I’ve never done any sort of solstice ritual, apart from noting it at the time the sun goes down and being happy the days will start getting longer. This year, I felt called to do a little more. Attuning to the rhythms of the planet feels more authentic and much less frazzled than all the other ways in which humans have made this time of year a shit show. Not having anything special in mind, I knew I wanted to set intentions and think about what I want to leave behind. It seemed right to wake up early (yes 7am is early for me these days) and spend some time reflecting with the sunrise, which I did with some oracle cards and journaling. A bit before sunset, I walked down to the beach with my journal. I started writing a list of intentions, starting each item with, “I intend to.” Then, I wrote down a list of things I wanted to leave behind, and as the sun set, I crumpled up the list and lit it on fire. This sounds very dramatic, but notepaper doesn’t actually burn all that well, and it mostly just smoldered, and I had to light it a bunch of times for it to completely turn to ash, at which point I just buried it in the sand. You know, IG vs. real life and all of that.
Astute readers will notice that this is a late-in-the-day post for me—I actually had to think about whether I wanted to share these intentions. I decided to (in alignment with one of them), not because they require any sort of accountability, but as a counter-point to all the resolution posts and discussions that are about to hit us. Goals are great, but if you don’t have the intention behind them, the “why,” motivation is harder to find. Plus, intentions don’t have that insidious side effect of making you think you’re not a good enough person now and won’t be until you do the thing you resolved to do.
My intentions
I intend to define success and self-worth by how much humanity I have, not by how I align with capitalist and patriarchal structures.
I intend to give thanks to nature every day.
I intend to tell the people I love, I love you, every chance I get.
I intend to be unapologetically myself.
I intend to practice getting out of my comfort zone by being adventurous, brave, learning new things, and making mistakes.
I intend to balance my head, heart, and body.
I intend to check in with myself every morning.
I intend to donate and advocate for causes I believe in.
I intend to practice being patient, curious, mindful, intentful, deliberate, steady, peaceful.
I intend to spend time on the trails, in the water, in new places.
I intend to nurture the relationships that fill me up and let go of those that no longer serve me.
I intend to embrace discovery, vulnerability, uncertainty, the endless spiral of life through which I can remain steadfast and trusting.
I intend to make sustainable choices that don’t contribute to climate change and, better, to reverse it.
I intend to keep promises to myself, even when it’s hard or I don’t feel like it.
I intend to lean into my creativity and delve into new, hidden places with my writing.
I intend to live my life with integrity.
I intend to give myself grace.
I intend to take up space.
I intend to create the structure and boundaries I need to realize my goals and desires.
I intend to leave the world better than I found it.
I intend to ask more questions and do more listening.
I intend to set goals and trust myself.
I intend to be the person I am, not the person I was, or thought I was, or think I should be.
I intend to appreciate and be grateful for all I have in this moment.
I intend to celebrate myself and my accomplishments and be proud of myself.
I had to laugh at the struggle to burn notepaper, as I was not just 20 minutes ago struggling to do the same with my own. 🫠 At any rate, all the best with your intentions in 2024!
I love you just the way you are... intentions and all.💖