A new year, a new start, so much potential lying ahead and yet, I wonder, will this year be better than the last? Twenty years ago, when I was wracked with depression and psychosis I faced New Year’s thinking I had no hope but the years went by and I got better. Two years ago, I was out of work, my daughter was in recovery and I suffered from a severe medical condition. The years went by and I got better. For many, 2016 was a year of pain and disappointment. For me, there were good times and bad times. It brought healing for my stomach condition. I watched my daughter celebrate two years of freedom from drug addiction. While it included quitting a job, it also meant connecting with my desire to write and help others. 2016 wasn’t the worst year or the best year, it was another year to fight, to learn and to grow.
With 2016 over, and 2017 beginning, we are faced again with the eternal choice: we can look back and find the good that happened or we can look back and remember the bad. We can focus on the positive, on the opportunity the New Year brings, or we can anticipate failure, disappointment, and fear. For those that look back and see pain, I grieve with you. When the last year knocked you down over and over and over again until you don’t want to face 2017, I was in the trenches with you. For those that look forward with trepidation, I’m with you as well. With opportunity comes risk, with promise comes the potential for disappointment.
2017 may bring more of the same. It may mean even more heartbreak but it’s also an opportunity. It’s a fresh start. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Honestly, I can’t stand them. They are always so grand and sweeping and more often than not end in disappointment but I get the premise. Now is a great time to set a goal for the coming year. Now is a chance to renew your commitment to a new life. Maybe that commitment will wobble but maybe it won’t and even if it does, there’s nothing magical about Jan. 1st. You can renew that commitment every day.
I struggle with my own goals but I’m not going to give up. Even if I end every day feeling discouraged, I can still start every day with a renewed sense of determination. Join me in trying to find the positive in the last year and looking forward to the possibilities ahead. We’re going to keep fighting for our freedom and our happiness. 2017, bring it on!