This time of year brings with it a natural invitation to reflect on that year that was, and to make plans for the year to come.
There’s a beautiful refrain by the late and great Leonard Cohen, the legendary Canadian poet and singer, in his song ‘Anthem’ that is a good reminder at times like these:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
As humans, we tend to have a bad habit of focusing on the bad over the good, to be both critical of self and others. We love the encouragement this refrain gives us to celebrate the good, to accept the imperfect, and its invitation to reframe the fault line itself, from a problem to a potential salvation.
Moving forward meaningfully into a better future requires that we contemplate and confront those things that we find difficult to deal with. At one stage or another, we all experience challenges, and most of us will know that nagging feeling that follows us around, sometimes from year to year, if the issue goes undealt with. The problem with not attending to hard subjects is that, guilt aside, they tend to get worse over time.
The secret to doing difficult things? Make a start. Begin with the first step. So with the new year dawning soon, consider what you need to get done to get the monkey off your back. Then make that appointment, schedule that talk, do whatever it is you need to do.
And once you’ve sorted that first step? Make sure to ring those bells.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season from the team at McManus & Co.
Have a difficult issue in regard to estate planning, wills, family law or conveyancing you need help with? Get started now via our website www.mcmanuslawyers.com.au or by calling us on 9318 4188.
