New Year, New Them!
Giving people the space they need to evolve.
Listen up,
As we endeavor into a new journey this year, we may often hear people say, “new year, new me”. This usually indicates the dream they have of becoming the best version of themselves. They go on and on, promising that this year will be different in this way or that way. They will “insert goals here”. If we’re not careful, we will find ourselves tuning them out. Followed by dismissing their optimism with thoughts to ourselves such as, “here we go again, they are not going to do this or that, I’ll believe it when I see it”. Blah, blah, blah…
We can easily find ourselves becoming annoyed with them and their declarations of change. Yet, we draw a blind spot and never consider if we may sound the same way to others when we voice our own hopes for the coming year. We all have hopes of being different or improving. Though possible, one of the most difficult things to do is change. Just because the year changes every 365 days effortlessly, it is the opposite for us. Our change requires dedication, intentionally, and persistence.
Whether people succeed at their New Year’s resolutions or not is not my concern for today’s post. While there are many barriers to success each year, I want to focus on shifting our attention away from a place of criticism, dismissal, and negativity to a place of acceptance and compassion. It’s true that nothing heals without pain. Can we also consider that nothing changes without support?
We often hold people to who they’ve been in the past without recognizing and acknowledging the growth that has already taken place. While it can be a slow process, growth occurs each day. This growth can be so meniscal that it goes unnoticed. Can we consider that maybe this person has changed but we’ve failed to see it because we’re sticking beside the version of that person we’ve met all of them years ago? Can we consider that maybe this person has tried and tried again but fails to achieve because their cheerleader has retired their pom-poms?
What if the key to success for them of becoming this new ideal person is your ability to hold a space for them to evolve that is a supportive, encouraging, and loving environment? Although changing is difficult, it is not impossible. Yet, it requires support. Their belief in themselves may get them started but your belief in them may keep them going. So, this year, let’s help each other reach our full potential. Let’s create spaces where growth is celebrated, and potential is nurtured. After all, it is a New year and a New them!