Five Reflections to Inspire Your 2024 Resolutions
Resolutions are an expected New Year tradition. While you may not buy into the idea of making a list of things to change in the new year, there is undoubtedly some benefit to taking stock and reflecting on past experiences.
Life is a series of occurrences that happen in real-time, but the advantage of hindsight lies in its ability to provide a broader perspective, allowing us to comprehend “the big picture”. This might seem pointless since it’s all in the past, but as C.S Lewis puts it, “All that is made seems planless to the darkened mind because there are more plans than it looked for”.
Understanding “the big picture” enables us to piece together these occurrences, grasp the ‘what,’ and appreciate the ‘why.’ Engaging in the act of writing and reflecting on resolutions facilitates this process.
Here are five considerations to contemplate when reflecting on your resolutions for 2024:
1. On Societal Expectations; you cannot control what people say, only how you react to it.
What will people say?
Whatever they want to say.
What does it matter?
2. On ageing; the constant need to countdown the leftover years of youth adds nothing but the existential feeling that time is running out.
Time is a construct;
What is left does not matter,
how you use it does
3. On privilege by birth and other forms; we all have it and to varying degrees, all suffer for it.
Two sides of a coin;
Time and chance decide their fate:
Heads, you win; tails, lose
4. On Cancel Culture; give others the grace to have opinions that conflict with your own.
Always be gracious;
Words and thoughts flow different,
hearts stay the same place
5. On Social Media Echo Chambers — a derivative of social listening; you’ll never hear anything else without listening beyond your voice.
Take care and listen;
It is the empty barrels
that make the most noise
This year, embrace reflection as a tool for growth and understanding. May these insights guide you in navigating the complexities of 2024 with purpose and resilience.
