I was working on something on the 30th December and came across this text, which is how I want to start my first blog in 2021. We have just had the final full moon in 2020 in the zodiac sign Cancer, which is all about depth, emotion and water. And what a year it was for all of us and I expect many people are feeling, like me, enough is enough and time to make a fresh start into a new year.
The text is:
New Year, New Chapter, New Verse or just the same old story … ?
Ultimately, we write it.
The choice is ours.
And goodness how true is that? Who wants to keep re-writing or re-reading the same old story. Not me. This is the moment in my year when I have a clear up and chuck out.
Take down the Christmas decorations, even though they looked lovely during December, after New Year, they look totally out of place. What to keep and what to throw away. Not the same old decorations year in, year out, make space for new, later in the year?
Clear out my social media accounts, archive old posts, check the list of names. Who is in and who is out? It may seem quite the opposite to what a lot of people do. People love to have ‘likes and followers’ but my theory is, that it is preferably people that I know, as then it means so much more. This is almost impossible when my socials are connected to my website which has grown such a lot. I am very grateful for that and also the comments I get from people on a daily basis. This is the way I know that people are reading what I write, which is after all the reason that I do it.
I am not really a person who makes NY resolutions, mainly because I find them almost impossible to keep long term. The best laid plans have often dissolved before the end of January, so I don’t make them. I just think of the new ideas, the new goals and the things that I would love to achieve in this (new) year. New choices and new challenges. It is time to wipe the slate clean and begin again. Often on NY Eve we look back on the year that has passed and my advice would have been make it a really short look back. Don’t dwell on it too long.
Numerically 2021 is a 5 year. The number five is the number commonly referred to the as the number of humanity. Humans have five fingers, five toes, five appendages (if the head is included), five senses (not sure I agree entirely on this one I think there are 6) and five major systems in the body. Noted for independence, versatility, rebellion and a daring nature.
Interesting !
And if one word comes forward it is ‘rebellion’. Rebellion against how the world was faring in 2020. It was a disaster on many scores and do you like me, feel that you desperately need change. A lot of us spent the majority of the year in difficult circumstances, dealing with this new virus, Corona, being asked to stay at home, stay away from people and isolate ourselves, when actually human nature is that we really want to connect with people. We do believe me! During 2020 we all proved our versatility by doing things we had to as opposed to doing things we wanted to. And now it’s time to be daring.
Finally daring to get on with the things you have been thinking about for a long time. Making the impossible … possible. Living your dreams. Creating the things that make you happy and make you feel that are making a contribution. Not only for yourself but for others too.
Another quote I found was this:
2021 Life is not about expecting, hoping and wishing. It’s about doing, being and becoming!
Hoorah! I can relate to that.
During 2020 I wrote a lot about problems on social media and even though I am not going to either go into this subject or repeat myself I just want to say: please wake up everyone and delete anything that does not feel right. Just do it, even though it may seem hard. We have to stop this once and for all. No more terrible stories please of how people are taken in by scammers. But enough said.
That is why I also have a ‘session’ early in the first week of January. Deleting old emails, usually I just keep the ones from December and delete the rest, received or sent on all of my accounts. Who am I connected to on Facebook? Personal friends or just ‘circles within circles’. Instagram same story. Followers or being followed. Who are they? People I know or not. Archive away all the old posts. Just make a fresh start.
The number of all these ‘social contacts’ does not help you to be a better person. Only you can be and do that!
I repeat: It is about doing, being and becoming!
So here we are, a new chapter, a clean page and even though I find January a long dull month, it is the best time of the year to de-clutter. The weather is usually not that good and with a Code Orange Worldwide restricting travel, we have more time to do this. It is also therapeutic. The pile of post on my desk is so high, everything falls regularly to the floor. I will file or bin in the next few days.
As I am a writer, I fully appreciate the words – CHAPTER ONE as I write a new book and then at the end of each chapter, the feeling as it comes to and end and I type the words CHAPTER TWO. This to me represents a moment when I have a full blank page to fill with my story and as I write along, following inspiration, I never really know what is coming next. Like life itself really. In any storyline, I have a backbone of the actual story. The beginning, the middle and the end, but along the way I often diversify if I have new inspiration and this comes in many directions. Often, I have been known to delete a lot of words and start again, sometimes I even begin with the final chapter. But it’s a creative process and being creative doesn’t mean that you have literally everything mapped out from start to finish.
We can relate this to life itself. Of course, each and every one of us has obligations. No getting away from it, but we all have a lot of time in between to do the things we actually love to do. Moving away from the herd and not blindly following for example. The gyms may be closed at the moment, but a half hour walk every day is enough exercise. We may not be able to pump the muscles on the apparatus, but there is an awful lot you can do at home with a few simple tools to keep fit. One of the best ways to exercise is do yoga, which I used to love doing. But I don’t anymore. Why not? There are many online courses which you can follow. If you happen to be working at home, make this part of your routine too. 15 minutes moving and stretching pumps the blood around the system once again and you can go back to your work feeling refreshed. My son-in-law has a very busy demanding job and he told me the other day that he uses a special chair to work at home. Some parts of the day he is standing, some parts of the day he is sitting and during his lunch break he is walking. A brisk walk in the fresh air is therapeutic. It really is. Try it. Make that maybe one of your ‘NY’ ideas. Only excuse is when it is pouring with rain. It is also very good to rest your eyes regularly from computer screens and smartphones, which, come on admit, are on your desk all the time.
Because we do not want to miss out on anything … do we??
So, January is here, 2021 and my first moment this year is a dental appointment on 21.1.21.
It is not my hobby and was moved into the New Year as I had several sessions during 2020 and my mouth needed a rest. And it is for two extractions and I am dreading it, apart from the fact when I noticed the date, I thought again and wondered what is this trying to tell me? Too much stress? Possibly right so what is the next move?
Remove the stress if possible.
The thing is with stress is, I feel, the moment when we often cannot see the wood for the trees. How much stress do you actually have and more important what can you do about it?
Well, the remedy is only something you can do yourself and by that, I mean – remove it!
Turn things around, do things differently and make a real effort to let go of all the baggage you are carrying with you that you do not need, or even want anymore.
My top twenty or so ‘In and Out” for 2020/2021 is:
OUT IN 2020
- Fake news and fear
- The never-ending stream of boring reality programs on TV
- The long list of social media so-called influencers who feel they have to share their entire life with us
- Copying other people
- Duality and Competition
- Being a sheep in the herd
- Following trends, just because they are ‘trends’
- Scammers on the socials
- Feeling obliged to do something even if you do not agree
- Staying in situations that you know are not good for you
- Hoarding shopping
- Overindulging
- Keeping things just for the sake of ‘keeping’.
IN FOR 2021
- Being who you truly are
- Speaking your truth
- Making a blank page for 2021, write your own words
- Being your own person
- Paying attention to signs and synchronicity
- Helping others
- Kindness
- Synergy (often two opposites make the best team!)
- Respect for everyone!
- Creating your own trend and magic
- Taking a walk every day and getting enough sleep
- Healthy eating
- Only sharing things, you want to share not what you feel you need to get the most ‘likes, comments or followers’.
And most important is the word – LOVE !
So, Happy New Year to everyone. Let’s all make a pledge to make this year better than last (and that won’t be very hard). A big thank you to everyone for your support last year.
Let’s toast to fresh starts and new chapters. Happy 2021 !
Images: Google
