Happy New You!!!

Remember the Etch A Sketch? It was a very popular toy when I was younger and although various companies have expanded the concept and created newer versions, it is still in toy stores today. It’s square in shape, red framed with a white knob on each side of the frame and a grayish area in which to explore your artistic abilities. In order to “draw” you have to turn the knobs strategically and accept the fact that you can never lift the drawing mechanism. Therefore, there are no separations in your design…everything is connected. I loved the Etch A Sketch, but must admit, it was one of the most frustrating toys ever made. Each time I decided to use the Etch A Sketch, I’d start with an idea in mind. I’d position the drawing mechanism to the spot that I wanted it to be in and start turning. In my head, I was prepared to produce a masterpiece, but what I saw on the screen was never what I intended. So, if you’ve ever used an Etch A Sketch, you will understand that I spent a lot of time shaking it up. For those of you who aren’t familiar or simply can’t remember, that’s how you “erase” what you created. To add to the frustration, you couldn’t erase just a part of the design, it was all or nothing. So playing with the Etch A Sketch was an early lesson in Starting Over. I’d like to say that after so many attempts I was eventually able to draw a memorable picture…or at least write my name in cursive (anything other than straight lines proved to be quite a fiasco) but that is so far from the truth.

Although sometimes it feels like there is only one way to do something; that is a myth that we create when the other options seem more difficult than the challenge we are facing. We keep working on the same picture, drawing the same crooked lines, and taking those long pauses to try and figure out if there’s something else we can do to salvage what we thought would be our masterpiece. We reach the point where we are no longer satisfied or happy with what we are doing, but we just keep going, thinking that there is no other way. Truth be told, we hate what we’ve created but lack the courage to start over. Well not this year! This year, I challenge you to really Shake It Up. Start over and get it right. If something isn’t working in your life, it’s time to take a new direction. Thank God our lives are not boxed in like the Etch A Sketch! We can separate the good from the bad. We can build on our successes and learn from our mistakes. We can keep what is working and get rid of what isn’t. We can start where we want and go in any direction we choose.

It’s a new year, no more corny resolutions. It’s time for meaningful changes. It’s time for self evaluation and personal commitments that don’t have to be made aloud, aren’t obligatory, trendy, unrealistic, or based on you looking over somebody else’s fence. Take an honest look at your Relationships, Spirituality, Health, Career, and other aspects of your life and change what isn’t working. No more confining yourself to the existing boxes...redefine yourself and your expectations. It’s a new day, a new year, a new you…a Happy New You.