“cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right

// oprah winfree 

Happy New Year to all. I trust you fared well over the holiday season. Mine was delightful, having the pleasure to entertain family traveling to our part of the world (which happens very rarely, if ever). It was fun playing tourist with my American cousins, seeing my town in a different perspective while revisiting some old favourites I long ago abandoned. It also struck a cord within, a wanderlust of sorts and a yearning to explore my very own backyard.

When it comes to New Year resolutions we place as much attention to detail as one would find in a preface. Yet resolutions can can be relentlessly fleeting. At times I wonder why we bother? But then again what better time to forge tangible change than during the dawn of a New Year? Right when motivational levels are at epic proportions; not just stirring within yourself but with those around you too.

Looking back 2016 was not a particularly eventful year and one left a bitter taste in my mouth. One of unaccomplished concerns; irregardless of momentum and adventures gained at the peak of the year. Last year I resolved to part ways with resolutions, opting to embrace each and every day instead. In hindsight perhaps someone with the innate tendency to procrastinate and flounder should not have been given such freedoms, as I seemingly squandered valuable time away whist simultaneously breaking such pledges to remain present. So this year I made it a point to set myself goals and expectations, electing to be vigilant and rigorous because if I don’t reign in those wayfaring ways then I’ll find myself in a similar situation; aghast and utterly disappointed at the conclusion of another ineffective year.

So when it came time to ponder my resolutions for 2017 I allowed myself time to linger in thought, requiring each objective to be worth its weight in metaphoric gold. However I decided against dispensing them all here and rather share a subtle conspectus. The main point was to focus on writing followed by the usual intentions for general wellbeing in terms of health and skincare. And the great need to read more and not simply peruse a preface or four.

In terms of blogging and writing the battle in achieving balance needs to be attained. I was reading this interview with Camille from Camille over the Rainbow about her foray and struggles with the blogging world. While the article delved in various areas, what stuck most was a paragraph about creating. Creating as if someone you cared about was reading it.

Creating something you are 300% proud of.

The last few months I’ve pushed myself to create on a regular basis and attempted to regain and master my original posting schedule. One which worked well with my lifestyle two years ago however one which seemingly no longer served. I was determined and yet because of such persistence I ended up wearing myself thin and publishing content and words I wasn’t truly gratified with. I don’t want to continue down such a route. I want 2017 to be a year I focus on my words because it is a love like no other. I am determined to write more – even if no one will actually read it. I want to grow and push myself further in my writing both creatively and personally, starting with this very post.

On a final note, there was also a need to follow suit with last years intention to remain present. These days I find myself attached to technology excessively. A yearning to share and circulate my vision is becoming overbearing. Especially on my iPhone which has been struggling to safely support this obsession of mine, a grapple I’m experiencing for the first time ever in nearly a decade of iPhone ownership. Taking photos are an ideal method for recalling adventures and moments but at the same time what memories are we actually creating when we are solely present through a manmade screen? In a sense those images become soulless and mere formations of pigmentation. All you did was focus on capturing that perfect shot and nothing more. Who you were with and what they may have said, the sights and smells around you and whether or not the sun gently caressed your skin is omitted, both from memory and actual experience.

Because it’s those crucial details that cease to exist without truly being present.

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