It takes courage to begin again. It takes even more to begin again.

✨ Happy Lunar New Year! ✨
Today a short reflection on the new year.

I was lucky enough to live in Hong Kong for several years and while there, for so many reasons, the lunar new year became my favorite holiday.

It still is. Living back in the US, the experience of celebrating it has changed, but what remains is the feeling that it is a chance for another start, to begin again. The hopes, ambitions, and resolutions for the other new year have had a chance to run around and fall down. Now is a chance for them to get fed, watered, and refreshed.

Reflections on Resolutions
I recently read that most new year’s resolutions are abandoned by mid-January. January 19th to be precise. The metrics by which they came up with this day, I remember not, but it is generally well understood that many resolutions do not survive contact with the day to day of our everyday. Throw in the wild and incessant weirdness of this now time — -where there is just so much muchness. Well it all can be a bit much. No wonder why those resolutions opted out.

Yet, resolutions are called resolutions for a reason, they take resolve. And sure resolve can be associated with willpower but it is also about finding answers and solutions.

There is no shame in figuring things out. Of experimenting, of trying and stopping, of losing momentum. Of wanting to give up because it is feels hard. Streaks are great, streaks can be wonderful and breaking one can have destabilizing effect. I have been shamed and harangued by Duo the Owl for missing a day of Spanish lessons. Which, not only ended my streak but kind of killed my interest for a while.

The film Groundhog Day is an interesting take on what it means to begin again. And Again. And Again.

And speaking of beginning again
…..in starting something new there is a fragility, vulnerability, and uncertainty that comes with it. Navigating that takes courage. So just in case you have something that you would like to start and there is a disproportionate amount of dis- preceding your courage, here is a tiny slip of courage to encourage you to begin or begin again. And again. And again.


🚀✨ What things are you beginning or beginning again? ✨🚀

Those “things” can be ones that you have already translated into action or ones that are still in your heart or your head but haven’t yet made it into the world. Share in the comments and I’ll offer some encouragement.

This post was created with Typeshare