A new year. And with it, all the hope that a fresh new page promises. Which can also bring fear. Fear of failure, of not living up to expectations – of everyone around you and yourself.
But this year’s going to be different. No more making resolutions that look good on paper (or more likely on the ‘gram), or to please other people. Or, worse still, to impress them or make them envious.
This year, your resolutions will come from the heart. They will fire you up and make you thrive. More importantly, they’ll bring joy to your life and “fill up your cup”.
In order to do so, we need to understand who we truly are. What makes us tick, what makes us want to shrivel up and die a little. Some of us may have been hiding our true wants and needs for a lifetime. When I think back to when I was my most authentic self, comfortable in my own skin and happy, it was over twenty years ago, between the ages of fourteen and sixteen.
Things I was doing more of then include: writing, dancing, making music, creating art and wearing colourful clothing. These are all things I can do more of now. These are all things that would make me happy. These are all things I ~want~ to do over and over again, not run away from.
So, before I set any resolutions this year, I’m going to spend some time understanding ‘me’ again. It’s not as easy as it sounds, when you’ve been pigeon-holed somewhat. When you’ve been living out other people’s expectations of you.
But suppressing your true desires isn’t good for the soul. It’s called stagnating, and it seeps through your pores in every way possible. You cannot force yourself to do things you don’t really want to do, no matter how hard you try convince – or berate – yourself otherwise.
So tell me, what makes your heart soar? Then promise yourself you’ll do more of those things this coming year.