3 Cs of 2023

On New Year’s Eve, I read someone else’s reflections on the idea of New Years Resolutions. They were wondering where the concept (or pressure) of resolving to Be A Better You came from? And instead challenged their readers to congratulate themselves for surviving the past year, and to strive to be kinder to ourselves & to each other in the coming year.

This got me thinking…

In the past, I have set an intention or focus for myself with a particular phrase to guide the year’s reflections and decisions. I have used phrases like:

Be Vulnerable
Be Breathless
Be Passion-Filled

And one year – Brought to You By the Letter G: Grief, Growth and Great things.

This intention or focus setting has served me well, and I know of others who do it – so I thought I would share the idea with you. In case you also might be struggling with the concept of New Year’s Resolutions and the pressure to “be better”. In case you are looking for another way to start the year.

If even more guidance or suggestions would be helpful, then I invite to you join me for this year’s phrase – The 3 Cs of 2023:

We begin with CELEBRATE –

That seems to be the theme of New Year’s Eve already; to Celebrate the changing of the calendar year. So let’s truly celebrate the year(s) we have left behind and all they have taught us. We don’t need to celebrate every single experience – we’ve all had experiences we would rather forget; experiences we want to heal from; experiences that should not have happened in the first place. And still, along side of wanting to forget and to heal, we can celebrate surviving; celebrate growth and strength.

Celebrate all that you already are and have become over the past year, and all the years before it.

And then, perhaps especially in the spaces where celebration is difficult, invite COMPASSION –

More specifically, Self-Compassion. Brené Brown* defines Compassion as a daily practice of recognizing and accepting our shared humanity so that we treat ourselves and others with loving-kindness, and so that we take action in the face of suffering. Self-compassion is about recognizing that life is hard and painful at times. It’s about acknowledging and accepting that we as humans are imperfect and that’s ok!

Show Self-Compassion with kindness, gentleness, and understanding in the inevitable experiences of pain, fear, and insecurity; with acceptance that you are doing the best you can with who and what you are in that moment.

And really, that is worth celebrating!

Finally, this year I invite you to be CURIOUS –

We tend to be more curious about things we already have some awareness or knowledge about. So in some ways, a desire to learn and grow may naturally start to flow from celebrating who we already are and showing compassion for our imperfections and difficulties. Plus, because curiosity often involves something we are heart-invested in, it can help us embrace life! And push us towards creativity and problem-solving.

So be Curious about yourself; about loved ones; about the world around you. Listen when other’s talk. Ask questions. Self-reflect.

Then Celebrate your new knowledge and understanding, show Compassion for lessons still to learn, and start the process again by being even more Curious!

Cheers to you and to 2023! 🥂
~ Beth Ann

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