Happy New Year's

January 1, 2014

"Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' . . . into the future . . . " How can it be 2014 already?


New Year's is always a poignant time for me. The past and the future stand right next to each other, jostling for my attention. The air is thick with memories as I look back on the old year, and bright with hopes and dreams as I look forward to the new one.

I have a love/hate relationship with New Year's resolutions. As I have been celebrating the twelve days of Christmas, relaxing with family and friends, reading by the fire, enjoying movies and cups of tea, it seems all around me people are ratcheting it up. Go on Pinterest, and it is filled with pins of exercise tips and organizational and fat flush and nutrition tips. Beautiful Christmas images are nowhere to be seen. People are running to the stores to buy big plastic storage containers so they can organize all their new stuff. Diet and nutrition aids and exercise equipment fly off the shelves. Honestly, the whole rah-rah makes me feel tired. The Christmas tree is still up for heaven's sake.

I have memories of behaving in exactly the same way, though, many years of making well-meaning but almost impossible-to-reach New Year's resolutions, only to feel defeated by February 1, beating myself up for my lack of discipline.

I really don't like doing that to myself. Of course, it is important to set goals and make plans and have dreams. We can be creative when thinking of our plans for the future and be filled with excitement as we imagine the possibilities. And I do have some dreams written down ("dreams" sounds delicious; "resolutions" rather punitive). Some dreams are still formulating in my head, still taking shape, for 2014.

What I don't want to do is to set up such a standard of perfection for myself, or to be so unkind to myself as to stand behind myself with the proverbial whip, motivated by a fear of never being enough.

I had enough years of that, and it made me truly ill.

It's important, and I'm preaching to myself, to be kind to ourselves, to do the best we can, and to know that we are truly loved whether or not we are "successful." We are human beings, after all, not human doings.


There are so many quotes appropriate for new beginnings, but this came across my path today . . .

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
 --Ralph Waldo Emerson

We just do the best we can. Some days will be easier, some days harder. Some will be filled with beauty and joy, others with difficulties and hardship. But no matter what, there is beauty around us, and love, if we have eyes to see, and that can sustain us and support us.

May you have a blessed 2014.

6 comments

  1. I neve4r was too good with NYear's resolution either, but, two years ago I lost more tan 20 lbs, maybe 25, so I really did it and now I want to lose the 5 lbs. I gained since Sept. and maybe even 10! I know now that I could keep promises as such! The beautiful things, the goodness, the praying more and getting closer to God it's what I can do better, so I will continue and always better myself. Love your post and wish everything you want for you in 2014.
    FABBY

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    1. thank you FABBY. Congratulations on your weight loss! I'd like to lose a little myself. Hopefully we can both reach our goals this year.

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  2. Somehow, I never have any new year's resolutions. Happy new Year!...christine

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  3. Beautifully said, Deborah! I agree with you completely!!

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