New Year’s Day is almost upon us. The classic “fresh start” to a brand new year that seems to inspire people everywhere to “begin again” – to initiate change and implement improvements.

I’ve never really been one to jump on this bandwagon. I believe that EVERY DAY is a “fresh start”, and that you can choose to improve yourself at any time. That being said, I also believe that the scariest place to be is the exact same place as last year – so, if a few New Year’s resolutions are what motivates you to hold yourself accountable and do better, then by all means, resolve away! Show up for yourself, day after day, and grow. You deserve it.

I assure you, the only steps to take, and in whatever order you wish to take them, are your own. Only you can figure out what works best for you. Only you can evaporate the things that hold you back. And only you can set yourself free. The process is specific to you, alone, so the only progress you need to live up to is your own.

I, myself, have learned through my own life’s experiences that the deepest form of self-care is building a life that you are in love with – which, in the beginning, is a very unbeautiful thing. It requires making a list of all your debt and holding yourself accountable for eliminating it. It’s enforcing a morning routine, choosing discipline over motivation, and refusing to satiate your most immediate desires. It’s cooking healthy meals and drinking water rather than eating out and self-medicating with alcohol. It’s refusing to run from your problems while claiming that the distractions are the solution. It’s looking your disappointments and failures squarely in the eye and restrategizing, understanding that the will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.

It’s letting go, and choosing new. It’s disappointing some people, while making sacrifices for others. It’s living in a way that most people won’t, so that you may someday live in a way that most people can’t. It’s becoming the person you know you are capable of being – someone who understands that salt baths and chocolate cake are ways to enjoy this life, not escape from it.

I am writing this today to simply remind you that THIS IS YOUR LIFE. Do what makes you happy. Change the things you can and let go of the things you can’t.

If there is something that you want, go out there and get it. If you have a dream, follow it. Do not let fear hold you back. Trust your gut and always believe in yourself – you are capable of so much more than you think. When people tell you that you can’t, show them that you can – but only if the thing you’re doing is something that YOU truly want.

There will, inevitably, be times when you fall – but you will stand back up again. Protect your heart, but recognize when to let it go. Reminisce on the good times, and take a lesson from the bad. Learn from your mistakes, but do not dwell upon them. Be confident in who you are, keep your head held high, and remember that you are beautiful.

Do not be afraid to express how you feel. Cry hard, laugh harder, and when you love – love with all your heart.

Never settle. Find your passion and embrace its magic. You can be whoever you want to be. There are no set rules, there is only now – and this is your now. This is your time, this is your life, and you only have one. Make it count.

#BeyondTheBoylstonLine