“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.”
― Neil Gaiman
Our month of January is named after the Roman god Janus. Janus was no light weight with the Romans, but rather a two-faced god with the ability to look to the future and to the past. Janus was the guardian of gates, doors, doorways, passages and endings. The beginning of the January and New Year’s day was dedicated to Janus and good wishes were exchanged along with honey, dates and figs.
Although we don’t have the super powers of a Roman god, we do have the ability to try new things.
The buzz in the gym yesterday morning was about working out more, eating healthier and losing weight. I joined in vowing to return to my regular workout regimen and healthy diet. The extra pounds I found in Italy last fall need to go. The same conversations of self-improvement took place last night at a New Year’s Eve party. We all want to make our lives better, but fear often holds us back.
Besides getting back to a healthier lifestyle I’ve decided to appreciate nature this year. Often times I put off taking a hike because I’m afraid to take time away from writing, but taking that time off will make me a better writer. My camera has been in the closet collecting dust instead of taking pictures of the mountains, cactus and flowers around me. I’m looking forward to taking my camera off the shelf and looking at nature through its lens.
What will you do to change yourself this year?
