On Gratitude and the New Year
by Alexa Le
2022. A year that I anticipate will be full of big changes and even bigger surprises. But then again, I think that every year.
We’re often excited for beginnings, and we should be. They represent a clean slate, a world filled to the brim with exciting possibilities and the chance to leave behind all prior mistakes. I can’t tell you the number of times I started small little businesses like that as a child, only to give up after a few days because there were too many problems that my young self couldn’t solve.
I mean, that’s why I always make my New Year’s Resolution list, no matter if I plan on sticking to it or not. And I guess I’m not alone. A study from the U.S. News and World Report noted that about 80% of people fail their New Year’s Resolutions, and usually by mid-February (1). From definitive resolutions to new books to healthy habits, we start things all the time.
But this also puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on people to adhere to rather rigid goals, as if the new year is the only time for a fresh start. In reality, every day is, to some degree, a fresh start because we get to make the conscious choice to decide our attitude in going into the new day. We can choose to take on a new challenge any day of the year, and I think that truly is something to celebrate.
In the same sense, let us choose to embark into the new year with a feeling of hope and an outlook of gratitude. Gratitude, not only for good health and family, but also for the little things we often overlook, like the feeling of flipping through the worn pages of your favorite book, the soft patter of rain against a windowsill, and the tranquility of a stroll in the park. Let us remember that for as much bad that exists in the world, there is as much as or even more good. Let us write the next chapter in our stories with grace and empathy.