New Year, New Beginnings
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”
- Albert Einstein
First of foremost, I wish you all a happy and healthy (and warm) New Year, and hope that 2023 brings some happiness to you all.
As we say goodbye to 2022, and the struggles that it brought, we look forward to 2023 with dread and uncertainty. What will this year bring?
Personally, as I look back over the past couple of years, as tough as they have been, they have taught me valuable life lessons and made me stronger. 2020 broke me, 2021 brought me to my knees, 2022 had its own challenges alongside a massive career change, so what will 2023 bring for me? This is a question that I cannot yet answer, but I look towards to New Year with my head held high and ready to face any obstacle put before me. Will I be successful in overcoming these obstacles? Who knows, but I will face them and overcome them as much as I can.
How? By not failing at the first obstacle. If I do fall, I will pick myself up, brush myself off and try again. As hard as it may be at times, it is the only thing that we can to do keep moving. This is sometimes not easy when the goal posts always seem to be changing, but when life brings us down, the first thing we can do is pick ourselves up.
If after picking yourself you find that you cannot climb that obstacle, then there are many friends, families, organisations and charities available to help you in any way that you need it. The first step in picking ourselves up is to ask for help. This is always the hardest part. We try to muddle on by ourselves, but it comes to a time where we need help. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Even if you don’t need any help at this very moment in time, the fact that you realise this yourself means that you have overcome the first obstacle. Sometimes just talking about worries is all that is needed to keep moving.
I have previously written about finding light in the darkness, and not being afraid to turn on the light. I reflect on this message and add, how many people does it take to change a lightbulb?
As humans we are not solitary creatures, and we crave the companionship of others. It is not a sign of weakness to speak about emotions and hardships to others. As 2023 continues with the same cost of living issues, gas and electric issues, inflation, numerous train and rail strikes, and now the issues with the NHS, it is time to look at our own communities, and help each other from within.
Let us start 2023 as we mean to go on, in light, in warmth and most importantly, together.
If you would like to request contact with our chaplains in your area then please email admin@mitechaplaincy.com or info@mitechaplaincy.com to request a call-back, and we will place you in contact with a local chaplain.
Whether you have faith or not, you all remain in my thoughts, and my wishes go out to you all
Laura Hutcheon
Executive Director MitE
We have a range of resources on our own web-site some help in dealing with everyday stress: https://mite.org.uk
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