Oh here it comes, it’s that time of the year again. Today, on May 17th 2018 (Any fellow Week of the Naturals out there?), I say a sweet so long to year 23 and a warm and welcome hello to 24. I’m feeling very positive and hopeful for this new year. 23 was such a good year to me emotionally and spiritually. At 23, I have never felt more connected to my intuition / higher power / inner voice / God/ Source – whatever you want to call it! At the end of the day, we all really believe in the same thing: love, a higher creator, a larger peaceful force in all of us.

I made it my mission this past year to dive deep into my heart and spiritual power, and I have truly never felt more alive or in tune with my spirit. It’s been an emotionally positive year. Daily practice whether it’s meditation, writing to my inner voice, or just following FLOW has really helped me feel connected to a positive higher energy than my own ego and human brain. My ego used to get so caught up in success, money and my reputation (and let’s be honest – it still does pip it’s noisy head in every once in a while), but I’ve truly let go of that ego’s voice. And every single time, it flares back up, I put that attention back on my breath and back into staying present with my environment and how my body feels.

Two ideas that I’ve really connected with this year and that might help you are:

1. We are growth seeking beings

If we accept that change and growth will be a continuous part of our maturation and transformation, all will be well. There really is only one thing we can count on, and that is change. Growth. Transformation. Expansion. The Universe is expanding and we are expanding right along with it. Letting go and putting my faith in allowing and embracing change has brought a lot more joy into my life at age 23. I’ve put complete faith in the idea that everything will work out as it is meant to and live my life by following love and joy in every form. It’s so simple yet so hard to grasp initially. But dedication to these practices has been a real life-changer this year.

2. Find Alignment Before Taking Action

One Western idea and practice that I’ve completely rejected starting this year is the concept of

effort

force

hustle

hard work

Now if you’re living in the United States right now, you’re probably thinking “ohh boy another lazy, entitled and privileged millennial girl thinking she can’t work hard to achieve success….” but before you say that – my “work” of photographing families and children, editing photos, blogging, tackling my inbox – none of that is work to me. I pay my bills doing what I love, and the hours and days “working” on my business and artistic endeavors fly by because my job brings me joy.

But I don’t start my work – ever – until I get into a positive state of alignment in the morning. Meaning…

I don’t do anything in my work day until I get into a joyful state of mind.

Typically, my day starts out with a 10 minute meditation in bed, a gratitude jot in my journal for 20 minutes (listing every little thing that I am appreciative of in my present life), maybe watercolor paint for a few minutes or even eat dark chocolate and watch an episode of Boy Meets World. In other words, I do the things that bring me joy. And once I am in a high frequency of alignment, all the work gets done faster, more efficiently, and is a much more positive experience overall.

When I am in a negative state of energy/frequency, I attract inquiring clients to my inbox that are not the right fit for me, my editing workflow is inconsistent, and money and abundance doesn’t flow to me as easily and naturally as it does when I am in a state of attraction. Now this may sound all woo-woo for you, but that is truly who I have become this year. I have deepened my work with consciousness, the moon, and my inner spirit beautifully in the last 12 months, and I am sure this journey will continue to effortlessly unfold as it has in the last year.

Intention for 24

As for my intention for the year 24, I am aiming to no longer “float “and to no longer “force” but to be content and at peace with what IS. To allow opportunities to present themselves naturally and then to naturally take action and flow along with them. This year, I will no longer ruminate or complain to others and myself that “I am stuck” and “I don’t know which path to take” instead I will smile peacefully in my heart with a “the answers are flowing to me.”

I was reading my thick journal from this past year and was amazed to find that all those super specific things I wanted to manifest at 23 years old actually became real. Despite the concern, unnecessary worrying and questions of how I was going to achieve those goals (eg: move to France with Alex, pay my bills in their entirety through family portraits, etc), they just magically happened. There was no hard “work” or effort. And during those months when I was “efforting”, struggling and working really hard while stressing out about how I was going to have my bills paid, nothing came in. It all clicked for me this year. And….I am just so in awe at the power of the energy that surrounds us and I am eager to see what else I am able to dream up next.

Ask Yourself

“What opportunities are flowing to me now in the present moment?”

I am inspired by photography, children, documenting moments of family life and travel. I love designing websites, studying color palettes, water color painting, scuba diving, studying and researching. I love documenting my journey through my lens and on this blog so that I may serve, contribute or help others who may be going along a similar path. That is what I know. And I am looking forward to all the flow, alignment, joy and success that will come along with those good vibes.

So long, 23.