Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa. Clean Slate. Hello 2015!

Tabula Rasa: ˈtäbyo͝olə ˈräsə, ˈräzə| noun (pl. tabulae rasae |ˈtäbyo͝olē ˈräsē, ˈräzē| ) an absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals; a clean slate: the team did not have complete freedom and a tabula rasa from which to work.
ORIGIN Latin, literally ‘scraped tablet,’ denoting a tablet with the writing erased.

What do you do at the dawn of a New Year?

Do you set new goals?

Create new resolutions?

When I crewed Anthony Robbins Unleash the Power Within one year, I became known as the “burn your fears girl.” My task of that day was to make sure all attendees had filled out a “burn your fears sheet” to toss into a fire before the nights event of walking on fire. Robbins believes “we” can’t face the fear of walking on fire, if we still hold so many fears within. He believes the act of writing them down, crumbling them up and burning them metaphorically represents a letting go, a releasing, an opening, a space, for the new.

I love that analogy. I loved my designation of the day as attendees would approach me and ask, “are you the burn your fears girls?” “Oh, yes, I AM the burn your fears girl,” I would think as I giggled!

But mostly, I love the larger metaphor this program-ritual offers, we’ve got to let go, to embrace the new.

Clean out to bring in.

Open, to let go.

Tabula Rasa. Clean Slate

I love this quote from the “father of the hero’s journey,” Joseph Campbell, “We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

At this time of year, at the dawn of a whole bright, new, shiny year, as you create your goals and resolutions, or whatever name or form that takes for you, I offer you a series of thoughts, ideas and questions to create completion with 2014, to create a whole new, open space for you, for your greatness, for your success and your greatest joys to emerge in 2015.

Tabula Rasa. Clean Slate. Fresh new adventures laden with endless possibilities, unburdened by dashed hopes and dreams of yesteryear. You want it all and you know that letting go to open to the new is essential. You know this on both an intellectual and intuitive level.

Questions to reflect on, as you bid adieu to 2014:

If you were to summarize 2014 into one word, what word would you choose and why?

What and who are you most grateful for this year?

What was your most powerful lesson of the year?

Your greatest success?

Your greatest risk?

What worked?

What didn’t work?

Who made the greatest impact on your life this year?

What did you accomplish in 2014 that you are most proud of?

What worked for you this year? What didn’t work for you this year?

What are you most happy about completing this year?
Like when the ball drops at midnight, this exercise is an emotional one — sort of bittersweet, but ah, oh-so-powerful nonetheless. You just gleaned powerful insights into what you want, and what you don’t want for the new year that rises. But oh, so exciting, you’ve cleaned the slate, you’ve celebrated, acknowledged and completed 2014 to open the space of tabula rasa for 2015! And with this whole new open space …

I offer you a few questions and thoughts to consider, as you plan for your BIGLIFE Project 2015.

If you were to choose one word to describe what you want to create in 2015, what would it be?

Where and who do you want to be at the end of 2015?

In what area(s) of your life do you want to create lasting success?

What top 3 actions can you take right now to ensure your success? Write these out and create timelines to complete these actions, “by when.”

What top 3 actions can you take every day to ensure your success? Write these out every week, and review them every night, so you know what to do the next day.

Who can help you advance your intentions and success?

What books can you read to ensure your success?

What groups can you join to ensure your success?

Who can you work with to ensure your success?

What will be the benefits if you stick to your goals?

What will be the losses?

You cannot change your past, but you can choose your future.

Happy 2015! Let go of whatever didn’t happen in 2014 — listen to the “burn your fears girl,” and create peace with what didn’t happen and gratefulness for all that did! This IS your year, IF you create it that way!

May vibrant health, soaring energy and unstoppable success be yours in this new year and every year hereafter!!