Twelve months ago I started this blog, with the first entry dated on January 12th, 2012.  As a year comes to an end, we often look back on that year and reflect.  One cannot deny that New Years is a magical and special time.  As the door of the old year closes, a new door opens with all the possibilities, wonder and promise of the new year to come.  This year I feel I have journeyed far in my adventures, especially in these last few months and I’m looking forward to what the new year brings.

Resolution – a firm decision to do or not to do something.

The cliché of a New Years resolution is that it is often presumed that the resolution will not be kept, or despite our best intentions, fizzle out and not come to fruition.  I don’t see why a specific date should prompt us for positive change.  I have never been a big fan of New Years resolutions, they don’t seem to be set up for success.  How about we use New Years as the metaphor I mention above – a newly opened door.  What lies beyond the door is up to you.  And much of what is past that door, boils down to one word – choice.

Life is full of ups and downs, curve balls, whirlwinds, mysterious occurrences from the preverbal left field and my all time favorite – things happening for some specific reason or another.  Now I’m sure we could all agree, that bad things happen to good people and not enough bad things happen to bad people, that we know of anyway.  And those things we cannot stop, nor can we see them coming.  So, after some poor luck, where does that leave us?  It leaves us with, choice.

I have been recently working with one hell of a curve ball, not only left field, but out of the ball park all together, down the road, up the hill and round the bend.  For the second time in my life I may have to give up something I love very much.  Years of wear and tear from dancing as a student as well as teaching, has left my knee and hip joints in sad shape.  I must make a choice – to continue on my current path and risk further damage or to change something.  Now my situation is unique to me, but it also may sound familiar to you.  You may have a troublesome area of your life, a source of stress, unhappiness or perhaps even pain.  You can continue down your current path and with all probability, risk further damage or you can make a choice for change.  Life, Karma, The Force, God, The Universe or whatever you believe in, is taking to you – through these challenges.  This stress, pain, unhappiness or whatever it is – is not a coincidence, it’s life pushing you to head off in a new direction.  It’s a chance for growth, an opportunity for something different, something better.

Change is hard, no doubt about it.  But what we fear the most about change is the unknown.  Ask yourself the question: is my current situation worth my suffering, is it worth my unhappiness, is it worth this pain?  You are an amazing person, a beautiful creature that is worthy of all the wondrous gifts this life has to offer.  Is the fear of the unknown so debilitating that you’ll risk your own health, body, or mind?  Take the leap, venture into the unknown, soldier through the challenges and once you come out the other side, I can almost guarantee that the hero’s journey through your fears will have been worth it.  All you have to do is choose to open the door.

A Most Blessed Happy New Years To You!