A Fresh Start – A False Teaching

As 2021 crept into existence the messages of wishing everyone a happy new year came flooding in across all social media platforms. As more and more messages accumulated I pondered on the subtext of all these well wishes. New Year, new beginning, new hope, new opportunities and then I began to wonder what makes us as humans cling to these dates. Is the 1st of January really any different to any other day? Does it possess some magical power? Perhaps I have become cynical but I truly am carrying around the same baggage I had yesterday and many days before that.

Many a gym thrive on the “promise of a new life, a new body a new you” with January being the best month to sign up new members. Statistics show that at least 50% give up in the first month with a massive 90% not getting past the 3 month mark. Sounds like a good business to be in, however it also shows the human weakness of subconsciously believing in this non existent magical day.

My grief, my anxiety, my uncertainties all remain with me. This festive season having brought many feelings to the fore. Family time always exposing the empty place, but more than the place of emptiness is the missing smile, the missing joy and general happiness. The constant undercurrent of sadness running below the surface as a reminder of the great loss we have experienced.

So forgive me for being cynical but there are no magical dates. There are however many moments within any given day in which you can choose your next step. Moments in which to embrace grief, moments to address the anxiety, moments to confront the fear of uncertainty and these moments don’t need a special day or name. They are your moment, your time when you are ready and can not be defined by a fixed schedule.

So as we proceed into the new year with a new name don’t get caught up in all the hype of “a fresh start, new beginnings” but rather resolve to grab your moments as and when they present themselves. Hanging your hat on a date is only setting yourself up for failure! Rather take time to look inward and identify those key moments when you are in a position to take the next step.