Hi,

Happy Monday! I can’t believe this will be my last newsletter of 2024. I’ve loved preparing this monthly newsletter for you. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. I appreciate you and wish you a magical December!

Remember: You are magic today, tomorrow and every day✨

This month, in honour of a special birthday, I’m sharing a personal story about traditions, specifically about starting your own traditions.

Key Takeaways

• You can start traditions that feel good to you

• You can let go of traditions that no longer serve you

Traditions are passed on from generation to generation. Sometimes, because of the very concept of a tradition—they suck. Why? Because they are no longer aligned with how we live today, but we keep them up, even if they make us feel bad because “it’s a tradition.”

Other traditions are awesome. They make you feel good and allow you to feel connected with generations past as well as with your culture and community.

I wonder, though, how many people start their own traditions? Things that make them feel good and that they can start passing on from generation to generation?

Last year, on my boyfriend’s (now fiancé’s) birthday, I told him I had some birthday questions for him.

At first, he looked a little scared. What was I going to ask? Did he have to prepare anything?

I told him there was no need to prepare; they would be easy questions.

• What are you most proud of in the last year?

• What comes to mind if you think of success in the past year?

• What do you wish you had dealt with differently in the past year?

• What was your greatest improvement last year?

• What are you most looking forward to for the year to come?

• What will make you feel happy in the upcoming year?

• What’s one thing you want to get better at next year?

• If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do next year?

• Would you change anything from the past year?

• Are you happy?

• Do you have any questions for me?

Okay, so they weren’t necessarily the easiest questions, but I felt preparation took away from the exercise. The answers needed to be honest and genuine—the first thing that comes to mind kind of answers. And he didn’t know it, but I was testing what I hoped would be a new tradition for us.

He enjoyed having a moment to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. And I loved hearing his responses. It was a beautiful moment together.

We tend to rush through life, and we don’t always allow ourselves to celebrate our wins, especially the small ones, even if we do take a moment to acknowledge them, it’s quickly forgotten as new things pop up continuously.

And when we look forward, we tend to think in 5-year cycles, the long term over the short term, where we want to be, over how we want to get there.

I purposefully made the questions time-bound to focus on recent achievements and allow for achievable goals for the upcoming year. We change so quickly that our 5-year plans often become redundant. I felt the questions selected allowed focusing on everyday choices we can make to achieve our goals.

Now, this is our birthday tradition, and we love it!

We have changed up the questions a little to avoid preparation in advance, but the concept remains the same: an opportunity for reflection, celebration, and focus. And of course, it’s a great moment together 😊.

What questions would you add?

I’m excited to continue this tradition this Friday; we’ll be celebrating a big birthday in our house!

My monthly challenge is to consider what traditions make you feel anxious and which ones bring you joy. Let go of what no longer serves you, give yourself permission to do more of what feels good, and make it a tradition!

Hit reply and let me know about some of your traditions.

Shine bright.

This month’s quote:

☀️ Feeling kind? ⏩ Forward this story to a friend who may find it valuable.