Resolution or Intention?

I have spent a good portion of my life working behind the bar. Many New Year’s eves I’ve been surrounded by people wearing their most sparkly clothing, drinking to access and proclaiming their love for everyone. Usually, this is followed up with the dramatic life changes they will make once the clock strikes midnight. New Year’s had become my least favorite celebration.

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. If there is something in your life that no longer serves you, waiting for a day on the calendar to change seems more like a job than a desire. Many resolutions don’t make it very far because it is something we are “supposed” to do but without the passion it fizzles. I’m not saying it’s not possible and for some having a day when you can plan to let something go can work but it’s the self-abuse that comes if you “fail” that bothers me. When you decide you are going to start going to the gym beginning January 1, but you hate the gym and stop going by January 15th the next thing that happens is the self-criticism/self-abuse leading to depression and weight gain which is what you were trying to relieve yourself of in the first place. It’s all very dramatic.

I have begun to become more aware of the differences my body needs with the changing of the seasons. Winter is a natural time for everything to slow down, to begin to shed the old so we may begin to grow again in the spring. It’s a great time for self-reflection. To assess what the past year has been to us and notice if we are aligning our decisions with the life we want to lead. I am a gardener. Right around New Year’s I start to get seed catalogs. I begin to plan what I will plant and where, taking special consideration to light, soil, drainage and neighboring plants that will support their growth. The amount of time I spend tending my garden, pulling weeds, watering, adding compost and staking plants will be a huge factor in what veggies I will harvest. This has always been a great reminder for my Self. Now I begin to plan what I want to work towards. The results are not immediate, I must be patient and continue to notice what needs aren’t being meant and be willing to adjust my expectations based on things I have no control over. I am just like my garden. The thoughts I give space to, the ones I nourish will be the ones that take over my brain. Make sure you aren’t fertilizing the weeds and allowing them space to grow. Acknowledge them then yank ‘em out! It’s never ending. It doesn’t start on any special day. It is a continual process tending to your passion, the direction of the life you want to lead, what you want to harvest. Don’t wait for New Years. Every day be Kind, Love everyone and Sparkle.