Since 2020, New Years has the unfortunate connotation of a beloved bird dying. My dear parrot Kiwi passed away on New Years Day of 2020 at age 22. What an omen about that year.
It reminds me that life is precious and fleeting.
At the ripe old age of 36 (hah) I've been thinking about something I think about a lot: I hope this year is your best year.
It's true, I really genuinely hope that it is. I hope that more great things happen in this year than in years prior. I hope that when weighed, the year is richer, fuller, better & more full of what you want than prior years.
But I know that's not always going to happen.
Some years contain great tragedy. Some years are just recovering from that. Some years are barely good. Some years, things progressively degrade, and watching older loved ones lose health and mobility and capability means perhaps their "best years" are only behind. Though it doesn't mean there aren't still things to look forward to. I'm the eternal optimist, but I'm not blind to the struggles of age.
If you ask someone who is much older, they could probably tell you which years were their peak year for physical health & fitness. It's probably a different year for their peak personal happiness. Probably a different year for their fulfillment in their family/social unit, or their career accomplishments. There is probably a year that was their peak for travel or new experiences. Another year that was their peak for finding their flow in whatever they do, whatever their passions are.
The fact is, we're not going to hit all our peaks in the same year (that would suck ultimately).
So I wish you a great peak this year. Something wonderful. Something that is your best. (And for some things, I hope that it keeps peaking each year until it can't anymore).
I make it my goal to have the "best year" possible each year. Some years do better than others, and some things make different impacts. Some years have more connection and closeness and love. Some years have more money. Some years, even with tragic losses, remind me how much I have to be grateful for.
We have no idea how long we have, we have no idea how long the people in our lives will be in our lives, we have no idea what comes after, and we never know when things might change, or when things we thought were temporary become permanent, or vice versa. Our actions can become habits. Our habits can also be broken. We have a lot of power, and it's important to find it within ourselves to be able to make the best of the things we *can* change and influence.
Life comes at you, and all you can really do is make sure that the people who interact with you come away better than when they met you, and that if all of us did that, we'd all be busy making the world a better place for each other.
Take care of yourselves, take care of those you love, and do nice things for anyone whenever you can, though not to the detriment of yourself.
As 2024 settles in, one month along so far, I'm very content, very happy, very in love, missing some little birds terribly and recognize that there are many things in this world I don't have control over, but I can take control of the things that I do, and I can make my life and others lives better.
I wish you a great 2024. I hope that the challenges you face, and the things that are outside of your control are all things you can meet and learn from and develop to your advantage. I hope you find the things that you have control over and you use them well. I am full of optimism and hope, and I wish that for you as well.
Happy new-ish year, my friends.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we’ve made it through the darkest weeks of the year.
I want you to have a good life, I want you to be free, I want you to find what brings you joy, I want you to make the best of yourself, I want you to find (or appreciate, if you've already found) those who really do love you intimately, and that you love in return. I want you to achieve your best potential, find/continue your best purpose, and live a life with the most fulfillment you can.
That starts with every day. The New Year often sets off resolutions because it's when we mark the beginning of something, but every day is the beginning of the rest of your life. Your life is made up of todays.
I wish you the best todays. Happy new today.
With love.