2023 is here and I am grateful to God to be alive to witness a new year! Everyone is thrilled to get this year started. We're all excited to achieve new goals or old goals we never got around to.
There's just a new air at the start of every year. (Oh, that rhymed!) The kind of air that's filled with possibilities and second chances, or your 23rd chance, however old you are. But we feel brand new. Like we've been washed clean of all the mistakes we made the previous year. Like we're breathing in the hope that lingers in the air. Basically, we feel like this is our year.
I'm not here to contradict you. But I am here to remind you that you don't have to wait for a new year to feel 'brand new'. Every day you wake up is a new day for you to get out there and achieve things you didn't the previous day.
I'll admit, a new year does feel like a new chapter. But we don't have to wait for a new year to arrive before we re-set our goals or have a fresh start. We need to see each day as a fresh start. If we see the year as a new chapter, and something goes wrong mid-chapter, we drag our feet to get through that chapter. Then you get excited to get to the next, brand new chapter. But why can't we turn things around mid-chapter so that it ends on a good note?
I don't know about you (but I'm feeling twenty-twenty-three), but I do love a happy ending. And I'd rather start picking the pieces up today than wait for tomorrow to start afresh. I'm not even sure I have tomorrow, so why base my happiness on something that's uncertain? All I can do is thank God for waking up every day and pray to Him to get me through each day.
If you're the type to wait around for the new year to make a change, here's your sign to make that change every day. Get out of bed, be grateful that you're up, and make the choice to take a chance or you'll never see the change.
Let Go So You Can Let In
While it's great that we're leaving the past behind and focusing on the present, and the future. We need to bear in mind that our past is the foundation of our present. Yes, there are some things we need to do away with (i.e. mistakes, relationships, etc.). But don't feel ashamed of them. They played a part in the person that you are at this moment. You're stronger, wiser, and, dare I say, better because of them. So, once again, be grateful for having them and also letting them go. If somehow, some of those things, or people, make their way back into your life this year, you won't be harbouring shame or resentment towards them. That way, you can be able to rebuild on a clean slate rather than on the mess they left.
Clear your heart to make room for new things and new people. Holding on to the past just takes up space in your heart that could be filled with good things/people you need in the present.
Let 2023 not just be about taking on a new physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual state. Let it also be about letting go of things in 2022, or any other year, that aren't benefitting you in any way. But remember you don't have to have it all figured out today. You can't simply let go just because you choose to. It takes time and that's ok. Take it one day at a time.
2023 is God's year. He'll guide you out of the dark and into the light. It's the year you'll shed off the extra weight and embrace the newfound freedom in Him. The year when you let go of the old and let in the new. Remember when I say 'year', I mean every day in 2023.
Christmas Spirit In The New Year
We all want new, happier, and better things for ourselves this year, but we also need to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. So, hold on to that Christmas spirit from a week ago. The spirit that fills you with love, kindness, humility, generosity, and more. Christmas shouldn't be the only season we get to be good to others by offering a kind smile/compliment or helping them. Carry that spirit with you all year round and experience the joy of being kind to others. Check up on friends and schedule a meet-up. Call that long-time friend and thank them for something they did, or apologize to them for something you did.
The introvert in me is screaming bloody murder! But sometimes doing the right thing isn't always comfortable. And if you're willing to be uncomfortable for yourself by doing things to make you grow, you also need to be willing to do uncomfortable things for others to grow your relationships with them. Yes, read that again and let it sink in. I just felt convicted as soon as I wrote that. So, that means I need to choose to put that into practice every day from today. (Takes a deep breath).
That pretty much sums up this new year post. I genuinely hope this leaves you feeling ready to take on 2023. Get cracking at that new year's resolution, and re-set them to suit your daily tasks. Don't overwhelm yourself with too much. You can break them down into monthly, weekly, or daily goals, so they're easier to achieve. But whatever you choose to do, remember if it doesn't work out, you can pick up the pieces and try again. You don't have to wait till the next new year to do that.
Remember, put God first in everything you do. Find time to spend with him throughout the day. Life can get so consuming sometimes and you forget what really matters and the true reason you're doing what you're doing. I'm still learning to do that. It requires consistency to make something a habit. But it is so worth it. The overwhelming peace I get in God's presence before I start my day is what fuels me. I pray you find that same peace in 2023.
Have a blessed and Happy New Year and a prosperous new month.
Love you muchly,
Jane.
