Happy New Year’s Eve! As you prepare to ring in the New Year, I hope you take time to reflect on 2018. Many of us experienced joy, success, love, and hope. But, some of us had to endure sadness, failures, rejection, and discouragement. Reflection is time well-spent. It can be humbling even. It is essential to self-reflect so you can see where you are and how to better yourself. So many people start each new year with goals, good intentions, and ambition. We spend a lot of time making list for our New Year's Resolutions. We have such eagerness to jump into the New Year full-force to improve our health, our weight, our relationships, our work, and many other things.
This year I wanted to take a different approach. I didn’t want to make your typical “New Year's Resolutions” list. I am a list maker naturally. I legitimately have a list app to organize all of my list. I get distracted easily. I am an overthinker. So, list making helps keep me focused and on track. I also love to have a plan A, plan B, plan C, plan D, ect. I like to be prepared! So, I am not dissing the list! Every year when making my New Year’s Resolutions list I start writing down these expectations that are very high, unrealistic, and not easily attained. I’m not being a negative nelly, I am just being real. So, I decided to look up the meaning of “resolutions”. Here is the dictionary definition:
res·o·lu·tion
/ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
1.
a firm decision to do or not to do something.
"she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more"
synonyms:
intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim, plan; More
a formal expression of opinion or intention agreed on by a legislative body, committee, or other formal meeting, typically after taking a vote.
"the conference passed two resolutions"
synonyms:
motion, proposal, proposition, resolve
"the committee passed the resolution"
the quality of being determined or resolute.
"he handled the last French actions of the war with resolution"
synonyms:
determination, purpose, purposefulness, resolve, resoluteness, single-mindedness, firmness, firmness of purpose; More
2.
the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.
"the peaceful resolution of all disputes"
synonyms:
solution to, answer to, end to, ending to, settlement of, conclusion to
"a satisfactory resolution of the problem"
MUSIC
the passing of a discord into a concord during the course of changing harmony.
MEDICINE
the disappearance of inflammation, or of any other symptom or condition.
I love the Latin meaning to the word Resolution “To loosen or release”. I am a firm believer in order to move forward you have to be willing to let go of some old things to obtain new. Sometimes we have to release and detach from every person, every circumstance, every condition, and every situation that no longer serves a divine purpose in our lives.
I also looked up the synonyms of the word “Resolution”. I picked some of the words that stood out the most to me. I wanted to make my New Year’s Resolution a bit more meaningful this year. Not just about “gym goals”. It is amazing how just one word “Resolution” can have such great meaning behind it. Goes to show there is always a bigger picture. I based my list off of these words.
Decision - Make no hasty decisions out of hurt, anger, or fear.
Aim - Aim high, but feel no self-guilt when failure occurs. For failure is just the outcome for trying. Keep trying.
Boldness - Be BOLD, but not arrogant.
Courage - Have courage no matter the situation.
Declaration - Make a self-declaration to love yourself.
Dedication - Have dedication in all that you put your hands to.
Firmness - Be firm, but gentle.
Guts - Have the guts to do what others do not.
Heart - Put your heart in all that you do, for love is always the solution to everything.
Immovable - Be fixed on your goals. Don’t let others influence you wrongly.
Intention - Always examine your intentions to make sure they are right.
Judgment - Don’t cast judgement. The only difference between a flower and a weed, is judgement.
Perseverance - Have the backbone to stand-up for yourself and the determination to withstand whatever comes your way.
Purpose - Clarify your purpose, your “why”. You had a purpose before anyone had an opinion.
Relentlessness - Be relentless. “ Success belongs to the relentless learners. Because as you know more, you can achieve more.”
Resolve - Remember everything begins with the resolve to take the first step. From that action wisdom arises and change begins. Take that step to resolve anything “undone” in your life.
Sincerity - Be sincere or be silent.
Spunk - Don’t lose it.
Stubbornness - Be stubborn about your goals and flexible about your methods.
Willpower - “There is no weapon more deadly than the will.”
Staying Power - Maintain commitment despite fatigue or difficulty.
That last one, though. It got me thinking about 2018. A lot of things changed. Some good and some bad. It was mostly a good year but, stressful due to all the changes. Change is a good thing. The transition isn’t always easy, though. There were times I was just so tired, fedup, unmotivated, discouraged, and felt so alone. It was definitely difficult to endure at times. But, I stayed.. I stuck with it. Being an entrepreneur has been the hardest thing I have ever done yet, one of the most rewarding. It has allowed me to learn my weaknesses but, most importantly my strengths. I have always been my worst critic. Always focusing on everything i’m doing wrong, what I could be doing, what I should be doing, how I could do it better, and only focusing on that. I often forget to look in areas where I am doing something right and giving it my very best.
In 2019, go easy on yourself. Whatever you do today, let it be enough. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t need goals, ambitions, or dreams. Just don’t let the pressure of making the perfect “New Year’s Resolution” cause you to be discontent with who you are and where you are in this moment of life. In a world that feeds off of your self-doubt, learn to love yourself and never doubt. Also, take time for self-care. No person can pour from an empty vessel. In order to serve others, you have to take care of yourself first. Trust me, I have learned that the hard way. Self-care is not selfish, it’s necessary. Sometimes self-care isn’t what we think it is. Sometimes it’s eating healthy, taking a nap, lounging around in your pj’s on the weekend, and sometimes it’s getting a reflexology session. See what I did there? =)
This reflexologist wishes you the happiest, healthiest, and most loving year yet. Happy New Year! May God bless you all. Or as we say in the South “Y’all”.
Love, Sydni Sons R.C.R.