Every New Year we get the opportunity to look back on the success of the previous year and establish what we hope to accomplish in the new one.  This year, we get 366 opportunities to live the best possible version of ourselves.  We also get 366 chances to make peace with the past and find ways of further healing our pain. 

As we discussed earlier in the month, January is thought to be named for the Roman God Janus.  This two-faced deity oversees the gate between one’s past and future.  He governs the movement from who you were, to becoming who you want to be. 

Exercise One: Letter Writing

Consider the sacred time of the transition between years, or in this case decades.  Find a quiet time and place to contemplate your journey from victim to survivor to thriver.  Ground yourself with your breath and invite spirit in as you do this reflective work.  Take a few minutes to meditate on what areas require further healing.  Think about what you wish you knew then, or aspects that would have allowed you to feel less traumatized.  Begin to write that version of you a letter.  Go with a stream of consciousness style.  There is no right or wrong way to do this exercise.  Trust your inner wisdom.  Try to focus on ways you can release feelings of shame or guilt, and instead replace those emotions with infusions of love, grace, and peace. 

If you have additional time, consider writing a letter to your future self.  Think about areas you want to nurture or aspirations you want to attain.  See if you can visualize a fixed year for this future self. Share as much or as little as you would like.  Again, there is no wrong way to do this exercise.  When you feel satisfied with what you wrote, seal up the letter and write the year you visualized during the exercise on the outside.  You can then reopen the letter in the future and see how your journey aligned or deviated from your prognostication!  However, today end your session when you feel ready with gratitude and openness for the many lessons and blessings you will receive throughout this year.

Exercise Two: Get Organized 

After the craziness of the holiday season, it might be time to do some “adulting”.  Starting the new year with purging old and outdated items or even emotions allows you to better house or create opportunities for new more beneficial aspects to reside in your life.  Whether physical, mental or spiritual, take stock of things in your life:  What is needed? What needs to be replaced? What needs to be released?  Feel free to tackle areas in small bits so you can give appropriate attention. Sort each area into groupings that are meaningful for you.  Keep, release or identify was to improve as you are able.  This is not an exercise that needs to be done quickly or even in a day.  This is about better understanding yourself, your needs and what you to want to promote in your life.  Once you get a handle on what you are capable of organizing and executing it, you can encourage and support other loved ones in helping to better organize themselves.  Make sure to be patient, kind and nonjudgmental during the process.  Above all, listen to your gut and Inner Wisdom. Trust that they are leading you in the right way doing their  best to support your healing and personal growth. 

We at Survivors to Thrivers want to hear your stories about how you are celebrating this New Year and New You!  Send us an email or leave a comment on our social media channels.  Together we can radiate light, love and hope to all those we touch daily.  Your voice and vision are valued in this uplifting community.  Thank you for being an integral part of our journey to help end the shame and empower people affected by sexual abuse.