greeting the new year with grace.
How you greet the New Year is personal. Some of us are ready to storm ahead, stomping the ground and leaving a trail of blazing dust behind us. Others need to tip-toe cautiously, creeping the door open to a fresh season; maybe with ambivalent trepidation. Some just sleep through it, oblivious in their beautifully deep slumber. And then there are those who steer the course, even keel and whose breezy leap over into newness doesn’t really cause too many waves.
The New Year carries a lot of weight though. Expectations. Dreams. Goals. Ambitions. It is certainly a catalyst that can feel inspiring and positive and motivating and help us jump-start towards a healthy body, mind and heart. But, it can also feel like a lot of pressure to “succeed.” To start that exercise regimen. To stop eating those naughty foods. To break that bad habit. To lose that weight. To solve the problem. To save that money. To fix that relationship. To leave that job. To find that purpose. To start over. To find that special someone. To clean house. To be better. To do better. To automatically let go and just “feel better” about things that took years to cultivate. The list goes on and on.
What I’d like to convey to everyone is - Yes, New Year’s is a magical, twinkling bright spot that helps us pinpoint, celebrate and say good-bye to the year behind. To appreciate that we are still here and look forward to all that’s to come. But, so is each and every day. While it may not be a dazzling holiday, we all have it within ourselves to start a new day, every day we are afforded our first breath. The possibilities are endless. In yoga mythology, the lotus (Padma) represents the story of creation. Simply put, the world is a brand new experience as a new day unfolds. At night, the world is destroyed only to begin again the next day. No experience can be replicated exactly in the same way. Now, New Year’s Eve is certainly the most well-known symbolic representation of the, ‘End of Day’….but… every day can be New Year’s Day if you allow it to be.
So, a loving reminder that the only thing you need to do is release the pressure and guilt you place on yourself. Show yourself some grace. Be hopeful, revved-up, excited and motivated to look forward to what you can accomplish in 2022, but cut yourself a break if you don’t complete the whole check list. This is a time to reflect and set goals, but it’s just as much a time to acknowledge what you’ve already accomplished and say, “Wow, kid. You done pretty good this year. Let’s see what this new year can bring.”
However you need to greet 2022 is the right way. The way that brings you joy vs. dread. Fulfillment vs. apathy. Motivation vs. procrastination. Self-compassion vs. self-sabotage. Hope vs. fear. Love vs. emptiness.
Make it your own journey as we cross over into the unknown. The universe has your back. Be your own lotus. And remember- the lotus can only survive in calm waters. It blooms through the dirt to grow into the beautiful flower it is to eventually become. Happy New Year everyone.
Be kind to yourself & remember to give yourself a little pat on the back.
See you on the flip side. Cheers.
Much love + light.
xx, jess