There has been so much talk swirling around social media and in our daily conversations about what a year 2016 has been! All of this chatter caused me to pause and reflect on my 2016. Here is what came up for me.

I have been surrounded by the serenity prayer for 30 years. I could recite it in my sleep and always thought I understood it – until this year, 2016, when I was forced to go deeper.

It’s a simple verse and on the surface it seems pretty straight forward. 2016 opened my eyes to the fact that wisdom is the critical factor. Without wisdom, serenity and courage are almost non-existent.

Most of us know that we cannot change other people.  Yet, how many of us invest hours upon hours into trying to change someone or something that is simply outside of our control? I know I have been caught up in this trap many times before.

2016 threw so many things at me at once that were outside my control that I had no choice.  No choice but to look within, and start working with and on myself.

2016 Deep Dive

Serenity to accept the things I cannot change:

• my children’s academic learning challenges
• my husband employment status
• my company’s demands on my time in order to stay in my career
• Political & economic environment

Courage to change the things I can:

• The work I do in the wold
• My health, fitness and nutrition
• My availability to be there for those I love
• Who I spend my time with

Now, none of the decisions I faced in 2016 were easy.  In fact, most of the time I felt like I was between a rock and hard place, torn between two choice with seemingly equal merit.  I learned to recognize what was within my control and what was not. I had to learn this to survive. I look back on 2016 now and realize that what I learned and embodied, I will cherish for the rest of my life. Wisdom.

What I’m taking with me

As we prepare to move into 2017 in a few hours, I’m taking this wisdom with me.

• I don’t have to have all the answers nor know the final ending. I will stay connected to myself so that I can hear the whispers of my soul and trust it knows what the next step is.
• I don’t have to control everything in my life, nor should I ever expect too. I am freeing myself of expectations of myself and others. Instead I am trusting that we are all doing our very best to carry out what deeply matters to us. This is enough.
• I don’t know what next week will really look like, let along next month or this time next year. I am excited about the possibilities and the journey to get there.
• The single most important piece of ‘change’ work in this world is on myself. To open my vision, my thoughts my experiences so that I can see more fully the world around me. I will continue my own growth and development in the supportive and nourishing community I have built for myself.

What are you taking forward into 2017?