My New Year’s Resolution

As I ease back into my routine after quite a lengthy Christmas break, I find myself wanting to bring into my life the essence of my New Year’s Resolution more and more.

Unlike what I wrote back at the start of 2016, I do have a resolution this year.

And while I can’t say I have been on a spiritual quest somewhere in the woods nearby, how it all came about is quite funny and has very little to do with spirituality and more to do with mince pies.

I love a mince pie.

I mean, I’m actually quite obsessed with mince pies.

Come Christmas, I’d just be happy to breakfast, lunch and dine on them.

Preferably warm and with double cream on top!

It’s our tradition at home to have the last batch of mince pies on New Year’s Day, while watching our favourite movie.

Like every year, this year I beautifully displayed the lovely cakes on a mini tray and served them with a mug of fragrant English breakfast tea.

And so there I was, scoffing one cake after the other until I got to the last two.

It was then that I  realised how I had just missed the whole experience because my mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.

It suddenly dawned on me that rather than savouring every morsel, I had been too preoccupied with thinking about the day before, the day after and the day that will never come.

And in that very moment I realised that this is what most people’s life has become.

We look forward to everything available, only to miss it completely because we’re too engulfed in our mental battles.

Whether it’s a mince pie we fancy or a trip away to a tropical island, we often forget to be where we are meant to be.

And where exactly would that be?

Here.

Right here.

Yes, I know, you’ve heard it all before; how life only happens in the now and we all should try and be more aware of what’s going on in our heads.

Still, life always seems to take over doesn’t it?

We rush back and forth to what was and what will be (or never will be), and don’t realize that we are just jumping off what is now.

We simply don’t see this gap because we are blinded by our constant thinking.

How can we be more available in the present moment you may ask?

Simply coming back to ourselves.

The simple realisation that we have drifted away is more than enough to come back to the now, and in that moment we have the choice to stay a little longer.

Our mind will drift away again because that’s what it does, but catching ourselves as we get lost in an ocean of thoughts, allows us to pause and come back.

That is mindfulness.

The more we come back to ourselves throughout the day the slower our pace will be, the quieter our mind will become.

And when that happens, life feels lighter and fun again.

I truly savoured my last couple of mince pies the other night.

I could really taste their spicy richness and the marriage to the double cream, and I loved that.

But mostly, I loved the sacredness of the moment and this is what I long to experience more of this year, and all years to come.

I want my life to go back being the sacred gift that it is and feel all of it, with its highs and lows, sadness and joy.

This is my wish to you too.

May this year be the time we all come back to ourselves.

I’m the founder of Evoking Grace, a coaching program designed to inspire others to be their very best while bringing ease and balance into their everyday life. I can be contacted by email for more details on the work I offer or to schedule a free “Wisdom Within Session“. Follow my mumbling & musings on  Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest to be part of my “online tribe”.