Wednesday Wonder – January 8, 2025

Well, it has been a week. How is your new year going? By now, many who have made resolutions have already given up on them. Why do we make those resolutions to only give up within a week or two? We have the best of intentions, we hope that this year will be the year that it all happens.

What is it that drives us to start trying to develop new habits? Why is the slogan: “New Year New You” so effective in making us try to change? Maybe we need to think about why change seems necessary. What fuels this need to change?

There is an expectation in our society about improvement. But, what or who are we improving for? Are we trying to meet the expectations of others, or is there something in ourselves that feels this need, at least once a year, to make specific improvements? The resolutions we make usually address something specific, and maybe it is just me, but they were always geared to meeting what society is telling me I need to conform to and look like.

Since deciding to stop doing resolutions and create intentions instead my own focus and thoughts have turned more to what I truly feel is needed for my own well being. And, as someone who tends to want to be perfect at everything, I have felt much less stress in working toward intentions than trying to make a quick and clear change tends to engender.

For me, the difference with an intention is that it is always a work in progress. There isn’t a need for being perfect, now or even in the future. It means to keep working at what I feel needs to be done. And I find I no longer make decisions based on what society and others feel I should be doing, but what I truly want to be doing. It gives me a chance to think about what I want to put in, or take out, of my life.

This year, one of my intentions is to read more. Not that I don’t read plenty for work, but over the last little while reading for pleasure has taken a back seat to other things. So, my intention is to read for a few minutes every day. It isn’t a huge commitment, but in the first week of the year has already snowballed. I set a timer and inevitably once it goes off I keep reading. I hate to stop mid-chapter, so I keep reading. I am actually excited to see how many books I might read this year by only intending to read a few minutes a day.

The thing about my intentions is that I don’t beat myself up if a daily effort doesn’t always happen. If I am reading more than I was, then I am meeting my intention. I set that intention for exactly that purpose; to read more. Most of the intentions I set for 2025 are like this. A positive change to my routine that feeds my mental health is what I hope for from any of my intentions.

Isn’t that what the new year, new you should be all about? Finding ways to help ourselves look and feel better, because we want to have a better life, is what we hope for as we start each new year. I also have intentions that will help me ensure I have the strength and energy to maximize any time I might get with my grandson, Damon. Every time I see him, I know that my intentions are working when I can chase him around for a day without stopping to catch my breath. Still need to head to bed early, or have a nap, after a day together, but if I keep progressing on my intentions there may come a day that I can easily spend two days in a row chasing after that little light of mine.

My spiritual life is always part of my intentions for a year. Hopefully, it improves every year. It is always something to be intentional about.

I have some thoughts which are guiding my year. I share them in case they will help others.

Progress over perfection.
Choose hope over fear, resilience over doubt and grace over judgement.

In case you need reminding throughout the year, I plan to have these sayings posted outside my office at times. They are there to remind me each day and perhaps you will enjoy these sentiments as well.

Welcome to 2025. With God walking with us each day it is definitely going to be a good one.

Peace,
Rev. Mary-Jane