I hope you had a wonderful closure of the year 2014 and have started 2015 with fresh eyes and full of enthusiasm.
Even if you hadn't a proper closure yet and do not feel ready for 2015, I have an idea to share which might help getting back that energy and starting new:
Towards the year's end, people get together with their families and friends, return to places with sentimental value and meet with people from the past. If this was the case for you, you might start feeling the bubbling emotions in your stomach and some voices in your head which you haven't heard for a while. It does not really matter if this was not the case for you, but if it is, this will only help you to do better in this exercise:
Step 1: Write down sentences, phrases, words that you had heard till today which were demotivating, harrassing or hurtful in any way. From your parents, from bullies at school, from old friends, exes, relatives, mean teachers, etc. Anything that still comes to mind, that you can still remember clearly, and that still have some kind of power or impact on you.
Whatever you touch, ends up on the floor, you are such a clumsy mess!
This exercise might bring out some anger which was boiling deep down, some resentment which was long forgotten. Do not dig deeper than you need to. Trust the natural flow of it and keep writing without thinking too much about the specific occasion or some specific person in your life.
Key to this exercise is: No judgement!
Step 2: After writing them all down, do not lose much time, and just read what you have written. Neutrally read through without getting judgemental or resentful. Take a moment to think that you have created this life for yourself despite of all these mean words from people who were close to you. Start feeling the refreshing feeling to get rid of all this bullshit and starting new. How much easier it will get if you let go of all this weight?
Remember: These are bits and peaces of memories that affected you in some ways in the past, shaped you, taught you about life and about people and, most importantly, about yourself. But now it is time to let go and replace them with only positive and encouraging thoughts and statements. You would not want to keep any heavy weight just for the fun of it! And the muscles you might have gained through this heavy lifting are already there, not leaving you any time soon, so stop spending valuable time and energy with other people's crap and start moving on :)
Step 3: Next to each negative statement or word, write a positive statement and/or word about yourself, your abilities, your strengths. Even if it feels like lying or pretending at first, still, keep forming positive statements.
Ex. Accidents happen occasionally, I do not have to take any blame for it. I am careful and sure of myself, I go through life with grace.
Remember: It does not mean that you are lying to yourself, if you start saying that you CAN do stuff. Everybody deserves to be believed in, to feel loved and appreciated, no matter how high you scored in SAT or how good you are looking. You do not have to be good at stuff first to hear positive statements, encouraging words. First comes believing and then the results :)
Step 4: Use the next days to really hear and understand all the positive words in this list. Internalize these positive statements by reading the list as the first thing when you wake up and before you go to bed for a whole week.
Step 5: During the same week, try to catch any negative words, statements, phrases that you use about life or your own self and take notes of it. Are they the same as you wrote in your original list or something new? If it is a new catch and follow the steps 1 to 4.
Step 6: At the end of this refreshing week, make use of this energy build up and make a list of things you want to realize in year 2015.
With this exercise, you will have two very important lists in your hands to support you throughout new year. At times you feel weak and hurt, make a one week exercise of reading the postive statement list. At times you feel uninspired or without purpose, read your list of accemplishments you want to achieve at the end of year 2015.
Have a great one everyone!
