As a new year approaches, people all around began to make resolutions and declare they will be a new and improved them. For some reason some seem to believe at the strike of midnight, they will miraculously be better inside and out. They proclaim to be leaving everything in the old year and starting over in the new year.
Although this sounds great, reality says you are the same person at 11:59pm on December 31st that you will be at 12:00am on January 1st. You will still have the same bills, job, family, drama, sickness , etc. you had a minute before midnight and although you are in a new year and decade, truth be told you didn’t change nor did your circumstances in that minute.
We battled these chronic illnesses yesterday and we will still be battling them tomorrow. We set ourselves up for failure when we believe that the clock, the time, the date, will cure our illnesses. We do a disservice to ourselves by expending all of our spoons thinking we will be granted millions just because it’s a new year.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe it is important to celebrate the victory of making it to a new year and in this case a new decade. We all should be thankful and strive to be a better us daily and the new year symbolizes a new opportunity to reevaluate ourselves and strive to get it right this time.
Reality is, no at midnight your illness did not disappear, but you have another opportunity to view your illness differently . You have an opportunity to self reflect and find ways that you can improve your health. Maybe you need to eat differently, get more rest, take your medications on the right schedule, change physicians in order to be heard, be seen by the Doctor more often, take breaks, be more proactive, etc. There is definitely something you can do to better you.
No, we don’t need to name it a “New Year’s Resolution.” It doesn’t take a new year to be a new you. It doesn’t take a new year to prompt you to put you first and take care of your needs. It doesn’t take a new year for you to make the proper changes in your life that will enhance your quality of life.
The “New Year,” is a great motivational kick start, but you truly need to look in the mirror daily and figure out what you can do to help yourself.
I looked in the mirror this morning and realized my eyes were super dark underneath, my malar rash was really red, my posture was poor. Yes, we are in a new year, but truth be told, I looked worse this morning then I did last year. After looking at myself I realized I had a new opportunity to try to improve what I see and felt. I need to rest more because my lack of sleep is causing the dark bags. I need to make sure I take my meds on time because clearly I’m flaring by looking at my rash. I had to take the initiative this morning to contact my doctor to try to get ahead of this flare. I had to do some things and still have to do some things to help myself.
The New Year had nothing to do with my self care today because this is something I should be doing daily anyway.
I’m thankful for the New Year and the motivation to be a better me; however, I encourage you to not just make these changes because it’s a new year, but continue for the next 364 days to look in the mirror daily and see how you can better yourself and enhance your quality of life.
Be a new you daily; not just because it’s a new year!!!
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Angel’s Lupus Journey 