Adieu, 2021 – Positive Reflection Of The Week
Adieu, 2021: My Two Books For The End Of 2021
Just like you, I also took this last week of 2021 to reflect on my year and decide what I want for myself in 2022. Since I was off work, I had the chance to catch up on some reading. I came across two very deep and soul-touching books, that had a great impact on me, and below I am going to share how.
From the first book, I learnt about the phrase : Amor Fati. Sounds strange I know.
Coined by the great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Amor Fati is the practice of accepting and embracing everything that has happened, is happening, and is yet to happen. It is understanding that the nature of the universe is change, and that without change we would not exist, our relationships would not exist, we wouldn’t laugh, cry, love, create, or grow.
I realized today that I make these reflections at the end of every year as a promise to myself, of what I need to do or avoid in the coming year. As I was penning my thoughts for 2022, I went back and re-read what I had written down as my intentions for 2021. Did I follow/achieve what I had set out to for myself in 2021? I would be too harsh on myself if I said “Hardly!”. I believe that I was conscious enough to know when I was getting off the path and allowing myself to fall into an illusion, rather than stick with reality. You see, I’ve never experienced life from within. It’s hard to explain this, but I have always lived life from the outside, like an observer. Not really “feeling” the chapter, but rather skimming through, wanting to get over one chapter and move to the next. (If possible skip a few in the process).
But several events forced me to check in with reality. The most potent of these was towards the end of 2021. Did things shift? Yes. To some extent. I began to realize that this is my story, and if I am not going to take charge of the pen, then this will be one boring story to read! So I stopped trying to do, and started to listen. Started to notice. To observe what was going on not just around me, but also within me.
I stopped worrying about people’s opinion about me and started putting myself first. I started OWNING MY SHIT! I started to get in touch with myself again. Something I had not done in a very long time!
The second book that really left an impression on me was Dr. Shefali’s “A Radical Awakening”. If you have read this, then I am sure the opening poem also impacted you in one way or another. There is nothing new in the words of the poem, but this time around, I actually Felt them.
I will leave you with a few words of the poem, and hope that when you read them, they touch you in some way or another, like they have me. And with that, I leave you with my intention for 2022. I CLAIM IT! (keep it here to know what this means for 2022).
The Time of the Awakened Woman
And from now on I declare . . .
I will ascend into my highest power
I will embrace my greatest autonomy
I will celebrate my deepest worth
I will embody my fiercest courage and manifest the most authentic me
The time is now
I am ready
To awaken into my renaissance.
Alia Datoo, Transformational Holistic Energy Coach