“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” —Anne Frank
We are into the first couple of weeks of the new year, and more snow than we have had in years! It’s fun to see the change and to truly feel winter visiting us. So, as this new year settles in, and starts to fly by, I want to remind you that just because it is a new year it doesn’t mean we have to change the world in the first few weeks. Let’s ease ourselves in, rather than set ourselves up for failure. Many of us start the new year with promises of all of the things we want to accomplish, and sometimes set unattainable expectations. Maybe this year, we do not call it resolutions. Maybe we just find a theme that will represent us.
It could even be a word, or a phrase that we remind ourselves of, that could encompass so much more. For example, if I chose the word “inspire” it could apply to so many different things. I could work to inspire others or I can spend time getting inspired by things I may have omitted in 2023. Maybe I could look for a new hobby that inspires me and gets me excited, thinking of all of the possibilities. Maybe I will look to my colleagues to help inspire a new technique or a new approach to a process we’ve been following for years. Maybe I chose to inspire my children to find things they are good at that they might not have thought of in the past.
I know for certain that this year I want to offer myself and others kindness and empathy. We do not have to do it all, or feel badly if we do not reach our goals as quickly as we had hoped. The object of the game is to keep going, keep pushing, and keep moving. Rather than focusing on what we didn’t do, let’s focus on all that we have accomplished and let it inspire (there’s that word again) us to keep going.
So for this year, I wish you the ability to love yourself and all of the efforts you make. Let’s remind each other that we are doing the very best we can, and that’s fantastic.
