The Inner Discovery

Winter is the season for a quieting of the mind and introspection, but this natural tendency to seek inner solitude can be difficult to pursue amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

From a personal growth perspective, it’s important at this time of year to take stock of what is or has changed not only within ourselves but with the world around us. To define where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going.

We cannot learn from our experiences without a consideration or analysis of what worked, what didn’t work and maybe what we need to let go of. I believe this process can bring more clarity to our lives.

Without this consideration we have no real means of charting our accomplishments or identifying areas we want to explore or invest our efforts into as we move forward into a new year. From a spiritual perspective, this is a necessary ingredient for a fulfilling or meaningful life.

At the same time, we are also part of a greater collective. To be a citizen of one’s country is to be aware of its progression forward and consider how we will contribute or participate.

I realize that many of us would rather not look at the political and economic struggles that have cycled through this last year. Lord knows I have not watched much news in the last six months, but it can be a useful tool of measurement for understanding progress or stagnation.

Strong division exists between the political parties, but there have been interesting and surprising moments of cooperation and collaboration. This trend seems to gaining momentum as more politicians are breaking away from the status quo and expressing their own opinions.

This evidence suggests that the bonds of political loyalties may be weakening for a higher sense of morality, responsibility and values within a government believed to be morally bankrupt.

In my own experience I recently noticed that people in general have exhibited more warmth as they interact with others. After witnessing a splash of joy and genuine laughter on more than one occasion, I wondered if it was the Spirit of Christmas expressing through the hearts of humanity or maybe it was that and something more.  

From a metaphysical perspective, this Aquarian age that we now live in was to be a time of great healing for humanity, a time of unity and freedom. Now that may seem like a cruel joke right now, but is it possible that we, as a collective, are choosing to take a step towards this mystical wonderland of betterment.

Only time will tell, but one thing is certain and that is change. Change is always nipping at our heels and humanity may be ready for bigger changes in 2026 according to some astrological websites.

Astro butterfly website lists several planetary alignments happening throughout the month of December that supports the idea that humanity is expected to embrace real change at an inner level where one can experience a new depth of feeling along with the potential for new insights and realizations that can be a catalyst for constructive change in the new year.

These are things that only we can validate for ourselves because they must be experienced, but if we aren’t looking very closely, we could miss our own process of inner change.

Subtle shifts in how we are feeling and sensing can go unnoticed, as was the case with me recently.

I was busy, busy with my outer life and its to-do’s until I started researching for this article. I experimented with these ideas, wanting to know if I could notice anything different about me or others in my daily routine.

That’s when I started to sense other people interacting in ways that weren’t as superficial as was normally the case. People were speaking with more warmth towards each other and seemed to enjoy themselves with casual conversation. It was different and I could tell when I paid attention.

I then turned inward and noticed that I was not feeling my normal state of constant inner tension that some call ‘anxiety’ which I thought was a fluke of course but it’s been a week and this inner calm has remained steady.

I can most certainly still get worked up or freaked out over stuff, but my normal resting state is different now. I am almost afraid to admit it for fear it will disappear, but I am hopeful that something has truly changed and I can keep this settled feeling.

I truly wonder if others have felt a softening within their own states of anxiety or irritation, or maybe they haven’t noticed but are more warm and friendly as a natural response to feeling less inner stress. I guess time will tell, but it’s a fascinating discovery and I hope to witness many more in the new year.

As 2025 passes into our rear view and we set our sights on 2026, I hope we all get a chance to take time to contemplate, digest and understand where we have been, where we are and where we want to go next.