The song “Auld Lang Syne” will no doubt be part of many a New Year’s celebration. Perhaps you’ve heard it hundreds of times – but, have you ever considered its meaning? If so, you’d recognize it as is a poignant song about “days gone by,” about looking back on the good and the bad.It’s important to look back on our journey, to pause and reflect regularly. We can learn so much when we consider all that brought us to the current moment. If you are human, it will be a culmination of both…
- joys and hardships,
- love and loss,
- connections and loneliness,
- successes and failures.
It is easy to understand how a song about looking back on our past experiences has become inextricably tied with the passing of the old year to the new. This often then leads us to another common tradition … the New Year’s resolution!
While the setting annual goals for self-improvement can be fun, it can also make us focus on the half of the glass that is empty, rather than full. Therefore, our team of therapists would like to remind everyone at this time of the year that accepting ourselves JUST AS WE ARE does not impede our future growth or change – it simply means acknowledging that, “for right now, here’s how it is.”In fact, if you ARE looking for something new to try in the new year, we offer you the practice of Mindful Self-Compassion. Developed by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer (go to self-compassion.org to learn more), it has been shown to support achievement of goals and strengthen personal accountability. It involves three components that can help open the door to change.
- Mindfulness—recognize/accept what is currently happening without trying to fix it right now.
- Common Humanity— accept that you are not alone – that all humans are imperfect, face challenges, and make mistakes. You experience all these parts of life the same way as all other humans.
- Kindness—see the good in yourself, be your own friend, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a dear friend who is feeling what you feel.
On the journey of life, moments of challenge, stagnation, and setbacks will always be there. Sometimes steps forward feel easy and sometimes hard. Sometimes we need to rest and sometimes we will go backwards. Growth is often a cycle of expansion and then a little contraction, repeated over and over. Some moments can feel defeating, but it’s important to remember that the cycle is not an indication of failure or a reason to stop growing, it’s just part of the journey… for auld lang syne.
All of us at Family Service Center wish you an emotionally healthy and self-accepting 2024. If you find that you are feeling alone and in need of additional support, our team of experts are here to help.
