WHAT WILL YOU CREATE IN 2017?

We often dive into the new year with the idea of leaving the previous year behind, and FINALLY, this year for sure, having that fresh start.  Resolving to make that change, develop that habit, achieve that goal.  In with the new and out with old. And giving ourselves a blank canvas to imagine all the infinite possibilities is wonderful!

But often in our rush to start fresh, we forget to recognize and appreciate how far we've already come. 

When we pause to reflect on where we were this time last year, we are often taken aback by our growth, however incremental it may be.  And we need to give ourselves credit for that growth - we've earned it!

We've brought back our 11 questions to ask yourself going into the new year, to give recognition to our growth + accomplishments, and also to put into words what it is you want to do, this coming year + beyond.

What are you proud of?

What did you learn?

What are you looking forward to?

What do you want more of?

Less of?

Below are some of our answers from the team ~ the inside scoop on what we've learned, what we're excited for + the impact we are looking to make.

Katie  What are your most important learnings from this year?

If you intend + wish for something to be transformative, without knowing how - and without trying to orchestrate it - it will happen. That tiny little voice inside you - if you listen to + follow it - takes you amazing places, beyond your wildest dreams. You don't have to have a logical reason for doing things; just listen to that little, quiet voice. Trust yourself. Then trust yourself even more. When special people show up to support you, accept + receive it wholeheartedly. Really allowing yourself to indulge in doing the things you love brings great joy, life lessons + profound meaning into your life. If we learn to follow any inclinations that are born out of pure motivation, even if we don't understand them, all will become clear later. Life brings us miracles all the time. Noticing them, embracing them, cherishing them deeply - makes life so much more magical. During times of great struggle, having an approach of gentleness, patience, curiosity or humor is most helpful. Tree roots sometimes have answers to our questions.

hot springs. bathhouses. Asia. dim sum + mangoes. collecting flowers in the wild. creative writing. collaboration with true healers of the planet. music. flower-light-candle-incense offerings. exotic flowers. profound awakening + effortless unfolding. electric impact. poetry + knowingness. unconditional love. deep compassion. self-kindness. alchemy.

Jodi  What is your life's legacy? What will you leave behind? What actions are you taking now that are leaving a positive footprint?

To answer this question I actually had to define a legacy... leg•a•cy noun 1) an amount of money or property left to someone in a will; 2) a thing handed down by a predecessor I'm going with the second definition ... ;-) MY THING(s): Your body has the ability to heal itself, truly.  You can change your direction at any time and start down, or create, a new path. If you feel at anytime out of balance, THEN CHANGE. We really can. Your thoughts DO become things, so be nice ... to you. Be kind + gentle with your heart and soul.  Have integrity, for yourself as well as others. Smile at everyone you cross paths with, it's intoxicating and you never know whose day you'll make. Follow your heart.  That passion that burns inside of you is energizing to your soul and the moment you stoke that fire you'll see how easy + full your life can be. Be kind to your mother.  Not just the woman that brought you into this world, but also the women that surround you, teach you, nurture you {Mother Earth} ... This planet can only do so much on it's own ... We need her and she needs us ... BE THE CHANGE! Reduce consumption.  Pay attention to the things that you bring into your space + how they will effect the plant when you are done.  It all starts with us.  Teach by example, not dictation. And when someone shows you who they are, believe them.  Our actions are what are believed and trusted by those who see them.

Kylee  What do you want more of in this coming year?

I want more experience. I want to travel, meet new people, understand different cultures, learn new languages, take photos, write stories and get as far out of my comfort zone as possible. I want to make more decisions based off of instinct and intuition alone.  I want to project more love and happiness in the universe and, hopefully, inspire others to do the same.

Taylor  What are your most important learnings from this year?

Travel + adventure are nourishing and give you fuel. It's always been a subtle dream of mine to travel and take photos - this dream very much manifested into a reality this year.  I went wild flower exploring with Katie in some of the most beautiful places in the world... In spring we went to FLORIDA ~ and totally blissed out in the Naples Botanical Garden. While Katie was in strategy meetings, I walked every single trail, taking photos of the luscious wonderland, making flower offerings from loose petals + foliage.  I completely fell in love with the magic of the garden. We then made our way north to the majestic landscape of BRITISH COLUMBIA. I got to stand in the same place where, 9 years ago, Katie collected the special flower essences that are the basis for our Feel Good Collection, which continues to benefit you, me, and thousands of people around the world. My absolute favorite destination of this last year was ICELAND. This misty, otherworldly landscape is where we spent an unforgettable 10 days. We marveled at countless gurgling + exploding crevices in the Earth, soaked in secret hot springs, stood at the edge of unbelievably majestic waterfalls, and butchered every single name we tried to pronounce. Katie was able to collect several flower essences, to share the magic of Iceland with the world when the timing is right. The common denominator of all these places is, of course, immersion in nature. Getting outside and connecting to the Earth in a big way is gratifying, electric + enlightening. The magic we soak up in these special places around the world is directly infused into everything we do ~ for ourselves, our families, Lotuswei, + the world. How to kick a** at work as a team to launch an amazing product. Launching Katie's book Flowerevolution was one wild ride ~ and it was all done while juggling our everyday doings!  From reaching out to supporters, designing flowerific graphics + webpages, writing copy + email magic, shooting + editing trailers and flower videos, distilling the launch strategy that worked best for us + reflected our ideals, organizing our Flowerlounge book launch events, throwing the parties ... wow. We did it all! And we did it well.  The biggest compliment we received was when someone inquired as to which book marketing agency we hired to execute it all :D **high-5 team!!!** I already can't wait for the next book!

Kate  Which successes + accomplishments are you most proud of from this past year?

Honestly? I 'left' {by mutual agreement...} a "dream job" in which I was miserable. I had moved from a comfortable, growth oriented job to explore a different avenue within women's retail, completely putting myself out there and trying something new.  And it was awful - I totally failed. But, instead of feeling sorry for myself {too much...} + waiting for the inevitable, I left.  I put my health + happiness before financial security and "what will people think." Then, instead of returning to my comfortable job with a company that loved me, I held out. I took on part time work {+ a ramen diet} and focused on what I wanted: how I wanted to live, what I wanted to do, what I wanted to create.  I made new friends. I reached out. And now I'm here, working with people who are truly my family, contributing to a vision that is changing the world, flower by flower. And I learned how important it is to stand up for myself ~ not just with others, but with myself. When those little doubts and insecurities rear their pointy little heads, I need hold fast + stay in touch with who I am, what I want, what I don't want. And that the people who love you are there for you, if you let them be.

What about you?

What did you learn this year?

What will you say ‘no’ to in 2017?

What will you say ‘yes’ to? What do you want to create?

What’s truly meaningful to you?

Click here for the 11 questions to ask yourself.

Here's to a sparkly, expansive, growth + flower filled year!

Happy thoughts, so much love + of course, flower petals, The LOTUSWEI Team