The Brave New Year, Alicia Kirschenheiter

The Brave New Year

by Alicia Kirschenheiter

The story goes that the New Year is a time for reflection - a chance to review and refocus the good, the bad and the ugly of your life. Truth be told, New Year’s has never been my favorite holiday. Perhaps it’s inspiring to use the symbolism of January 1st as a kick-start to necessary and desired changes, but a half-hearted promise made at midnight is like to yield half-hearted results. That’s not Zen, that’s just cold hard truth. About 75% of people who make resolutions fail to keep them. So this year, instead of putting all the focus on what didn’t work, why not take some time to celebrate the positive. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that there’s no room for improvement, I am just offering an alternative to this auspicious time of year. Let’s embrace the things we did right in the past year, and create a long-term plan to get even focused on our true passions.

Living well, being vital, giving back, impacting the life of someone else through an act of kindness, feeling great, feeling better, smiling, exploring, living green, finding balance, and maybe even finding a place of peace, are all signs of living with passion, and in my opinion, all worth recognition. Think about your past year and where your successes were. Did your triumphs involve your passions? Did those successes bring you happiness? My point? It’s simple. Be proud of those moments because the world is so ready to devour them, every day sees new forces so set on finding the flaws that we often overlook the wins. Celebrate them. Allow them to serve as inspiration for even more triumphs instead of obsessing over the pitfalls. Follow your passions, and they will lead you to worthy and valuable pride in a life well-lived, albeit not perfectly.

So, looking ahead to the great New Year....what are you going to do to build on your success? How are you going to honor your passion? I invoke 3 simple rules: be simple, be gracious, and explore whatever speaks to you. Need a good place to start? Visit mySpaShop’s Wellness Spa Collection - I especially love this article on Self-Reflection and how it relates to happiness on our Lifestyle Coaches Blog.

Remember, passion moves you! So take some time for discovery! Personally, I have always found my peace through the pursuit of ultimate health and wellness. Perhaps that’s something that interests you as well - if so I invite you to visit my Novice Guide to Wellness. Or, perhaps you want to carve out the time and inflection to soul search, meditate and listen to your inner voice. This article on Mindful Meditation will serve you well.

Welcome the New Year with fire and ferocity. Recognize your great strides and be proud. Most of us can find plenty of reasons to look back and regret. This year, breathe deeply and think about all that you did right, and allow that sense of self-worth to set the tone for the coming year. Build on that, live with passion, and let it lead you to success.