By Immani Love
The year is finally over and what a year it has been! We have lost so much from pandemic deaths to natural disasters to suicides. We have mourned friends, family members, and celebrities and said farewell to friendships and relationships. We have given up on goals, lost hope in society, and accepted failure in so many things that despair seems the only reaction. We have told ourselves that we can’t be redeemed or saved and accepted our dismal fates. We have resolved to end this year and be rid of all of the negativity it carried with it. Let the year end, and with the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, bury the regret, the hate, the sorrow, the doubt, and the strife of the previous year. On the tombstone of the fallen year it will read, “Here lies, the lies.”
It’s over.
As we embrace the dawn of the New Year, we refer to our juvenile knowledge of mythology, or astrology, or ideology for a concept to cling to for inspiration. I am here to offer a couple ways to approach things in a positive light. Please be aware that these are merely suggestions from a self proclaimed witty, author and erotic poet, that happens to write a decent article here and there. I’m no expert but I’ve found that in order to begin anew you must let go of the old. I like to compare the idea to that of the mythological creature, the Phoenix. It is strong and resilient, fights hard throughout its life, when it is injured it heals itself, and when it dies it is reborn, stronger and more beautiful than before. The same is true for our spirit, our ideas, and our ambition. We start out strong and full of fight and motivation but at some point we are injured. Either by our own thoughts, by rejection, or by financial loss. We allow those things to deter us and kill our momentum. We succumb, wither, and in most cases allow that fire to die. It is only the strongest of our kind that look to the ashes with hope and gather them up to nurture them and allow them to heal and are rewarded with the flamboyant rebirth that is beyond what they could fathom possible.
In this new season I offer this exercise in navigating this process. Write an obituary. Give it a date and time of death. Speak to the life of the idea or concept, the highlights, the experiences, the intentions. Talk about the failings and the residual effects of them, and those that were left behind to mourn. In mentioning the those mourning be sure to acknowledge the main person affected. “Survived by…you.”
Read it aloud, then get an ashtray, or light the fireplace or go out to your fire pit and burn it! Then after you have watched it turn to ashes and given it a proper farewell, go back to writing, only this time, write a birth announcement. Give all the love and praise to the Phoenix that has arisen within your spirit. Speak of hope and plans, rename your spirit and give it life. Invite others to celebrate this new year of prosperity and growth. Take time to embrace what you have planned for yourself and marvel at what amazing things are in store as you would with a new baby.
In life we make choices on how we live it and what things we allow to shape it. We spend a great part of our lives letting outside influences change how we move, think, and what level of enthusiasm we approach things with. I encourage you in this new season to learn to trust yourself more. Give yourself credit for the beautiful being that you are. Allow for forgiveness when you make a mistake and be kind to yourself if there is a shortcoming. Teach this to those in your circle that exhibit the traits you used to give in to. Make sure you encourage them to speak life in every breath they take and remember to do the same for yourself. Pride yourself in the exquisite joy of being reborn with new opportunity for greatness. Revel in the fact that you have just begun.
