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Tom Drake

Pause for Thought

As the year starts to wind down and the nights to draw in, we now have a great opportunity to take stock of the last year and to bring into mind the pledges and resolutions we may have made ourselves over the period of the past twelve months.



Our Pledges and Resolutions may have included.

  • The need to take time for ourselves and our loved ones;

  • The need for reflection in our lives;

  • A desire to help and support other in difficult times.

It is possible that you may have made some that are personal to you and if you not yet made any pledges or resolutions then could this be the time to make a commitment to yourself in considering the ways you might like personal change?


As you make resolutions and commitments to yourself explore ways that you can move towards them every day and the impact that this has upon you and those around you.



Moving forwards towards 2021


As increasing and encouraging news of the new covid-19 vaccination comes to light it is likely that our lives will increasingly return to something resembling a pre covid normality. The changes may take a while to witness but it can be of little doubt that the world in 2021 will look different to the world at present. As these changes occur and we engage ourselves in our ever-changing daily lives and routines it may become all too easy to lose sight of the pledges and resolutions we have made ourselves.


Perhaps now more than ever this is the time to pause and reflect upon our experiences and consideration to our thoughts and reflections we have had individually or collectively over the past twelve months.



Happy Diwali


I would like to wish everybody Happy Diwali to everybody who may be celebrating, Diwali symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

The journey towards knowledge over ignorance is a journey that may take a lifetime as everyday may present new opportunities for learning and growth.


In 1820 John Keats beautifully described autumn as, ‘seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness

This time of year presents us with the opportunity to prepare for renewal and to reflect upon past events as we start the process of renewal and the opportunity to contemplate on the areas for change that we would like to see in ourselves for next year. It is arguable that the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one in which life may return nearer to normal highlights that the need to learn from our past experiences is as essential in our lives today as at any previous time.



How will 2021 be experienced?


It is quite possible that 2021 will see events moving at a different pace to the one are currently experiencing this year through periods of high levels of Covid-19 and lockdowns and for many next year may possess the felt sense of the world speeding up again. For many there may be the very opposite sense as recent grief and bereavements are endured, with questions posed as to how give justice to one’s own feelings whilst trying to remain connected to a fast-moving world.


I would urge that we take time now to think of our pledges and resolutions, to pause and reflect upon those loved ones lost over the past twelve months. We may think about the strengths and qualities that those now deceased brought to us and how we may carry those qualities forward. We may even think about the gifts and strengths we give to others through our day to day lives.

The opportunities for reflection afforded us this year through lockdowns and changes in our working patterns are ones that may prove to be of benefit to us. This may be experienced as we seek to retain aspects of our lives and personality that we have reconnected with this year and to support us in our journeys of self-development and increased self-awareness in becoming the people we wish to be.




How then can we take this forward in our current everyday lives?


By considering the effect and impact we have upon others and the world around us, we can see that we may have a responsibility to recognise and respect ourselves by making use of regular reflective space.


This space enables us to give voice to our experiences, our thoughts and our emotions and in so doing enable change, self-awareness and personal development to come to focus. In exploring these areas with another we allow ourselves to give voice to the challenges we face in life and to find solutions to overcome these.


There are a number of different ways that we can achieve positive outcomes through reflective space and these may be face to face in the physical presence of another or by using one of the many mediums available to us via digital technology.


As we move forwards towards 2021 and the prospect of life slowly returning to a faster pace, perhaps it is now more than ever that we need to keep hold of and re-explore those pledges and resolutions we may have made ourselves over these past twelve months.


If you would like to know more or to explore ways in which I can support you please contact me at contact@tomdraketherapy.com


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