A new year is here and thankfully goodbye to the last one… as was my sentiment to the one before that.
Many people traditionally make New Year’s resolutions which usually is aimed to help improve oneself, reach a goal, lose 20 pounds (my goal for the past 20 years), or to do something new. The last time I made a New Year’s resolution was in 2020, which was to travel more. And we all know what happened there.
Even the big vacation to the beach in 2021 was interrupted in mid-travel by the hacking of the Colonial Pipeline, supposedly by the Russians. At first, I thought someone was seriously making a bad joke or it was a lead-in to an action movie. However, the evening we arrived in Ashville, N.C. is when we learned that there was not any gasoline to be had by most anyone there or the surrounding area. Even though people were clearly worried and somber about this, I did not see what was wrong with being stranded at the beach while on vacation.
Since I usually try to see the unseen benefit in most situations, I actually relished in the thought of living at the beach while everything else in the world was kind of crazy. That did not really sound like a terrible thing to me. That is, until it was pointed out that we did not have enough gas to get all the way to the beach. So, the next morning, once more being flexible, we headed home. One of our family members pointed out at least we did not have to put in a request for vacation time again, which I must admit is a great perk of retirement. But I have digressed.
Last year, I did not make any resolutions, reflecting on the uncertainty from the previous years. I felt by not making even one resolution that I would be ahead of the game with no new rules to break— something within my control. This year, given all the negativity that seems to try to engulf us if we let it, I thought about how to make 2022 truly new and more positive. How can I use this positivity to have more control and satisfaction in living life as fully and safely as possible?
After starting into the third year of increasing negativity, even the brightest optimist might be tempted to cross over to the nay-sayers dark side, especially if you believe everything you hear in the media or social networking. This year may call for even stronger strategies to remain buoyant. Of course, the obvious is turning everything off. This is where a good pair of earbuds might be a gift to yourself as you enjoy your favorite music or podcasts.
But one that has promise is what some call the “Practice of Gratitude.” This personal tool not only lends itself to a better year but gives one the opportunity to start fresh every day taking just one day at a time. While many are not strangers to being thankful or giving gratitude, others may not think of it. A gratitude practice is where you are in control. The focus is on looking back on your day and finding at least one good thing to be grateful for. These do not have to be big things, but the little things in life that often are not noticed. They are the small things in our lives that make us happy or feel that life is good. Maybe it is a phone call or seeing a loved one, an unexpected kindness, or seeing a plant bloom despite your brown thumb. The power in a gratitude practice is the recognition of the goodness in your life not necessarily tied to a monetary value.
So, this year is a year to look forward to a truly new beginning, to intentionally focus more on the positive, and to be grateful for what is good in life. Some people like to write their thoughts in a gratitude journal to look back on from time to time. The important thing it seems is to just take each new day one day at a time, as a new opportunity to start fresh and to take time, no matter how brief, to reflect and be thankful about at least that one positive thing that I noticed that day.
Joyce Meyer sums it up perfectly: “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” So here is to a great 2022, focusing on the positive and less on the negative, and being grateful for all that is good!
Teresa Holland is a writer, photographer, quilter, and advanced-practice registered nurse.
