Happy New Year: the holiday that is every meme, every mantra, and every moment you thought, "the sun will come out tomorrow!"
The road is laid out before you. The world is your oyster. The sky's the limit. The 365 days ahead can be whatever you want them to be.
It's a fresh start, a clean slate, a chance for rebirth or new growth. A reboot.
The new year brings the promise of redemption from the missteps and mistakes of the previous year.
2015 sucked? Put it in the past!
The glass is always half full.
My resolution short list probably looks a lot like yours, a little vague and dreamy, written in pencil...
- exercise more
- eat healthier
- cut out the negative
- reduce stress
- bring home more fresh flowers
When trying to put my finger on what makes New Year's Eve so mystical I found one simple explanation. The "fresh start effect" is the idea that we feel most ready to set the world on fire when we're able to get a "fresh start" at it. It's not just a clever name!
This makes perfect sense to me. I give myself the weekend to be lazy and skip the gym under the mental promise that I will kick the week off right on Monday. I quiet smoking at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2009. I've never started any new routine mid-week.
And what better fresh start is there than a new calendar year?
There's just something magical that happens when that clock strikes midnight. We sing songs that make us weepy and sip champagne that makes us giddy. We are suddenly best friends with everyone around us because hey, if they're celebrating, they must get it too!
January 1 can make even the most stoic turn soft, humble and hopeful.
I celebrated at work this year. It's not the first time and likely won't be the last, but every time I ring in a new year with coworkers, it's always a good time!
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| Shelly S. and me, 2016 |
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