Happy New Year!
And with the coming of the new year comes a whole lot of things . . .
some are old and some are new;
some are reliable and some unpredictable;
some are stressful and some are no big deal.
One of the things that people often do at the start of the new year is take the opportunity to make resolutions. These are things they are going to commit themselves to work on as the year begins. Most of the time, these have something to do with self improvement or personal development. These new year's resolutions have kind of become a cliche in our culture because most of us have a hard time making it to or through February keeping them. Then, if you are like me, the frustration, the guilt trips, and feelings of worthlessness set in.
So, what if we avoid all of that this year.
What if we tried something a little different instead. What if we took a look at something we already really enjoy - reading, walking, working out, drawing, listening to music, playing an instrument, cooking, baking - and we celebrated our enjoyment of that thing. What might that look like? Maybe its reading the book you always wanted to read but never took the time to do it. Maybe its learning that song that you always wanted to learn to play. Maybe its finding a new place to walk. Maybe its trying a different kind of workout. Maybe its discovering a new artist in your favorite music genre. Maybe its cooking a dish you have never tried to cook before.
Give it a chance. Maybe it will make all the difference in the world.
There is another thing you might give a try . . .
Pick a word or a phrase that could become a theme or focus for the year. Put the word on your phone home screen or background or on a PostIt note on your mirror or on a sticker on your computer. There are online word generators you can use for this (like this one) or just see what comes to mind or ask someone else to pick one for you. It's really interesting to see how the word or phrase comes up throughout the year.
Anyway, whatever this new year brings, may you sense peace and promise. May you find an opportunity to let go of what you need to leave behind. May you be reminded that you are loved and that you are enough no matter what. Amen.
