Writing Down Your Goals: Our Winter Solstice Celebration
Last summer, Miriam shared a book with Wendy and I called “Write It Down, Make It Happen”, by Henriette Anne Klauser. She felt that it offered great stories and ideas to help you ritualize and realize your goals. Miriam read it first, then Wendy and at a lunch discussion soon after, I couldn’t help but share their enthusiasm toward one chapter in particular. Of course, I skipped right to this chapter when it was my turn to read the book!
The author shared the story about a woman who adapted an old Indian ritual, which took place during the winter solstice, in which they declared what they wanted to usher out of their lives and what they wanted to usher into their lives. I couldn’t wait to do this with “my sassy sistahs”, but suggested we wait for the symbolic Winter Solstice on December 21st. We agreed to calendarize it, and worry about the details later.
If you read the book, you will see the elaborate details of the author’s ceremony with her daughters and friends. Let’s just say it included rising before dawn, hiking to highlands and lowlands, and burning stuff outside in the cold of winter. We laughed at the way we chose to simplify, yet honor this ancient tradition. We did what any Sassy Lady would do – we took ourselves to dinner.
While we feasted on sushi, sake, and seaweed salad, we shared our wishes that we’d written on slips of paper. Some were things we wanted to “say goodbye to” from 2007 and beyond. Many more were things we wanted to “say hello to” in 2008 and beyond. Needless to say, we laughed, we cried. It was a precious event that brought all three of us even closer together. Miriam took the “goodbye slips” home in a paper bag, and threw them into the wood stove (not as ceremonious as burning them at dawn in the lowlands, but at least we didn’t burn the restaurant down!)
We carefully tucked our “wish slips” into (ironically identical) prayer boxes that Wendy and Miriam had each picked out for the occasion. We eagerly anticipate reviewing these intentions together at future gatherings. We left with such peace and calm, with renewed appreciation for each other’s dreams.
I finished reading the book over the holiday break, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy. It’s a nice break from the usual business reading we do, and filled me with ideas and inspiration for writing more, and focusing on my goals throughout the year – not just at New Year’s resolution time!