 It's been a rough couple of years.
On the 31st of January 2019, many of us had big plans for 2020 and for most, they didn't quite turn out as wanted. It'd only be natural if you're a bit cautious about your ideas of and plans for 2022 - what will this new year bring? More lockdowns? More aggression between sides that disagree? More political unrest? More losses? Finally, your dream holiday? A chance to visit family? It's impossible to predict. There is one thing you can control though - your mindset and attitude - and with those tools at the ready, I can predict with accuracy what the new year will bring: 365 opportunities! Your life, your choice! A note: Happy New Year from me to you and thanks for reading along with me in 2021. This blog post started as a project, inspired by Seth Godin, and was meant to launch 1st of January 2021 but I kept delaying it until May (hence why today's post is the odd number of 236). It's been a fun challenge and I wholeheartedly appreciate the support and kind comment I've received. My posts aren't always spelling mistake free or perfect but that's because I honour, stand for and promote a culture of imperfection. People ask me how I find the time and why I'd want to do this every day for free and that's because I also believe in generous contribution. It's important to note that whatever I share is not a universal truth and I'm not trying to convince you of something that doesn't align. These posts are here to simply challenge your mind and perspective, not to change it necessarily, but to give you a quick mind-gym exercise and to check in with any presumptions you're making. I try to be kind and gentle with my own ideas as radical kindness is very important to me. May you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe, may you be peaceful and at ease.
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 This is your yearly reminder, as we're standing on the brink of a new year, to take it easy, to slow down, to give yourself a break and relax.
It's also that time of year when people start becoming more reflective - what did I achieve in the passing year? What didn't I do I wish I had? And that's when the New Year's resolutions start to kick in: In January I want to... In the new year, I'll make happen... Usually, these reflections aren't based on kind and gentle ideas about ourselves and our lives. They're often based on criticism, such as how our bodies look, or how materialistically successful we are. I'm hoping with COVID-19 and lockdowns that people have more helpful resolutions like making more time to see people and connect on a deeper level and to be grateful for what is. I'm not a fan of the saying 'new year, new you'. It reeks of someone trying to sell you on the idea that you're not good enough as you are. I usually say 'new year - new chance' - a new chance to accept yourself as you are, to make your inner chatter more supportive and kind, to live more in the present, to say no more, to set firmer boundaries at work and at home, to love more freely and generously, to stress less, to laugh more... Tomorrow we'll say goodbye to one year and enter a new - what is the new chance you'll embrace? Your life, your choice!  I've written lots about how words matter and how they can shape our reality and I've likewise written lots about self-care and why it's important and why it might not mean what you think it means.
Today I offer you the reflection of changing the word 'self-care' to 'system maintenance' and see what happens... Your life, your choice!  I bet you're the kind of person who goes out of your way to not make someone else feel crap due to something you've said or done. I bet you try your best to make others feel good about themselves, especially if they're feeling low.
So, why not do that for yourself too? Your life, your choice!  There is no such thing as thinking too much. The problem tends to lie in the manner in which we use our thinking, which is usually poorly.
Your life, your choice!  Did you get what you wanted?
Did you get what you wished for? Did you pause to remember to be grateful for all you already have? Your life, your choice!  In Britain and its previous colonies, Christmas tends to be celebrated on the 25th of December.
Some don't celebrate Christmas at all be it due to religion or personal reasons. Christmas is, after all, a Christian holiday even if it's more a Capitalist holiday nowadays. And then some have a more 'Grinch' like attitude - bah humbug - and despite The Muppets' best efforts to show how silly it is to be a Mr Scrooge some insist on maintaining a grumpy, anti-Christmas attitude for a multitude of reasons. Now, some of those reasons are very valid, if you ask me. But, that's also beside the point. It's not about whether Secret Santa is silly, or whether Christmas Jumper Day is redundant, or whether it should be relabelled The Children's Holiday or whether people choose to get into debt to celebrate Christmas. To me, it's really about connection. It's about choosing to join in. It's about having a dedicated time of year where we're on the same page and focus on infusing a bit more joy and togetherness. It's about belonging. But that can be tough for those who feel they don't belong or don't feel connected, or don't want to be part of a bigger union. And that might be exactly why they repel the idea of Christmas - to feel like they're taking control of their loneliness. But what if they joined in instead? Not because it's Christmas or anything to do with Christianity or capitalism, but because it's nice to feel part of something bigger than yourself. Your life, your choice!  It's Christmas time and whether you celebrate or observe Christmas or not, it's difficult to avoid seeing it all around - for better or worse.
In Denmark, we celebrate Christmas on the 24th in the evening and as such, I wanted to give you some presents, whatever your stance on this holiday, and they are these wishes...
Happy holidays!  Many of us can feel the past lurking in the corners of our minds.
Those ghosts who won't leave us alone. But, those ghosts aren't there because they won't let go of you. They are there because you haven't let go of them. Your life, your choice!  Staying positive or optimistic doesn't mean that you have to be happy all the time.
Forcing positivity or optimism can do more harm than good. A true optimist will know to deal with it when the hard days come knocking - tears, anger and all - while also knowing that there are better days to come. Your life, your choice! |