I have NO idea why I called this a Flock of New Beginnings: Maybe because it just sounded good to me? Maybe because I was thinking of that guy’s hairdo in A Flock of Seagulls? Or, maybe because each New Year comes in with the possibilities of new beginnings, and it reminds me of a huge flock of geese, in full V formation, flying by with hundreds of thoughts, feelings and ideas, pooping gratitude over all of us as they fly by…yeahhhhhhh…let’s go with that…
If you’ve read my past New Year’s blogs, then you already know that I’m no fan of the whole “New Year, New Me” way of thinking. I can’t stand that as soon as Christmas is over, the TV is flooded with weight loss ads, and ads for pans that cook with less oil, and blenders for healthy smoothies, and gyms with promotional membership fees- just because a new year is approaching, does NOT mean that we all need to suddenly change who we are and what we look like, and how we cook…you get my point.
The truth is: You can have a new beginning at any time. You don’t need to wait for January 1, you don’t need to have a tragedy to happen, and you don’t need to wait for the ending of anything- You can start over wherever you are, and whenever you choose to. The thing I have with new beginnings, though- is that in my opinion, you need to move forward with GRATITUDE. When you begin anything with a grateful heart, you are already beginning in a position of peace and success.
Having an “attitude of gratitude” is a great way to live, in general- but it makes all the new beginnings we take in life a lot smoother. Like, when something ends in our lives, it’s natural to grieve the loss, and feel a little sadness about it, but if we look with grateful eyes at the situation, we can be thankful for the experience and for the lessons we learned, so that we can move forward in peace and truly have a great new start at the next parts of our lives.
Back when I wanted to be a nun (I believe I’ve written about this- but just accept it for now if you don’t know the story, lol) the prioress of the monastery once told me to look for the blessing in every situation. Of course, back then, I accepted what she said, and went along with my life- but as the years go by, I understand that phrase more and more. No matter what happens in life, there really IS something to be grateful for thrown in the midst of the chaos. You REALLY have to looks sometimes- but it’s always there, and sometimes (okay, most times) it’s those tiny little moments that are the things we need to start again…and again…
So- I am grateful for all the moments of my life so far that have made me propel myself forward into new beginnings- and I hope that each of you are grateful for your new beginnings also- and that you will always look for the blessing in every situation. May a Flock of New Beginnings poop gratitude on each of you in this New Year, and always!
Be good to each other. Love to each of you.