5 Lessons from 2022

Before we can set intentions for the upcoming year, it's important to reflect on what we've just experienced over the past year. I have already shared that this was my year of yes, but to get more granular with my reflections, here are my top five biggest lessons.

Take the chance even if you don't feel ready.

This has been a big one for me. I have learned that I don't need to feel ready or confident to still take a chance that sets my heart on fire. Confidence is a muscle that grows over time, so take the chance first and watch your confidence build.

Build your trust muscle

Through my 300 hour training with Vira Bhavva, I uncovered that not trusting myself was a false intention I was letting run my life. Since uncovering that false intention, I have tried to bring awareness to all the ways I allow myself not to trust and make a different choice. For example, I used to send drafts of potential blog posts to five different people, but that has slowly whittled away, and now I often will send a draft to just one person or none at all and just trust that I know what I'm doing.

Ask for what you need or want

This is incredibly hard for me. It's hard to ask for what I need or want because I feel so vulnerable in doing so. However, no one around me is a mind reader, and it's very unfair for me to expect that. Over the past year, I have tried to put into practice asking for what I need or want. That could be in small ways like asking my husband to put the kids to bed, so I can have extra rest time, or asking to take on new classes or a new role at my yoga studio. It can feel uncomfortable and scary, but this practice is worth it.

Lean into your strengths

Again, through my work with Vira Bhavva, I have uncovered that my dharma statement is to celebrate. In order to live a life where I feel aligned with the truth of who I am and was created to be, I need to lean into that dharma statement. Teaching and parenting are two ways I can lean into it, but I can also lean in by being a good friend, finding time to write, and allowing myself to find nourishment.

Allow for friendships to change

Because of my dharma to celebrate, I long to be in community and to lift up others. I can put myself out there over and over again in order to step into community, but sometimes that leads to me feeling incredibly hurt when my efforts are not received in the way that I hoped. Yoga talks a lot about staying detached from the outcome of our actions, and that's simple but not easy. Allowing for friendships to morph and change means that I continue to lean into my dharma while staying detached from the outcome. Simple, but not easy.