Letter to Me: Happy New Year

Dear Me (and the rest of the world),

       Here comes the New Year. You’ll write resolutions with every good intention, and probably forget them a month later. How could I say something like that, you might ask? I hate to break it to you, dear, but that’s what has happened every year to this point.

       But it’s not going to happen this year, right? Of course right. We are laying down the law. You want to change, and it’s about time it happened.

       That’s not enough, though. It isn’t enough to say you’ll change, to write down those resolutions and tell everyone you’re committed to keeping them. You need to know how you will change, and most importantly you need to know why – why you should change, and why you can.

       See, that’s the important thing to know, the thing I want you to choose to believe. You can. You can do anything; the possibilities are completely limitless. You have let fears or insecurities get in the way before, and I’m here to tell you that’s over. I don’t care how likely it may seem that you can’t, or how many people say you can’t, YOU CAN - no matter what. From now on, the very moment you feel fears or insecurities or excuses rising up, I want you to squash them with those two words: I CAN. I promise you that will always be true, and you had better never forget it. That’s the first thing you need to know if you’re really going to change this New Year’s.

       The second thing you need to keep in mind is what you want most. There are always going to be a lot of things you want, and if you ever want to get anywhere you need to prioritize those wants. Do you want to be comfortable in your body, or do you want to eat two more donuts? Do you want to spend an hour on Pinterest, or spend an hour coming closer to your dreams? Do you want to have a relaxing, carefree night or do you want to finish your homework and get good grades? Maybe there isn’t always a right choice or a wrong choice, but there is almost always a better choice and a worse choice. Dedicate this year to choosing the better. Sometimes it’s hard to give up what you want now, but it’s worth it for what you want most. Remember, “Never give up what you want most for what you want today.” Remember, “What will it do for me? What will it do to me? What will I think of myself after?” When the going gets rough, remember why you keep going. Make the decision right now to always chase what you want most.

      Piggybacking on that thought, make time for what (and who) you love (thank you Becky!). There’s no reason to spend your life any other way.  Your goals for this new year should reflect only what you want most and what you love most. My brother (who has always been an extremely influential person in my life) once told me that to him, the word “want” means you are willing to do anything to get it. I don’t know if I believe that, but I do believe that when you love something or someone, you esteem it over everything else. Because of that, it should be a priority in your life. Drop everything else; if you are doing something that you don’t love and that isn’t bringing you closer to what you want most, you’re doing the wrong thing. Stop it. I think back to the stereotypical Romantic musician. They were usually associated with bad hygiene, a messy house, almost always a horrible hair-do. Why? Their music was most important to them – it was what they loved and what they wanted, and they let everything else fall away. And that’s why you know their names today. That doesn't mean you should stop showering in order to chase your passions, but it does mean you have a choice to make, and it should always be the one that gives you more time doing what you love.

       I’ve given you all of this information, helped you decide to believe all of these things, and now here’s the punch line: it’s your choice. It’s completely up to you how this new year turns out. If you want something from your life, take it. I dare you to. I dare you to make this year wild and bright and full of passion. I dare you to see the fireworks everywhere you go, spitting and crackling and waiting to soar. I dare you to set them free. I dare you to start going and never look back.

       Love, 

          Mikela

       My challenge to the rest of you is to write your own letter. Before the New Year hits, decide not what you’re going to change but how you’re going to change it and why, and be sure to let yourself know what you decide. It’s good to hear yourself say it.