New Year, new year — make it happy

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

— Victor Frank

Sometimes the amount of time we have to make a decision is very limited and we make rash choices rather than working out reasonable responses. Other times, when we have more than enough time to consider our decisions, our inner “parent” nags us, insisting we be level headed and do the right thing. This is otherwise known as resistance.

Instead of taking action, we begin a litany of reasons why we shouldn’t, can’t, won’t do something. But we know deep down that the reason we aren’t acting is fear. So we stall. We justify. We say we need more time. And the possibility of performing at our best lies on the work table one more day while we justify why it won’t work, that we’re not ready, it’s already been tried and so forth.

If we look at our behavior very closely, most of us will see that we have work to do as far as selfhonesty goes. As Cheryl Strayed writes in “Tiny Beautiful Things,” “I know it’s hard to know what to do when you have a conflicting set of emotions and desires, but it is not as hard as we pretend it is. Saying it’s hard is ultimately a justification to do whatever seems like the easiest thing to do.”

You are standing at the beginning of a brand new year. What is the thing that truly makes your heart sing? If you are coming up with reasons not to make that happen, if you see nothing but obstacles, then ask yourself: What is truly holding me back?

Why not make this coming year something to really cheer about? I invite you to consider applying your awesome creative power to bring forth the world you’re ready to experience. Make 2021 a year that works for you and everyone through the power of self-reflection, honesty, and loving action, which, granted, often involves hard work. Happy New Year! Happy New You!