Redefining 2016
December 30, 2015 | Originally published in the Laconia Daily Sun
It is, I find, the traditions around Christmas that make it special and provide a feeling of friendship and comfort, knowing there is continuity in life. My Christmas in Laconia often begins at the annual, and grand, Christmas Eve luncheon and buffet at the engineering firm Steven J. Smith and Associates, Inc. in Gilford. A gathering of friends and family that fills their offices from top to bottom. After a bit too much turkey, a few too many Swedish meatballs, and then a piece of chocolate cheesecake, it is clear that moderation must be taken into consideration when confronting plates of cookies, bowls of salty Chex Mix and trays of Aunt Evelyn’s sinful chocolate fudge. It is a challenge.
As small children attending the Christmas Eve service at church, we all remember walking into the cold black night, each of us carrying a small white candle and singing “Silent Night.” Now the candles have batteries and the weather is warm, but the memories of those early years are still within us. Although in very different ways, Christmas and Hanukkah are about joy and light, celebrated through traditions that are centuries old.
Today, New Year’s Eve, there is the opportunity to reflect and contemplate the New Year: 2016. There is an opportunity to unplug, hit the pause button, turn down the volume and think about the next cycle of seasons.
Years ago I gave up any thought of resolutions because they seemed rigid and routine. Notwithstanding, there are five things I contemplate on the cusp of a new year:
- Routine
We all fall into routines to keep our lives in balance. At the beginning of each year, I do all I can to break some of my routines, moving the alarm clock back to an earlier hour, walking in a completely different route to the gym each morning, and even rummaging through the refrigerator and thinking about exactly what I am eating and what can be changed in my diet.
- Fear
It is fear that holds many of us back from what we might accomplish or how we could change our lives. Where is the fear in our lives and how can we overcome it? It is a central question that isn’t easily answered. It is only through miscalculations and mistakes that we proceed and then benefit from new insights.
- Exploration
Exploration is making time to do something you have never done before. Last year I made it my New Year’s challenge. Each day I attempted to explore something different, keeping the bar very low. Traveling to Brooklyn on subways I have never used to find galleries tucked away on streets I have never walked down. Driving hours on a Sunday morning to a museum I had wanted to visit for years. Have you passed by a church, a restaurant, or a small shop in your daily routine and never stopped to take a look?
- Challenges
Often we let our success be measured against what others have achieved. Americans are known for attempting to “keep up with the Jones.” Yet, a true challenge is one when we challenge ourselves – to overcome fear, to do more exploring, and to break through rigid routines. Challenges can be training for months to complete a triathlon or just taking a few minutes each day to finish a book you have always wanted to read.
- Have fun
When one laughs the body is relaxed, the immune systems is improved and endorphins are released into the body. There is much in the world that is too serious and it’s critical to find moments each day for a good laugh. My mother kept us laughing through Christmas with a talking teddy bear.
The list of five things I am contemplating and reflecting on this New Year’s Eve may be very different from what you are thinking about. Yet, I believe by eliminating fear, laughing more, challenging ourselves, exploring and changing a daily routine, even slightly, we can all eliminate some of the frustration in our lives that can lead to anger.
Many years ago I had a dear friend, an artist with boundless energy, who died at the age of ninety. When he was in his late eighties, I once asked him if he had ever felt his age? His reply: “I never had time.” He would often say, “Each day is a gift.”
As you redefine your life and begin a new year I encourage you to remember, in the words of Sidney Geist, that each day is a gift.
Happy New Year.