A Year of Inner Peace: Find a Calmer and Happier Way of Being, by Kirsten Riddle
CICO Books, 1800653433, 144 pages, December 2024
I love the concept of Kirsten Riddle’s A Year of Inner Peace: Find a Calmer and Happier Way of Being. It’s more than a list of prompts for each week of the year, separated into seasons to get through the year. It’s suggestions to help one move through the year finding a “calmer and happier way of being.”1 Inner peace is the desired result, not accomplishing a to-do list for each season. There is soft nudging versus prodding to encourage one to go inward, slowly, with self-love.
What does peace mean to you? What would it feel like to live with inner peace?
Naturally, the book is sectioned into the four seasons with a new weekly prompt each time you turn the page. Some activities can be done in a day, others might span a bit longer. Certain activities might be a one-and-done, while you might want to return to other activities that resonate with you throughout the season. It’s all up to you. There are beautiful mantras to support the work that you are doing. As each season has its own flavor, colors, scents, scenes, activities, and even temperatures, the rituals and activities support the time in which you are doing them. Ultimately, the goal is to support your well-being.
We know all too well about the “best laid plans,” so I particularly appreciated Riddle’s reminder that “a year is a long time, and it’s easy to skip through the seasons without noticing the changes, but this book hopefully provides some food for thought, ideas to nurture peace and love, and practical ways to make positive changes.”2
I received the book just before the Winter Solstice. Rather than wait for the first section, Spring, I dove into the final section, Winter. Being a January baby, Winter is a special season for me. In fact, it’s my favorite season. A fresh start, clean and quiet, a time to inward. A slow down after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Of course, Winter is a time for hibernation and introspection, but Riddle gives the reader suggestions through rituals and activities to go even deeper. I especially loved the visualization of the enchanted veil and the activity to protect garden friends during these colder months.
Riddle recommends awakening gently in the Spring. Of course, we’re encouraged to do a spring cleaning. She also guides us to experience our own world with new eyes, as if we’ve never seen it before – our home, the gym, our daily walk to and from work. Summer prompts us to have a siesta, lend a helping hand, and keep cool. Summer encourages us to dawdle, recharge, and enjoy the sensual abundance that surrounds us. And in Fall, bring the outside in, surrender, and practice gratitude.
You can use the book in a non-linear way, that is, read the current season to get the general flavor and then try the things that you’re attracted to or move through it chronologically. However you approach the writings, you’ll be able to find some peace on every page. As Riddle writes, “Be kind to yourself and do not rush.”3
While the activities, rituals, and prompts might seem simple on the surface, they are multi-dimensional, depending on how deep one wants to go. All, though, are change agents. The accompanying visuals are done in soft pastel colors supporting the various seasons with the intention of supporting you on this journey. The book concludes with Riddle’s writing on a “Passage to Peace” and ends with a mantra for the year, “I am in control of my future; I manifest a life of love and peace.”4
This book is perfect for those interested in slow-living and cultivating a lifestyle that’s attuned to nature’s cycles. The beauty of this book makes it a wonderful item to keep on a coffee table or night stand. I recommend A Year of Inner Peace without reservation and encourage you to move through this book to experience inner peace every day of the year.
Anne Greco is a non-fiction writer who writes about her life experiences and travels with humor, keen observations, and the hope that her words will remind us that “we’re all just walking each other home.” Her book, Serendipity: Chance Pilgrimages, tells the story of Anne encountering her places of power. As she reconnects with herself at each site, Anne also develops a deeper understanding and appreciation of her connection to both the seen and unseen worlds. Learn more about her work here: http://annegrecowriter.com.