Friday 20 December 2013

Winter, Wisdom and the Wheel of Life

We sometimes look to coaching when there's something amiss - an obstacle to face or challenge to overcome. But why wait for such a situation to present itself in order to focus on how you'd like your life to be?

When you're relaxed and calm (well, relatively speaking!) over the Christmas holiday it's a great time to think about what's coming next for you. And if relaxed or calm doesn't quite reflect what's going on for you, as you juggle a tray of mince pies, a paper hat and a hangover, why not commit to finding a small space for reflection as a Christmas gift to yourself?

As I write we're nearing Winter Solstice - the Celtic festival where the cosmic wheel of the year briefly stops turning, as one cycle ends and another begins. What better time to focus on 'what next?'

Many of our northern European seasonal celebrations originate in this pagan festival of midwinter - the decoration of our homes with evergreens like holly and ivy for example, which signify everlasting life.

Those celebrating the solstice believed that the run up to midwinter was a time for nature to retreat into itself and conserve its energy. But although the woods and fields look bare, there is new life stirring as shoots appear on trees and the first snowdrops prepare to push through the earth.

And, like nature, we too have been conserving our energy, as the days get shorter we feel like hibernating and reflecting (well maybe in times when we were more in tune with nature we did, try telling that to 21st century party planners!) Winter Solstice can be a time for us, like the snowdrops, to return from a period of reflection and regrouping, to put newfound wisdom into action.

As you hang your holly over the fireplace, and open door number 21 on your chocolate advent calendar, why not reflect on what the cycle of life means to you?

As the days get lighter, which of your talents do you want to shine that light on?

As the darkness lifts, which unhelpful thoughts will you leave behind?

What wisdom have you gained over the last few weeks, and how do you want to use it as we move into the new year?

Wishing you light and lightness of being for 2018,

Love
Jen

The Information about winter solstice in this blog post is taken from Sacred Celebrations: a sourcebook, by Glennie Kindred, published 2007 by Gothic Image Publications.

With thanks to Imogen for buying it for me!


If you'd like to find out more about how working with a coach could help you be the person you want to be, and achieve what you want to achieve, email me at jennifer@mccannacoaching.co.uk and if I'm not the coach for you, I have a network of talented associates I can put you in touch with.

Jennifer McCanna, Professional Leadership Coach
http://mccannacoaching.co.uk/