Your Zen minute: It’s easy to say “Life is a gift,” but of course it doesn’t always feel that way, especially during stressful or painful times. But stop and notice — these moments, even the difficult ones, will pass. Every moment passes. Each moment is precious, unique, and gone forever once it’s over. This is your chance to enjoy them, to sit with them, to learn from them. Don’t miss it.

Can you believe we are almost at the end of the wild ride that was 2020? Most years, the holidays bring us a chance to reflect on the past months, encouraging feelings of gratitude and reflection. Anticipation over what the new year may bring starts to take hold. But with all that has taken place in the last 11 months, it would not be unusual to feel a cloud of negativity right now. It’s key to remember all that we do have and allow gratitude to remain our constant guide.

December’s mindfulness focus will be “Attitude for Gratitude.” Each issue of Shorelines will share an exercise on reflecting on positives and challenges. Reflection is a powerful tool, in that it provides you with a measure of self-awareness and some understanding of how you arrived at your present state. It gives you the information you need to evaluate the decisions you made and the whys and hows of the last year.

Let’s start this off by doing an annual reflection. We typically talk about daily reflections, to keep us invested in the things truly important to us. This is the same process, but on a larger scale. Focus on the major events of the year, what they meant to you, and the impact they may have on your future. This is a good way to learn a little more about yourself and what you are (or are not) capable of.

This week’s challenge is to look back through this year’s calendar. Note the events you experienced, the people you met, changes in your routines, how you practiced self-care. Perhaps grab a journal to start noting what all of this information says about you. Remember to look at it with a mindful — and grateful — eye. What were some challenges faced or mistakes made? What were some of your successes? Why are these things relevant to you? What have you learned?

What you learn through this reflection can help you appreciate the broad span of things you experienced, both good and challenging. Remember: We are all human and do not make the right choices all the time. That’s perfectly fine! Be grateful for those opportunities. You are reading this now, which means you made it to the other side!

Gratitude Mindset Meditation

• Find a quiet place to sit and relax where you won’t be disturbed.
• With your eyes closed, begin to breathe slowly and deeply.
• Scan your body to find any places holding stress, and let those muscles relax.
• Bring to mind a time when things were not going well — a time that caused confusion or pain of some kind.
• Thinking back on that time, take in what happened during that experience.
• Now begin to move forward in your mind, observing yourself, through your memories, as you navigated this situation.
• Put your awareness on the person you were then — doing the best you knew how at that point in time.
• Notice that where you are currently is a very different time, space, and experience. See how far you have come. Become aware of the different person you are today.
• During this reflection, ask yourself, “What is the gift, the lesson I received from this experience?”
• Ask yourself what you are grateful for as a result. Within your mind, repeat “Thank you” after each lesson.
• Sit in the quiet with this gratitude. Let it internalize.

Thanks for joining us for this month’s challenge! If you do any of the exercises, we would love to hear how they went at shorelines@northshorebank.com. —Pat Ingelse, AVP, PMP