New Year and New Beginnings

We made it another year! And so it begins, a new year 2023. We greet others with a "Happy New Year, wishes of a better year ahead, prosperity, good health and happiness." I do hear a few comments like, " Let's hope this year is better, glad this one came to an end". Then there are many who feel it is time to start new habits like, " I will exercise more, eat better, lose weight". The new year begins to start "new life habits, a new beginning". It can be a good opportunity to re-group, refresh or even set that new goal.

Why do many wait until a new year starts, a calendar date changes? Reality, every day is a new day with a new start. Yesterday is long gone, a memory. Tomorrow is not here yet. Today, today is the day! I also find it a little ironic New Years and new beginnings start in the dead of Winter. Nature is hibernating under a blanket of deep snow and cold soil. The bear, sleeps Winter away burrowed in a cave. However, the bear does give birth with new life in the dead of Winter. Trees suck their sap deep down into the roots for a Winter hibernation. Even seeds and flower bulbs hide deep in the darkness of the cold dirt and sleep through the Winter.

But even in cold and loneliness of Winter it can be a good time to reflect on our past year. "It is important we take the time to step into a classroom of silence on a regular basis and reflect on what matters most and what we believe. Only then will we be able to keep the council of the voice of authentic self" - Matthew Kelly. Maybe in the silence of Winter we have more personal time to quietly reflect? Days are shorter, colder and as we hibernate from the elements of nature you can find yourself sitting with your own thoughts. We all have a unique path and we all learn differently. Dark days of Winter while I am outside less, not all days are quiet and still. When the cold winds blow hard enough to take down the wind chimes, it is hardly still and quiet outside. Yet, looking out the window the white yard hidden by the snow, I find myself with more alone time to become self absorbed in deep thoughts.

Every year has obstacles so it is important to take time to reflect, learn, grow and move forward. Recognize our successes and failures, the gains and the losses. We don't have to lament the hard times but learn from them. Praise the difficult times and gain strength that we developed to endure or overcome. Every day, every event makes us wiser and stronger, if we let it. Every moment has meaning, even the difficult times bring with them something positive. So meet this New Year with confidence, strength and an open heart. Feel blessed for the past, then you will be prepared for what the future brings. Ring in the New Year with gratitude and joy.

You can make goals and new habits, but do so with growth and positive direction from the past. Don't just reflect at the end of the year, take quiet time in nature and learn each step of the way. Every day is a blessing.