A New Year's Letter

To offer some encouragement and hope for the coming year.

This is a letter that I posted on Facebook years ago.

At the time it seemed that everyone I knew needed some form of encouragement. I wanted to provide it.

I want to share it with you all. I did edit parts to make it a bit more relevant.

Hopefully it provides some encouragement to those who read it.

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Dear Friends and Family,

It looks like I failed out sending out Christmas cards yet again. I know many of you are chuckling at me for pointing out something so obvious. I am horrible at these things and you all know it.

Instead, I have decided to post a New Year letter to everyone, just some encouragement for the New Year.

Here it goes.

Well it is that time a year again, when we look back and prepare to close the year out. Much like a work day we wrap up what we can and push what we haven’t to the next. It’s been hard. For some it has been the best year, some can’t wait for happy hour and a new day, simply because a new day with a new year means a fresher start. And quite honestly we want to wash the stink of the year off of us.

Don’t get me wrong. I had a decent year and I although I have a few complaints they are far and few in between. I am ready to face the New Year with a lot more hope.

So the countdown begins.

There is something about New Years I just love. Something about newness and reflecting on what if and “what am I going to do differently this year” that gets me excited. I know the newness will pass and eventually we all lose steam. Right now, it’s fresh and right now everything seems possible. (It amazes me that I did not feel this way two weeks ago rushing around making sure Christmas was going to go off with a hitch).

Possibility excites me, change, although not always welcomed, will happen this year. It is an evening to reflect on what could be and what I can make it. It’s like Christmas but we don’t know when the gifts will come and what they may be but we know like every year they do come.

Unfortunately, it also means that even in the receiving that there is a possibility that much can be taken away. The truth is that something will be taken away, this coming year we cannot avoid the bad days, the lack of control, the hurt, the heartbreak, loss and quite honestly not all of us will make it out alive.

We are not guaranteed anything.

I am not stating this to rain on your parade or dash your spirits. Maybe just bring in some perspective. I guess we all work well with deadlines or close calls. We feel we have all the time in the world because let’s face it most of us have never had to face a possible end. Tomorrow will work as well as today because let’s face it tomorrow has always come. This makes it easier to put off the problems.

Probably like most of you I don’t exactly find myself in the position I wanted to be as 2025 is just on the horizon. And probably like most I find myself a little disappointed. No one to blame but me and that is when I break out a pen and paper and fill out this tall order of resolutions as if it is some type of solution. Then I convince myself I’m going to do it!

Come March, Yeeeah right.

As much as I love the idea of newness and starts, journeys are hard. Let’s face it the beginning is exciting, the middle will be rough, uncomfortable, unusual, unexpected, exasperating, disappointing, discouraging and not mention you’ll have to fight a few battles and kill a few monsters, but if you don’t give up you’ll find the end rewarding if not a little sad.

Quite honestly I’m tired of my middle being quite boring. Basically, it can be summed up in two sentences.

“And the hero did as she always did. Woke up, worked, and came home and feebly tried to do anything different before bed.”

I am not saying this year will be the year because quite honestly I have no idea but I am excited. This year I hope to put up a good fight and make it one step closer to my larger purpose.

So, as I celebrate and wait for midnight to hit I’ll leave you with these final thoughts I have been reflecting as of late:

Every day we wake we are granted a new start, an awesome year and chance to bring some purpose to someone (this includes yourself). If this New Year gives you a time to reflect just that I suggest you do just that. We are not granted tomorrow nor are we granted to have the tomorrows of others. If you feel there is something you must change to grant you a better relationship with God, others and yourself. Then do so.

Be sure to keep tabs on the good to reflect in the time of the bad. Remember you won’t have every victory but you won’t always be defeated.

Change is good for the right reasons.

You won’t have all the answers, but you won’t have any answers unless you try.

Be fearless. The absolute worst that can happen is that you will die. That’s going to happen anyway. Life has 100% mortality rate. (But please don’t be stupid have some self preservation and consideration of others. For example, don’t drive on the wrong side of the road to prove your guts.)

Be responsible with and for your life.

Go get some experience.

‘Almost’ carries no weight in life.

Most of all, everyone has purpose. You won’t know it until you face the world so quit hiding.

I wish you all the best of luck with your goals!

Be sure to greet 2025 head on!

Happy New Year!

Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash