New Year’s Eve (Seeing and Thanking) Meditation

As you observe humanity as a whole, who draws you? Are they the heroes of history, current inspirations or are there also negative influences? Don’t judge who you see, just notice. This room represents your opportunities for growth at this moment. Who do you notice in the room?

Who do you want to thank? Can you thank those who had a negative impact? Who inspired you the most? Take a moment and thank everyone you see. Whether you speak to people in groups or individually, take time to thank everyone. Why are you grateful for their contribution? Why do they inspire you?

As the general population has left the room, you now see family, friends, and maybe ancestors. Who do you see in the room with you? What family, friends or members of your community has remained with you?

Now is the time to thank your community. As you notice who is there, what impact have they had on your life? What have they inspired within you? How have you grown by knowing them?

As your extended family, friend, and community left the room, who remained? Who are your most intimate relationships?  Who are the last few people in the room with you?

Take time to thank every intimate relationship in your life. This might take more than a few minutes, but be willing to sit with each one, before you move onto the next question.

Why are you grateful for this relationship? What have they given you? What have you learned?

As you finish your conversations and notice the mirrors, what do you notice about yourself? Who are you? What do you see?

As you travel from mirror to mirror, why are you grateful? Thank yourself for everything you see. Again, even things we originally considered negative can be gifts that help us grow. Take the time to visit each mirror and thank the reflection you see for the inspiration or how it has helped you grow.

As you find the stairs and travel down to your final door, what do you see on the other side? Give a detailed description of what you see.

We may not realize it, but gratitude is about release. Whether we are grateful for gifts we received, roads we’ve traveled, or for the end of suffering, all gratitude has one common thread. As we express our gratitude, we let go and we turn again to what is next in our lives. Take some time now to express gratitude for your life, for the blessings and the curses and the things you wish to finally release? Even if you are not grateful for everything that has occurred, maybe you can find gratitude for the opportunity to let it go, or the strength you’ve shown to move beyond it. Why are you grateful? What do you want to release, with gratitude?