What does a New Year, which comes and goes every year, mean to you? Is it just a change of date on the calendar? One more night out for a grand party? A vacation with family and friends to some exotic location? Or nothing but the same routine of preparing for your UPSC or other competitive exams? A New Year can mean many things to many people. But if you look at the common connect most people have with a New Year, it is a new beginning, a new start, a new leaf in life. People begin to do what they always wanted but couldn’t for many reasons. They make a new resolution, irrespective of whether they were able to keep and fulfil their last many years’ resolutions. For them, the New Year symbolises an opportunity to make a fresh start.
But why do you need to make a fresh start? It allows you to shed unwanted negative baggage of the past. It is an opportunity to stop clinging to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. It is an opportunity for growth and positive change. It stretches you and invites you to live up to your fullest potential or at least design a new potential for you. As the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (6th century BC) said, “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” Author and Life Coach Mr. Craig D. Lounsbrough says, “Starting over is an acceptance of a past we can’t change, an unrelenting conviction that the future can be different, and the stubborn wisdom to use the past to make the future what the past was not.”
You really don’t need a New Year to make a fresh start. Each day can be a new beginning. Each day is a new beginning. Each day is a chance to do what should be done. As Ms. Chinonye J. Chidolue, Nigerian actor, writer and poet known for her inspiring quotes, says, “Though we may not have reached the heights we anticipated yesterday, today is a brand-new day to begin a new climb.” There’s something very appealing about starting anew. Even if you can’t leave all of your cares behind, you can take steps forward. In the words of Mr. Juansen Dizon, the author of Confession of a Wallflower, “I hope you realise that every day is a fresh start for you. Every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.”
Taking a first step toward a new beginning is always daunting. The fear of the unknown paralyses even the
most adventurous. Here are the best tips for making the most out of a new beginning nurturing mind, body and soul
in the process. First, take a moment to reflect. Moving forward is a lot about the past. It is about going back to the
past to take forward what is useful. Pay attention to what remains unresolved in your heart—resentment, confusion,
remorse, regrets. Working on your emotional resistance allows you to come to the surface of your awareness while
no longer allowing it to stand in the way of making positive changes in your life. Second, forgive. Letting go often
requires some form of forgiveness, which begins with ourselves. Forgiving yourself will allow you to approach
your complicated selves honestly and with compassion. Third, once for a change, shift your focus towards how you
want to feel in the future rather than what you want to achieve. This will enable you to relate with yourself better. Fourth, tune in your body signals. Pay attention to the sensation, magnitude and temperature of what’s happening in your body over time. Fifth, evoke the power of the Sun. This can be as simple as watching the sunrise and reflecting on the power you have to rise above darker experiences in life. Finally, make time for meditation. Meditation not only alleviates the mind from obsessing about the past or future but also allows for self-inquiry.
So, take a leap of faith and begin the New Year by believing. Believe in yourself. Believe that a loving source within yourself is waiting to be asked to help make your dream come true.
With these words, I wish you success in all your endeavours with a Happy New Year.