New Beginnings Really Are Possible

Here we are at the beginning of another year of light.  The sun rose again.  The days are getting longer now.  The ball has dropped and we get to remember to put 2015 on everything.  Regardless of it you consider the new year the Winter Solstice or January 1st, we are in a new year. New year means the perfect time for new beginnings!

We are all being inundated with commercials, facebook posts, and people talking about new year's resolutions.  It seems like you can't get away from the talk no matter how hard you try. Yet most people fail to keep their resolutions. Perhaps that is simply from the pressure. Myself, I don't believe in the standard resolution.  Instead I think of the new year as a time of transition into a new life.  

The first month I spend in reflection of what from the past year I need to let go of so that I can move forward to a better life.  After all, how can you make a change if you don't first determine the true cause of an issue?  For example - I had a friend a few years ago who wanted to quit smoking but no matter what she tried, it never worked. One year she chose it as her resolution and was determined it would be the year she was successful. I asked her why she smoked.  At first she looks at me like I was crazy, but I convinced her to really think about it.  Finally we found the root of the issue.  She smoked when she was stressed, but not all stress.  She only felt the intense need to light up when she felt like she was suppressing her true self.  She was a naturally outgoing artsy type person with a very unique style. Every time she tried to hide that true self she had to smoke. She never had success quitting because she never knew the cause of her addiction. Once we found out the cause, she was able to successfully quit.

This is why I don't make resolutions.  I instead work on reflection. This year I did a lot of thinking about a bad situation I removed myself from last year.  There was a lot of negativity, broken trust, and false rumors.  I admit, it had been hard to find closure.  This had been a major part of my life for years and it had connected me to most of my friends since moving to the area. This past Solstice I asked for help in finally gaining the closure I needed and resolving this situation in the best way possible for myself. Suddenly I was surrounded with proof that worked to ease my mind regarding my decision to walk away.  Some concerns I had about this old part of my life were confirmed unfortunately and suddenly other people came forward with similar stories.  Everyone had been keeping silent for fear that they would not be believed or negative repercussions. All of this helped me gain the closure I needed.  No more "what if"s rolling through my mind.  No more uncertainties about whether I really did see and hear what I thought I had.  Now I KNEW with every part of myself I did the right thing. And so that door is closed...

... and another one is opened.  I can't know what all the future holds, but the important thing is that I am ready for that future. As long as I was holding on the that other door I couldn't fully move on. This time of new year's reflection will allow amazing things to happen to me.  And so... on to a wonderful new beginning!!