"New Year, New Me." This is heard at the start of every new year as people vow to start fresh and become new people. It's a philosophy many may choose to adopt and live by. But it's time we let go of this popular state of mind and here's why:
"New Me" implies letting go of who we truly are.
In reality, "New Me" implies that who we are is not good enough for the world, and we need to become a new person instead. And this simply isn't the case and can be damaging to our sense of self-worth and identity.
We all make mistakes that we wish we could take back, or want to make strides to improve our lives, but that doesn't happen by letting go of the person you truly are.
The fact of the matter is that we are all capable of being good people. We just need to embrace who we are and use our strengths for good. Reflect on your best qualities and think of ways you can use them to do good in the world.
The key is recognizing all you are capable of accomplishing - without becoming someone else - by channeling the best aspects of who you already are.
We are capable of becoming better people, without losing our sense of identity.
A good way to phrase this would be, "New Year, Better Me." Everyone has flaws they wish they didn't, but we don't have to abandon who we are to fix them. We all have the ability to become a better person, without losing sight of our identity.
Find areas of your life that you think need improvement and put in the work to be better.
For example, if you want to be a more patient person, think to yourself, "Is being impatient worth the stress?" The answer is probably "no."
Change is possible without becoming someone else.
We need to learn to love ourselves again.
As people, many of us live in a constant state of self-consciousness - meaning that we are always looking for the things that are "wrong" with us and focusing on our flaws. This ultimately makes us unable to be happy. We need to learn to love who we are as human beings and do the things that encourage the journey to self-acceptance.
Make self-care a priority this year by setting aside quality time to do the things that bring you joy and make you feel good about yourself - whether that is taking a spa day to relax, actually reading the book on your nightstand that you've been meaning to get to, or working on your wellness journey with regular challenging workouts,
Allow time to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how big or small they are - and don't be too hard on yourself when you face challenges along the way. We are all a work-in-progress. Love your imperfect self, and embrace the person you are.
Sheetal Tadiparty
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