The new year is often a time for new resolutions, new intentions, or even just hitting refresh. “New year, new you” is a marketing slogan that is embraced or loathed. It could be both. We’re not only new every year, but every minute, every second, every moment of every day. That is not pressure but an opportunity. 

You don’t have one time a year to renew yourself. It can happen every day, many times a day. There is no one moment that is the right moment for everyone. What works well for me may not work for you, and vice versa. And do you need to ever be new?

You are already, in this moment and every moment more than enough. You are Divine, all-powerful, beautiful, intelligent, wise, compassionate, and happy. We all are. Although it’s possible that you don’t feel all (or any) of those things. 

Instead of looking at the new year as a time to change ourselves, why not look at the new year as a time to become ourselves? Let’s make the new year a time to embrace all that we are, and all that we can become. Instead of “new year, new you”, let’s go for new year, new discoveries about who we are. 

In Be More, each chapter ends with action steps. I’m assuming most readers won’t do them all, but I included a variety so there is something that resonates with everyone. Many take less than a minute but are a way to refresh perspective and understanding. Below are a few sample action steps from Be More to get you started on discovering more of yourself, and embracing all that beauty and power waiting and already there. 

1. Remember. Think of what you’ve learned in the last few months. How has the process of learning changed you? What has your effort to learn taught you? How has that changed the quality of your life? With this, notice how the attitude to constantly learn improves the quality of your life.

2. Write. Write a story from another perspective. If you find yourself judging a situation, sit quietly and then write the same situation from the other person’s perspective. What were they thinking? What were they trying to achieve? How can you help them?

3. Admire. “Wherever women are honored there is happiness and joyfulness.” ~ Smritis 

Collect photos on your phone or Instagram of various expressions of women in your life that you appreciate. Why are these photos important to you? What about their expressions reach you? How does this connect to the expression “woman is divine”?

4. Remember. When have you given the gift of love to others this week or this month? How did you feel during and after? How did loving change you?

These action steps are taken from several Threads in Be More, on themes of love, learning, honoring the Divine in everyone but especially in women, and removing judgment. They are small steps that, in even a few minutes, can refresh perspective. What would you love to learn? How do you want to grow in love or remove judgment for yourself and others this year? 

Wishing you a beautiful year of discovery.