STARTING FROM EMPTY
Written by Celine Wallace
This past year, it's fair to say that many of us have had to re-evaluate our priorities and take aspects of our life back to ground zero. I like to view this as having a clean slate. As we step foot into 2021and lay a new foundation, I pose you this question: what perspective are you entering this new chapter with?
We are all familiar with the metaphorical story of two people looking at the same glass and one perceiving it as half-full while the other sees it as half-empty. As much as we've heard this, it's still a valuable exercise to observe our minds and notice whether we are engaged in half-full or half-empty thinking. People often refer to themselves as being of one type or the other, as if it was a permanent characteristic, but we are all capable of shifting into half-full consciousness if we make the effort.
When we look at our lives with half-empty consciousness, we perceive a lack and think that half of what we want is missing. We are coming from a position of expectation and entitlement. On the other hand, when we look at our lives as half-full we perceive fullness. We recognize that our cup could be empty, so we are grateful for all the elements that are in place—not as things we expect or believe we are owed, but as gifts. This doesn't mean we don't seek more, but we seek from a place of fullness instead of from a place of lack. This fullness draws positive energy into our lives and often attracts more abundance.
After the challenges we faced in 2020 many of us are still feeling the heaviness of last year. And, rightfully so. We can't go through substantial worldwide shifts that alter our reality and expect to bounce back unscathed, but we also can't stay in a mental space of trauma and lack.It is up to us individually to shift our perspectives and use this as an opportunity to create beauty in our lives, by addressing the things we can change and focusing our energy on creating the new.
Let's leave last year where it belongs and start from empty, welcoming in the unlimited possibilities the universe offers us if we choose to be open to them.
A couple of exercises for shifting into half-full consciousness:
Imagine your life as an empty glass. This glass is your world, without all the people you know, the work you do, your home, or your current state of physical wellbeing. This glass is an open space waiting to be filled with whatever you choose to create. Once you have that feeling of openness in your mind, begin filling it with all the people, things, and places that make up your life. You may be surprised to find your glass overflowing.
Grab your notebook and draw a physical cup. On that page, write down everything that adds to your cup with positivity on one side, then everything that drains your cup with negativity on the other side. There is something reflective and releasing about writing down how we are showing up for ourselves and seeing our behaviors in front of us. This tool allows us to evaluate, then make necessary changes as we move into 2021.
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