Here we are, the first official work week of 2017 and for many, it's an exciting time filled with hope and anticipation for a new and better year. However, millions facing end of life or grief say “not so fast” about making resolutions and plans because quite honestly, 2016 brought them a cavalcade of loss. So for many, the thought of looking forward also means letting go of a past they aren’t ready to part from.
Therefore, what to do with the anxiety caused by a new year? To begin with, remember that all of life does not have to be on fast forward. The first week of the year is an opportunity to take a nice, deep breath before moving onward with vim and vigor.
Second, understand that the opening week of the year offers a prime opportunity to practice the power of choice. Though you didn’t choose what happened to you, you can choose how you’ll try to proceed in the coming months. Will you surround yourself with positive people? Will you take care of your health to the best of your ability? You can choose how you wish to move forward and many find that making small improvements to their daily habits can create a ripple effect in terms of how one copes with his or her grief.
Remember, too, that the idea of making and sticking to resolutions can be overwhelming for many grieving people. Often, it’s easier to start with one basic question: “What would the person I lost want for me?” If you’re not sure, I offer up the following, based on 20 years of conversations with dying men, women and children:
They want all they love to truly LIVE as fully as possible because he or she can’t.
That’s it...Do your best and don’t waste a day. Remember, though it may feel like an impossible task due to the weight of your own grief, it is most likely what your loved one would want for you.
You can choose to LIVE ON.
What does that mean? Watch below as Olivia Newton-John, talks about the death of her sister, Rona, and their mother’s wisdom, all of which inspired her new song, Live On, featured in the video at the bottom.
“It’s okay to be sad,” she says, “but LIVE, because every moment is a gift for everybody.”
Can you choose to live on, embracing life as fully as possible in 2017?
Those you love and have lost might say it’s the one resolution worth working toward.
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