Shall we just leave 2020 behind us, start again and see how 2021 goes? 🙂
Okay, in all seriousness I can think of better years than 2020 and we have great empathy for everyone and anyone who has struggled or been affected by the events of 2020. Rather than dwell on the past, as we look forward to 2021, let’s focus on the positive potential, on what can be created, changed, evolved and made better.
It is so easy to linger on the negative, be brought down by fear and worry about the unknown, but there comes a time when you just have to say, okay, enough is enough. Time to move forward. Time to make some changes. Time to create, innovate, dream and take action.
We have to look and move into the future with hope, optimism and a sense of purpose; humanity will prevail, but it must do that with love and belief. We must lead with and from the heart.
Whilst writing this, I took the time to glance back over our Creating Your Vision For 2020 article and there are many interesting points that reflect what’s important as we now try to move into the future. The key points were:
- It’s about the journey, not the destination.
- Moving on, letting go, embracing change.
- A vision of natural health and wellness.
These are important lessons that reflect where we are up to now at this point in time, as we move from what was in 2020 to what is in 2021.
So, I’d like to take the ideas from 2020 and talk about them specifically for 2021, but with a different perspective that the benefit of hindsight can provide.
I’d also like to add one more thing to it:
Be true to your heart and live without fear. Do what makes you happy and what makes your heart sing. Believe you can. Put everything you have into doing whatever you can to become whoever you want to be.
It’s about the journey, not the destination
Many of us had plans, ideas and dreams of what 2020 would bring for us and, for most, the destination has not been what we envisioned and the journey was a lot more challenging than expected. But we have to remember that whilst it is important to have an idea of the destination in mind; it is the journey that matters the most.
The accomplishment of a goal, whilst amazing, is the result of the journey. The experience of the destination is short-lived but the experience of the journey is everlasting. It never ends.
After one destination, there arises another on the horizon and the journey to that is the opportunity to create more amazing memories and experiences, to learn more, offer more, gain more wisdom, share more and spend more time with the people we love, doing the things in life that make our heart sing.
So as we look over the mountaintop to the next horizon, the next destination, what do you want the journey to look like and be?
Please note, we didn’t say “What does the journey look like?”, we said “What do you want the journey to look like and be?”
If we look at our destinations with our COVID glasses on, it may not look so attractive, but some of that is perception… We can’t control everything but often the things that matter the most and have the most profound impact are the things we can control.
So, now as we put our walking boots on and pack our rucksack with all the essentials, we realize what we need to take with us to help us and what we need to leave behind that no longer serves us. Now we can head off into the wilderness and the relative unknown – with hope, faith, trust and belief.
Moving on, letting go, embracing change
Why does it matter so much that we try? Why should we move on? Why should we let go and embrace change?
Because if we don’t try, if we don’t have any hope, if we don’t believe, then what are we becoming?
It matters because we’re all connected. Every single human being on this planet is connected in more ways than we understand. From the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the cars and bikes we drive, the public transport we use, the buildings we live in, the computers and phones we use, the access to the internet that most of us enjoy and the TVs we watch… We are able to benefit from many of our fellow human beings who innovate and work hard each day.
As a collective species we need to be part of the solution in whatever way we feel is right.
Let’s be part of the evolving solution rather than the problem.
Be positive, be creative, be innovative.
In times of hardship the world needs humanity to rise up, to embrace, to come together, to change and make a stand, to be creative, to be (dare I say it?)… intuitive.
The future is ours to create and in every second of every day we are all creating it, whether you believe it or not. Every action, thought, belief and word uttered matters.
So, as Mahatma Gandhi said;
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Don’t stand for the rhetoric… But what can I do? How can one person (me) change the world? How does me doing something small, have an impact or difference on the whole of humanity and our planet?
The truth is, I don’t know. But what I do know is that if everyone in the human race said the same thing, we’d never achieve our goals or realize our dreams.
If each and every one of us made small changes, tried to innovate and attempted to make a positive difference to the lives of others, the compound effect of that collective effort becomes significant.
Also, the more people who wake up, rise to the challenge and try to make a positive difference, the more opportunity there is for everyone to advance, move on, progress and grow. It doesn’t matter how small your efforts, it just matters that you do.
Think ethically, act sustainably, support locally, strive to live naturally.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama.
A vision of natural health and wellness
If we look back at what has become of the world over the past 12 months, it is true that many of us have come to understand our own mortality. In some cases, more than ever before perhaps.
As we now look to the future, the next 12 months, with the idea of wanting to create a positive future, we have to do whatever we can to maintain a healthy body, a loving heart, a connected and positive frame of mind, a happy disposition and a strong immune system.
On this topic there’s a limit to what we can recommend because we’re not qualified experts in this field.
But a few things that we’ll be doing are:
- Daily yoga and meditation practice.
- Keeping our gratitude diary.
- Doing our regular EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping) work to remove blocks and stay connected.
- Visiting our acupuncture clinic every month.
- Praying for, and giving thanks to, our happiness, health and wealth.
- Dreaming of a world of peace, prosperity, health, happiness and abundance for all.
- Taking the herbs, vitamins, minerals and supplements prescribed by our health practitioners.
- Getting out into nature, enjoying mother nature, breathing in the fresh air and savoring the wondrous beauty of our natural world.
- Making our own natural cosmetic products.
- Finding things that inspire us, move us and remind us what it feels like to be human.
- Doing the things in life that make our heart sing.
- Finding things to do that positively impact the lives of others.
So, how can you make a difference in 2021?
Whatever we think of 2020, there were plenty of positives to take from it and there’s not a lot that we can do to change it now anyway – other than change our perspective of it, which may be impossible for some.
But we can look to 2021 and choose to do our best to experience the good things, look for the positives, create the life we want to create in the way that we can with any restrictions that may come about.
Of course, we’d love for you to come and study with us, but that’s not the purpose of this message for 2021.
The message is this:
Be true to your heart, live without fear and do what makes you happy.
What do you want to do in 2021?
What do you want to create?
How do you want to be in 2021?
What kind of a difference do you want to make in 2021?
How will you improve things in 2021?
How will you grow in 2021?
What will you learn in 2021?
How do you want to reflect on 2021 when you get to December 31st 2021?
If you don’t know yet, that’s okay… Sit with it for a while, write some notes in your diary.
Perhaps the following questions will help you:
What are you passionate about?
What is moving and meaningful to you?
What do you love?
What do you enjoy doing?
What makes your heart sing?
When are you at your best, and when do you feel the happiest?
What are your hobbies? Or what hobbies would you like to take up?
How could you do more of the things you love?
How could you live more in tune with your values and beliefs?
How could you help yourself and contribute positively to other people’s lives?
Free Resources to Get Started Today
If one of your answers to the above questions was “I would love to create my own natural skincare products”, and it it is skincare that excites you, please check out our portfolio of online courses here!
We have stacks of free resources like our Beginner’s Guide to Formulating Natural Skincare Products and our Free Natural Beauty Recipe Book!
We’d love for you to get in touch at hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com and let us know how we can help you.
Also, please do check us out on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook! We’ll be launching our YouTube channel soon, so stay tuned for that!
And to all of our readers, we wish you a joyous, peaceful, and abundant new year. Happy holidays!
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