It's time to take down the decorations and put away the wrapping paper, ornaments, and tree. The hustle and bustle of Christmas is over and it's time to start planning for the new year. So, are you ready?
Is there anything you would like to change this year? Symbolically, the new year represents an opportunity for making changes to old goals of the past or to create new goals moving forward. But what if the past two years have been full of so much change you just want to find a place of peace and safety? What if all the plans you made in 2020, 2021, and 2022 still have not been realized because the trauma of the recent past is still lingering?
Sometimes we don't even realize how much trauma we have experienced because the events were not very big in comparison to what we would think of as a traumatic event. When I talk with my clients about trauma, I explain to them that trauma can be like the flicker of a gas stove attempting to light the gas and bring it to a flame. But for some reason, the gas doesn't catch fire. You just notice the "click, click, click," and then eventually, BOOM the gas explodes into a billowing flame before it settles to a normal size. The longer the "click, click, click" goes, the more fumes are being released resulting in even larger explosions. What this can look like in real life is like the little arguments a couple might have that erupts one day into a huge fight and a black eye. Or a child who is struggling at school eventually brings home the "F" on his report card and is severely disciplined by his parent. Or the employee who shows up late three times in a week gets "suddenly" terminated. Often, trauma is not the big event everyone thinks of, but the little events that pile up to create the big explosion.
With this in mind, look back at the little unresolved challenges of the past you'd like to resolve this year. If your finances have drained to nearly nothing, how can you increase your income? If your marriage is on the rocks, find a therapist who can help you recover before it's too late. If your child is struggling in school, talk to the school about tutoring services. If you plan for your future you'll have a better outcome.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11