Looking back/looking forward

December 31, 2019 10:56 AM

Tonight, a small collection of my friends and I are going to release 2019 back into the toxic void from whence it came. What group activities/prompts do you like for taking stock of where you were/are and where you're going, or reflecting back on a (in this case, tough) year and transforming these reflections into steely resolve, hope, insight, inspiration, and/or something actionable for the year ahead?

Please note that I'm not asking how to set goals or resolutions!

posted by quiet coyote to Society & Culture (5 answers total)

My friends and I wrote on pieces of bark or paper (1) something that we want to let go of in the last year, and (2) one intention for the new year. Then, one at a time, we throw these into a fire (this has been a campfire or a fire in somebody’s fireplace). Sometimes some of us say aloud what we wrote, sometimes not. Sometimes we also throw sprigs of sage or lavender into the fire, just to help this feel a little more like a kind of ritual. This is not necessarily concretely actionable, but I find that doing this act with my circle of friends around me sticks with me and keeps me mindful of my intentions for a long time afterwards.
posted by Spinneret at 12:00 PM on December 31, 2019 [4 favorites]

Putting a playlist together of the music that’s been in the forefront of our minds or activities this year. Good for bringing memories to the surface.
posted by sallybrown at 12:03 PM on December 31, 2019

Someone on another question suggested the YearCompass which is free and looks awesome.
posted by bananacabana at 1:06 PM on December 31, 2019 [2 favorites]

One addition to Spinneret's idea (which is basically what I came to suggest): rolling papers burn a lot faster and more satisfyingly than pieces of notebook or printer paper.
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 1:16 PM on December 31, 2019

I am a member of the local Quaker Meeting and it’s our practice to write a “state of society report” every year, reflecting on both the gifts and the challenges of the past year. We use the following queries, which obviously have a particular spiritual perspective, and may or may not directly apply to you and your group’s situation, but also may provide a jumping-off-place for your reflections.

1. What are we grateful for? What gifts of grace have we experienced in the life of our community through the past year? 

2. How is our meeting being led to do the work of the Spirit in the world? Where could we, as a meeting, be more open to learning, growing, and serving one another both in our meeting and in the wider community?

3. Is our Meeting a community where we experience a depth of Divine Presence and ​transforming power? What unfed hungers do we feel in our community life? 

4. How have we deepened our connection to the testimonies that guide our faith? Peace and Social Witness? Environmental Stewardship? Simplicity? Equality? Integrity? Stewardship of Resources?

5. Is our Meeting community a crucible for spiritual pilgrims, an intersection of the journey inward/journey outward? Does this spiritual community offer each of us the opportunity to explore and share who we are beneath our public personae?

6. In what ways has our Meeting recognized, developed, and nurtured the gifts of our members and attenders of all ages? What have we been doing to invite new attenders and encourage continued participation?
posted by fancyoats at 3:02 PM on December 31, 2019 [11 favorites]