On Sunday, December 21, 2014, at 6:03 pm EST, the Winter Solstice moved through. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, it marked the shortest day - in daylight hours - of the year.

The Winter Solstice presents a prime opportunity to reflect on the year it ushers quickly to its close, to release what is no longer of service from your life, and to return to the light with renewed focus and clarity and hope.

Reflect

Your reflection on  2014 isn't meant to reopen wounds or take count of what went wrong. That type of reflection has nothing to do with your highest good.

This is about making note of what worked, and taking the lesson from what didn't; relishing the goals you met, and reviewing those left unmet; reminiscing on relationships new and renewed, and unraveling from those that waned.

This is about preparing for the new year by setting or resetting intentions; setting or resetting goals; getting clear on who and how you want to be; deciding who you want to be with, and how you want to be with them.

Release

Out with the old, in with the new.

It may sound almost caustic in its abruptness, and yet there's rich truth in that succinct phrase.

When you release what doesn't work any longer, you make room for what does.

When you release the old ways of thinking and speaking and being, you make room for the new ways.

When you release yourself from relationships that have grown stale and/or toxic, you make room for relationships that enrich and uplift you.

When you release things from your life that no longer have purpose or bring you joy, you create white space; energetic freedom.

Return

Today marks the first day of the return to the light. Through reflecting and releasing, you open yourself to the returning light's heady illumination. In essence, you issue it a beautiful handwritten invitation to illuminate your path that you might better see your way.

You give it permission to illuminate you in all your radiant glory.

Take Action

I invite you to take beautiful action on your behalf, and gift yourself with the time to reflect and release for your own return to the light.

What's Your Truth?

What goal did you meet in 2014? What's one habit or way of being you wish to release?