the new years resolution you didn't know you needed

Friday, December 29th | 17 Tevet 5784

Happy last Friday of the year! Last Shabbat of the Year! Last day of work of the year! 

We’re in that time of year where we reflect on what happened in the last 12 months. The highs and the lows. The joys and the oys. And then we have the idea of setting new year's resolutions, asking ourselves what could we do better, what might we do differently, what do we want to accomplish? We set goals. We manifest. We might even vision board. All great things. We all have probably done them, or tested the waters in some way shape or form. But for what? 

Every morning I pick a card from an oracle deck. It helps me set an intention for my day, provides a chance to reflect, or meditate on an idea. This morning I picked:

JOURNEY.

May you seek adventure. 

It made me think about the idea that I’ve pondered a lot: “Life is a journey, not a destination.” It’s so easy for me to get fixated on the next thing on my to do list. The next stop I’m trying to make. The next step in my career. Normal right? This comes from so many factors. The achiever category I often fall into, and then the rushed world we live in. 

WHAT IF we fixated on the journey it takes to accomplish all of those things? What if we let ourselves enjoy that process a bit more? What could we be learning about ourselves? How much more mindful could we be if we slowed down enough to enjoy the journey of discovery? This is the opportunity for adventure. 

To throw some Jewish wisdom in there…think of the journey traveling in the desert for 40 years must have been? No way they could have been so focused on the destination for that entire time. Those 40 years gave us a heck of a lot of Torah to learn from! 

As you enter into the last weekend, the last Shabbat of the year, may you take time to reflect on the journey that you had in 2023. Not only the things you might have accomplished, the wins you achieved. What did you learn along the way to those wins? What support systems did you have by your side as you hit your goals? What struggles did you overcome to get there? 

This is an invitation to celebrate the journey you had in the year of 2023, and to prepare for the adventure that this new year brings. Don’t wish away the hard things, consider those parts of the adventure. Those were the opportunities for growth. Those hard things are what have made you a wiser, resilient version of yourself. 

Cheers to the never ending journey, the adventure we call life. 

Until 2024, 

Ethically,

Emily