Happy New Year (and happier reflections,) Journeyer!
‘Tis the time of year when millions make New Year’s resolutions, set plans to exercise more, eat less, finally get around to writing that book, be kinder, take that long-desired vacation, or save some money for a rainy day…
I’ve been reading many articles that are dressing up and toning down the “resolve,” instead labeling their decisions regarding the New Year as “intentions,” or “wishes.”
I’ve never been one to make any form of New Year’s intention. I guess I’ve always worked to set goals and make changes all the year through.
I figure that February 3, May 17, or September 29 are equally practical days to make new choices regarding the way we conduct our lives, the associations we make and keep, and those about fulfilling our hopes and dreams.
We don’t need any specific day to choose a new way of life for ourselves. That said, if one of your goals in the coming year is to resolve some grief so that you may move forward in living your best personal, professional, or philanthropic life, check out The Five Facets Philosophy on healing and join me as we work to help our many neighbors who are struggling to succeed over some sorrow.
If all the New Year-New Me Resolution stuff has you feeling like you’re being left behind or somehow lacking, then recognize that you are the same person today that you were yesterday at eleven fifty-nine pm.
Now, though I’d love to have woken up this morning having shed the fifty pounds I’ve gained in the past five years, I know—just like you know—that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It evolves.
We are constantly in a state of change.
We shed dead skin.
Our hair grows; even in places we wish it didn’t.
My nails split.
Our lungs expand and contract with each breath.
Our heart beats and pauses.
Our mouths move.
Our ears interpret.
Our thoughts wander and our ideas build the life we want, moment by moment.
I am a recovering smoker, eight years and one month in the making.
Here’s how that happened: My doctor told me about the drug, Chantix, which was producing positive trial studies. I spent two years telling myself I’d quit when the product hit the open market. (The Preparation.)
I obtained the script, picked up the prescription, and looked at it every day for weeks, telling myself that I couldn’t possibly quit smoking because I’d recently discovered that my husband had been having an affair. (The excuse.)
I stayed mad at Hubby, not only for his indiscretions, but for being the reason I couldn’t change my behavior as I’d planned…you know, all that added stress and all! I couldn’t possibly focus on change when my life was in a state of chaos. (The Blame and The Denial.)
One day, I finally told myself (a scolding, really) that my desire to do something different with my life had absolutely nothing to do with my marital situation. I had spent a long time thinking about and planning a healthier life; why would I want to allow someone else’s actions to deter me from achieving my goals?
I set a date two weeks out, marked it on my calendar, and moved forward one day at a time.
Though November 16 marks my first day without a cigarette, there were numerous other declarations made leading up to that point.
When all of the media hype and approaching New Year hullabaloo began, I thought briefly about setting an intention to write three times a week. The biggest reason for this was because I felt I had to if Hay House or any other publisher were to take my writing seriously…
The truth of the matter is that I think about that often, and then I step back and acknowledge the many things I’m doing to move The Fave Facets forward, like making connections, preparing speeches, finding additional platforms to present this work, producing literature…preparing a book proposal…
If I spread myself too then, if I post more often because I have to, that rushed and reckless writing will shine through… That’s not the mark I want to leave behind.
I believe that consistency is key to credibility and to change…
I am the same person today that I was yesterday, and the day before that, and ninety-six days before that; I am constantly changing, learning, and evolving…
What about you, Journeyer? Do you go gung-ho with New Year’s Resolutions? Do you they stress you out? Or do you simply transition, with the date being but a flip of the calendar page and a new date to put on the dotted line?
Until next time,
Yours in hope, healing, and happiness,
~AE
4 Comments on “New Year, Same Me”
Oh Annah – I’m totally with you. Why wait for a specific date – I “reinvent” myself daily – always trying to be a better person than I was yesterday. I’m always trying to be a better version of myself.
I’m glad that you quit smoking, and even more so that you stopped looking for excuses not to stop. Here’s to a happier, healthier us in the new year!
Cheers, Liv!!
From one who has spread herself far too thin for far too many years, boy do I get this!
I also believe that we are in a constant state of evolution – if we choose to be, and during certain periods in our lives, even in spite of ourselves. (Sometimes for the better, sometimes not.)
One of the nice things about the new year is a sense of beginning, and most of us like beginnings. (I like the beginning of a new month as well.) Because we like beginnings, I think we feel a bit more able to take on challenges – even if to say “too much of this, need more of that” – and to work on paying more attention to what is important to us and those we care about, each day.
Happy New Year, DA! Your observation about “beginnings” is so astute…we do seem to celebrate them, don’t we? Thinking about this made me realize that I try to look at each day as a new beginning… Sometimes the ick stuff lingers, but I always try to start each day as a fresh start with some kind of intention, even if it is to spend that rare day doing nothing (in my pj’s.) LOL
Cheers to you and your family!