Let me suggest a 4 steps action plan over the next 4 days, starting today.

First Step: Activate gratitude and acknowledgement.

For those who are interested, there's one word in French which entails these 2 aspects : “reconnaissance”. So English is Easier and clearer in this case.

Think back about your year. Could you identify 10 things for which you are grateful, or for which you can acknowledge your own strength, creativity, achievement etc...? Things about which you could actually say “I am proud of myself”?

If you can't think of anything obvious off the top of your head, start with “small things”. The kind of things which are so “obvious” that we might forget that if we didn't have them, life would be quite different. E.g, do you have a roof over your head? Is that a reason for gratitude? Or at least to feel safe and express gratitude. Maybe this is not the ideal roof, maybe the neighbours are a problem (I know some of you will smile on that one!), maybe there are financial issues, maybe the place could benefit from a few jobs. But if you had no roof at all, how would you see someone in your current position? Aren't you lucky?

Staying on the same topic, if you have a place you can call home, can this be because you have been able to create it and keep it? Maybe this is reason to acknowledge yourself for that achievement?

Maybe 2014 is the year you got to learn about Eft, or maybe the year you got to really get serious about it and benefit from your work. Another reason to congratulate yourself?

There there are more specific events. Maybe you survived really difficult times, a bereavement, maybe several for some of you. Maybe were you strong enough to overcome a disease or at least some aspects of it? Maybe you uncovered in yourself strengths you didn't even know you had? Another opportunity to pat yourself on the back, or to be grateful if you received help form people, medical treatments, etc...

Take your time and find 10 of these positive views about your past year, at this time of a closing year.

Write them down and... tap along! One point per event/situation, in front of the mirror would be a good idea.

In my case it could be :

Top of the head: “Christine, you are lucky to have a home! Thank you!”

Eyebrow: “Christine, you can be proud you improved on the regularity of your newsletters this year” (OK, anybody raising your hand to signal that this is far from perfect, please hold it, this will be addressed in step 2! For now, try and look at your year through rosy lenses)

Handing it back to you!!

So get your pen and paper, put on rosy lenses and get tapping! I'll meet you again soon for Step 2!