As the dawn of the new year approaches the time to figure out
what to bring with you and what to leave behind- is now.
~J.V. Manning
what to bring with you and what to leave behind- is now.
~J.V. Manning
For as long as I can remember I have always found myself saying goodbye to the current year on December 31st in my own special way. It has varied year to year depending on what I have had to face and what the year was like for me. One year on December 31st I burned an entire box of love letters from a relationship that had ended a few months before. Another year I lit a candle for all of the loved ones I lost and replayed a memory in my mind of them before blowing out the flame. Some years I have written in my journal and other years I have flashed a "Year in Review" montage in my mind. Whatever I have done served one purpose- to say goodbye to the current year. To end the chapter and assess where I wanted to go from there. My way of saying goodbye put an end to it with a solid finality.
After my period of review and reflection on what has transpired during the year and time spent with the lessons I learned, trials I faced, my accomplishments and my disappointments- I consciously decide what stays and what goes with me into the New Year. I leave behind the hurt and the negative but take the knowledge it gave me. I leave the people who have no place in my future and grab a hold of the ones that have loved me, pushed me and accepted me. I do not bring anything into my new year that doesn't serve my growth, my happiness or my life.
After my period of review and reflection on what has transpired during the year and time spent with the lessons I learned, trials I faced, my accomplishments and my disappointments- I consciously decide what stays and what goes with me into the New Year. I leave behind the hurt and the negative but take the knowledge it gave me. I leave the people who have no place in my future and grab a hold of the ones that have loved me, pushed me and accepted me. I do not bring anything into my new year that doesn't serve my growth, my happiness or my life.
Then I bid the Year adieu. It was 364 days of my life that I lived, I experienced and now I prepared to move on from. I have a fresh new year to fill.
I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I believe in having goals and dreams throughout the entire year. Just seems logical to start on New Year’s Eve with the promise of fresh new start to a fresh new year. It is definitely not a “Do Over” just another chance to get it right or even better- get me right. A new year is not just a date on the calendar but a moment in your life when at midnight on December 31st you have your first moments of perfection. A Moment without any mistakes, any disappointments, loss or sadness, a pristine New Year. Don't get me wrong here I am totally a realist and I know that the normal bullshit will eventually filter through- it is life after all. But if you spend some time saying your goodbyes to the current year and then decide what will make it into your new year- you will totally be ready, clean and mistake free for at least the first few minutes of January 1st.
Last year at about 11:30 pm I went outside on my deck and stared up at the night sky and millions of twinkling stars filled my vision. There was so much in 2011 that I needed to make peace with. A year that had spun completely out of control and all I could do was hang on for the ride. A year of loss, of confrontation and resignation. I still had so much anger and frustration come the last day of the year, saying goodbye to it was one of the hardest yet. Looking up at the night sky I replayed it in my head- all of it. I knew that I couldn't allow any of the bad to go forward with me. Silently I closed the chapter. None of those feelings had a place in my New Year. I had to let them go to stay right where they were- in the past.
I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I believe in having goals and dreams throughout the entire year. Just seems logical to start on New Year’s Eve with the promise of fresh new start to a fresh new year. It is definitely not a “Do Over” just another chance to get it right or even better- get me right. A new year is not just a date on the calendar but a moment in your life when at midnight on December 31st you have your first moments of perfection. A Moment without any mistakes, any disappointments, loss or sadness, a pristine New Year. Don't get me wrong here I am totally a realist and I know that the normal bullshit will eventually filter through- it is life after all. But if you spend some time saying your goodbyes to the current year and then decide what will make it into your new year- you will totally be ready, clean and mistake free for at least the first few minutes of January 1st.
Last year at about 11:30 pm I went outside on my deck and stared up at the night sky and millions of twinkling stars filled my vision. There was so much in 2011 that I needed to make peace with. A year that had spun completely out of control and all I could do was hang on for the ride. A year of loss, of confrontation and resignation. I still had so much anger and frustration come the last day of the year, saying goodbye to it was one of the hardest yet. Looking up at the night sky I replayed it in my head- all of it. I knew that I couldn't allow any of the bad to go forward with me. Silently I closed the chapter. None of those feelings had a place in my New Year. I had to let them go to stay right where they were- in the past.
Looking up to that night sky I said goodbye and welcomed the New Year and at the very stroke of midnight a shooting star shot across the sky. For my first moment in 2012 I made my wish and felt something I hadn't felt in a long time- hope.
As the dawn of the New Year approaches the time to figure out what to bring with you and what to leave behind- is now.
Happy (Almost) New Year.
As the dawn of the New Year approaches the time to figure out what to bring with you and what to leave behind- is now.
Happy (Almost) New Year.
