New Year, New Me?
I question the statement of
"New Year, New Me," because let's be honest, are we really a new version of ourselves as soon as the ball drops? Or are we still a work in progress hoping that we can become that new person that we are dreaming of becoming?
Upon entering this new year, I went into it as I do any other day, in deep reflection. I tend to reflect on the moments that God has shown up for me, moments of discomfort that has forced me to grow in areas I was afraid to be stretched in, sad moments and why they made me sad, and of course the moments of gratitude that allows God to keep blessing me with more moments to be grateful for.
2021 was a tough, yet rewarding year that forced me to face myself more than ever
before. It was tough because I lost one of my favorite aunts to COVID, which placed me in the position to witness my dad suffering the loss of his oldest sis whom he called his best friend, and to support my fave cousins as they endured and still are enduring the pain of losing their last living parent. I also dealt and am still dealing with my moments of grief, all while working on my personal passion project. This project has challenged me in ways that have made me realize my strength, resilience, and tenacity to endure any and everything. Yet and still, I still have profound moments of sadness and sometimes loneliness, nonetheless, despite all factors mentioned, I keep pushing to reach my goal; I must!
Now, as a black woman, the notion of being a "strong black woman," has become wildly misconstrued in the world we live in today. It doesn't mean that we should be subjected to pain, ridicule, disrespect, or constant moments of struggle. To me, it simply means that regardless of what I endure, I naturally handle life's challenges with the grace and strength that God has provided me with to make it through, no matter what the circumstance. We as black women do not consciously search for moments where we are forced to be strong, we too have those moments of sadness I just shared, and love to be handled gently and with care- in case y'all were wondering, but I digress.
The purpose of this post is to emphasize the simple fact that every day we are awarded the opportunity to work towards becoming the versions of ourselves that we are praying to be. So we should ask ourselves some of these questions each day:
Is my thought process conducive to the goals I need to accomplish today?
What or who is distracting me from being productive?
Did I take the time to reflect on the things that I am grateful for?
Did I look at a certain situation in a positive or negative light? If negative, why?
Did I pray or meditate to thank God & the Universe for where I am in my process today?
These are some questions that I ask myself ever so often, not every day, but often. I will not lie and act like my thought process is positive all the time, but because I have amazing family and friends in my life to hold me accountable while also pouring into me, that has allowed me to become the version of myself I never knew I could attain...and in all honesty, I am very proud of how far I have come, and I try to remind myself daily.
While writing this post, I have realized that in essence, I have embraced the notion of "New Year, New Me," I just choose to use it every day (or as often as I can), and not just on the 1st day of a new year.
Maybe you should try and do the same, and share how it is helping you become a new and better version of yourself as well...I would love to read all your testimonies!
Until then, continue to live, learn, & laugh!
No matter what, never forget to:
Be Audacious.
Be Fearless.
Be Intentional.
&
Lead with Love.
💜
Love Always,
Your Dope Colorful Dreamer,
Myrna 🙏🏾💜