successful' and 'negative' experiences, and our moods, physical messages and responses, and language attendant to each provides us invaluable information