As the year comes to an end, I am in the process of creating closure. Last year I was introduced to Lynn Jericho’s Inner Christmas: http://www.innerchristmas.com/. This year in addition to celebrating Inner Christmas, I will also be following her Inner Advent. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas, I will be looking at a different area of my life, using elements and chakras as the guide. Week 1: Earth element, first chakra. Week 2: Water element, second and fifth chakra. Week 3: Air element, fourth chakra. Week 4: Fire element, third and sixth chakras.

This week marked the first week of Inner Advent and I have been contemplating the Earthly elements of my year. Any concrete creations, projects, activities that I have brought to completion. For starters, I found a job early in 2007 and am now feeling settled into my position and comfortable with the responsibilities as well as people that I work with. Back when I was looking for a job, I focused on five qualities that I was looking for and all of those elements are part of my job now. I breathe a sigh of relief when I think back to where I was a year ago, still searching for a job, uncertainty and worry and stress were very much a part of my daily life. Now, I am stabilized in my work.

My work with Fruition has ended this year. I was part of Fruition for about a year and a half and relied on their support in order to integrate healthy eating, cooking, and habits into my lifestyle. In June, when my last group was over, I felt ready to step out on my own. I have enough tools now to know how to take care of myself and give myself what I need, whether it be primary or secondary food. In my work with Fruition, I was introduced to meditation and have really developed my practice this year. In the beginning of the year, I was still frustrated when it came time to meditate. Now I have a regular practice and I look forward to it. I crave it and need it in order to balance and calm myself.

I have also begun exploring my spirituality this year and am having a great time creating new rituals and defining what I believe in. Many books have guided me on this path, including Eat, Pray, Love (I will keep mentioning this book because I am in love with it!), The Red Book, Firstlight, and Pronoia to name a few. I am excited to continue on this journey of discovering places in myself that I never knew existed, and the ways in which I connect with all of life.

My yoga practice is back in place and like meditation, it is something that I crave. My body begs for yoga when I go a few days without it. There is something so soothing about the movements and stretching and focus. When I finish the practice, my body feels spacious and open and alive. I am grateful that I have found my way back to yoga this year and look forward to deepening my practice.

This year I have set financial goals for myself and am working toward them. It feels good to have a budget and know how much money is coming in and where it is going. I sat down a couple weeks ago and reevaluated my values and priorities in my life right now and am focusing on making sure that my money is spent in line with my values. Although finances are tight for this small portion of my life, it feels good to be aware of them and honoring my choices regarding money. I have also taken a second job this year, in order to have more money coming in, as well as to save up for a vacation. I am proud of the way I have chosen to confront and work on my finances, rather than avoiding and ignoring, which was what I did for years.

Just last week I went home for Thanksgiving and learned how to knit. I have been talking about learning to knit for a while and I’m glad that I have added a new skill and hobby.

Looking back over this list of things I’ve brought to completion in 2007, I feel good. I have accomplished much and grown in the process. I am blessed by all that has come to be in the past year. Namaste.