I love this image. It’s of a Sankofa, a bird that is looking back as it’s flying forward. Remembering the lessons of the past as she flies into the future. Carrying those lessons with her, honoring them.
I really believe that you’ve got to spend some time looking behind you to decide where you want to go. If you’re not paying attention to where you’ve been, how can you know where you want to go? What better time than New Years for some retrospection and intention setting for your next year?
A year is such a nice, ripe amount of time, easily bundled to reflect on. I’ve facilitated 2 workshops around this theme in December, both have been amazingly impactful. (I’ve got an intention setting one coming up in January.) What I’ve been the most inspired by is the willingness of the participants to define their own year. Yes, this might have been the year of _____ tragic/sad/bad thing, but they are choosing to focus on the lessons learned around it, the silver linings, the victories won in battle. From there, it’s a quick hop-step to New Years <LIFE> resolutions!
(These workshops are now global!)
Feel like being a Sankofa yourself this year? Ask yourself:
What did I do that surprised myself this year?
What did I say no to?
What did I say YES to?
Major accomplishments?
Big disappointments?
What were some major learnings of my year?
From here, ask yourself:
What do I want more of?
Less of?
What do I need to redesign or renegotiate to get there?
Bam. You’re now a Sankofa, traveling forward, learning from the past. Want the full Sankofa experience? Get it here.
What did you learn about where you’ve been? Where are you wanting to go? Share your discoveries here so we can support you.
I’m Ellen, Money Making Expert. I help creative business owners make more money and revolutionize their businesses. It’s my mission to help all you creative business owners, coaches, soloprenurs and world changers get paid, well. Ready to find out what’s possible when we work together? Book your power sesh here. 20 minutes, you and me, totally free.
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The Sankofa was one of the most common Adinkra symbols that I saw on my trip to Ghana this summer! They tend to use it more in the sense of “getting back to your roots” but I think your interpretation is lovely. I was just showing a co-worker some other Adinkra symbols today; there are some good ones!