ReMindEd   •   January 1, 2017

It seems fitting to start a new year by reflecting on the year just gone. Most of us do this each December 31/January 1, or if you’re a writer like me, for the month leading up to and the month after the new year dates change over.

I actually love this tradition, to take the time to rest, reflect, and dream for the new year. Mostly because no other period of time throughout a year perhaps gives us the room, or perhaps permission, to do this. Which is sad actually, that for many rest happens only once a year. And still others who find themselves responding to that with the comment, “Rest, what rest?”

This year however, a trend across the social media platforms I’ve noticed has been to reject New Years resolutions, with comments around them setting us up to fail yet again, and why suffer the impending disappointment this year as well, where lists are made and goals written out only to come to the end of January or for those who are more resolute about their resolutions perhaps getting to March before we realise the list has already been blown and lets just resolve ourselves to the same patterns of disappontment, failure, shame and guilt these lists apparently cause…!

And I do get why people may come to this conclusion. It’s hard to set goals and risk dreaming large to realise at whatever point that it didn’t happen or we didn’t stick to our plan or life had a different idea than we did. I’ve felt that burn.

But what of the burn that occurs when we decide not to dream, when our resolution is to not have a resolution, to not risk the heartache of failure. I’d like to suggest this burn, although perhaps not obviously felt at the time, will burn us far more deeply than a list we can’t tick off in two months’ time.  The burn of protectionism- which was a word my iPhone just suggested when I typed protection, which I’m using as it fits quite well and which I’m quite sure I’ll use again.

Protectionism: (1) the tendency to minimise immediate harm in response to an actual or proposed threat, by most often delaying its onset until a future time, at which point, the harm shall be again delayed; (2) avoiding pain no matter the cost; (3) the avoidance of facing our fears for fear they are scarier than we thought them to be; (4) denying ourselves a free life and sound mind by allowing fear to go unchallenged, resulting in minimalisation of personal responsibility, ignorance to the gentle whisper of truth’s voice, and ensuring one becomes settled in the shadow of fear as a friend who exists to protect us from the light.

Well that’s my definition as of today, january 1 2017. I’m sure that will be reworked and explored across coming weeks. I have the sense it may open up something bigger than one blog post’s word limit.

So for now, I’ll leave you to think about it. Decide for yourself whether you make New Years resolutions or not, fully aware you may not be able to tick them all off this year…. But is that actually it’s purpose? After all, Neo was told he wasn’t the One as the only way for him to find his way to becoming just that. Perhaps they do more than become completed and ticked off items on a list. Perhaps they are merely stepping stones towards something else this year will lead us to, that at january first we may be unable to yet put into words or recognise we even want.

I know my New Years resolutions are written and will be added to in the coming months.

So here’s to new beginnings, old ends, renewed strength, deeper love and bolder steps of brave this year. Here’s to 2017!

Always for freedom,

Sal
@remindedmind

#alwaysforfreedom

#bravenewyear