New Year’s Eve used to be such an exciting day and night. The end of this Year’s troubles, a big party and a new start, new people, new horizons, new possibilities. What happened? Did we suddenly get old? Did we suddenly stop believing that next year would be big, better, best? And if so, why?
Long ago when I was a child, my family owned a pub in Ireland and New Year’s Eve was always a big night. It meant work for the whole family but somehow being there at other people’s party celebrations increased our excitement too. There was always food and music and, of course, lots to drink. The general hilarity was such as can only be found in an Irish pub!
But we should not lose interest in new beginnings just because we have grown up. Our lives are full of choices, some guided by wisdom, some by emotion, and most of all by feelings. Getting our emotions and feelings into our consciousness is not as easy as it sounds. We have to try and be aware of our reactions and see that we have chosen to react that way, but also that there might be other ways to react.
Most people find that their feelings about something will have a huge role in choosing how to react. That is usually because the feeling centre, or emotional centre, of the brain is geographically very close to the pituitary gland, which is the hormone control centre of the body. When the pituitary goes berserk, or the emotions go berserk, and vice versatile as each has a dramatic effect on the other, making emotion-driven actions our preferred choice.
However, it has been shown that emotions do not always dictate our actions. Sometimes acting differently will change the emotions! So acting happy ends up making you feel happy! Acting out of love makes you feel loving. Also, acting with forgiveness makes you feel forgiveness.
And if we always react from strong emotions, we miss out on those gentle moments of smooth, calm emotions that make, for instance, poetry or art a pleasure. We also miss out on appreciating all we have to be grateful for.
On this New Year’s Eve we who no longer stay up until midnight, or go to big parties, can opt instead to be gently grateful for all we have. We know at last who we really are. We know that some things we did (and maybe continue to do) were not very wise but might have been worth the fall-out, and some were not!
Further, we also know that we can dream and see them come true, most if not all of the time! Making resolutions is old hat. Making up dreams, and working towards your dreams, is so much more inspiring and exciting. Make a list, like the bucket list we made at the 2-day event I ran. Things that you are going to do this year. Include wishes for world peace if you want, but add something you yourself can contribute to that cause. Join Amnesty International, for instance, or sponsor a child in World Vision.
Or we could simply decide to learn how to use our minds and spirits to help those around us. There is a chance for us to regain that youthful enthusiasm for NYE if we take time to think of something we can do and look forward to in 2012. The beauty of new years is that they bring a sense of closure and re-start, a fresh view of the world, of dreams we create to lead us forward. There are skills to learn in the mind-body area that can enrich our lives enormously, without having to stay up until midnight!!
For the sake of our planet, our fellow humans, our family and our own souls, take a moment to be glad. Be grateful we live where we do, be open to new dreams and projects, however humble, and sleep well on 31 December knowing the New Year will bring you joy and peace, God willing!
Blessings
Maura
