Your Soul’s Journey in 2009

What a ride it was in 2009! For some, it’s a relief that it’s over. For others, there can be regrets of good times passed or loved ones leaving. For all of us, this is an opportunity to look at the past year to understand the Soul’s purpose during this time.

As we move forward into the New Year, our thoughts are often filled with the hope that making our annual resolutions bring. We make statements such as, “This is the year when I am going to____________________.” “This year my goal is ___________.”
or, “This year I plan to stop_(fill in your own addiction here).

For many of us, we continue to make variations of the same resolution, and sabotage them with the same patterns over and over. We attempt to move away from the old situations, the year past, without collecting the learnings that these situations brought to us, changing the patterns that no longer work, or opening up to the gifts that are present for our growth. We continue to do what we swear we’re never going to do again, and then beat ourselves up for it. Shame is never a good motivator for lasting change.

On our soul’s journey, we move through many situations that seem difficult, even traumatic in this physical form. However, every situation and person that we have encountered thus far, no matter how difficult, was part of our soul’s purpose to help us grow and evolve. So, we can begin to open up to a new way of looking at our lives.

To begin to understand your soul’s purpose, it is helpful to ask yourself some questions to bring this information to your awareness. Think back over the past year to some of the significant events or patterns that occurred. From a place of inner stillness and non- judgment, ask yourself the following questions: What were the times and places I gave my power away and stopped being responsible to myself? What internal resources or beliefs would have been helpful to me in those situations? How have I grown because of this? What themes kept reoccurring? What was the gift or blessing that came forward as a result of my experiences in 2009?

Now, stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and look through the eyes of your Soul, knowing that it holds no fear or judgment, but experiences only the purest Love. As you are looking through these loving eyes, open up to your Soul’s purpose in all of this. What was Life asking of you here? Was it to open your heart? To trust yourself? To move forward with courage? The soul’s purpose is often beyond our physical senses, but is always working for our highest good, guiding us toward our destiny. When the soul’s purpose can be seen in the patterns of our lives, life becomes a celebration. Begin to trust that we are all part of something much larger than our physical being, and that everything that happens is for our highest good. Our job is to cooperate with our soul’s expression.

If you sailed through 2009 with abundance and joy, and handled all challenges with grace and ease, that’s awesome. Continue doing that in 2010. If, on the other hand, you are holding on to regrets, anger, or longing for days passed, then you might find some of the following suggestions helpful. Some of these may take some time, but when you set your intention to do what’s for your highest good, these changes begin to take place.

Fist of all, sit quietly and slow down your breathing. Think of a time when you really felt loving for something or someone, and open up to that feeling now. Hold that experience as you think about the following:

1. Imagine the you of 2009 out in front of you. Send that loving energy to him or her. Express appreciation for all that you did. Send that energy through your whole timeline of 2009 to change the vibration.
2. Take responsibility for the choices you made. Forgive yourself for any judgments you’re carrying about what you did or didn’t do.
3. Love those parts of you that continued to repeat old patterns. Know that you’ll change when it’s time, and that you’re learning and being strengthened during it all.
4. Change the questions you ask yourself, as that’s where the wisdom lies. For example
• Instead of why did this happen to me? Ask, what was my soul’s purpose?
• Instead of whose fault was this? Ask, what am I to be learning here?
• Instead of why do I keep screwing up? Ask, what qualities do I need to handle this differently?
5. Visualize yourself having the qualities that you need. Re-experience a situation you’re holding on to in a new way to help you transform it.
6. Set your intention to let go of what no longer serves your Highest Good.
7. Live in the moment, as that is the only place change occurs.
8. Trust that everything happened for your learning and growth, and that you were supported throughout the year.

Think of who you are now compared to the you of a year ago. Chances are, you’re not the same. You’ve lived, loved, experienced disappointment, maybe even heartache. And you’ve grown on levels you’re not even aware of. Often, you’ve been “sandpapered” into a better you. And your soul has been leading you on this journey. It has been your biggest fan and cheerleader. Always present and loving it all.


Happy New Year to us all. May this year be filled with love, joy and laughter!


Dixie Clark, MS, MSS, LPC is Director and co-founder of Morning Star Center, a holistic well center. A licensed counselor and ordained minister, she holds a masters’ degree in both counseling and spiritual science, and is currently obtaining her doctorate in spiritual science. With over 26 years experience in mind/body therapies, she combines psychology and spirituality to help people release emotional blocks, heal past trauma and change limiting beliefs.