Musing; What Will I Do Differently?
Less than 48 hours to the end of the year 2015. So much is flying around already about preparing to start a new year, what should be done and what shouldn't.
Growing up, having the 1st of January come up during the week was confusing for me. I kept asking myself why Tuesday was last year and Wednesday was a new year. I really didn't make much sense of it till I got much older. I always felt a new year should come with a new set of days, Sunday to Saturday should go with the past year. Wouldn't that be interesting!
So I agree that the end of a thing, era, phase, brings one to a place of retrospection. The review is necessary to celebrate successes and evaluate failure, make adjustments where necessary. I don't make new year resolutions, but I review and make changes. I got thinking of what I'll do differently in 2016 and came up with quite a number.
I'll love myself more and look after me! It's very easy to get caught in taking care of others, attending to the needs of everyone else but you. But, you need to be looked after too. Who says gifting yourself a massage or spa treatment is too much? Reminds me of a bath salt I got recently. The effect it has on the skin is simply awesome! So, I've decided, 2016, I'm giving me more love. All the plans have to move out of the pages of my journal and become reality.
This year offered me an opportunity to get involved in the lives of a number of younger people. That, for me, was the highpoint of the year. This has always been my desire, my calling. I love having them around, rubbing minds with them, sharing their burdens, laughing with them, being their shoulder to cry on. I also got involved with women, some, survivors, some, victims, of domestic/spousal violence/abuse. Having gone through that route, I can empathize with them. The kindred feeling is real. I learnt that judging another is very easy when the shoe is not worn by you. In the new year, I'm dedicating my life more to these groups of people. And, something in the offing for the men too *wink*.
Several times this year, I drove or walked past a photography studio and each time, I told myself I was going to have a photo shoot, as I hardly take personal pictures. I didn't get to do that at all. I'm definitely having my photo shoot in January - my birthday gift to myself. Enough of putting it away, I'm celebrating myself and I plan to stare at those pictures long enough for them to recognize me!
Music and dancing were two things I did effortlessly 'before the war'. For some reason, I didn't do much of those this year. But, I'm changing that in the coming year. I'm dancing till my feet hurt, I'm singing and soaking myself in real good music. The feeling I get from having my headphones on and listening to every instrument involved in the particular music I might be listening to at the time is only comparable to the times I go in a pool, let it all go and float. That's another thing I'm doing, perfecting my swimming! So, alone, or with company, I'm swaying away.
I'm pushing my boundaries. Over time, I have come to believe I can't do somethings, recently, I have asked myself why I can't do those things. I have pushed some boundaries, only to find out I really could do them all along. So, come 2016, I'm donning my safety gear and pushing. Incase I get hurt, the impact would be minimal and I would have learnt a thing or two.
I have made some amazing new friends this year. I'm so grateful for the turn of events that brought these people across my path at different times. My old friends, I can't trade for anything. I have learnt, many times over, the value of relationships. I have been burnt, I have made mistakes with and in my relationships, I have learnt about the human nature and gotten new insights about myself. Now, it's time to bloom again. Time to love again, time to smile again, time to laugh deeply, time to let the tears flow if they have to. Been a cylinder for far too long, the time to live is now. I lost friends and some acquaintances to death in 2015. Every of those deaths told me I'm a day nearer to the grave myself and I'm not shutting my eyes eternally with regrets in my heart, NO.
Most of all, my relationship with my Maker has to be different. He loves me, He accepts me as I am, inspite of my shortcomings. However, I should not stay that way perpetually. This is a personal thing, and I'm sold on making this part of my life much better.
What I'll do differently, is to REALLY LIVE. Everyone will have an opinion on what should or should not be done. How you should or should not go about certain things, why you should not take risks, make some investments or some decisions. Fine. We need people, we need the wisdom of others. Where you should draw the line is when you're living for others, when your life is not yours anymore, when you have to suspend your individuality to please another. There's so much you're capable of, which you don't know because you've been buried under layers of the opinion of others. Shake off, emerge, contribute your quota. Make your voice heard. In the new year, I'm living differently. You?
So I agree that the end of a thing, era, phase, brings one to a place of retrospection. The review is necessary to celebrate successes and evaluate failure, make adjustments where necessary. I don't make new year resolutions, but I review and make changes. I got thinking of what I'll do differently in 2016 and came up with quite a number.
I'll love myself more and look after me! It's very easy to get caught in taking care of others, attending to the needs of everyone else but you. But, you need to be looked after too. Who says gifting yourself a massage or spa treatment is too much? Reminds me of a bath salt I got recently. The effect it has on the skin is simply awesome! So, I've decided, 2016, I'm giving me more love. All the plans have to move out of the pages of my journal and become reality.
This year offered me an opportunity to get involved in the lives of a number of younger people. That, for me, was the highpoint of the year. This has always been my desire, my calling. I love having them around, rubbing minds with them, sharing their burdens, laughing with them, being their shoulder to cry on. I also got involved with women, some, survivors, some, victims, of domestic/spousal violence/abuse. Having gone through that route, I can empathize with them. The kindred feeling is real. I learnt that judging another is very easy when the shoe is not worn by you. In the new year, I'm dedicating my life more to these groups of people. And, something in the offing for the men too *wink*.
Several times this year, I drove or walked past a photography studio and each time, I told myself I was going to have a photo shoot, as I hardly take personal pictures. I didn't get to do that at all. I'm definitely having my photo shoot in January - my birthday gift to myself. Enough of putting it away, I'm celebrating myself and I plan to stare at those pictures long enough for them to recognize me!
Music and dancing were two things I did effortlessly 'before the war'. For some reason, I didn't do much of those this year. But, I'm changing that in the coming year. I'm dancing till my feet hurt, I'm singing and soaking myself in real good music. The feeling I get from having my headphones on and listening to every instrument involved in the particular music I might be listening to at the time is only comparable to the times I go in a pool, let it all go and float. That's another thing I'm doing, perfecting my swimming! So, alone, or with company, I'm swaying away.
I'm pushing my boundaries. Over time, I have come to believe I can't do somethings, recently, I have asked myself why I can't do those things. I have pushed some boundaries, only to find out I really could do them all along. So, come 2016, I'm donning my safety gear and pushing. Incase I get hurt, the impact would be minimal and I would have learnt a thing or two.
I have made some amazing new friends this year. I'm so grateful for the turn of events that brought these people across my path at different times. My old friends, I can't trade for anything. I have learnt, many times over, the value of relationships. I have been burnt, I have made mistakes with and in my relationships, I have learnt about the human nature and gotten new insights about myself. Now, it's time to bloom again. Time to love again, time to smile again, time to laugh deeply, time to let the tears flow if they have to. Been a cylinder for far too long, the time to live is now. I lost friends and some acquaintances to death in 2015. Every of those deaths told me I'm a day nearer to the grave myself and I'm not shutting my eyes eternally with regrets in my heart, NO.
Most of all, my relationship with my Maker has to be different. He loves me, He accepts me as I am, inspite of my shortcomings. However, I should not stay that way perpetually. This is a personal thing, and I'm sold on making this part of my life much better.
What I'll do differently, is to REALLY LIVE. Everyone will have an opinion on what should or should not be done. How you should or should not go about certain things, why you should not take risks, make some investments or some decisions. Fine. We need people, we need the wisdom of others. Where you should draw the line is when you're living for others, when your life is not yours anymore, when you have to suspend your individuality to please another. There's so much you're capable of, which you don't know because you've been buried under layers of the opinion of others. Shake off, emerge, contribute your quota. Make your voice heard. In the new year, I'm living differently. You?
Nice post, very educative.
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