Message in a Bottle

New year — a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours. ~ Alex Morritt

The start of a new year has become a time of reflection and envisioning the future for me over the last few years. I’ve never been big on resolutions. Sure I’ve set them, followed them for a bit, then conveniently forgotten about them when life got in the way. A lot of us have grandiose ideas every January about losing weight, saving more money, changing careers, organizing our closets, lowering our handicap, exercising more, and on and on. If you are one of those resolution makers and keepers, I salute and admire your efforts! I have just learned over the years I won’t keep them, so there is no use for me to make them. No need to add the extra stress and eventual disappointment of more things to be perfect at.

I did start something else a few years ago – I write myself a letter. I had received a Christmas gift of a beautiful, blue tinted corked bottle with a base layer of tiny shells inside and a colorful ribbon with a starfish, hanging over the bottle. My friend included this amazing poem rolled up within it:

She felt something click inside. She suddenly realized she was no longer

available for careers, relationships or thoughts that were not in alignment

with her highest expression, desires and truth. Her worthiness had grown

roots, and she was now unshakeable in the belief that she was worthy of

a life of magic. And she knew that the only person that could give her

that ... was herself. So she put on her crown and got to work.

~ Elyse Santilli

My friend also included some blank parchment paper for me to write myself a letter, put in the bottle and open the following year. I became very intrigued about this. A letter to myself? What would I write? What would I say? I let this idle around in my mind for a couple of weeks. As time went on, and my meditations fed the idea, I started liking this notion of letter writing. I sat down and reviewed my journals over the past year and reflected on what I had learned about myself. How the joys, frustrations and life happenings fueled my soul. How I felt about all that had transpired throughout the year. I ended up with a good, brief reflection and synopsis of the year for myself. I made sure to be my own best friend and include how I was proud of myself for this or that. I also penned in those words I might not have heard often enough from others to feel my true worth. Then I went on to muse about my dreams for the future. Where did I want to be by this time next year on my own self-discovery journey? What were some of my bigger ideas, projects and aspirations?

This all started a new tradition for me which I have kept up for a number of years now. I keep the bottle with my new letter tucked away in the Christmas decorations. The bottle goes up on the mantle alongside Caylee the Zen Puppy’s stocking. Then between the week of Christmas and the New Year, I pull out last year’s letter and read with bated breath to see how I have lived up to my dreams, as I rarely remember many of the specifics I wrote the year before. This has become so fun for me to read what has honestly become a love letter to myself!

Before the decorations come down and get stored, I write myself a new letter. I think I am getting better at zeroing in on my feelings, my vulnerabilities, my desires and my dreams. It is a good time for me to review my values and beliefs and to see how I can live my own truth better. I am in the habit of thinking about ‘my letter’ for a few weeks before I sit down to write, to make it easier and less pressure filled. I always make sure to do a little review of last year’s letter and throw praise at myself for any accomplishments, while being gentle with any of the things that may not have worked out, or even rephrasing them into a more meaningful reality. I make a conscious effort to avoid the blaming or defensiveness that often arises when things didn’t go my way. Sometimes it is simply the circumstance, or a certain decision, that impacted how things turned out. And it certainly doesn’t help to be negative and berate myself, so I try to remember everything usually works out for the better.

It’s still the beginning of a new year and there is time to write your own yearly message to yourself. In jotting down your letter, you will quickly discover this is a safe place for you to write about how you want to show up the next year. Who you want to be. What you want to experience. What you want to accomplish. What you want to feel. It is important to be your own best friend too. Use encouraging and uplifting phrases. Shower yourself with your own love and kindness. Be proud with a host of compliments. And it’s a fun place to be silly too. Let your personality come out. Remember your letter only needs to be read by you, so don’t filter it for anyone else. Be you. Just you. For you.

Be excited at the end of the year when you pull out your heartfelt message to yourself and let your love surround you! I almost feel like I have set myself up for success by writing to myself each year. Perhaps it is the little nudge I need that subconsciously keeps me aligned on my path.

So what’s your message in a bottle going to say for this brand-new year?

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P.P.S. Journaling is a great way to keep yourself aligned on your path, and a great way to begin writing to yourself! Check out my Zen Journey Roadmap, A Daily Guided Journal for Inner Peace and Healthy Habits to get you started.