I once worked in an office job where part of the decor were so-called inspirational posters. You know the ones, right? They have these cheesy photos overlaid with glib sentiments like:
“There is no I in team.”
“Whatever the problem, be part of the solution.”
“Continuous effort is the key to unlocking potential.”
But there was one poster that I did actually find to be pretty motivating. And I actually still do! It said:
“It’s not that there are recurring themes in life. It’s that there are recurring choices.”
I think this is one really important thing to remember amidst this push to reflect, make resolutions, and to plan ahead:
We always get a chance to try again at the things we didn’t get quite right the first time.
When we mess up (and we definitely have, and we will again!) we will also get another crack at it in one form or another.
Every breath is a chance to bring our mind back from its uneasy wanderings.
Every ache or pain in the body is a new invitation to check on our wellbeing.
Every time our thoughts and emotions shift, we have another remind that good and bad are not permanent but there IS something timeless and ever-present that we should seek instead.
Don’t get me wrong here. This reminder that we have limitless do-overs is not an excuse to take our decisions and actions lightly.
It doesn’t absolve us of dealing with the implications of our bad decisions and missteps.
It doesn’t mean that we stop showing up or that we give up on working hard or that we abandon the requirement to rest fully.
We keep on doing all of that.
This is just a gentle reminder for those of us who are prone to taking our decisions so seriously:
Don’t worry, love. Do your best right now. And then you’ll get to try again. And again. And again.
That’s my resolution for 2020. What’s yours?
Happy New Year! See you in 2020!