Blog post written by, Ara Mascarenas, M.S
Registered Intern for Mental health Counselor Licensure
When a new year comes around, the phrase “New year, new you” inevitably comes up with the goal to
inspire hope and motivate people to change who they are. The issue with this phrase is that it tells people that who they are in this very moment, is not enough. That the only way to be worthy of another year is by changing into someone else. It’s as if there is a deadline for you to finish your project, get a new job, start a family, or begin a new routine. However, a deadline is the latest time by which something must be completed and that’s just not realistic to the human experience. There is no final due date or way to
complete the assignment.
Change is encouraged and nothing lasts forever but the one thing that is constant is YOU. You have been there with you, every step of the way since you were 5, 12, 32, 60, and 73. The same you that has witnessed incredible things has also overcome your toughest challenges. You’ve achieved things you never thought possible and struggled as well as persisted.
There doesn’t need to be a new you, because ‘you’ is already enough in the first place. No radical transformation is necessary. Throughout your life, you might change your relationships, your hobbies, your career aspirations, or your music taste and the coolest thing about it is that you’ll have yourself to return to every single time.
Here are a couple of affirmations you can try throughout the year to remind yourself that you are enough and worthy just as you are:
- “I love myself for who I am”
- “I value myself as a person”
- “I am”
- “I deserve to relax”
- “I enjoy the present moment”
- “I am strong, steady, and grounded”
- “I am enough”
At first, it might feel strange to think about a new year through this lens but hopefully, you’ll come to realize that who you are doesn’t need to be renewed. Regardless of what this year will bring, always remember we have your back.
Ara Mascarenas, M.S
Registered Intern for Mental health Counselor Licensure
I am interested in working with children, adolescents, and their families who are currently struggling with anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. For more information about working with me and to get a FREE 30-minute phone consult, please call at 954.850.6633 or email me at aramascarenasmhc@gmail.com.
Services available in English/Spanish and Online