A New Year A New You... Or Not

We all know the beginning of a new year brings new hopes, inspirations, motivations, and a feeling of renewal. I always feel so refreshed come January 1st; with new beginnings we can’t help but reflect on the past 12 months. Being a therapist, I wholeheartedly believe useful learning can come from looking into the mistakes we made or things we wish we did better. We start down this road with the hope of doing better in the next 12 months but unfortunately more often than not we end up criticizing ourselves for plans that went unfinished, goals unmet, and list never checked off?  Harm doesn’t come from gaining this understanding, the harm comes with how we abuse ourselves with it. Okay so we dropped a few balls over the year, we need to let it go and move on. Self-criticisms blocks our ability to improve and grow, we don't need a new us, but instead a new belief in ourselves. January is the perfect time to pick ourselves up and set new goals, new lists, and new plans based on this new belief. but first take the time to look through the positive of the 2013.  

One of my favorite ways to do this is reflecting on the fun experiences of 2013. Throughout the year my husband and I write down memorable experiences on a little piece of paper and then throw them in a jar to be opened and laughed over on New Year’s, We have no idea what the other wrote down. It’s a great way to relive the positives while also learning the types of things the other finds memorable. Different experiences mean different things to each of us, this helps me remember that what I think is meaningful he may not and vise versa.

In what ways can you reflect on the positives of 2013. For some of us it may be hard to sift through the struggles we faced but I do believe God always provides a glimmer of light even in the darkest of times. Find that light and hang on to it as you begin a new chapter in 2014.

"Beginnings are usually scary, endings usually sad, but it's the middle that counts"

Until Next Time~Be Well in 2014