Hey peeps! I am sure you are all recovering from your wild nights of partying. I didn’t get crazy. I made a couple of party appearances then I went to see Django Unchained. Quentin Tarantino is a genius. I pretty much rang (ringed?) in the New Year watching Jamie Foxx shoot people in the face. I covered my eyes, y’all. I have a sensitive heart.
Today I wanted to chat about why you SHOULD look back. On the eve of New Year’s Eve there was a steady stream of “don’t look back” and “time to start anew blah blah” in my social media news feeds. It is easy to embrace this line of thinking. I can see why it is appealing to so many people. I confess, as well, it can be all to easy to become stuck in the past and what might have been. It can also be all too easy, though, to not be present. We struggle to embrace the here and now. So we are left with the predicament of trying to hold these two worlds in tension: we must remember our past and be present. To add to the pressure we are also called to imagine futures for ourselves.
All this work! I need a damn nap!
As much work as it may seem, we thrive when we do all three. The key? Balance.
Damn it, again!
SO this year I am headed into a new year reflecting on 2012 without judgment, striving to be fully present in 2013, while aspiring to envision a future 2014 for myself emboldened with hope.
* Also, WordPress is making the format of this post weird…and I am going to leave it. Why? Because I keep trying to fix it and it keeps not doing what it is supposed to. Also, I am working on ACCEPTANCE. Booya.
Things in 2012
Went to Green Mountain at Fox Run
Started embracing telling my own story honestly
Ran into one of my husband’s mistresses
Talked about the death of my brother
Decided I didn’t need to be on The Biggest Loser
Performed in Listen To Your Mother
Thing I am doing now
transitioning into a therapeutic separation
making a plan to better manage my PCOS
working hard to be authentic in my journey
Embracing my friends and their support more than ever
Awesome(er) things I will do in 2014
Have finished my memoir
Applied and been accepted to a doctoral program
Reached my health goal
Taken myself on a solo vacation
Written a piece for three of my coveted online sites
Good for you! Acceptance is something I struggle with myself. Happy New Year!
Dude! WE all struggle with acceptance
“Don’t look back”? You follow people who aren’t involved in Reverb and Cultivate.
I’ve got a binder with my Reverb 10, Reverb 11, and Cultivate 2012 posts. I’ve got Susannah Conway’s Unravelling in there, too. I’ve got loose leaf, colored pens, and a strong desire to learn from my past so I can enjoy the present and build a better future. Pardon my language, but fuck this poverty bull shit. This year, I’m getting out of this trap. I WILL do it.
Good luck on all your aspirations! I’m right here cheering you on. =)
Thanks Meredith! I am always honored by your courage. Seriously. You are hardcore.
I can’t wait to read that memoir, and see some fantastic posts on those websites you covet. You are a rock star, Ms. Jasmine.
Heh! Thanks Amiyrah! You are pretty wonderful yourself.