It was New Years Eve. I was standing on a rooftop in West Hollywood as fireworks were lighting up the California sky. As December came to an end and January began I was cheering in 2014 with friends. We had nothing but big hopes and dreams.
On January 1 2014 I took on a new ‘New Year’ tradition. I spent time contemplating what I really wanted 2014 to be about. What I wanted from myself, what I wanted to achieve and what I wanted to work for. It resulted in a big mission statement I later broke down into goals for all areas of my life. Goals I later turned into plans and schedules month by month, and week by week.
And now for 2015, besides setting up mission statements and goals, I’ve added time to contemplate what 2014 was all about. Because it’s not really possible to move forward into something new if one doesn’t analyze the past. It’s a way of collecting the experiences I have had, and a chance to ponder what really happened these past 12 months. To take a close look on what I have done, and what I have accomplished. To see what I had set out to do and how it actually unfolded. And wow, was I amazed?!
As a reaction to 2013 which was rather stressful, I had set out 2014 to be all about the keyword ‘Balance’. I wanted and sought balance in every area of my life. My trips to LA, I had started to take at the end of 2012, had had a huge impact on my life. Something like ‘Eat pray love’ but instead of going to Bali and what not, I went straight into the heart of Hollywood. The yogis, the spiritual gurus, and the healthy lifestyle while working hard towards one’s dreams had spiritually woken me up and made me connect with myself in a more profound way. Whenever I was in LA it was like I saw a glimpse of who I could become, and I knew I wanted that Johanna for myself. But I also knew it would take me a whole lot of work to become that person I wanted to be. The year of 2014 has been about challenging myself to become a better person, a person who is true to herself in every aspect of her life, and to be someone who is deeply connected to her soul’s essence.
The first six months I’d dug deep in my behavioral patterns, and mid-year The Bead Movement became the action plan to take myself a step further towards living the life I wanted. It has by no means been an easy journey. It’s been highs and lows, but an amazing adventure. It’s been a constant battle against fears as I have pushed my boundaries and my safety zones more than ever before. When I look back at the Johanna from December 31 2013 and compare her to the Johanna on December 31 2014 I’m nothing but grateful.
Today, except from working hard to reach my dreams as a writer, I also live a wholehearted life where I continue to eliminating fear guided by love. Most evenings when I go to bed I feel a contentment I’ve never experienced before, because nowadays I live every day the best way I possibly can. Today I feel more in charge of my own life than ever, which for me is important in a world and business that at most times makes one feel as though one is in free fall. I am incredibly grateful for the amazing people I’m surrounded by, near and far. And I’m truly happy because I know now I’m on the right path. As I looked up to the sky on December 31 2014 I was nothing but overwhelmingly happy. Of course I am nowhere near my finish line, but I am on my way, because this year I have accepted that I am exactly where I should be in this very moment.
May your year be ever glimmering of hopes and dreams, and may you march steadfast towards a life better than you could’ve possibly imagined!
Love Johanna.
Tags: dreams, Eat pray love, eliminate fear, goals, gurus, healthy lifestyle, hopes, Johanna Ginstmark, love, new year, resolution, The bead movement, yoga., yogi life
