What do you want to welcome into your life in 2024? Go big! Welcome something that would qualitatively add meaning to your life. Not that self-improvement resolutions such as quitting smoking or dry January are unimportant, but they get too much psychic attention and don’t make life more purposeful. We often approach resolutions in a way that leads to resistance or experience them as difficult or “shoulds”.
In the coming day or two, reflect upon one thing that would make your life more meaningful if you welcomed it with intention. When we invite what enlivens us, we can tap into energy instead of meeting resistance. Rather than improving who we are, we are becoming more fully ourselves. Of course, we will discover hurdles and fears along the way, but moving through them gives us meaning too.
You may welcome what you want to see more of in the world: Peacefulness, compassion, understanding, connection, cooperation, or justice. Or it could be that you want to welcome what is uniquely relevant for you at this juncture: Spontaneity, closer friendships, creativity, playfulness, or confidence.
What enriches our lives and, by extension, the world, are not material things, however important they may be. The Dalai Lama points out that materiality is insatiable; no deep contentment comes with it. When we welcome things that develop and nourish our authenticity, we create the conditions of continued abundance for ourselves and others.
Ask yourself: “What is one thing I want to welcome in 2024 that would make a real difference in my life?” Once you arrive at an answer, pause, and give this recognition your attention. Don’t jump quickly to set concrete goals. Imagine times when you experienced what you want to welcome. What was it like? Also, imagine what it would look like in your day-to-day life now – in your friendships, with family, at work, and in relationship with yourself.
Specificity and creating space are two helpful guidelines for ushering in what we want in 2024. It means envisioning clear steps or examples of what we desire. It does not mean we know how things will evolve and manifest. But we need to start with what we can imagine concretely. So, specificity is our friend, but then we hold on lightly to the outcome.
For example, if what you want to welcome in 2024 is a deeper connection to friends, think about what that would look like. How can you invite your friends to join you? You might send an email or handwritten note expressing your wish to find ways to support each other’s aspirations. What activities might you introduce that encourage a deeper connection? It helps to switch up how you typically get together. Maybe you commit to monthly long walks to promote health. While walking, you agree to periods of silence and meaningful conversation about what matters most to you. Or you have a dance party, maybe in the early morning before you start work. Can’t get together in person? Dance on Zoom. Another thing to consider is gathering at times that don’t involve substances, like alcohol. Other questions you can ask yourself: What, if anything, keeps me from being more vulnerable or connected to my friends? And what, if anything, can I imagine doing about it?
Reflecting on these questions is more than just an intellectual exercise. Your answers are not hypothetical. Take your responses seriously; they are your wisdom – and your actions will come from them.
Prioritizing what we want to welcome into our lives does require our resources, as does everything that matters most. We must make room for it, treating it as a healthy longing. How can we make room for something else when our minds and schedules have no space? Carving out blocks of time is part of welcoming what matters most. Even when our commitments make creating space hard to imagine, from an abundant mindset, we make room for quite a bit in whatever time we have.
Guided Exercise: Welcoming Abundance in 2024
Affirmations and guided imagery are forms of light hypnosis or trance, a state of relaxed, or focused awareness. They help you tap into your unconscious resources to ally with you. In this state, if what I suggest aligns with what you want to welcome into your life, this exercise can be a powerful tool. Here is a 17 minute audio to help strengthen your intention to nurture what you wish to welcome in 2024.
When listening, it’s helpful to carve out a time and a place where nothing and no one is pulling for your attention. Finding that space is part of what makes this kind of exercise impactful. Don’t multitask, especially when doing something that requires your attention (like driving or walking down the street with headphones!)