Since 2015, I’ve done a yearly practice for New Years.
Ahead of time, I write myself a letter.
I imagine where I think my life will be, and tell myself all the things I need to hear, to remember, to value.
Then I use Boomerang for Gmail to email it to myself around New Years Day.
There’s always something deeply touching about it, and of course I’m always surprised by something relevant that I wrote.
I’ve just received a note from myself today.
Because this was such a crazy year, I only just wrote the email a few months ago, but I’d forgotten what it said, like usual.
And yet so relevant.
I hope you try a practice like this for yourself, but perhaps these words will speak to you, too.
“Dear Sofia,
The past few years have been challenging ones for sure, but I don’t think you knew just how challenging this one would be. You have lost someone really truly important to you but I hope you know that he is not completely gone.
You have so many people who love you, so many who support you. Sometimes that support looks any number of ways. You have to think outside of the box.
But most importantly you have to put yourself first. You have gone fast at times, wanting to speed ahead as you have done before but the lessons you have learned now is that this is not the answer.
Speed and doing are distractions that take you away from what is really important. There is more than one way to get ahead, and ahead of what? What really matters to you now is a soul connection. You sacrifice looking “right” and having other people validate you in order to do the things that will truly be nourishing to your soul
I’m sorry that life has been so absent of nourishing figures in your family at times. It is not fair that there is so much that you have lacked. But I know that you know that hanging on is not going to help you. You know when to emotionally express and be supported and be with the feelings, and when to take control of life and let go of the pain in your body.
You are a genius and you know that is true no matter what. I’m glad you are releasing perfectionism, I’m glad you are letting go of feeling defeated for long, I’m glad you are honoring yourself first consistently and defying the sense of should and rules as you do.
I’m proud of you. and I know it isn’t your job to make anyone proud, because you are enough as you are.
I’m always here to support you. I always am holding you. I always am loving you.
–Sofia”
