A New Resolve

There’s always a huge shift in energy going into a new year. The magical day proceeded by the ordinary substratum days laid linearly before that one that turns the calendar to the ‘never been.’

That new energy has a way of burying our past mistakes and points the arrow of our lives with burning vigor to make the mark. And that’s the energy that ignites us: a moment of collective consciousness where we all see ourselves on the map and commit ourselves to better choices, broader versions of ourselves.

I think while the momentum is strong in this January awakening, it would serve us greatly to aim for the the preservation of holding strong to what we commit to. Ronald Rolheiser wisely observed that “our society knows how to anticipate an event but not how to sustain it.” What seems to be needed in our culture isn’t anymore by-gone hype that flickers by nightfall, but strong convictions that have faithful follow through. Easier said than done, I know.

I can’t begin to conjure up goals or even an overarching theme this year. I am landlocked between the future and past, and am so desperately trying to find the borders of this beautiful present. I think the way to sustain our goals and to be proud of who we are, is to focus on right here and right now. Because renewal doesn’t come easy, and it’s harder still with the pressure of a gnawing list of resolutions that will sour and feel more like character flaws when left incomplete. Renewal comes by choosing to hold hands with each moment we are given and making it our best, step-by-step, day-by-day: learning from our mistakes, taking inventory of the joy we find and where, leaning into relationships that are life-giving, and slipping our ankles from the shackles that tether us to unwanted land. Let’s not over-analyze the days or set the goals super high, but rest in the arms of each moment as if it were exactly where we’re supposed to be.

Celebrating a new year can be a beautiful resurrection of hope that stays fortified when we remember that a new year is just a new day and all of the tiny steps it took to get there.