A Year in Review
As 2021 wraps up, we have managed to live through another year of the pandemic with a new term of what is now called “the new normal.” Many organizations globally and governments have adjusted to new rules and policies that are meant to protect us from spreading this virus and keep us as healthy as possible.
While some might disagree on how or what this “new normal” is supposed to be like, many have quickly realized that working from home, for the most part, is 100% possible and not far-reaching.
I don’t know about you, but to me, as we say goodbye to 2021, it feels like a bitter-sweet finale. I have had the usual highs and lows of life, as I am sure many of you did.
What made this year different from any other passing year is that I have finally discovered the secret of staying grounded. It involves protecting my mental well-being, nurturing my personal and professional growth, and learning many effective techniques that I can use to help my clients, who are interested specifically in mindfulness coaching. I intend to share these learnings, perspectives, and the wisdom that I have gained; alongside the discomfort and successes that I have been part of.
A Look-Back
There have been wonderful possibilities that came up this year that I was not expecting. In July, I had the privilege and the opportunity to speak at the International Association of Administrative Professionals’ virtual summit on essential topics of becoming a certified administrative professional and highlighting your value in the workplace.
I was also excited and happy to be invited to speak at Deloitte’s first national Executive Administrative summit in November. Both have been equally rewarding and were great opportunities to meet with like-minded professionals in the field.
I have also managed to coach a few individuals through my beta testing free group coaching program; it was great to work with individuals looking for real change and willing to do the work to get there.
It was humbling and motivating to hear how my monthly newsletters, blogs, and daily inspirational quotes on IG helped people. They in turn, became followers, whether through signing up for the monthly coaching newsletter, reading the blogs, or listening to my “Distracted by Life” podcasts to name a few.
Thank you for believing in me. You truly make the journey worthwhile. It may seem for others that these are small wins, but for me, it has been the most significant and the most rewarding because it happened organically over time. I have put my heart and soul into connecting with people as my mission was to ease suffering in a world filled with nothing but despair. Sharing what helped and what stuck with me over time, was the message of hope, courage, and endurance. These are things we all need to hear to know that you are not alone; it is a universal hardship and suffering all around.
I have also started 2021 in a new organization, which now I will be concluding the year with moving forward and starting a new chapter professionally. It is how Grace finds me, and I follow wherever it leads. Although constant change scares me; when I think about the alternative, it’s even scarier, so leaning in and letting life unfold and living in the moment is what mindfulness is all about. No running, no hiding, and finally, no numbing.
New Learnings & Discomforts
After careful deliberation during 2021, as much as I knew that social media is the driving force for many businesses to succeed or build a brand, I needed to remain authentic with my work and mission. I had to arrive at the fact that I can’t hide forever behind my writings in blogs, quotes, and newsletters. I also needed to show up, letting my voice be heard and my face is seen.
So, despite my discomfort with social media recordings, taping, and a well-positioned fear of public speaking, I understood that I needed to find a way to put it aside and lean into that discomfort. It was needed for the sake of spreading the word. As much as I was nervous, I was equally excited to do it.
I managed to start my podcast channel called “Distracted by Life” with my husband and I am very proud of myself for doing it and incredibly pleased with the results. I have recorded five videos of mindfulness series topics into the mix and added them to my YouTube channel. I may not be the perfect camera star, but I am so glad I got that monkey off my back and refused to let fear hold me back.
Additionally, one of the things I did during 2021 is to sign up to be a certified mindfulness coach (finally, yay!) and a meeting and event planning specialist. I am happy to report I have obtained those certifications, which concluded my professional training and development for this year.
Personal Practices
It has been quite an eventful ride this year. Still, I cannot imagine making it through, especially during the low moments, without my mindfulness practices, the support of wonderful loving friends, and my family holding it together through sickness, loss, and grief.
As much was gained as was equally lost this year, but I know for sure GRACE has always surrounded me and filled the areas where at times it was so hard to see through the darkness. I am so excited to share a few practices that helped me personally. These are the very same practices that I teach and coach my clients to create and adopt as pathways towards healthy habits to get their house in order:
- Daily Gratitude journaling
- Daily meditation practices
- Moving through life with mindfulness and intention
- Setting boundaries
- Hunting for the good
- For tough times and managing difficult emotions, practice loving-kindness, self-compassion, self-acceptance, RAIN method, and body scan meditations.
- Rewiring negativity and training the mind through Cognitive Behavior therapy exercises.
- Practice creative living beyond fear
- Letting go of self-judgment, inner critics, pain, and perfection tendencies.
- Building consistency
- Facing difficult emotions
- Practice self-care
- Embracing stillness
- Creating balance
- The art of surrender
- Embracing failure and detours as preparation for the bigger plan
- Spending time in nature
- Soaking up the sunshine
- Doing more of what you love
- Declutter the mind by practicing mindful walking
- Defining your definition of “success” not as the external world says
My Favorite words for 2021
There were many meaningful words that rose to the surface for me this year. Specifically, here are a few of them that I practiced living by as best as I possibly could in every aspect, whether on a professional or personal level:
- Seeking
- Creating
- Opening
- Flowing
- Peaceful
- Acceptance
- Compassion
- Conquer
- Worthy
- Mindfulness
- Patience
A Look Forward
So here we are, entering a new year (2022). Despite the uncertainty, my hope is for my family, friends, and all human beings to remain healthy, happy, and safe; and for all to continue learning, unlearning, and relearning. My wish is for all to remain open and to stay in a constant state of flow, love, patience, and most importantly, keeping hope alive for the remaining journey.
As a self-reflection exercise and for more thoughtful thinking at times, you might want to allow for a pause and ask yourself the questions, “how do you feel about yourself, your life, and your world? What do you hope for most for the future?” Here is hoping that by exploring the answers, it will provide you with some guidance in what you need to do to keep moving forward in this journey, working on building your internal resources to meet life’s challenges for every season and year to come after that.
Lastly, I look forward to learning, discovering, and creating tools that can be of effective use to serve people through my mission to ease suffering, reduce emotional reactivity, negative self-talk, and anxiety by calming and rewiring the mind.
May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be at peace, and may you live with ease. Wishing you all a blessed and happy new year!
