January 2018 Newsletter
Hello and Welcome!
I am profoundly happy and deeply grateful that you have decided to join me throughout 2018 for a "Year of Living Gently" as I celebrate my 20th Anniversary. And, creating your own year of living kindly and gently with yourself. This is exciting, indeed! This newsletter invites you to a gentle beginning of what can be a truly transformative year. As you know, I have been working with the principles and practices of gentle living for over two decades—and I'm still working at it—kindly, of course! It takes time for us to remove any weeds from our inner garden—those encumbrances that keep us from feeling fully free, happy, healthy and whole. It takes time for newly planted seeds to grow. It takes even more time for what is planted to fully bloom and radiate its beauty to the world. So let us be gentle with ourselves as we proceed; compassionate when we fall back into unkind patterns; patient with ourselves as we align ourselves with inner healing, as well as the divine timing of all of this. What does "Living Gently" mean?
This is how I view it. "Living Gently", first of all, is a courageous path. It is countercultural and misunderstood in general. It is not a path of giving up, but of letting go and "letting things be"; of deep acceptance. It is not a path of weakness. It is path of self-knowledge, setting kind goals for oneself (including self-acceptance) irrespective of societal dictates or expectations. It is not a meek path, for it invites us to see what is happening clearly (with self-compassion), and make significant changes that may be good for us but unpopular with others. Living gently is a path of empowerment by being deeply aware, caring and attentive to what brings us closer to whole health and spiritual well-being.
You will have a unique approach to living more gently with yourself ...
Each of us comes to this path with a unique history, needs, and circumstances. I came to it because I had lost my health and there was nowhere to go but up. I had hit rock bottom. I found myself creating a personal protocol for getting well. I did what seemed intuitively right and with divine guidance found my way back to health and well-being.
As you may know, this is what I wrote Coming Home to Ourselves about. It outlined a path for living more gently with yourself by taking "Baby Steps" to "Nurture Your Body", "Feed Your Mind," and "Enrich Your Spirit." It allows the reader to create a personal plan (considering their time and circumstances) to harmonize body, mind, and spirit for optimal results. Some of you may have come to the Year of Living Gently for similar reasons. Or, your own! You may feel stressed and overwhelmed by life. You might find yourself trapped in a relationship or job that is depleting your energy. You may have received a surprising health diagnosis and have been told you must slow down to live differently. You may be feeling exhausted, lost, or out of touch with your spirit. You may have suffered a loss, feel confused or empty, not knowing how to heal. You might know on a very deep level that your life is out of balance and you're not sure how to get it back. You may want to heal childhood wounds, making peace with your past. You may be struggling with aging. On the other hand, some of you might actually be in a pretty good place, but want to feel more rooted in peace, love, and joy on a daily basis; able to ride the rollercoaster of life and navigate everyday challenges better. I believe that no matter where you are on your life path, the principles and practices of living gently will greatly benefit you and all aspects of your life: health, relationships, work, spirituality, and more. 
"Start where you are."
This is good advice. Acknowledge where you find yourself and begin there. That's your first step on the path of living gently.
Say what's real. Say what hurts and isn't working. Name your frustration, your fear, your concern. State what you really want for yourself. That's the stepping off place. Once you can openly and honestly say to yourself, "This isn't working. This is what I need help with and want to change. And this is what I want for myself," forces will begin to align to help you do just that. I fully believe this with every ounce of my being. I have experienced it myself thousands of times. When we begin to release the tight hold we have on our lives, when we open to the divine and bring as a partner into our healing journey, all manner of things begin to happen. Perhaps even coming to this "Year of Living Gently" will be one of those for you. A sacred nudge might have brought you here because it IS time: your time to do what you need to do to live differently in a way that supports your true nature, inclinations, and purpose. I am glad you are here! Your January Invitation:
This month, I invite you to explore Coming Home to Ourselves and the process I outline within its pages to take a look at what you need most in your life right now, and how to harmonize body, mind and spirit. It's a good book with which to launch 2018!
And if by chance you've already read it, I advise you to return to it. It has become a self-care classic. You are likely in a different place now than when you first read it. It may offer useful, new insights. You received the link to this book when you pre-ordered Living Gently with Myself. But here it is again for ease of downloading. http://www.awakenedliving.com/podcasts/ComingHome.pdf I suggest you print the book from the pdf so you can actually write in it and use the journaling pages. (The paperback book is out of print, but used copies are available through Amazon.) Let Coming Home guide you to your essence this January. I trust that it can. It has helped, literally, thousands of women (5,000 copies sold) to get their lives on track and connect with deeper parts of themselves that needed nurturing and care. It can guide you too! Helpful Videos for the Month of January
January 13 Webinar
On Sunday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m. (ET), I will be holding a webinar (the first of many!) about "Living Gently." The platform I will use for this so we can see one another and interact well is Zoom. You will need to create a free Zoom account to participate. It's easy to do! Once your account has been created, I'll send you an e-mail with a link to enter the webinar. As we get closer to the date, I will send you more information on this. The topic will be "Extraordinary, Loving, Mindful Self-Care", based on Coming Home to Ourselves.
If you cannot participate in the webinar live, no worries, though I hope you will try to join us! A recording of the program will be sent to you. A Special Offer!
January Gift Giveaway
Win a collectible copy of the paperback version of Coming Home to Ourselves. AND a free, 40-min. "Living Gently" personal coaching session with me.
How to enter the drawing to be held Jan. 31: Send me an email before 1/31 telling me about your highest hope in terms of living gently with yourself in 2018. A random name will be drawn from the entries. Good luck to all!
Thank you, lovely soul, for joining me this month's issue and being present to yourself in increasingly kind ways. Onward and inward we go! It's going to be an amazing year!
And remember to reach out for assistance if you need it. I am here! With metta (loving-kindness), Jan "May all beings be at ease." Janice Lynne Lundy, DMin www.JanLundy.com Co-Founder & Co-Director, Spiritual Guidance Training Institute www.SpiritualGuidanceTraining.com Have comments or questions?
Click the "Comments" button below and we can connect!
6 Comments
1/2/2018 08:29:07 am
Jan, I was hesitant about starting this year with you because of feeling overwhelmed with daily readings and "to-do" list and not being able to keep up. However, something inside me told me this will be different, and now that I've read through this first day, I feel quite comfortable and very grateful that I am a part of this undertaking of yours along with other caring women seeking a deeper sense of our own authenticity. So, I'll be here as often as I can and will provide feedback as it seems appropriate to do so, and I thank you with heartfelt gratitude for providing such an amazing opportunity for all of us together.
JAN
1/4/2018 10:01:43 am
Hello Pam,
Pamela Harman Daugavietis
1/4/2018 10:41:34 am
Thanks so much, Jan! I love the thought of A Year of Gentle Living and look forward to experiencing this gift with you! Wishing you a very kind and compassionate 2018, as well!
Mary Ellen Darnell
1/6/2018 08:41:45 am
Dear Pam & Jan,
Pamela Harman Daugavietis
1/6/2018 11:43:56 am
So good to know you're here, too, Mary Ellen, and had the same hesitations I did at first, too, and chose to stay. As they say, timing is everything and as the New Year gets underway, I am ever more certain that this will be a wonderful experience for me to be in this special group of authentically amazing women!
Jan
1/9/2018 10:27:11 am
Mary Ellen, Leave a Reply. |
The Year of Living Gently
Take a breath, and drop into a kinder, gentler place within yourself.
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