Don't leave this gold on the table; instead, embrace endings with reflection and learning. Close off your year consciously and see what satisfaction you are able to glean from your year.

Unfortunately, endings are often overshadowed by the allure and excitement of beginnings, or we divert our attention away from them because they are too painful. What I have found is that endings given conscious attention, hold profound significance and growth potential in our lives.

This Trauma Bytes edition delves into the often-neglected aspect of endings, opening up a different view on their importance, especially as we approach the end of this 2023 year. Using the wisdom of reflection and mindfulness practices, we expose the transformative power of acknowledging and embracing endings, particularly in the form of year-end reviews.

Although there is the practice of looking back over your year, especially in business, I believe we need to do this reflective practice any time we have a loss. In this edition of Trauma Bytes, we'll explore:

As the year winds down, there's immense value in dedicating time to honour and review these endings, allowing for closure, integration, healing and insights through meaningful reflections.

1. The Neglected Importance of Endings

Endings, whether they mark the conclusion of a year or any significant or insignificant chapter, often go unnoticed. We get very busy looking into what is coming next for us, or we can linger on how we will move on without what we lost.

While beginnings are celebrated with fanfare and enthusiasm, endings are frequently met with a lack of attention. However, consciously reviewing any kind of ending is an opportunity to be grateful, notice any regrets so you can process them, and see the learning from the experience.

Endings can be anything that is complete, such as changing jobs or moving house. It's an opportunity to acknowledge accomplishments, celebrate milestones, and gracefully bid adieu to what has served its purpose.

You may be asking, why bother reviewing such seemingly insignificant endings? I have a couple of questions you could challenge yourself with and see what comes up.

Anything you do unconsciously, you never know its impact on your inner peace.

2. The Significance of Year-End Reflections

Approaching the end of the year, engaging in a mindful review of the past twelve months is of immense value if you want to live a conscious life.

It's not merely about flipping the calendar onto the next year; it's an opportunity to take a deliberate pause to reflect on the journey travelled. Year-end reviews allow us to celebrate achievements, learn from challenges, and set intentions for the forthcoming year. It's an opportunity to correct our course if we notice what we have been doing isn't really in alignment with our heart and Soul.

You may have been in a lot of doing mode without taking the time to know what you really want for yourself or your business or career. By reviewing your year, celebrating the wins, and seeing the so-called failures, we create space for clarity, energy, satisfaction, ease and Grace. You also can use your insights to identify any losses, regrets, challenges and repeating patterns which will enable you to zoom in on what inner work you can focus on for the next year.

Right now, you may be realising the potential and fertility of taking the time to review your year.

3. Mindfulness Practices for Year-End Reflection

To embrace endings consciously, consider these practices:

Mindful Contemplation: Find a quiet space and allow yourself to reflect mindfully. Bring attention to your breath for a few minutes as you arrive in the space you are creating for yourself. Gently guide your thoughts towards reviewing the past year. Notice the emotions, sensations, and thoughts that arise without judgement. You can write these insights.

Reflection: In the time you have set aside for this reflection, write down any notable experiences, achievements, challenges, and lessons learned throughout the year. Writing facilitates a deeper understanding and expression of the insights to surface. Feel free to draw and be artistic and creative if this is how you love to express yourself.

Gratitude Practice: Once you have completed your contemplation and reflection practice, take a moment to cultivate the feeling of gratitude.

Begin by acknowledging the blessings and lessons you have received from the year. Express gratitude for experiences, relationships, and personal growth.

We often don't think to be grateful for our ancestors. Without our ancestors, we would not exist, and we would not have this life to create and experience. I invite you to add them to your gratitude practice.

Notice how you feel after going through this process. Notice how you feel about completing this year. Is it different to how you would normally finish a year? I'd love to hear how you went with this practice.

By engaging in these practices, you honour the significance of endings, consciously acknowledging and accepting closure and creating the fertile ground for what comes next.

May this week's Trauma Bytes guide you on a transformative journey towards becoming conscious of endings in your life, recognising the impact the ending had on you and gifting yourself the opportunity to process the ending so you don't carry any shadow of it into the next steps of your life.

I love hearing from you and receiving your updates, so please keep them coming.

May you be well, may you be happy, and may you have inner peace.