It’s a new beginning; let’s not rush in to set goals and resolutions but instead care to reflect on our lives holistically, whilst keeping in sight the successes and failures in human relationships and fortunes. Let us conclude on what we would like to include; what we wish to exclude this time around, let us work at this differently.

I reflect here practices that I have found empowering and personally transformative. I would like for you to preview one or all of them, modifying them to fit your personality type, and help make the most of the year that lies ahead.

LET IT GO
You and I would love life to play out the way we wish it to, but life sure has shown us the door one too many times, leading to anger, resentment and frustration. This surely is not so much a one-time scenario as it is a continuum; when left unresolved it will affect our relationships with self and others alike. My personal hack to this is the “SHIT LIST”: a list of unpleasant topics and incidents that I meticulously script in detail, elaborating on what it is, with whom, what I did not like, why I did not like it, did I even understand the situation in totality, did I have an alternative response, what could I have done better, does this need to be addressed to bring about closure or not… This exercise with a shelf life of a week, brings me closure whilst getting me to better handle a similar situation, and most of all whilst setting it on fire clearing up space in my mind for better things.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff… And it’s all small stuff.” – Richard Carlson

OVERTHINKING
As I lay in bed unwell a week before Christmas (having started my treatment), I simply could not help but notice myself obsess over new symptoms and playing in my mind the worst possible scenarios with a confirmed dire situation around the corner, which clearly was not the case.

It’s as if the universe was listening, that I ran into this short podcast clip by Erwin’s which said: “We never overthink positive outcomes like my company is making too much money, I am going to get too healthy, my relationship is going too well, but instead endless negative scenarios. We are always overwhelmed by the negative scenarios and not those which are positive, hence falling prey to negative thoughts and patterns habitually. Make that mind shift to attain positive outcomes through positive thoughts and actions mindfully.

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its joy.” – Leo Buscaglia

BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Whilst wishing you the very best for 2024, I share with you a quote that I read and quote often, by Jordan Peterson:

“Treat yourself like you are someone that you are responsible for helping, so thatmeans you have to start from the presupposition that despite all your flaws and insufficiencies, it’s worth having you around and itwould be okay if things got better for you.”

GRATITUDE
Probably the only universal phenomenon where in you get more of what you appreciate and acknowledge. Something I did find challenging as all that I could recollect were incidences I would rather forget, but in time I have gotten better as in the now I re-run each achievement and experience pleasant, overwhelmed by hope and calmness in my breath as I go to bed.

I encourage you try it too, for just like me you will surely wake up wanting to be alive.

Rewrite your script as often as you can to create the life you choose.

Ajith Anirudhan
Personal Empowerment Coach
Health & Wellness – (ICF USA)
Author | TEDx | Public Speaker