Goodbye to 2023! Hello to 2024!

As the clock winds down on 2023, I find myself thinking back to past years and to the way we always start off a new year with lots of energy and hope.

I even remember — a year ago — being hopeful for 2023, although I sit here on the last day of the year and cannot get past the feeling that it was a bit of a disappointing year. And so, I hope 2024 will be better.

Like most people, I don't like to feel disappointed. Of course that leaves the option of setting lower expectations, resulting in a greater chance that whatever lies ahead lives up to those expectations. Another option is to not have any expectations at all, and just allow the days to unfold as they wish.

One of the things I have learned over the years is that any feelings of disappointment we experience are usually directly connected to having a great deal of attachment to an outcome. When we are very attached to something specific happening, we feel a great deal of disappointment when that doesn't come to pass the way we had hoped for.

I realize that this kind of "just letting things be" flies in the face of most of Western philosophy, which revolves around setting lots of goals and having lots of resolutions and so on and so forth.

I have been on that particular wagon, and frankly? It is somewhat exhausting! Setting goals for ourselves is supposed to be a source of motivation, not a source of anxiety and disappointment!

The reason I'm even thinking these thoughts right now, is that I have had too many years in a row that have felt disappointing at the end. I get around to the 31st of December, and all I can think of is "good riddance" to the old year. Surely... we can do better than this!

Of course, it helps to remember gratitude, and to express that... no matter how small the things you feel grateful for might be. Gratitude is a bit like finding points of light in an ocean of darkness!

Lest it sounds otherwise, I am really not feeling sad or depressed right now, but instead somewhat hopeful. I feel hopeful for 2024, and I feel hopeful for this New Year's Eve which will be spent with family, followed by a brief visit to a local venue for a late night celebration.

Tomorrow, we shall have our annual New Year's "Shrimp Boil" which has become something we do every year... it's a very nice tradition to start off a new year with.

So it is time for me to finish this off with a wish of a great year for all my friends here on Steemit! May we all have the best year ever in 2024!

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again next year!

How about you? Making any resolutions for 2024? Did you spend New Year's Eve with family? Or did you go out and party? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2023.12.31 19:11 PST
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