Reflections!
As we are approaching year end, I always feel a need to reflect on the year (and life) past,
and to make plans for the year ahead. Although New Year’s Day really is just another date
on the calendar, and nothing major has ever happened for me on this specific day of the
year, I can’t help but feel the thrill of excitement as I’m preparing myself for making a new
and fresh start into 2019. For me, there is something magical and exci ng about new
beginnings, and that’s why this me of the year always makes me ck!
Up ll a few years ago, I did however struggle with making New Year’s Resolu ons. They
seemed to have become a constant ‐ and pre y depressing ‐ reminder of how I didn’t make
any progress on the same goals that I’d set year a er year. I s ll didn’t lose the weight. I
s ll hadn’t joined that class. I s ll hadn’t improved the balance on my savings account. I
s ll… not…
But then I saw the light!
Instead of just focusing on past and future resolu ons, I started to reflect on my life in
general. Where am I today, and how do I feel about that? When thinking about my “perfect
life”, have I been able to close any gaps between where I was last year and where I want to
be in the future? Have I taken any ac ons, made any changes or learned any lessons over
the past year, that will influence my life posi vely for years to come?
When you’re not zooming in on rather unimportant details such as weight, a specific
course or an exact bank balance, but instead you take a step back and look at your life from
a helicopter view, then all of a sudden you will find that real progress has been made. It
maybe in other areas then you planned, it may be via different routes then you mapped
out, but for sure you’ll find that you have actually made progress on important aspects of
your perfect life.
And what I like most about this approach, is that it’s really empowering. I’m no longer
bea ng myself up over everything that I didn’t do, but instead I’m feeling truly proud of
everything that I did accomplish. And that sense of pride also fuels my aspira ons. I know I
can do it and I feel really excited about closing more gaps in me to come!
I hope that this issue of Amaran ne will provide you with all the inspira on that you’ll need
on effec ve reflec on!
Warmest regards,
Denny
Denny Por er‐Terpstra
Managing Editor Amaran ne
AMARANTINE Volume7