You don't need a new year to be a new you

It's a new year. (Time to jam DCFC's ‘The New Year’ and maybe break down in a laugh-cry mid-dance break.) But, isn't it a new year every year? Can't a new start happen, at any time? It seems to be one of the benefits of time moving in a forward linear direction. It keeps going, so you can start over whenever you'd like. Not as a total reset, but as another chance on your current level of life? (That's as far as my video game analogies go.)

The usual consensus is to label the year as good or bad. We have a tendency to want to quantify everything. Perhaps, it's due to our need to understand, or rather rationalize our daily experiences. It's easier to process things being "either this or that" verses a complicated gray area of mixed feelings and outcomes. Few things in life are as distinct as what we intend, or believe them to be.

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald.

We want to give meaning to occurrences that maybe, just happen. Sometimes, it's easier to point blame at a vague ominous cause, like "it being a bad year", rather than just accepting that things happen. And, that's it. They. Just. Happen. That’s how time works, it doesn't matter if it's 2017, or 2018, or 2023. It's another year, a new set of 365 days. It's still the progression of time. There is always good and bad and the mix of in between. That's the oddity that is life. And, that’s all we’ve got. (This is what I've gathered so far, in my late night existential crises.) It’s up to you how to react to what life throws and what you catch… or get hit with. This is the only unwavering option you have at all times.

I've decided that I'm not going to label years anymore as good or bad. I’ve had the habit of doing this, and I don’t think it’s helped me really. I initially thought that 2016 sucked. 2016 though, gave me some good things, upon looking back. It’s not accurate to use that label in totality. I think these labels go on what we remember, or what we choose to ignore. I think it’s important to not cancel out good or bad. Wonderful things can happen, and terrible things too. Either case doesn’t negate your feelings and experiences for the opposite end of the spectrum or contradict what others may feel. I think people tend to forget that you can accept both and still move on with your life. Not in denial, nor in despair.

2017 was another year in my life. I found opportunities, learned new things. I dealt and am still dealing with personal struggles. I conquered challenges. I have had more experiences overall. They were good and bad, and that mix of in between. Life is just a collection of experiences and how you react to those experiences. It’s up to you to choose how to carry them each day. I think if you maintain a more positive outlook, it makes the baggage lighter. Is it easy to do? Sometimes not, but it definitely takes an equal amount of effort to do the contrary. So, why put your valuable efforts towards being pessimistic? It doesn’t get you any farther. It just holds you back from being proactive. It gives you an excuse to stay and keep things the same. For self-growth, you don’t need a new year to be a new(er) you. You just need your will to do it.

“At least if you try to do good things, then you're spending your time doing something worthwhile.” -Helen Mirren.

So, here’s to the path we’re on right now, and the paths we’ve yet to face. To the familiar paths that have different scenery. I'm continuing on my journey. Continue on with yours. And along the way, keep creating.