New year, same me.
Happy new year!!! -new decade really! this is the time of the that people get all kinds of feels…some reflect, others resolve to do and and social media accounts post memes about blank pages in a book of 365 - when this year, we get a bonus! 1 of 366!
I've never been a big "new year's" person.
I've tried.
I've done the MA north shore Saugus club scene - the fact that I made it out alive and disease free is a bigger blessing than younger me realized.
I've done the stay at home and have people over and movie marathons of great franchises like LOTR, Twilight, Fast & Furious while eating awesome food.
I've done South Beach & Ft. Lauderdale.
I've cruised (super close to being one of the best)
I've done ONE NYE wedding.
I've given it my all. I have. It's not for me.
I've spent that past week trying to put my finger on why.
I've come up with nothing profound.
I have realized that I'm content and I'm grateful and I'm finding my balance.
Prepare yourself, I'm going to quote my spirit human - Oprah.
On contentment: "There is no paycheck that can equal the feeling of contentment that comes from being the person you are meant to be. Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
(clap) THIS (clap) IS (clap) SO (clap) TRUE(clap).
On being grateful: “Gratitude is the foundation of happiness. So if you want to start being happy, get grateful first.” One balance: "And that is in all areas of your life. It’s balance and flexibility emotionally, spiritually and physically.”
She also has a saying about new years - “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
2019 was pretty great - personally, it was truly trans-formative. I am content and grateful. I had big plans to not just "check the box" - I wanted consistent and sustained contentment. I wanted to be grateful for all that I have without considering about what I don't have.
There is a song I have been blasting on repeat - "Forward Motion" by Daya. It was at the end of the ok at best movie "late night" on Prime.
I could include all the lyrics here - but there are a lot of repetition, so here are some really great ones that make me CLAP MY HANDS and (with raised open hands) say "YAAAAAAAAAAS".
The opening one:
Don't let the negative ever get in your way
Don't let it mess up your life
Don't let it fuck up your day
Don't let the shit they do get in under your skin
Gotta push it aside
And keep pushing ahead
The chorus which includes this gem:
Don't let nothing ever slow you down
Keep on
Hit the gas, get your speed on
Never look back, no reason
No, no, nothing's gonna stop you now
After the beat drops and a chorus:
Don't let the darkness get in the way of your life
Don't let it mess with your head
Don't let it shut off your shine
You're on the fast track there, just stuck in reverse
Leave 'em under your wheels
Kick 'em all to the curb
Ooh, when this life knocks you on your ass
Get up, just keep coming back
Don't let it keep you down
Before the chorus and lots of stop stop stops…:
So any time the drama comes
Don't let it get anywhere near you
Just go and leave it in the dust
Just disappearing in the rearview
You're on a run that's just beginning
Know you got no limits
Oh, so just go with it
Don't let it get you down
You just have to look/listen past the deplorable grammatical errors (she really likes the double negative).
This is my J A M. If I were to be a super something, it would be my theme, my soundtrack.
The beat. The message. It's everything. It's the upbeat "Fight song" if you will.
So as we close out a year and a decade - don't look back, look at how far you've come and plan how far you will go.
