The new year offers an opportunity to start anew for a better life | Norment
Happy New Year!
This is the time when many people do an assessment of their lives. It’s the time when resolutions are pondered, sometimes even committed to paper or electronic devices. It’s the time when we think about what we did right in the outgoing year and what we can do better in the new year.
It’s also the time when some people get a bit down or even depressed as they brood over their current situation or what they could have and should have done.
Put those troubling thoughts behind you, for the new year – bright and shining 2023 – offers a chance for a fresh start. Take advantage of this opportunity by charting how you can live your life better and to the fullest this year and through all the years ahead.
Most will agree that 2021 was an improvement over 2020, when we struggled with COVID-19, business closings and jobs in jeopardy. In the last year we saw fewer COVID illnesses and deaths, restaurants reopening and new eateries launching as well, and companies robustly hiring again. And though gasoline prices went up, they are now down to levels where we can breathe and drive a bit easier. For now.
Let’s use these positive developments as a launch pad for 2023. What can you do to make your life better this year?
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Negate the negatives
Don’t carry negatives (people, thoughts, actions) into the new year. They will only weigh you down and deter your positive thoughts and actions. If you haven’t already, drop the negative thoughts – about yourself and about others.
What has happened is in the past. Don’t let it block your blessings. Also ditch the negative words and actions. If you tended to be a downer for yourself and for others, work hard to change that discouraging attitude. Stop criticizing others and shooting down their input, comments and suggestions, whether that is at work, home or among those in your social circles.
I know of a woman who is known to criticize her family and acquaintances, though her feedback is not sought. She even made destructive comments about a cousin’s new mate. As you can imagine, that didn’t go over well. Yet, she felt justified in offering her off-putting remarks, for “that is how I feel.”
Keep in mind that just because you “feel it” or “think it,” you should not always say it. Keep your negative thoughts to yourself. It is not surprising that the woman’s siblings, cousins and many others choose not to spend time with her.
Even if you are not a negative person yourself, distance yourself from such people in your life. They will only bring down your mood, your actions and your ambitions.
I once spent a lot of time around an acquaintance who saw life through a cloudy, negative lens. I had to fight hard not to let her dampen my spirit and actions. She was a good person – smart, witty and talented – but her unhelpful viewpoints and input weighed heavily on me.
Years later, after we resided in different cities, she confided that her views on life had changed, and she had a much more positive outlook on life. She was a happier person, she added, and I was happy for her.
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Work your way out of that career rut
It happens to the best of us. Sometimes we hit a rough spot in our jobs and careers, and it can impact our lives beyond the office. The problem may be your supervisor, co-workers or the company culture itself.
Just make sure that the problem is not you and that you are doing all you can to fulfill your commitment. If you are working hard, meeting deadlines and following directives but still can’t seem to make traction or get ahead, it may be time to find a new job. Now is a good time to do that, for though there may be a downturn in the economy, many employers are looking to hire smart and industrious staffers.
It may take time, but it’s up to you to make that first step to a better job and work life. Do your best to find a job that you love. If you are not happy in the job or career field that you are in now, take time to figure out what would work best for you. Consider consulting with a career coach to help determine what is a good fit for you, your talents and your heart. It’s almost impossible to thrive in a job or at a company that you hate.
As you seek to improve your work life, make sure you keep in mind the importance of establishing a good balance between family life and work.
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Live life to the fullest
Life is too short to be stuck in boredom. While getting your career on the right track and ridding your life of negativity, find time to do the things that truly make you happy. If there is an adventure you’ve wanted to explore, such as hang-gliding, skydiving or zip-lining, stop procrastinating and do it. You deserve to enjoy your life.
Also consider traveling, which can expand your horizons significantly. By visiting other cities and countries and exploring different cultures, you enrich your life and experiences. If you aren’t an experienced traveler, start visiting places close to home. Research and visit historical sites in your own city as well as state parks and monuments.
In Memphis, for example there’s the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studios, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, among many other cultural experiences to enjoy.
In Nashville, you can visit the Tennessee State Capitol, the Grand Ole Opry, the National Museum of African American Music, and The Parthenon (art museum), a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece.
Of course, in East Tennessee you can visit the Dollywood theme park in the Knoxville area, and then the wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The point is to get out and enjoy your life. Explore and enhance your being by doing the things you enjoy – with family, friends and people in general. Living life to the fullest does not necessarily require a lot of money, but it does require a sense of adventure and curiosity and a bit of research.
These are just a few actions you can take to give your life a fresh start in 2023. These suggestions may work for you, or maybe there are other areas of your life that you would like to change. What’s important is that you rethink, redirect and revamp so that you can live your best life. The new year provides an opportunity for a fresh start.
Lynn Norment, a columnist for The Commercial Appeal, is a former editor for Ebony Magazine.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Happy New Year: 2023 offers an chance to start anew for a better life
