January 2023 Editor’s Fix

January…. A fresh start. Bright and shiny and full of possibilities. Right?

According to the Chinese Zodiac, also known as Shuxiang, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit… a year where the “sacrifices of the past are rewarded generously. All the seeds of effort we have sown shall finally bear fruit whose sweetness is determined by the purity of our heart’s content.”

But these new years can lead to a lot of pressure and an abundance of expectation. If / when we fall off the course we have set for the year, we can be our worst critics and left feeling disappointed in ourselves. Take for example the Elk Valley Streak – participants set a goal to go outside and be active every day of January. It’s just one month of the year, and yet if we miss a day we might consider giving up and staying with our self-pity. The key is to pick ourselves up and to keep going. What is one day? If we start again tomorrow, we will be active for more days than if we had not accepted the challenge at all.  

And we can continue to ‘keep going’ the entire year. We are bound to make mistakes – we are human! Let’s be gentle with ourselves and work towards the overall vision we have set for 2023. After reading Tyla’s column this month and listening to a recent podcast on Unlocking Us with Chris Germer where they discuss Fierce Compassion, I am working towards self-compassion in 2023. I think of the way I speak with my children and wonder if I spoke that way to myself, how would I feel?I’m guessing pretty darn good. If I hear negative self-talk, that’s okay. Change takes work and time, and like James Clear says in Atomic Habits, small adjustments can lead to massive transformations. 

Happy New Year! Happy Year of the Rabbit. It really is full of possibility, so let’s keep going.