Happy OLD Year!

We’ve reached that day of the year that I step up to my soapbox and begin sounding a message that if you know me, you may have heard once or twice. Or ten times.

Do I sound like a broken record every year on this day? Why yes I do. However I assure you it is because of the “broken record” I myself hear as the world winds down the year in hopeful anticipation of the magical stroke of midnight, and so many folks feel it so important to say:

“Good Riddance to 2022 (or any year on its way out)”

“Sure hope 2023 is better than 2022…”

“I’m ready for 2022 to be over already.”

I cannot say overstate just how much it annoys — and saddens — me to hear people say these things. Yes, the last few years have dragged many, if not most, of us through challenges we never imagined. I’m gonna go out on a limb, though, and say that we’ve likely also had a few — if not many — moments of contentment, happiness, and even joy.

Think about it. In the last year:

Did we have a fun or meaningful experience with our significant other, friends or family members?

Did we see a film, painting, performance or TV series that blew us away?

Did we hear a piece of music that moved or inspired us?

Did our beloved doggy or kitty shower us with their unconditional and healing love?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, then why would you want to energetically throw away any period of time where a joyful or miraculous experience happened? Each joyful or miraculous experience we have is a gift — ESPECIALLY if comes during a challenging times.

When I was a kid, I would whine to my mom, “I wish I didn’t have to wait for Christmas,” or “I wish it was tomorrow so we’d be on our way to Disney World.” She would remind me, “Be careful you don’t wish your life away, Rob…” I didn’t know what she meant at the time, but I sure do know now. Our time here is a gift, and each moment is precious. The reality is we could die at any moment, so any moment you wish away to get to another moment could actually be wishing away what might be your final moment!

I could go on and on. Instead, I'll keep it short leave you with these three urgent directives to consider as we live in our final hours of 2022:

STOP TRASHING THE YEAR YOU ARE LEAVING.

STOP WISHING THAT YOUR YEAR (OR MONTH, OR DAY) IS OVER.

START APPRECIATING THE EXPERIENCES OF JOY, AND PERHAPS TRIUMPHS OVER YOUR MANY CHALLENGES, IN THIS YEAR, BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT.

I offer this suggestion to the current-year-bashing that we have become so fond of: Let’s review and reflect on our year with truth and compassion. Let’s really meditate of the peaceful reconciling all of our year’s experiences, while we remain in the present moment, right up until the clock strikes 2023. And then, we can say “Goodbye” INSTEAD of “Good Riddance,” and “Happy OLD Year” BEFORE we say “Happy NEW Year!”

Happy Old Year

Happy New Year!