As the sun sets on 2021, we find ourselves in a brand new, shiny year, and I welcome the freshness of January, which is my month.
After enjoying an enlightening and illuminating New Year’s Eve with two dear friends, I felt gladdened by the camaraderie, bolstered by the deep and meaningfuls, and refreshed by the giddy frivolity. Thanks to an altered perspective, the year ahead now seems propitious, rather than full of pitfalls.
There are so many societal pressures on us all, and I am often tortured by feelings of insecurity, of not being good enough, and of failure to achieve in certain areas of my life that I thought would be a given.
Instead of focusing on what I haven’t achieved, I need to remember all that I have accomplished, and remind myself that although I often need rescuing, I can be the hero of my own life. Life is a game of snakes and ladders, but there are many ways to feel fulfilled that aren’t always expected or conventional. Different doesn’t mean lacking.
Yes, this mountain goat frequently stumbles, but I’m steadfast and stoic, and I can right myself and keep on going with dogged determination, no matter how vertiginous the slope, how rough the terrain, or how bad the conditions.
I’m sitting here in my shop – which is an extension of myself – typing this, hands warmed by a steaming cup of coffee in a jolly, red Cornishware mug, heart enriched by friendships, spirits uplifted by the people around me, aura re-energised by the sun peeping out between the rainclouds.
My New Year’s resolution is not to be quite so hard on myself. I’m resolute in my resolution, and I start 2022 as the Queen on my own chessboard. I’m planning my next move very carefully. Let’s see where it ends up.
