The Phoenix in mythology, and in Harry Potter, is a bird that dies, turns to ashes and is reborn. I feel reborn. I have felt so different ever since I moved out. Almost confused from it. Who am I? Who is Shannen? This is five diary entries on reflecting on who am I today, now, and who do I want to be in 2018.
Damn straight I am.
This year my only resolution is to be kind to myself. Starting a new year comes with a lot of pressure to start over. It means starting a diet or workout regimen. It means quitting bad habits. It means reflecting on the shitty parts of yourself and forcing yourself to change them. I’m realizing my worst habit is being unkind to myself.
Coming into a new year, a widely celebrated turning point in time, we’re often bombarded with the idea that we must make it an important change in our individual lives. The emphasis for change is all around us and we often pressure ourselves into the “new year, new me” mindset, deciding on leaving part of ourselves in the previous year so that we can focus on developing a new version of us. However, this year I’ve decided to approach change differently. I won’t try to shed the things I don’t like about myself or put focus on my negative traits, but instead, I’ll work more on accepting who I am. I feel as though who I am has gotten me here, so I can’t be all bad. This year I’ll be changing by way of being grateful for the process rather than pining for the outcome.
It’s easy to lose sight of why you started something – the genuine, root, pure catalyst. Below I’ve revisited the root reasons I started The Strange is Beautiful (TSIB), the original goals and the actions I’ve taken, which goals have changed and the future goals for TSIB in 2017 and beyond <3 <3 <3