Alright, so I think I, like most people, tend to separate myself out by every year. This past year was me "then", and the New Year is me now (a "clean slate"). This is just part of the completely natural tendency to push aside the old, and the worn; basically what hasn't been working. I've never had any real problems with this notion but when I really thought about the materialization of the "New Year" philosophy, (i.e. January 1st: packed gyms that might've been almost empty days before, a surplus of new and power-walking pedestrians to avoid, and complete 180° diet turn arounds) I have to admit that I believe there are other ways to go about re-inventing yourself, or just simply improving.
For starters,
- I think as much as we'd like to forget all the mistakes, faux pas' and passing trends we took a part in, it's important to remember and accept them in order to respect yourself and your potential for change and transformation (as painfully embarrassing as it is to even spend one second on ye old profile pictures)
What I really mean by this isn't that you can only grow if you shove the past in your face and get over it, but that yes, some pictures, choices and old attachments can be mortifying but every moment up to now helped you grow and in an odd and almost counter-intuitive way the bad helped to create some good.
Secondly,
Drop the diet. I don't mean that you should drop the idea of eating healthier-- that's always a good thing-- but just having the idea that what you did was wrong and you need to change (yada yada yada) can be more destructive than beneficial. Keep the ideology that you deserve to be healthy, but don't guilt yourself into it. From what I know, and have observed, it's better to take it slow and only change what you eat because you want to, not because you think you have to. Some of healthiest and best foods for you actually taste great! (matter of opinion)
Examples of some of my favorites: Quinoa, Dates, Cauliflower, Spinach, Kale, Apples
Also if you haven't tried KIND Bars, you really should. Delicious.
Now I'm hungry. Anyways, to go along with that, don't ditch your burgers or occasional fries-- but if you're looking to eat healthier for your health, and not for an image, then I definitely suggest some of the examples aforementioned.
Lastly,
I think one of the best things about the New Year has to be the fact that it's always a bit of a blind sighted/bittersweet mile marker. A whole YEAR has gone by and you don't know exactly how many you'll have (Oh god, not a cliched and cheesy reference to our own undeniable mortality, nooooooo).
Yes all of the love, friends, views, moments, food (for feelings toward see 5th word in sentence) and yes sometimes embarrassing mementos of the last year were all wrapped up in 365 days. There's a lot to be grateful for I'm sure (in the fact alone: that you are alive and well) and especially if you can look at it and appreciate yourself for getting through it and hopefully making the most of it. And if not, look toward 2015 with an intention for complete and total commitment to it. Hopefully by the time another New Year's comes you won't be drawn to "start from scratch" but to add onto something you're proud of. Not because of what you did but because of how you did it and because of what you learned along the way.
Thank you 2014. You were great.
Beyond excited to make 2015 even better.
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