Spanking new year
New Year’s (both the eve and the day) being a universal celebration was something I took for granted until a week ago. I’m not sure whether it was the cocktails I had already downed or just having mentally grown a year older that made me consider this minutes before the countdown to 2018 began: New Year’s Eve is the celebration of a new beginning, but also a happy goodbye to the year that has been. No one pines after the year gone by, or wishes it lasted longer. We look forward to new experiences, new relationships and even new versions of ourselves. New Year’s Eve is essentially the celebration of an ending.
As I sat thinking about this in a beautiful Irish bar, a new thought came to me: what if I were to begin celebrating every ending in my life? New Year’s is fun, happy, exciting and full of possibilities; I’d love to have all of those more often. So, what if I began celebrating instead of mourning every time something in my life ended? I had nothing specific in mind (and no, I’m not talking about the cliché break-up party made popular by mindless films). But the thoughts that followed thrilled me: finished reading a book I really love; celebrate (more time for new and different reading, yay)! A project initially positive doesn’t work out in the long run; celebrate (space to find more compatible partners, yay)! Fell out with a friend; celebrate (more time for friends who’ve been good to me and more room in my life for new ones, yay)! Someone I liked working with let me down; celebrate (an opportunity to work with a replacement who’s more professional, committed and better at the craft, yay)!
If you haven’t already picked up on it, allow me to add a little disclaimer that this isn’t about positive thinking or seeing the glass as half full. It’s about making peace with an ending and looking forward to what’s next. It’s about remaining spirited and trusting that my choices aren’t limited. It’s about realising that the celebration of an ending can only come along with my happy acceptance of it. It’s about genuinely moving on.
Moving on so easily is a bit of a paradox for me because I’m also highly empathetic. But, I’m also very sure of all my decisions. Earlier, I used to take a long while to make the final decision to cut off from something (or someone): lots of brooding, second thoughts and even second chances — so I could justify it to myself when I finally did. But this is easier, see. And it feels healthier. Removing myself from a situation the minute it makes me feel bad and turning it around to notice what I have to look forward to next. It feels so much more than blind optimism; it feels cut-the-crap, spare-me-the-nonsense, no-one-has-the-time-to-compromise, and very right.
A friend I shared the thought with said it was “gorgeous” and suggested I write an editorial dedicated to it. Of course, this is a friend whose advice I value greatly. But I’ve been careful to talk about this with respect to only myself because it isn’t meant to be a teaching. It’s not a concept I’m trying to preach; it’s just something I’m excited about because it works for me. The timing is appropriate. We’re a week into the new year, groggily waltzing out of our holiday moods and returning to work. We’re also a week away from our first issue for the year. Everything feels connected, but still new and fresh; I’d like to keep this sentiment alive in everything I do. And I look forward to seeing you notice it reflected in Binge: in our issues, themes, stories, partnerships and mostly all our decisions.
*Leave your thoughts in the comments here or on Instagram if you identify with this. Irrespective, a very happy new year to all our readers. We reveal our January theme tomorrow. We’ve even hinted at it in the headline for this editorial — can you catch it?
