I believe for a lot of people December is a happy, joyous month; however, I feel for most it is also a month filled with reflection. The new year is quickly approaching. I think a lot of people love the idea of what the New Year holiday entails because it gives them an excuse and a reason to be different. It may be a slight difference like a box of hair dye or finally changing up your style or it could be deeper than that, letting go of those things you’ve told yourself you would three years in a row or forgiving those that you still don’t think deserve it.

The other day I was scrolling through my Facebook and was reminded of a very important concept by one of my high school teachers: “when they go low, we go high.
“ This quote reminded me of all the times in my life when people have gone low and I had chosen to go even lower. There are words in this world that I can’t take back, actions I can’t undo, wrongs that I will never have the opportunity to fully right. It seems that every New Years there is a moment after the ball drops where we try to push back all the bad that we’ve done and adopt that new clean slate persona. Spoiler alert no matter how deep you bury the bad it still creeps in if you never deal with it.

I have consciously made an effort to change and be better with each coming year. I still struggle with my temper and my ability to let go, I still carry that hope that midnight rings in a get out of jail free card. The truth is- it doesn’t. Your words, your actions they make you and they build, every single year the person you are extends. These extensions can be positive or negative, depending on your choices, but they are not permanent. You have the ability to be different any day of the week, any hour of the day, if you need New Years Eve to be a fresh start than do it. Who cares if your friends rag on you for being basic about a holiday or stupid for wanting to make a change, but if you want to make that change tomorrow do it too. There is no specific time frame, you hold the power.

I think the biggest piece of advice I can give someone is to always think about the bigger picture. You may get hurt, you may fail a test, you may get cheated on, you may screw up, and I promise there is going to come a day (multiple days) where your eyeliner is not going to be even, but that’s life. When the world goes ‘low’ or you feel like the universe literally kicked you in the stomach, you have a decision. You can go ‘low’ back, you can give up, you can choose to not to face it or you can get up and go ‘high’, you can think about the bigger picture. The reality is that when you choose to negatively react, to yell, to give up on or to someone or something you’re not really effecting them. They may cry, they may be mad at you, they may go even lower. However, your words, your actions effect you. They are a reflection of your character, not theirs.

If you are one of those people, like me, who believe in those cheesy signs-take this as yours. There is a reason that you clicked on this article, there are things that you want to change, so do it. If you totally don’t believe in that stuff then I hope the article was at least a good read.

Cheers.