A Slow Start to The New Year
So, it is suddenly a brand new year, as well as a whole new decade - how marvelous and exciting! However, I must admit that I am a bit slow to get to the party that everyone else seems to be attending that is full of resolutions and plans and optimism. I suppose that, like you, I too was invited, but am delaying my entry for just a little while, and I am not exactly sure why? There just seems to be a certain amount of sluggishness and hesitation on my part; my eyes are truthfully still a bit bleary and not yet ready to focus.
To be quite honest, the state of the world seems to be in some rather dire circumstances right about now (and that is probably going to be the most understated description of world events that I may say in the entirety of the year!) and that alone is enough to knock anyone off their game. I do have a feeling that 2020 is going to be a terribly bumpy ride for anyone wishing to tag along. I have also recently experienced some personal loss, so my outlook on certain things is not particularly rosy at the moment. Obviously, none of these events are putting me in any particularly energetic mood right now. Admittedly, I am feeling a bit of melancholy, to put it mildly. So January is indeed off to a very slow start for me, personally.
I have always been very affected by mood and emotions. There are days when that has become a bit more of a struggle than normal (one of the main reasons that I originally created my garden was to assist with some mental health issues - much more about that to come in a future blog because it remains important on many levels). Every year after the Christmas holidays I do find myself feeling a bit blue. There is always a sense of deflation; a certain sadness and depression always sneaks in no matter what I do. This feeling typically fades away before I know it and life goes on. This New Year is just slightly different, and that is okay; allowing oneself the proper time it takes to recover from grief, depression or anxiety - all of which I am experiencing currently - is necessary for a full recovery.
So while the new year does bring promise and hope and opportunity, it is also not a magical elixir that instantly erases everyone’s problems, or makes one immune to sadness. I truthfully think that so many of us set ourselves up for failure when we pursue a calendar-demanded ultimatum or deadline - meaning resolutions and such that must start on the first of January, no matter what. While it is wonderful to make plans and to have expectations, sometimes the 'all or nothing’ dose of January-fresh-starts leads to ultimate doom, simply because the restrictions imposed are often too harsh and unrealistic. Our very best attempts for rejuvenation are often fleeting at this time of the year, only because they are mostly put upon us, much more so than we actually seek them. Real and long lasting change takes great effort and commitment and hard work; a mere change in the numeric day or calendar year is not the cure-all that some of us wish.
That said, I by no means wish to deflate anyone who has so taken on a brand new start this January. Good for you and I wish you all the luck in the world! For many of us, sometimes just such a restriction or deadline, or a time of the year to do something is exactly what we need to spur us on to action. As we are all different in how we think, act and behave, of course there are different paths for us each to take. I say, if you find motivation in any form, then by all means attempt to at least say hello. If it does not work out as planned, there is nothing wrong with trying again. Perseverance is what truly will provide ultimate change. Currently, I am just not there yet, but do hope to be within reasonable time. Sooner than later, would be my New Year’s plan, if pressed. And once I do get started, catching up with all of you now well on your way, I do hope that we can each send one another an encouraging wish or two!
Happy New Year to All!
Until next time…
