New Year, Same Old You!

Hello lovely mortals,

I know it has been quite a while since I last wrote but I am going to try to make more of an effort. As you know I am nurse and this past year and the year before have been trying in multitudes of ways. Many ups and equally impactful downs. I am still here. And hopefully, so are you though you may be a drastically changed human. I think we all are if we are being honest.

I am writing this short welcome back just to dip my toes back into the writing pond. Or rather the personal blog pond as I have been doing much writing but much of it has been academic. One of the new changes in my life is I started to undertake my Masters. I am taking a Masters of Health Science in Bioethics. I am hoping to impact policy development specifically through a lens of bioethics and palliative care approaches. We will see what the future holds. I feel like there are many changes on the horizon.

As this is the beginning of a new year I wanted to talk a little bit about change and resolutions. Normally, I set some intentions for myself or resolutions. I have been trying over the past few years to think more broadly about how to do this so I don’t feel like a failure when I inevitably do not stick to them as the world changes and so do our goals and aspirations.

This year I am here to tell you I have no new resolutions or goals. My goal for the past two years has been to survive, dodge Covid as best I can, support those I love, grow and evolve with the ever-changing times. That will have to suffice. I am here to tell you you do not need the flip of a calendar page to set intentions or resolutions for yourself. If it helps you, sure do it, but if it becomes just another task to stress you out and feel like you are being productive in a world that only seems to value our efforts put into the wheel of capitalism, then I say fuck it.

I would implore you to take stock of the things that bring you joy, nourishment, rest, and balance. Look at your life, your personhood and love critically but with kindness and compassion. I don’t think we often spend enough time valuing and taking stock of the things that we have already, the things we have accomplished, especially through a global pandemic. You do not need to be productive to matter. You do not need to produce or “hustle” to be valued and loved. You are enough, just as you are. No changes. Perfectly imperfect.

I am here to remind you of your impermanence but also inherent merit. Changes, resolutions, goals be damned. So if you don’t feel like setting new goals or intentions, don’t. You are good enough just as you are, all you may need is a little reminder of that. Please let this be it.

Happy New Year to the same old, glorious you!

Until next time…xo.