By Jackie Rainford Corcoran EBS Health Columnist
What if you knew that this was going to be the last year of your life?
Of course, for some of us this will be our last year on Earth, and for all of us it will be the last year at our current age. We don’t get a do-over.
I’m not posing this question to be morbid, just the opposite. I pose it to encourage more vitality, engagement and joy in your life. Imagining that the end is in sight gives us the freedom to be bold, vulnerable, make changes and cherish each moment.
To discover what your year is going to look like, let’s do an exercise together. I’m going to ask you a number of questions that will help you discover how to make this your best year yet. Grab a pen and piece of paper, because writing down your answers makes this exercise more impactful.
If this turned out to be your last spring, summer, fall and winter on this planet, how would you spend your time? If this feels like biting off too much at once, simply answer how you will spend your time this spring and summer. Who will you spend more time with and who will you spend less time with? What will you do more of, and what will you do less of?
If there are parts of your life where you feel rigid and stuck in your thought patterns, how can you become more flexible? How will this help you, and/or others, heal?
If there are things or people that make you feel judgmental, what happens if you release those judgments? How does it feel to let them go? Do you withhold love from yourself or from others? How will your life look differently when you stop doing that?
What do you want to do for your body to make it feel great, and what’s your strategy for doing this? What has prevented you from doing this up until now?
In addition to checking in with your body, ask yourself these same questions about your mind. What loose ends do you need to tie up before checking out? Is there something holding you back from doing this? If so, what is it? Can you schedule a time right now to move toward completing this?
That was a deep dive, but I hope it left you feeling invigorated and inspired.
Now I encourage you to write a sweet note to yourself as a reminder that this is your year to live. Place it where you will see it often, like your refrigerator, desk or bathroom mirror.
Also consider wearing a loose fitting elastic band on your wrist each day – it can even be a plain rubber band. When you notice yourself falling back into patterns of judgment, withholding love, being rigid or wasting time in ways that you don’t have to, give the band a gentle snap and correct your course of action in that moment.
Life goes by quickly, but the more we live intentionally and consciously, the richer and more fulfilling it is. Carpe diem!
Jackie Rainford Corcoran is an IIN Certified Holistic Health Coach and Consultant, a public speaker and health activist. Contact her at Jackie@CoreHealthMT.Com
