All of us have dreams for ourselves and our lives, but sadly, most of us don't live them because we never take the time to listen to what our hearts long to do. That's why I wrote
The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters, to help people develop this skill of inner listening, and in so doing to find the true meaningfulness they long for.
There's a key tool in this process that I want to give you a taste of here. I call it the Year End Ritual and it's intended to help you become the gardener of your own life -- planting seeds at this year's end and watching them germinate and grow over the years to come.
The goal is to set aside a few hours at the end of each year to conduct a review of all the significant things that have happened over the past twelve months and to give voice to your heart's longings for the coming year.
Here's what you do:
1. Create a special journal in which to record your observations each year.
3. Answer the list of questions related to the significant experiences of the past year, to your current life, and to your heart's desires.
4. Read through the past years' entries and notice how you are changing.
5. Close the journal and don't look at it, or even try to remember what you wrote, until the same time next year.
That's all there is to it. Just like taking photographs of our children as they grow up, this exercise allows you to watch yourself grow into ever more of your true potential. It's astounding to see, and will offer you that doorway into the meaningful life you've been longing to find. Try it. It is the best present you can give yourself this holiday season.
