Renewal Resolutions Journey

As the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped on the TV show Henderson was watching, signaling the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year, Henderson stood on her balcony, gazing at the city lights and her neighbors Christmas lights which were a permanent fixture on her house. She took a deep breath and inhaled the cold night air. She closed her eyes and made her first resolution of the new year. She was determined to embrace this unpredictable new year with new intentions. 

In a world that showed her life was unpredictable and where she often felt uncertain, Henderson decided to let go of her need for control. She promised herself she would welcome the unexpected twists and turns that had become her life for the past few years. She was sure that many lied ahead in the new year. She promised herself she would view each challenge as an opportunity for growth. 

Resolution 1: Cultivate Connections

The next morning, Henderson sat down at her kitchen table with her cup of hot tea, a fresh apple muffin and a journal, ready to jot down her first resolution of the new year. Her first resolution would be to cultivate deeper connections with the people around her and her family and friends. In this age of social media and virtual interactions, Henderson wanted more face-to-face connections with the people in her life. Henderson wanted genuine conversations. She planned to host regular gatherings at her house from simple brunches with her girlfriends catching up on their lives while sipping on mimosa’s and munching on snacks such as cheese, crackers, breads from the bakery down the street, and of course everyone’s favorite, two large pepperoni pizzas from their favorite pizza maker, Mr. John across town. Henderson believed that by strengthening  these bonds they would create a stronger support system. She also planned to invite her brother over for more games of scrabble and monopoly, the games they used to play as kids and still enjoy as adults. 

Resolution 2: Pursue Passion with Purpose

As the first week of January unfolded, Henderson dived into her second resolution, Pursuing her passion with a purpose. She had always been a creative person but those dreams always took a back seat to the demands of her daily life and the dreams that her mother had instilled in her probably from birth, to become the first person in the family to get a college degree, and become a successful attorney, which she had done. Whether it was taking a class to learn photography, a cooking class, a painting class, learning to play an instrument or writing a children’s book, Henderson wanted to feel the joy of pursuing her passions. She believed by doing so, she could also inspire others to follow their dreams and passions as well. 

Resolution 3: Prioritize Self Care

Henderson recognized the importance of balance in her life. She set her third resolution in prioritizing her self-care. In the past she neglected her well-being as she focused on everyone else and her external achievements rather than her internal state of mind. This years she promised herself regular moments of rest and reflection. She planned to take more long walks in the park to connect with nature. She planned to sit on the bench beside the flowers where the butterflies dance in the sunlight and the hummingbirds hover over the flowers drinking the sweet nectar she imagined tasted like the honey she put in her morning tea. She planned to do more meditation which always nourished her mind and soul. She understood that by taking care of herself she could better navigate life’s challenges and she could better support those around her. 

Resolution 4: Explore the World

As the first two months passed of the new year, Henderson's sense of adventure  and her desire to travel the world grew. That led to her fourth resolution: explore the world. She wanted to step out of her comfort zone and experience new cultures, people, food, flavors, landscapes and make new memories. Henderson started making plans to travel to places she had only dreamed of. She wanted to and planned to visit: Italy, Japan, New York, Hawaii, New Zeland, Iceland, Alaska, and California. She had tons of vacation time saved up and was going to plan these trips this year with her best friend, Emily Jean. Emily also was an attorney and Henderson knew that she had not had a real vacation in years. This was going to be the year to change all of that and travel to all the places they wanted to go since they were in high school. 

Resolution 5: Read More Books

Henderson loved to read and she was tired of reading only legal briefs for the past few years. She loved to read stories about life, love, mysteries, travel and even poetry. She had a big collection of books on the shelves of the tall bookcase in the corner of her living room. When she brought all of those books she vowed to read each and every one of them. She had not read any of them. She would always go to the bookstore on her lunch break and browse the latest books by her favorite authors and purchase them. She would carefully place them in alphabetical order on her bookshelf and that is where they would stay for the remainder of the year unread. This year she was going to expand her horizons and join a book club and share her thoughts with other like minded lovers of books and stories. 

With her journal and list in hand, Henderson felt a renewed sense of purpose and excitement for the new year. Little did she know these resolutions would not only shape her own life and new year but she would also not only inspire herself to live more but she would also inspire her family and friends to start their own journeys of self-care, self-discovery, travel and growth. Henderson would embark on a journey in the new year which she would continue in the years to come.