By:Linda Sepadin
No surprise that so many of us are sleep deprived.)Our discomfort with endings tends to encourage us to sidestep the process. Get it over with quickly. Slip out the back, Jack. Bring down the curtain. It's over. It's done. Move on!Now that the year 2004 is ending, we have no choice but to move on to the next year. But would you be open to slowing down the ending process? To thinking about what this last year has meant to you?Certainly, the year has not been totally predictable (though we may like to fantasize that it should be) nor has it been orderly. You probably experienced a few surprises, and, no doubt, some losses. If you take the time to slow down, quiet yourself and reflect on this year, you can learn much. An appreciation of who you are. What's important to you. What you're feeling. Where you are in life at this particular time.If you are open to this process, here's what you might focus on:Review the year and recognize how much you have learned.Take pride in what you have accomplished. Admit what has not worked out well for you.Mourn the losses you have experienced.Be aware of where this year's journey has landed you.Anticipate future problems and how you'll handle them. Anticipate future festivities and how you'll enjoy them.Let yourself feel whatever feelings you have about this year ending.If you have completed this exercise, you have probably arrived at some insight that can be your guide as you begin the New Year. You will recognize that slowing down teaches you much that swiftness will never permit.Now, how to end this article? Endings are tough - for me too. I think I'll stick to the simplistic but heartfelt. Sending you my warmest wishes and loving thoughts for a Happy New Year!
Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice and author of Master Your Fears: How to Triumph Over Your Worries and Get On With Your Life. She specializes in helping individuals, families and couples overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. She invites you to visit her website at www.psychwisdom.com.Copyright © 2004
