Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.

And also welcome to this new year.

Happy New Year to you.

And this is such a

potent and pivotal time.

It's a time when we're very reflective

about where we've come from,

what's happened in the last year.

And it's a time when we're looking

forward towards the new year and kind

of really thinking about who we want

to be, and how we want to be, and

what we want to create going forward.

So in the spirit of all of that, I'd

like to offer you a meditation and

contemplation today that's going to help

you tap into some clarity and a sense of

purpose and a real sense of understanding

what it is that really matters for you in

the year going forward, that's going to

help you create a really meaningful life.

So I'm inviting you to close the eyes,

if that feels comfortable for you.

And just beginning to draw your

awareness into your physical body and

into the feeling of your breathing.

Just letting attention land in that gentle

flowing feeling of the body breathing.

And then as a way of continuing

to settle in here a little deeper,

taking a long, slow breath in.

And a steady breath out.

And now inviting you to begin to cast

your mind back over the last year and

beginning to contemplate the things

from the last year that you're really

grateful for, the things that filled

your cup, that nourished your heart.

The things you enjoyed.There

might be certain moments coming

to mind, certain people or events.

And as you dwell on them, really

letting that sense of gratitude and

goodness fill your body and mind,

really opening to those feelings of

gratitude, feelings of happiness.

And maybe it was really, you know,

everyday kinds of happiness that,

that you finding your mind drawn to.

Things like just having a hot cup

of tea or coffee on a cold day,

feeling a cool breeze on a hot day

or a hug from a friend, a person

on the other end of the telephone,

a warm bed to sleep in at night.

Just continuing for a few more

moments here to dwell on the

good things you're grateful for.

And then having a sense of really

integrating this knowing of what

it is that makes you happy, what it

is that you're most grateful for.

Really integrating that knowing of these

are the things that really fill my cup.

These are the things that make

me happy, that nourish my soul.

And taking that wisdom with

you into the year ahead.

And then beginning to bring to

mind the things that were actually

very challenging in the last year.

The things that were

perhaps painful, difficult.

And there might've been personal struggles

or health struggles or conflicts.

Moments of stress where you

met your edge, made mistakes.

Things didn't go the way you expected.

And just meeting these difficulties,

meeting any sensations or emotions

coming up as you, as you dwell on

these challenges, meeting that with

a bit of compassion and kindness.

And also just noting, is there anything

that you can learn from these experiences?

Anything that you might like to do

differently, any insights or aha moments

as you reflect on these difficulties.

Any ways in which you could handle

things better going forward.

Any wisdom you want to take

with you in the year ahead.

And we often learn the most about

ourselves, often learn the most about

life when we can meet our challenges

with awareness and compassion.

Just giving yourself a few moments

here to contemplate any wisdom, any

insights that might be available as

you reflect on these challenging times.

And then having a sense of integrating

any of these insights, any of this wisdom.

Making an intention to take this

wisdom with you into a year ahead.

And then beginning to reflect on moments

of love and kindness from the last year.

Just beginning to cast your mind back over

the last 12 months, replaying any moments

of kindness, of love, of connection with

others or with nature, or with animals,

just moments of love and connection.

It could have been really simple

things like someone picking up the

phone when you really needed them

and being there to listen to you.

It could have been a hug from a friend or

a simple smile from a stranger passing by.

Maybe it was a gesture of kindness

you did for someone or someone

did something kind for you.

Just taking a moment here to reflect.

And the moments of kindness and

moments of love from the last year.

And letting those feelings of love

and kindness fill your body and mind.

And having a sense of integrating some

knowing around what it is that brings

love and kindness into your life.

What you do, what others do, what are the

conditions for that to grow, to flourish.

And making an intention to take

this knowing of what makes you

feel that love, feel that kindness.

Making an intention to take that

knowing with you into the year ahead.

And then finally, just bringing to mind a

picture of yourself as you are right now.

In your mind's eye, seeing

this vision of yourself.

And then seeing this vision of

yourself begin to grow older.

It's a little bit like watching

a super-fast time-lapse film.

It begins to speed up and you see

yourself growing older, your skin

is getting wrinkled or wrinkly, or

your hair is getting gray or grayer.

And the time-lapse film keeps going until

you kind of have a sense that this film,

this life is coming towards the end.

And here you are with all this

accumulated wisdom, accumulated life

experience, accumulated knowledge,

insight about what matters.

And just in the final moments of this

film, imagining you could press pause.

And here's this older you in the

final moments of life, of this life.

And if this older you could offer you some

wisdom for the year ahead, some wisdom on

what really matters, what would it say?

What would this older you

offer you in terms of wisdom?

Maybe the sentence would begin with,

you know, all that really matters is....

And you know what, some

things don't matter, like....

Or if there's one piece of advice

I'd like to leave you with it's this,

...

And just spending a few more

moments here listening to the

answers from your future self.

And now having a sense of integrating

this wisdom into your body, into your

mind, and making an intention to take

this knowing of what really matters,

this wisdom with you into the year ahead.

And when you're ready, beginning

to take a deep breath in.

A steady breath out.

And then when you're ready,

just blinking, open the eyes.

So I hope this reflection has given

you a little more clarity, a little

more of a sense of meaning and purpose.

And on behalf of all of Mindfulness.com,

we're so glad that you're here with us.

We're so glad to be by your

side for the year ahead.

And thank you for your practice

and for your presence here with us.

And just inviting you now to

settle in for today's meditation.