Make it yours.

Photo: Warnemunde, New Year's Eve 2018

 The first week of 2019 is nearly over and I hope it has been a very relaxed and happy one for you. It is a tradition in my family to keep the Christmas tree until the 6th of January and facing its farewell might be a good moment to write a New Year's post for you.

I very much like the sense of new beginnings that are in the air all January. I do love the spirit of optimism that fills our entire world at this time of year. I really enjoy not knowing about the future and not having any idea at all about what the new year has up its sleeves for me.

New year, new me, then? If I listen close to this epigraph, what do I hear? Does it mean I didn't get the message yet that I am still that imperfect woman I have always been? Looks like it. Does it mean I still have missed the point that I have got work I should be doing, explicitly working on myself to become a better person? Apparently, I have. Everywhere I go, especially at the beginning of a new year, I am bombarded with the idea that something has to happen eventually to change myself to higher quality.

Well, whoever it was that composed  the 'New year, new me' bestselling marketing scheme plainly disregarded a very essential certainty. A new me or new you always starts with a truly wonderful feature everyone of us possesses. It starts with listening to the voice within us. Yes, that small but beautiful thing we thought wouldn't exist anymore. The voice and its singular euphony is the key to everything.There is no way around that. It is the one and only that can take us by the hand and lead us to the dance with the escapades of another twelve months.

Now it happened that many of us at some point just stopped listening to that voice. We stopped pursuing the things in life that once meant the world to us. We put all the exciting plans we so optimistically made aside. We stored them inside a box, deeply secluded in our hearts. Maybe we've even lost faith in ourselves. It's not that it isn't there, we just do not consider it anymore. How did that happen?  'Do' or 'don't do' made all the difference and there can be various reasons for that. Reasons very different and personal for anyone. Whatever these reasons have been, however much silent our voice has become, it does not matter. It does not matter because every moment from now on can be the perfect one and you will notice your inner voice again. Just try. It'll be a funny tingling in your belly first. Then, you will hear a scarcely audible whispering, though so wonderfully, that it will make you pause for a few seconds because you will feel all the wonder and energy about it. Please keep listening and the next thing you know is finding yourself engaged in the most magical dialogue with your heart. Open that box and look at what you've put inside so many years ago. Is there still something you yearn to do? Is the content of the box still sparkling with desire, with the world  to your feet, with hope, with love? It is, right? It is because you have not changed so much. You are still that amazing  person you have been back then, just a little older. Just a little wiser. Just a little more beautiful.

Looking at the precious treasury in the box, the little voice within you will encourage you to reflect on the years that have passed. It will shine a light on the person you are today. And, there are some most incredible things your voice will do for the future. It will dare you to take risks. It will tell you what is right for you and you will not always be willing to step on board. At times the voice will be so annoyingly pushy and persistent that you will complain and argue with it. When this happens, please remember why listening to it is so essential. What the voice is pushing you towards is taking chances. Toward embracing life and the joy of it. Toward opening up to love. Be willing to take that leap of faith with your heart. Taking leaps of faith means accepting that you don't always land exactly where you want to. But out there, you  know, is much more than just being comfortable. There is so much more than just settling for being content. Everything worth having comes with bravery and a little risk. You never know until you try.

There is no new you or new me, wouldn't you agree? (Oh, that actually rhymed!) There are only us wonderful people trying to improve. Us wonderful people that work on avoiding bad habits, negative thoughts and the like. Us wonderful people that know how much they can change the world around them by changing themselves. Us wonderful people that are aware of the benefit for others if we love ourselves and are happy. It is hard sometimes and I know there might be moments when you want to give in, but these are our tasks that ultimately change everything. A resounding welcome to 2019!
Make it yours.

Photo: Christmas tree at home, December 2018